Tsukishima never believed that there was some sort of deity deciding the person you were supposed to be with for the rest of your life. Just because someone, somewhere throughout the world, had some birthmark that matched yours, should dictate who you spend the rest of your life with? His parents had made that mistake. They had believed they were fated to be together forever, just because some mark shaped like a bird on their right shoulders matched. They had been miserable for years before Tsukishima's dad decided to go away on "business". His parents might still be married, it wasn't proper for soulmates to get divorced, but they hadn't lived in the same house for years. They didn't even live in the same city.
Everyone was born with a mark. Statistically, there had to be some overlap on marks throughout the world. Tsukishima knew that his parents situation was more common than people want to admit. People were fascinated with the idea of a fated mate. There were books, songs, movies all dedicated to the ideal of a person literally made for you. They were disappointed.
Tsukishima's brother had met his soulmate a couple years before. He had acted like all the others when they found their mated, all happy and so gooey over each other it made Tsukishima want to puke, but the phase was quickly over. Akiteru had shown up at home, devastated and locking himself in his room in a way Tsukishima had only seen one other time. Tsukishima had never asked, and Akiteru had never told, but whatever had happened had led to Akiteru realizing his mate wasn't perfect. The two were still together, fighting for a relationship, and Tsukishima didn't see how it was worth the pain he saw on his brothers face. Whatever, it wasn't Tsukishima's choice. Akiteru could do as he pleased.
But that didn't mean Tsukishima had to fall into the same trap. Many people thought it was selfish when someone didn't try to find the person they were mated to. They argued that they were forcing their mate to also live alone, or find someone that wasn't supposed to be theirs. Tsukishima's mother, though her own soulmate hadn't worked out, fell into this group. She pushed Tsukishima constantly to at least look, told him that once he actually met his soulmate, he would change his mind.
There was something she didn't know. Tsukishima didn't have one mark. He had three. As far as he was concerned, they could all be happily mated to each other. They didn't need him.
The marks were hidden, only able to be seen by the person marked. After skin contact, the mark darkened and became visible to those around them. So the only person that knew Tsukishima was one of the rare people with more than one mate was himself. And he planned to make it stay that way.
Even if he somehow met his mated, and by some chance they actually had skin to skin contact, Tsukishima had every intention of making sure his marks would not be seen. First of all, only one of his marks would be visible anyway. The mark on the inside of his upper arm, which was shaped like a cat, was easily hidden under his shirt sleeves. The odd owl on his left hip would only be visible if his pants rested low and he wasn't wearing a shirt. And the last one on his chest, some sort of bird in flight, could be hidden easily enough if needed. However, he didn't expect to have to hide them. Not when he was so adept at dodging touches and avoiding people that tried to brush against him without his notice.
When he reached high school, it seemed that soulmates instantly became all anyone wanted to talk about. Who had found theirs, who it could be. Even the Volleyball team spoke of the topic often. Daichi and Suga didn't make it a secret that they were soulmates, though they didn't make a big deal of it either. Them Tsukishima can stand. Kageyama and Hinata were another matter completely.
"I don't think they're that bad, Tsukki," Yamaguchi told him one afternoon as they walked home.
"They can do whatever they want," Tsukishima muttered, "I would rather not watch it. How that much stupid can be in one relationship is beyond me."
Yamaguchi sent him a chiding glance, "Come on, Tsukki."
Tsukishima merely waved a hand and pulled his headphones up. Yamaguchi was a romantic. He firmly believed in the idea of someone out there made to fit him perfectly. It was really the only thing the two of them disagreed on completely, the one thing Yamaguchi refused to give on. Tsukishima had made it clear that I wasn't a topic the two of them were going to talk about, though Yamaguchi brought it up constantly.
"See you tomorrow," Yamaguchi said brightly as the two split off. Tsukishima waved his hand and moved toward his house, slipping through the front door quickly. Right. Tomorrow. Summer training camp. Days of being trapped in a school he didn't know, surrounded by annoying teammates and even more annoying unfamiliar people. No time to himself, no time away from volleyball. People just as obsessed as Hinata and Kageyama.
He wasn't looking forward to it.
He had just known that this camp was going to be horrible. Not only had they lost to every team they played against, and done the punishments, his team had decided that they had to do extra practice and try to completely revamp the team. He didn't see the point – there wasn't any way they would be as good as these teams. Not to mention wasting all that time on volleyball. They were just going to be disappointed in the end.
And yet, somehow, he had allowed himself to be tricked into doing extra practice with the captains of both Nekoma and Fukurodani, as well as the solemn setter that had eyes that showed more intelligence than the other two put together. The Fukurodani captain was loud and brash, urged on by the scheming Nekoma captain.
Tsukishima jumped over and over, failing to stop the spike every single time. He was getting annoyed and he could practically feel Nakoma's captain, Kuroo's, gaze drilling into his back as he failed to block over and over again. He fell forward, resting his hands on his knees as he failed once again.
"Yes!" the spiker yelled once again.
"You beat all of one blocker," the setter stated calmly.
"Well, how about two then?" a voice cut in, causing to Tsukishima to look up instantly. Kuroo stood there, hands on his hips and a smirk on his face as he stared at the other captain. Tsukishima glanced back at the Nakoma's first year. The boy was sprawled out on the floor.
Is he alive? Tsukishima thought to himself, amazed that the boy had held out as long as he did. He had heard the two training.
"Let's go!" the multi-haired captain yelled, throwing the ball into the air.
Tsukishima could feel the heat off of the boy beside him, but he concentrated on the toss in front of him. "Four eyes, make sure you keep that straight in check," Kuroo stated as the spiker jumped.
Tsukishima scowled but jumped at the same time as the older boy. He saw Kuroo's left hand shoot out instead of up and it met the ball that fell down to the floor. "Yeah!" He yelled, fists pumped into the air.
"Damn it!"
Tsukishima stared at the ball in amazement. How had he been able to stop that? How had he known?
Bokuto stood in front of him, arms crossed over his chest. "You know, four eyes, you're great at reading attacks, but your blocks are pretty weak." Tsukishima scowled instantly, feeling utterly irritated at the remark. And then he got irritated that he was irritated. It was just a game. Nothing to be upset over. "Your arms are so frail I'm scared I'm going to break them."
Tsukishima clenched his jaw at the words. "I'm still a growing boy," he said, standing up to his full height and towering over the captain, knowing just how annoyed the boy would be at the comment. "I've just started gaining muscle and getting taller."
Bokuto's face morphed into a scowl instantly and Tsukishima almost laughed when he saw Akaashi let out a sigh as he looked at his captain.
"Talk like that and the little shrimp is going to hog all the glory," Kuroo said with a sly look on his face. "You play the same position, right?"
There was complete silence as Tsukishima played the words over in his head. They weren't anything new. Nothing he hadn't told himself over and over. He knew Hinata was considered to be special. That he was going to be pushed to the background. Yet, for some reason, the words from Kuroo's mouth stung.
"I don't think that can be helped," Tsukishima muttered, rubbing the back of his neck and smiling a fake smile. "The difference in natural talent between me and Hinata is too great."
Kuroo's mouth opened in response but Tsukishima didn't have a chance to hear his response. A group of boys walked in, talking loudly and obviously wanting to join their captain for practice. Tsukishima smiled once again, knowing none of them would see just how fake it was, "Well, looks like I'll be in the way," he said, turning away toward the door. "If you'll excuse me."
"Hey!" Kuroo yelled out.
"Looks like you stepped on a mine, Kuroo-san," Tsukishima heard Akaashi state.
"You pissed him off," Bokuto put in.
Tsukishima moved away before he could hear any more. He didn't need anyone analyzing what he did or said. Especially not Nakoma's captain.
Yamaguchi yelled at him. Yamaguchi yelled at him. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do now. He knew what Yamaguchi wanted him to do. He knew what other members of the team wanted him to do. Did he really want to be left behind while they all moved forward? Did he really want to be pathetic?
Before he knew it, he was standing in the open doorway of the gym, staring at the three boys in front of him. Kuroo and Bokuto were laughing loudly, Akaashi staring at them with fond amusement. For a moment, Tsukishima was taken aback by the look on the usual stoic face. How could he look at those two like that?
Akaashi saw him first. His eyebrows rose in surprise as he let out a faint, "oh."
"Oh, what's this?" Bokuto questioned with a smirk.
"What's this, what's this?" Kuroo cut in.
Tsukishima took a deep breath and moved forward. "There is something I want to ask you. May I?"
"Sure!" Bokuto and Kuroo chorused.
Tsukishima blinked in surprise, "Thank you very much," he said, bowing slightly. "Both of your schools are sometimes considered powerhouse schools, right?"
The troubles duo instantly lost their smiles. "Well, yeah," Kuroo snapped.
"Even if you were able to make it to nationals," Tsukishima continued, used to people being irritated with him, "actually winning there would be difficult, right?"
Kuroo scowled darkly as Bokuto's hand moved into a fist. "But not impossible!" he yelled out.
"Now, now, let's hear him out." Akaashi said lightly, glancing at his captain. "This is just a what if."
"I seriously can't figure out how everyone can be so determined. Volleyball is just a club and maybe you'll get to write I worked really hard in high school on your resume, right?"
Bokuto glared, "Just a club?" he snarled. Tsukishima almost took a step back at the glare being directed at him. He had no idea the loud captain could look like that. "It almost sounds like someone's name."
Kuroo blinked, "Oh, like Mary Club?"
"What?" Tsukishima asked, puzzled as the two began to argue. "Are they asking me to retort?"
"Nah, there'll be no end to it," Akaashi answered back as the two continued to stare at the arguing idiots.
"Say, four-eyes!"
"It's Tsukishima."
"Say, Tsukishima-kun," Bokuto continued, "is volleyball fun?"
Is volleyball fun? What type of question is that? Tsukishima thought about his answer. Did he really get joy out of playing, like so many others seemed to? No. Did he look forward to going to the club room every day? No.
"No, not really."
"Maybe that's because you suck," Tsukishima scowled at the words. He didn't suck. At anything. "I'm a third year and I've been to nationals," Bokuto continued, "and I'm better than you. Like, way better."
"You don't have to tell me that."
"But I only recently started thinking volleyball was fun," Bokuto said, surprising Tsukishima slightly. He had figured the older boy had been another Hinata. "Ever since my straight became usable in matches. Because my cross hits that I was really good at kept getting blocked. I got frustrated and practiced the hell out of straights. And, at the next tournament, the same blockers couldn't touch it. I got right past them. Just that one shot made me feel like my time had finally come." He laughed loudly, a grin breaking out across his face before he turned his gold eyes onto Tsukishima. "It all depends on if you have the moment or not. It doesn't really matter what happens in the future, or if you can win your next match, the joy you feel beating the guy in front of you and when you're able to pull out 120% of your potential, is everything."
Tsukishima stared. How had this idiot just given him a speech like that? A speech that actually made him think and maybe understand exactly what his brother had been trying to tell him for so many years?
"Well, at least that's how it is for me," Bokuto continued, arms crossed over his chest. "it doesn't mean it applies to everyone. I don't really understand why you say it's just a club but I don't think you're wrong. But once that moment arrives for you, that's the moment you'll be hooked on volleyball."
Tsukishima didn't know how to reply. That was the moment he'd be hooked on volleyball? This mystical moment he hadn't had yet?
"All right," Bokuto said loudly, clapping his hands and making Tsukishima jump. When exactly had the two thirds years moved on either side of him? "I answered your question, now help with blocking."
He placed his hand on Tsukishima's back and Kuroo slipped his arm down around his waist and pulled him onto the court, "come on, come on."
Tsukishima tensed. It was just the shirt. They weren't touching skin. Just the shirt. No need to panic. It wasn't like they were his soulmates anyway. The odds of that were slim. "Wait-"
Bokuto laughed loudly, still pushing him as they stepped onto the court. He moved his arm, lightly brushing Tsukishima's as he did so. Tsukishima stilled. Skin contact. Skin….
Nothing was different. There wasn't an "instant connection" that some people mentioned. There wasn't a burning sensation on his mark that others spoke of. Nothing. Of course, there had been those that stated they hadn't known anything had happened until they saw their mark had filled itself in, but Tsukishima was confident everything was fine. He would check later, just to make sure.
"You look terrified, four eyes," Kuroo said from beside him, his arm still around Tsukishima's waist.
"You're in my personal bubble," Tsukishima replied instantly, twisting to move away from the clingy captain.
Kuroo laughed loudly as he did so, "Oh, personal boundary issues. Good to know."
"Kuroo-san," Akaashi reprimanded from his side of the net.
Tsukishima was amazed to note that Kuroo bowed his head instantly, "Sorry, Tsukki."
Tsukishima felt a muscle in his jaw twitch, "Tsukki?"
Kuroo beamed, "I heard your little friend call you that. It's cute."
"Tsukki, Tsukki, Tsukki!" Bokuto began chanting as Akaashi tried, and failed, to shush him.
"Only Yamaguchi calls me that," Tsukishima muttered.
Kuroo shrugged, "I like it."
"Tsukki!"
Akaashi finally sighed and bowed his head slightly, "Sorry. Once they have something in their heads, it's hard to make them stop."
Tsukishima sighed and got into place beside Kuroo. "Ready?" The Nekoma captain asked.
Akaashi tossed the ball and Bokuto ran and jumped before Tsukishima had a chance to respond. Kuroo blocked it almost effortlessly as Bokuto cursed. "Damn! One more!"
By the time practice ended, Tsukishima was panting slightly and ready for bed. He really needed a wash before he did so. "See you tomorrow, Tsukki," Kuroo said loudly as he walked out the door.
"Bye, Tsukki!"
Tsukishima rolled his eyes and made it to the room the Karasuno team was sharing. He slid open the door and moved toward his bag instantly, needing some fresh clothes. "Good work out?" Nishinoya asked, smirking when he looked over at the tall boy.
"Annoying," Tsukishima replied.
It wasn't until he was finished washing up and was in the process of getting dressed when he remembered the brush of Bokuto's arm against his. Instantly he looked first toward his wrist, but only saw the slight grey outline. Same for his chest…but as he looked down, he felt the breath seize in his throat.
The bird. The usual grey outlined of the owl was now darker grey with hints of black. Oh god. He couldn't breathe. This couldn't be happening. Bokuto? The loud mouthed, volleyball, obsessed captain? Maybe he wouldn't notice. Maybe he was so obtuse he wouldn't even pick up on it. He probably hadn't even noticed that they brushed against each other in the gym.
This was probably his worst nightmare. Bokuto wouldn't let it go. He wouldn't agree with Tsukishima's plan to stay alone and let the other three live out their lives. So what if they each have a mark that isn't filled in? Well, okay, so Bokuto's is filled in. But if he finds the other two, they could fill in his remaining marks and the bird can just be left unfilled forever. It didn't need to include him. Ever.
He just had to avoid the third year for the rest of camp. Maybe he didn't even remember and Tsukishima doubted he would even be on the list as a possible candidate. Bokuto touched everyone, he had noticed just how tactile the other was. He would have no idea who had filled in his mark. It was going to be fine.
It was not going to be fine. Bokuto was literally prowling around the gym, glaring at everyone and practically tackling people to the ground and trying to see their chests. It was something the other players weren't happy about, and Tsukishima couldn't even count how many times the other boy had been hit.
Akaashi was trying to keep the other in line, but even he seemed to be a little on edge. His eyes kept flickering around the room, narrowed, like he was trying to figure something out.
To make it worse, Kuroo was also acting strange. He was snapping at everyone, his game more harsh than usual. Tsukishima had no doubt the other boy could be quite nasty if needed, but he had never really used those tactics against Karasuno. Watching him today, Tsukishima was very okay with it staying that way.
No doubt Bokuto had told them that his mark had filled in. The three seemed close and the other two probably took it as a personal assault that whoever it was hadn't bothered to tell Bokuto. Tsukishima made a mental note to avoid all three of them until he could finally leave.
"You're acting odd today, Tsukki," Yamaguchi said, sliding down to sit beside the taller boy as they finished yet another punishment. He seemed worried. Knowing him, he probably thought Tsukishima was mad at him for the night before.
"Tired," Tsukishima replied shortly.
There was silence for only a moment, a moment in which Yamaguchi twisted his shirt over and over, before he finally spoke, "I'm sorry about-"
"It's fine," Tsukishima said, cutting his best friend off.
"But-"
"Shut up, Yamaguchi."
The boy let out a small laugh, "Sorry, Tsukki."
Tsukishima smiled only slightly before a loud gasp was heard. "Was that… a real smile?" Kuroo asked, standing in front of the two with an amazed expression. "I didn't think you could do that!"
Yamaguchi bit his lip, obviously trying not to laugh, as Tsukishima glared up at the captain. "Shouldn't you be playing?"
"Just finished," Kuroo said, motioning to the team they had obviously beat. "Thought I'd join you." He slid down to sit beside them, his arms resting on his knees as he looked around the gym.
"Yay," Tsukishima dead panned.
Kuroo ignored him and let his eyes fall on his own setter, who already had his head down as he played a game with Hinata beside him. "Kenma's making friends," he said softly, a smile overtaking his face.
"Okay?"
"He doesn't make friends easily. He gets really nervous. Shy."
"Good to know."
"But we've been best friends since I can remember. We're neighbors, actually."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"I used to have to force him to leave his room. He hated volleyball. Always wanted to quit. He almost did last year. The third years were hard on the first years, and Kenma in particular. I know he only stayed for me."
"Still have no idea why you keep talking."
"Everyone always things that the two of us are soulmates. We aren't, of course. Just best friends."
Tsukishima shook his head, "You're just going to keep going, aren't you?"
"I was always afraid that when I found my soulmate, I would have less time for Kenma. Or, if he found his first, he wouldn't need me anymore. Turns out, that isn't true."
"Kenma found his soulmate?" Yamaguchi cut in, tilting his head to the side and staring across the gym at the younger boy. Tsukishima groaned. Of course his best friend was interested. Now he would never get Kuroo to shut up.
"Nope," Kuroo answered, sending Yamaguchi a cocky grin.
Even Tsukishima blinked in surprise. Kuroo had found his soulmate? Interesting.
"Scared the hell out of me, at first," Kuroo continued, grinning fondly. "I was here, actually, at training camp my first year. Literally collided with a kid as he was running down the hallway. He said sorry, got up, and kept running. I didn't realize until later that my mark filled in. He had noticed too, but he hadn't even looked down to see who he crashed into."
Yamaguchi let out a little laugh, shaking his head, "That had to have been difficult. Knowing your match was that close and having no idea who they are."
Kuroo nodded slowly, still not looking toward either of them. "Yeah, it was. We figured it out though. A few months later… well, never mind that. Anyway," he turned to them, eyes piercing as he looked between the two. "either of you mated yet?"
Tsukishima groaned, closed his eyes, and rested his head against the wall. How had he known this was coming? Kuroo wasn't like Bokuto, he wasn't going to tackle him. Akaashi didn't seem like the confrontational type, not until he knew for sure who the right person was. Kuroo, Kuroo was different. He told them his story to get them to open up to him – something Yamaguchi seemed to be doing quite easily.
"Nope," his best friend replied, "though it feels like I've been looking for years. And Tsukki doesn't believe in soulmates."
Kuroo's head snapped to the side, "oh, really?"
"Why are we talking about this?"
"How do you not believe in soulmates? You literally have the proof on your skin."
"I'd rather not talk about this."
"I've heard that there are people out there that think the entire thing is some big conspiracy, but there has been plenty of evidence to show-"
"Have you ever actually looked up the statistics?" Tsukishima cut in, causing Yamaguchi to groan beside him. "Although it's true that soulmates only have a divorce rate of 15%, another 25% actually have a stressful and toxic relationship. Another 5% never even find their soulmates and live either alone or with someone who is not their match. That makes it a 55% chance that the relationship will actually work. I don't believe that you should instantly decide to spend the rest of your life with someone just because the marks on your skin matches other people. I don't think that means they don't mean anything, but it also shouldn't stop people from making their own choices instead of feeling like they are forced into something."
Tsukishima heard a muffled noise from behind him and turned his head to see Bokuto staring at him with a pout as he wrapped an arm around Akaashi's waist. "Is that true, Akaashi? Are we all just going to die alone because-"
"The statistics are true," Akaashi broke in, seemingly unaffected by the bigger man now burying his face in his shoulder. "However, most of those cases are because of people believing the relationship should make it no matter the circumstance and not putting in the effort. No relationship, whether a match or not, can work without some sort of compromise and effort. Most of those that are no longer together just feel as though things should have been easier than they are," he shrugged his shoulders at Tsukishima, "I've read a few different studies on the subject. My own parents are actually divorced and matched."
Tsukishima blinked at this information. He had read similar stories, so that wasn't anything new, but the news about Akaashi's parents was interesting.
"That's part of the reason I don't like it," Tsukishima admitted, staring up at the setter, "so many people believe that just because you find a match means everything is going to be perfect. Everyone is human. Everything can fall apart. Nothing is ever guaranteed."
"But sometimes you have to take a risk to find something worth it," Kuroo cut in quietly, brows furrowed as he stared at the first year.
Tsukishima scowled, "Is there a point to this conversation?"
"Nope," Kuroo said, sliding to his feet gracefully. "Just thought we could talk a bit. We are friends, after all."
"We are?"
Bokuto moved away from Akaashi and stood in front of Tsukishima, nodding frantically. "Yep! You are now part of our club! You're friend, too!"
Yamaguchi blushed slightly as Tsukishima blinked. "Oh, are we?"
"Might as well go along with it," Akaashi put in, letting out a sigh, "they'll never stop until you agree."
Kuroo smirked before reaching down to grab Yamaguchi's arm and pull him to his feet. Tsukishima, seeing what was about to happen, moved to stand on his own – only to feel someone grab his arm and help him anyway. He pulled away from Kuroo quickly, scowling at the older boy. He opened his mouth to once again remind him to keep his hands to himself, when he froze. "Right, sorry, personal space."
But that wasn't the reason Tsukishima felt his breath catch in his throat. As he had reached down, Kuroo's sleeve had ridden up just slightly. It was barely noticeable, but, from Tsukishima's position at the moment, he could clearly see a small, black and white cat on the inside of Kuroo's upper right arm. In the same place as his own.
Tsukishima had the sudden urge to check his own mark, to see if the colors had filled in, to match the color's of Kuroo's had already been filled in, which meant that he had already met another mate. A mate that couldn't have been Bokuto, because when Tsukishima touched the multi-colored haired boy, the owl had filled itself in. So, somewhere along the line, Kuroo had met Tsukishima's third soulmate. And at some point, Kuroo was going to realize that he had also met the person Bokuto was looking for.
Oh god. Did that mean the third…
Tsukishima felt his eyes instantly flicker over to Akaashi, who was watching him with those calculating eyes. For the first time in his life, Tsukishima felt as though he might have been outplayed.
"Why don't you go to lunch?" Akaashi said, making Bokuto and Kuroo both perk up instantly. "I'll meet you there in a moment."
The two agreed and Yamaguchi made to follow, only stopping when he realized Tsukishima wasn't behind him. "Tsukki?"
"I'll meet you there."
The gym emptied quickly, many of the boys running toward the available food. Soon enough, Tsukishima was left standing with Akaashi facing him. The two stood, facing each other in silence, before Akaashi let out a sigh. "When you have more than one soulmate, things become complicated. Two soulmates, two marks. Three mates, three marks. Each time you meet one of the soulmates, a mark fills in," Akaashi was talking quietly, almost as if he was thinking through everything out loud and didn't want Tsukishima to run away. "My first day of high school, I walked into the volleyball club and Bokuto grabbed my arm and told me that he could feel I was a setter and he needed to practice. I realized at the end of the practice that the owl had filled itself in and the only person who could have done it was Bokuto. He was next to me, rambling on as he got changed, and I told him to turn around. His eyes instantly fell to my mark before looking down at his own…"
Akaashi shook his head, "Right after that, he showed me the cat and starting rambling about meeting Kuroo and how he was going to be so excited. He called Kuroo right there and he found a way to meet up with us the next day."
"And what? You think I should just clap my hands and skip along with the rest of you into the sunset?"
Akaashi let out a small chuckle, "No. I think you should tell Kuroo and Bokuto and then we can all try to figure out what to do from here. Bokuto and Kuroo fully believe in the marks, but they aren't stupid. And we all agreed we wouldn't try to be anything beyond friendship until we all found each other."
Tsukishima stared at him, mouth open in amazement. "Why would you do that?"
Akaashi shrugged, "Because it wouldn't be fair of us to have a relationship formed and then try to fit someone else into it. Because I, like you, had trouble believing in soulmates and wanted to get to know them before I committed to anything. Which is why I think we all need to sit down and talk about what this means and what we want to do from here."
Tsukishima shifted, unsure of how to answer. "You can't hide it from them forever. I will tell them if you don't."
Tsukishima glared, "I guess I don't have a choice, do I?"
"You have a choice of doing it yourself or running away and letting me do it for you," Akaashi answered, making Tsukishima's scowl darken even further.
"Fine."
Akaashi nodded once, leading the way out of the gym. "We have some time after we eat that we can talk. Oh, one more thing." Tsukishima didn't even have time to reach as Akaashi turned around and pressed his hand against Tsukishima's cheek. "That should do it."