A/N:

such a creative title, I know! um, the first two parts are mainly canon with added parts, so there you go. credit for some of the ideas due to tsukkiyamaforthesoul on tumblr, so thanks for that.

I had posted this in chapters a while back, but decided to change it into one long chapter. I also added a few things, so if you've read a portion of it, you might want to re-read it.

enjoy!

Shut Up, Yamaguchi

part i

annoyance

"Look, he's crying," a voice sneered, tearing Tsukishima's unnecessary concentration from the ground to a group of boys his age. There were three young boys standing over another scrawny boy, sprawled on the ground, crying.

Wonderful.

"What a cry baby!" a different voice laughed.

Tsukishima stopped walking somewhere near the entrance to the playground and watched the exchange with some sort of vague curiosity. The scrawny boy was still crying, looking everywhere except at his bullies. Of course, that meant he was the first one to notice Tsukishima watching them.

The group followed the other boy's eyes and turned around, confused. It was almost how funny their expressions changed to irritation when they realized someone had been watching them.

One of the three boys, the leader, stepped up in front of the group and faced Tsukishima. It took all of his self control not to laugh when the leader snarled, "What're you looking at?!"

Really, it was hilarious. Not only were they much smaller than him in general, but two out of the three boys didn't seem incredibly enthused about facing someone of Tsukishima's size. Yet, they had the actual courage (stupidity, maybe?) to pick a fight with him. His eyes wafted towards the other two boys who were conversing anxiously with each other.

"Hey, isn't he a sixth grader?!"

"As if!" the third boy scoffed, obviously trying to seem confident. "He's that guy in Class 3!"

Tsukishima stared at the group, no emotion on his face. Gauging the situation, he watched the three bullies try to seem important, or better than him. They weren't. Tilting his head forward, he sighed in annoyance. His lips turned up into an obnoxious smirk, giving the group his best can't-be-bothered expression. He only said one word:

"Pathetic."

The whole group, including the scrawny boy on the ground, were stunned silent. Tsukishima turned to leave, having wasted too much energy on such a meaningless situation. He heard footsteps behind him, and sure enough, the leader of the bullies grabbed the back of his backpack, jerking him backwards and yelling, "Hey! Hold it!"

Tsukishima turned and glared down at him, using every centimeter of his height. Voice flat and uninterested, he sneered, "What."

The bully hesitated, taking a step back. Tsukishima chuckled and watched as he turned, and ran off, yelling over his shoulder, "Your glasses are lame! Jerk!"

The remaining two boys ran after their friend, leaving the scrawny boy on the ground. He had stopped crying for the most part, but had snot running down his face. Really, the one thing that kid needed was a shower, especially after being on the dirty ground for so long.

Tsukishima turned and walked off. Surely the kid could get shake it off and get home on his home. And, if not, then Tsukishima would probably not be helping anyway. He vaguely recognized rustling and then footsteps before realizing that the boy was following him.

Okay, sure. Maybe he goes home the same way. Hopefully he won't say anything and they'll part ways soon enough, and that will be the end of it.

It wasn't the end of it. A few minutes later the kid was still trailing behind him. There had also been an addition of sniffling and a bunch of hiccups to his already annoying footsteps and constant rustling. The sounds only annoyed Tsukishima a little bit.

Another five minutes later. The kid was still following him. He was still crying and sniffling, if not more than before. Okay, it annoyed Tsukishima a whole lot. He sighed, stopping and turning around.

"Would you shut up? You've been crying for ten minutes now and it's getting on my nerves," Tsukishima snapped irritably. The boy looked away in embarrassment and sniffled into his shirt, but didn't respond. All in all, the boy looked pretty miserable.

Tsukishima sighed again, pushing up his glasses and pinched his nose in frustration. If he hadn't had a headache before meeting this kid, he sure as hell had one after. He took a moment to calm himself, and, in a much less rude tone of voice, said, "Honestly, I'm surprised you're not dehydrated from all the water you've lost."

The other boy snorted, that half-cry half-laugh sort of snort and wiped his eyes with his sleeves. He took a deep breath and eventually calmed down, tears no longer coming. Tsukishima scoffed and rolled his eyes, walking away for what seemed like the fifth time that afternoon. It was quiet for a little bit, and an unknown feeling twisted in his gut. Eventually, the soft pitter-pat of the boy's footsteps started back up, following him at the same pace.

He hadn't known it then, but Tsukishima would be hearing those footsteps for a long time afterwards.

part ii

distress

Tsukishima scanned the arena, taking care to look at every individual player to see if they were his brother. They weren't, none of them were. His brother should have been playing, he was the ace. So why wasn't he playing? Why wasn't he even on the bench? His classmate had said he wasn't playing… so he had been telling the truth? Where was he, really?

The questions filled Tsukishima's mind, slowly gnawing away at him. He was vaguely aware of Yamaguchi next to him, trying to talk, trying to calm him down. It wasn't until he looked across the arena, not on the ground, that he fully understood. In the student section, right in the front row, his brother was cheering the team on - his team, the one that he was supposed to be the ace.

His brother caught his gaze, and his face dropped. Tsukishima knew that Akiteru had never wanted him to see that - that's why he always said not to go to his games. Opening and closing his mouth, he fumbled to find something to say. Anything, even if it wouldn't reach his brother. The only word that came from his mouth was the only one he felt comfortable with.

"Pathetic."

Tsukishima turned and walked away, without even a second glance to his brother. In the back of his mind, he recognized that Yamaguchi was following him. For a brief moment, the word brought up the memory of when he had confronted the bullies for Yamaguchi. But even that memory, the one that allowed him to gain a close friend, was shoved to the side. The only thing he could focus on, his only goal, was to get out of that place and as quickly as possible.

He walked, and walked, and nothing registered in his mind for a long time. Once he finally came back to his senses, he noticed that he was getting near his house. He also noticed that Yamaguchi was babbling, probably trying to cheer him up.

"... And he told me that he had never seen a volleyball game! Can you believe that? So, of course I showed him the basics and he thought it was interesting. You don't really like him, but then again you don't like a lot of people, so maybe that's why he asked me and not you. I don't know. Oh! Did I tell you about how my cousin had her baby? I forgot what they named the baby girl, but it was a really pretty name. Plus, it's like…"

It was nice, even if nothing registered in his mind. Yamaguchi's babble, though sometimes obnoxious, was almost a nice white noise as Tsukishima walked home. It kept his mind off of things he rather not think about. The closer they got to his house, Yamaguchi slowly trailed off, his voice becoming more serious and more nervous. Eventually, they were at the front door and Tsukishima just wanted to go inside and fall asleep for a long time.

"Tsukki… are you okay?" Yamaguchi asked warily, a gentle hand on his friend's arm as he unlocked the door. Tsukishima jerked his arm away, and even though he noticed Yamaguchi's face fall, he couldn't bring himself to care all that much. More desperate this time, he asked, "Tsukki, are you okay? If not, I could make you something to eat or we could play board games -"

"Shut up, Yamaguchi," Tsukishima interrupted softly, opening the door and going inside. He left Yamaguchi alone outside, and even his crestfallen expression couldn't make Tsukishima feel any worse.

part iii

embarrassment

"Please let me see your music!" Yamaguchi whined, drawing out all of the vowels in 'please'. Hanging over Tsukishima, he leaned away from his friend, stopping him from reading the phone screen. He sighed in relief when Yamaguchi finally left his personal space. "Why won't you ever let me see what you listen to?"

Even without looking at his friend, Tsukishima could tell he was pouting. His tone of voice and choice of words gave all of his secrets away. Grumbling, he shifted in his seat to angle his phone away from Yamaguchi.

"Because I said so."

"That has got to be the worst reason I've ever heard," Yamaguchi huffed, plopping down into the chair in front of him. Tapping his feet on the ground, he taunted, "That's something my mom would say. Are you my mom, Tsukki?"

Tsukishima scowled, but didn't reply. If he said something, it would most likely be used against him. When the conversation didn't continue, he looked up, confused. Yamaguchi was staring at him, his arms on the chair, his head resting on his arms.

Suddenly, Tsukishima felt like he was an insect being dissected under a microscope. He shifted uncomfortably, his gaze flitting to the ground and back. Yamaguchi didn't stop staring, if anything his expression made it worse: he looked sad, almost hurt.

"C'mon Tsukki," he coaxed in a gentle voice, "We've been friends for almost two years now. What do you think I'm going to do? Stop being your friend just because you have a certain taste in music?"

"I don't…" he tried, unable to articulate a better excuse. Tsukishima sighed. The only thing worse than obnoxious Yamaguchi was a sad Yamaguchi, and it was obvious he was hurt from being left out. He didn't understand his friend, not one bit, and one day that lack of understanding will probably kill him.

He didn't comprehend why Yamaguchi was sad, but he knew he didn't like it. His distaste for emotions was probably why he found his hand extended, showing his phone to his friend.

In reality, he hadn't been expecting Yamaguchi to leave him just because he liked certain songs. Not at all: he knew Yamaguchi wanted to stay with him; what he was worried about was being laughed at. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened.

Yamaguchi inhaled sharply, looking down at the phone, and then back up to Tsukishima. His cheeks started to turn red, from lack of oxygen, hysteria, embarrassment, or something else, Tsukishima wasn't sure.

Sure enough, laughter filled the room. He scowled, yanking his phone away and stuffing it in his pocket. Though it was expected, it wasn't exactly welcome. Tsukishima crossed his arms and snapped, "That's exactly why I didn't want to show you!"

"I'm - I'm not laughing at you -"

"Yes you are!"

"I'm not, I swear," Yamaguchi said, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. It worked for a little bit, but then he thought about what songs were there, and he dissolved into giggles again. "It's just - just - Dancing Queen? Really? I never pegged you for an ABBA fan, Tsukki!"

"Shut up, Yamaguchi!" Tsukishima groaned, putting his head in his hands to hide his blush. This was so embarrassing. ABBA definitely threw off his cool, stoic persona. He couldn't help it if their songs were incredibly catchy!

"I mean, there's nothing wrong with that," he continued, waving his hands in the air as he talked, "I actually love ABBA. It's just… you seemed more… I don't know. Hard rock, or something. Maybe metal, maybe an obscure indie band. But -"

"Shut up, Yamaguchi," Tsukishima repeated, interrupting his friends rambling before it could go any further. Scowling, he slumped down in his chair, hopefully hiding his embarrassment. Of course, Yamaguchi was having a field day, but at least he wasn't sad anymore.

part iv

habit

(aka: experimenting)

"We need another blocker for the blue team," Kageyama noted, scanning the small group for the ideal member. He purposely avoided eye contact with Tsukishima, ignoring his existence. Nothing ever changes, apparently. Even though they were a couple months into their second year of high school, The King was still just as stubborn as their first meeting.

"What about Tsukishima?" Hinata asked.

Kageyama flinched, a small movement that went unnoticed except for Tsukishima. He chuckled to himself, amused with the relationship between the setter/wing spiker duo.

"Yeah! Tsukki is amazing at blocking! He's so tall, too!" Yamaguchi cut in, boasting to the group in front of them.

What Yamaguchi had announced was laughable in its own way: they had all known each other for a long time at that point. It wasn't like they still had to be informed of Tsukishima's skill and height, everyone knew first hand how talented he was.

Their group had planned a pick-up volleyball game, but were having trouble dividing up the teams. They knew each other well, and they knew if the teams weren't carefully planned, it would be incredibly easy for a team to have great advantages. The group collectively turned towards Tsukishima, considering if he would be fine on the blue team.

This had happened so many times, he was surprised Yamaguchi didn't get tired of second-hand-bragging. He ignored the calculating stares and instead shook his head in exasperation. Eventually, when his several year running inclination kicked in, Tsukishima grumbled, "Shut up, Yamaguchi."

Of course, those words held no malice, and, without missing a beat, Yamaguchi was there with his response:

"Sorry, Tsukki," he apologized habitually, smiling lopsidedly at his friend. After so many years of the exact words, Tsukishima knew they weren't sincere. They were a habit, something to say when there wasn't anything else.

Yamaguchi turned back to the group and counted everyone. Everyone was there, and once the agreeable murmurs happened, the teams were split up evenly. He nodded towards Ennoshita, who straightened up and smiled at the group. With his newfound captain persona, he asked, "Shall we play?"

And they played.

They played, Tsukishima working with Yamaguchi like they always had. They teased each other, they knew each others strengths and weaknesses in volleyball. During the break, halfway through their practice game, Yamaguchi grinned, the type of smile that just screamed mischief.

"You know, Tsukki," he mused, taking a long drink of water, "I've started counting how many times you've told me to shut up today."

"Have you now?"

"Yup, and I'll have you know," Yamaguchi said, pausing dramatically, building up suspenses that wasn't there. He looked up at his friend, still grinning. "It's heading towards a dozen times."

"Well, then it would be a dozen times that you've apologized to me," Tsukishima replied, adjusting his knee pads. He heard Yamaguchi laugh, and looked up.

Smiling at him, Yamaguchi smirked - the type of smirk only he can pull off - and took a step towards his friend. Whatever he was planning, Tsukishima knew it couldn't be good. Yamaguchi stretched, giving his arms something to do. It seemed he was debating whether or not to do whatever he had been thinking about.

Finally, he spoke.

"Shut up..." Yamaguchi echoed the words he knew so well, drawing them out in experimentation, "... Tsukki."

Tsukishima paused, unsure what to do, before deciding on disbelief. He snorted and shook his head, standing back up from his place on the bench. A call from Ennoshita distracted him, but Tsukishima eventually replied, a slight smile on your face, "You're several years too early for that."

Yamaguchi laughed, nodding in agreement. He grabbed Tsukishima's arm, and pulled him back into the volleyball game, easily falling back into their routine.

part v

comfort

Tsukishima entered the classroom, making his way to his seat next to Yamaguchi as quickly as possible. A goal at the top of his list was so escape all of the couples talking about Valentine's Day in the hallway. Nearing the end of their second year of high school, he would have thought with the years of experience he had with ignoring romance, it would be easier. Unfortunately, today would be the most difficult Valentine's Day for him. He sat down, mumbling a 'good morning' and acknowledging his friend.

Immediately, Yamaguchi went into a long spiel on some tv show he watched the previous night.

"... And then, can you believe it, Kay was actually behind all of it! It wasn't the best season finale, but it was still pretty good. I can't wait for the second season to start," he rambled, watching with mild interest Tsukishima as he unloaded his backpack. A small, red and white package caught his eye and he was instantly curious. "Tsukki, is that a Valentine's Day gift?"

"Mm," he hummed.

Yamaguchi couldn't help himself, he leaned forward to get a better look. Looking up at Tsukishima, he asked carefully, "Who is it for?"

His friend didn't say anything in response, and Yamaguchi was obviously becoming suspicious. He crossed his arms and studied Tsukishima, trying to remember if there was any girl it could be for. There wasn't any, of course; they all thought he was intimidating. Even if there was a girl that liked him, they didn't get very far before being shut down straight from the source.

That was a fact: Tsukishima hated confessions.

"Actually…" Tsukishima started, a blush rising on his neck. He didn't face Yamaguchi, he only stared straight ahead as he fiddled with the package. Even if he couldn't see his friend, he knew something was going on. He mumbled something under his breath, unrecognizable.

"Huh? What did you say, Tsukki?"

"It's, uh, for you," he muttered, his anxiety and embarrassment levels spiking dramatically. At least he was able to say that it was for him, he didn't back out or anything. Tsukishima thought he deserved a pat on the back for that bravery.

Deep down, though, he knew he had nothing to be afraid of. He had known Yamaguchi for what seemed like forever. At this point, they knew everything about each other. They were comfortable with each other, and even if Tsukishima felt anxious, he logically knew there was nothing to worry about.

He turned around to give the Valentine's Day gift to Yamaguchi, observing his facial expression and reaction. With no verbal response, his face twisted from surprised to delighted. There was something else, something unidentifiable, but it was probably something absurd.

"Shut up, Yamaguchi."

Yamaguchi paused, but laughed good-naturedly. Accepting the present, he inspected it with great interest, careful not to damage the gift. He smiled at Tsukishima and mused, "I didn't say anything."

"Yeah, well, it was obvious that you were thinking something ridiculous," Tsukishima explained, crossing his arms, feeling self conscious. He really didn't want to do the next part, so many things could go wrong, but he had come so far. To keep the mood light, he commented, "I had to stop you before you got that far, of course."

He laughed again, before finally opening the present. Tsukishima noted the fact that he ripped the paper open, something he hadn't expected from Yamaguchi. Staring down at his lap, he opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again. He looked up at Tsukishima in disbelief.

Besides the chocolate, there was a miniature bumblebee holding a sign that said 'Bee Mine'. Yamaguchi flushed, his freckled skin turning red. He wasn't sure what to say. "Um… Are you…?"

"Yes, I am," Tsukishima replied easily, even though he was dying on the inside. Definitely couldn't let his cool exterior down. He knew his entire face by then was inflamed, and he vowed never to be this cliche ever again. One last step, though, he could do this. "I'm asking you out."

Out of all the reactions he had expecting Yamaguchi to do, it definitely wasn't that. He thought maybe he'd be shy, look away in embarrassment. Maybe he'd reject him right off the bat. Most likely, he had thought, Yamaguchi would have been stunned silent.

Apparently not.

"It only took you seven years to ask me out, Tsukki!" Yamaguchi teased, giggling as Tsukishima became even more red - if that was even possible. "I think that's a world record!"

"Shut up, Yamaguchi."

"Awww, but don't you want to hear my answer?"

"Not anymore, no," Tsukishima replied gruffly.

"Aw, that's too bad, and I was going to say yes, too!"

part vi

jealousy

Yamaguchi waved goodbye to Hinata, watching as he left, before turning and jogging over to Tsukishima. Without waiting for acknowledgement, he launched into a long spiel about everything he had talked about with Hinata.

"Tsukki! I finally got to meet Hinata's little sister! Her name is Natsu, and she's soooo cute. They actually look really similar, and I know she's gonna grow up to be really pretty. Also, Hinata has some really good video games at his house, so I'm gonna go over to his house again sometime."

Tsukishima looked up slowly, listening to his - boy! - friend gush about his ever-changing friendship with Hinata.

"It's actually kind of funny," Yamaguchi laughed, pausing to reminisce for a moment. "Remember, when we first met Hinata and Kageyama, that we didn't get along with them? Who knew I'd end up getting along so well with Hinata. Even Kageyama! They've both grown on me, I'll have to admit."

At some point, Tsukishima realized he had been scowling. He tried to stop scowling, telling his face muscles to relax.

"They're really good at volleyball, too…" Yamaguchi said wistfully, before shaking his head and going back to smiling. "It's gonna suck when we graduate. I'm gonna miss them, probably more than anyone else."

It didn't work.

"Oh, oh! Did you know Kageyama has dogs?"

His scowl was still there.

"Yeah, they're really cute. They're huge, slobbery beasts, but still cute. I met them when I randomly ran into Kageyama taking them for a walk. I had no idea that he was a dog person. Hey, are you okay?"

"Shut up, Yamaguchi," Tsukishima snapped, massaging his temples. It wasn't until he had spoke that he realized he actually sounded mean. He glanced up, half expecting Yamaguchi to have an unhappy look on his face.

Yamaguchi didn't seem especially unhappy, but he wasn't smiling either. The expression seemed more curious than anything. His eyes searched Tsukishima, trying to understand what had happened. The way he had said shut up was different than usual, that much was obvious. It was much more rude, which after the amount of times Tsukishima had said it without any malicious intent, was bizarre.

Finally, Yamaguchi's eyes lit up, lips curling into a smile like he had figured out the meaning of life. He probably had. Moving closer, almost too close, he smirked, staring Tsukishima down.

"Ooooh," he taunted, "Are you jealous?"

That… that hadn't occurred to him.

"Of course not!" Tsukishima scoffed. As if he would have such a stupid emotion. Jealousy was for people who were insecure about their relationship. Or, that's what he had always thought. "Why would I be jealous of Hinata and Kageyama?"

Yamaguchi was silent for a moment, still smirking to himself. He straightened up, leaving Tsukishima's personal space. "Nah, you're jealous."

"I am not!" he protested.

His boyfriend looked at him again, and rolled his eyes. Crossing his arms, Yamaguchi signalled the end of the conversation: he was right, Tsukishima was wrong. "Sure you're not! I promise I still like you best though, don't worry."

They were quiet, they stared at each other. Tsukishima didn't know what to do, or say. The emotion of jealousy - even the name sounded terrible - was new to him. It didn't help when Yamaguchi stared at him with those eyes, silently teasing him, showing off the fact that he had been right.

Finally, Tsukishima spoke. His tone of voice was resigned, he had given up protesting. Yes, Tsukishima, as stoic as he had been known for, was jealous. Only to end the conversation, he said, "Shut up, Yamaguchi."

His boyfriend only laughed.

part vii

love

Tsukishima stared at Yamaguchi with disbelief. Sure, he knew Yamaguchi could be silly sometimes; sometimes he was out of it to the point he made no sense. But this? This was completely different. How dare he make fun of Tsukishima's favorite dinosaurs?

"Shut up, Yamaguchi," he said, defending his beloved extinct friends. Even if they were dating, there was no mercy for those who made fun of dinosaurs.

Yamaguchi smiled, skipping to stop in front of Tsukishima. Within a second, his regular smile morphed into something laced with mischief. Holding his hands behind his back, he tilted his head and with as much innocence as he could muster, replied, "Why don't you make me?"

Now, usually Tsukishima is good at reacting to things. This time, he wasn't quite as lucky. He stood, frozen in spot as he watched his boyfriend walk away from him, without so much as a second glance. Finally, his senses flooded back into his body, and he jogged to catch up to Yamaguchi. He stood in front of him, effectively stopping them both in their tracks.

"What, can't think of anything sarcastic to say?" Yamaguchi taunted when Tsukishima stopped in front of him without a word.

Tsukishima smirked, the type of smirk that would have frightened him if Yamaguchi hadn't known his boyfriend as well as he did. It used to be intimidating. Not anymore.

"Shut up, Yamaguchi."

He snorted and rolled his eyes. Something was different about Tsukishima's tone of voice; it wasn't his habitual tone of voice, but it wasn't mean either. Just… different. Yamaguchi crossed his arms and said, "Like I just told you, why don't you make me?"

Tsukishima took a step closer, almost too close, and caught the slightest glimpse of Yamaguchi's eyes widening. Of course, it was gone in a split second, and replaced by a broad grin. The only thing Yamaguchi said, if it could even be counted as a word, was a small, "Oh."

That was the second they both knew they were on the same page. A good thing, too, considering Tsukishima definitely did not want to explain what he had been thinking.

Too embarrassing.

He took the last step, finally invading the personal space, and leaned closer to his boyfriend. With both hands, he gently cupped Yamaguchi's face, holding him still.

"Tsukki, -" he started, but was cut off, as expected, by lips on his. Yamaguchi was being kissed. By Tsukishima - whos lips were surprisingly soft and gentle. To shut him up. The entire situation was so much like a movie, he couldn't help but laugh. Of course, it messed up the kiss a little bit, but it didn't matter. The kiss was their first, neither of them knew exactly what to do. It was awkward, sloppy, and a bit weird, but it was wonderful.

Once they parted, Yamaguchi took a deep breath and smiled at his boyfriend. He chuckled to himself, before explaining, "Well, that's definitely a nice way to be shushed."

Tsukishima snorted, mumbling a quiet, "Shut up."

He turned away in some type of embarrassment, continuing their walk, extremely aware of Yamaguchi's presence somewhere behind him. All of the adernaile of the first kiss, of their first kiss was starting to rapidly wear off, and Tsukishima felt a wave of insecurity about his skills. Was the kiss okay? Was he an absolutely terrible kisser? Probably, he answered himself. Would Yamaguchi still want to be with him, like they always had been together?

A second pair of footsteps started up, following him, and his questions were answered. The footsteps, Yamaguchi's footsteps, his boyfriend's footsteps followed him loyally, and Tsukishima couldn't help but feel thankful for the person that had stuck with him through everything.

He was in love with that little boy, whom he had saved from the bullies, all those years ago.

end