It's not that he was good at lying or anything. It's just that no one really suspected him in the first place.

Honestly, who would even dream of putting Yamaguchi Tadashi and a mysterious sensational youtube musician in the same context?

No one, that's who. And Yamaguchi really prefered it that way. He was anonymous for a reason, ya know.

What would everyone even think if they found out about his clandestine singing hobby? His parents already thought it was weird enough that he played volleyball. Volleyball was for girls, they would say. Singing was for girls. God, what would Tsukishim-he refused to even consider that. No way. No way, no way, no-

Something hit the back of his head.

"Oi, you going to sit there all day or what?" Tsukishima blinked down at him. He wasn't exactly scowling-he usually reserved that for anyone who was not Yamaguchi and dared to speak to him directly-but his eyes were narrowed.

"N-no! Sorry, Tsukki, I'm coming." Yamaguchi winced-he'd spaced out for the entire class. He'd have to borrow notes. Again.

Tsukishima spoke as Yamaguchi shoved books into his bag. "You've been weird lately."

Yamaguchi cringed. "I don't know what you mean."

"Seems like you're busier than usual."

Ah, that's because he was. He'd put up four new videos this week alone-three covers of some newer music and an original he'd wrote himself. It wasn't much work making the videos-it was just the music, anyway, and he usually just put album art in a slideshow for people to look at. He didn't even talk-too risky. His singing voice and his talking voice didn't exactly sound alike. There was no stumbling over words when he sang. No stuttering or nervousness, no-

"-uchi. Yamaguchi."

He blinked and his eyes focused in on the black frames that were thisclose to his face.

"L-let's go, then!" Yamaguchi threw up a shaky smile and made for the door of the classroom. He hesitated at the doorway, waiting for the sound of Tsukishima's footsteps before continuing on.

-O-

They eat lunch on the roof.

Yamaguchi doesn't remember who decided this-he recalls making a comment about how he'd love to eat there just for the irony of it, but doesn't quite know when it had become a permanent thing.

It's then, with the sun shining and chilly fall air pulling at their jackets, that it happens.

"Hey, listen to this song. It reminds me of you."

Yamaguchi doesn't have time to agree. Doesn't have time to be shocked with the fact that Tsukki was thinking about him. Doesn't even have time to turn and actually look at his friend before Tsukki's headphones are around his head and over his ears and-he was wearing Tsukki's headphones. Dear lord in heaven, he was wearing the headphones Tsukishima Kei would die to protect he was-

He was listening to his own voice through the speakers.

If Yamaguchi had been drinking something, he would have either spit it out or choked it.

He was listening to the song he'd written through Tsuki's headphones. Which meant Tsukki had listened to it. Which meant Tsukishima was listening to his music.

Stay cool, Tadashi, stay cool. He tapped his fingers on his leg like he would any other song. Maybe he doesn't realize-Tsuki's not that kind of person, he'd just confront you outright about it if he knew. Don't freak out.

The sound of his own voice was not soothing in the slightest. It was his favorite original song as of yet (Tsukishima was right; he'd written it about himself, after all) but given the circumstances...

"It's a cool song," Yamaguchi stated. He tried to keep his back molars from grinding together. "W-who's it by?"

Tsukishima took his headphones back before picking at his lunch. "It's some up-and-coming youtube guy. No one actually knows who he is, I don't think, but he's pretty good. His voice-"

Don't flinch, Tadashi, don't you dare flinch.

"-is strangely comforting."

Don't sigh in relief, either.

Yamaguchi made a vague noise of agreement and started eating his lunch. The rice tasted like cardboard.

-O-

Later at practice, Daichi sent Tsukishima home early.

Even Kageyama looked vaguely worried with how distracted the blond was. He'd taken two volleyballs to the face and Yamaguchi had lost count of the recieves he'd missed-he was pretty sure he saw Suga talking to him before their senior sent Tsukishima out of the gym.

Which meant at the end of practice, Yamaguchi and Hinata were the last ones returning balls to the carts, Kageyama watching from the sides after putting the nets away.

"You could always help, you know."

Ah, and now Yamaguchi would get to deal with this.

"If you weren't so slow, you'd be done and I wouldn't have to help, dumbass Hinata!"

"Well, you don't have to wait for me, jerk!"

"W-well fine! I'll-"

Yamaguchi cleared his throat. "You can go, Hinata, I'll get the rest." You can go argue with your boyfriend where I don't have to listen.

Hinata eyed him critically, like Yamaguchi was setting him up for some remark. Since Tsukishima wasn't here to do something like that.

"...Thanks, Yamaguchi."

"S'no problem."

Yamaguchi breathed a sigh of relief when the duo were gone. Wheeling the carts into the storage room was quick work, and he was back in the locker rooms in record time. He wanted to be out of the school and back home in bed as quickly as possible.

Should probably text Tsuki, too...shower first, though.

Yamaguchi usually took quick showers, but he did have the locker room to himself. So five minutes could turn into ten minutes, and he could sing to his hearts content (really, the acoustics in the showers were great).

And so it was his newest song that echoed back to him from the tile. The one he'd listened to earlier, with Tsukki, except this time it didn't make him want to step off the roof. Maybe because he was singing it himself and not hearing it through headphones.

It was only after, walking back to his locker with a towel around his waist, that it even occurred to Yamaguchi that the doors to the locker room-to the gym-were unlocked. Anyone could walk in at any time.

Tsukishima could walk in, at any time, for whatever reason (to grab the shoes he'd left behind in his locker) and hear him singing.

Yamaguchi saw his friend sitting on the bench, elbows on knees and chin in his hands and he stopped breathing.

"Yamaguchi."

"T-tsukki! W-what-h-how long have y-you been here?"

"Three minutes and forty six seconds."

Yamaguchi's song was exactly three minutes and forty two.

Oh, fuck.

"S-so you heard...that...um...?"

Tsukishima stood and Yamaguchi wondered if his friend had always been so tall. He seemed to tower over him now, and Yamaguchi clutched at his towel.

"Yamaguchi Tadashi. Why on earth...Why would you not tell me that you could sing like that? I made you listen to your own song."

He looked anywhere but Tsukishima. "I...well...Okay, I don't really have an excuse here..."

"...Pathetic."

Yamaguchi winced.

"It's pathetic."

Don't cry, Tadashi, don't cry in front of Tsuki. Don'tcrydon'tcrydon't

"It's pathetic that I didn't recognize your voice."

The sound of dripping water reached Yamaguchi's ears from far away.

And then he laughed.

"O-oi! Yamaguchi-what's so funny?"

He wrapped one hand around his stomach and doubled over. "Y-you...Tsuki, y-you...I... w-w-worried.."

"Worried? But your...voice...is..." Tsukishima looked off to the side, mumbling. Yamaguchi just barely caught the whisper at the end of his sentence. His laughter trailed off, and the dripping faucets behind him filled the silence.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

"...What did you say?"

Tsukishima turned to face him again, frowning. "You heard me. I'm not repeating it."

"Say it again...please..."

Yamaguchi's jaw almost went slack when Tsukki's face turned pink. "I said your voice is beautiful. There, happy?"

He considered making the blonde say it again but thought it might be pressing his luck. "Very happy, Tsukki."

"Let's just go already, Tadashi."

Drip.

Tadashi.

Drip. Drip.

(They should probably get that faucet checked.)

Yamaguchi beamed. "Right! Sorry, Tsukki."

Tsukishima grunted and walked towards the door. Yamaguchi noted with mild satisfaction that even the back of Tsukki's neck was red.