Oh my gosh! So many people liked my other Haikyuu story! That's crazy! And really awesome at the same time! So, even though no one asked for it, I've decided to try my hand and writing a chapter 2. I have other Haikyuu story ideas, too, so… let's see if this can snap me out of my writing funk!
I don't know when I got this idea, but once I got it I couldn't focus on any of my other Haikyuu ideas, so I guess this is what we're going with now. I hope you like it and I hope that my Tsukishima isn't OOC.
Disclaimer: I don't own this at all.
One Month in Paradise
"Whoa… so cool!"
Tsukkishima didn't know what to say, so he didn't speak. That was something he was pretty good at now that he thought about it. Judgemental silence or sarcasm. One or the other. So, when he had to talk to people who he didn't want to offend, Tsukishima usually found himself only offering blank expressions or half-hearted and all-too-often awkward words.
And now, watching Yamaguchi stare at the television screen with wide eyes and an even wider smile, Tsukishima attempted to convince himself that his being tongue-tied was only because of this predisposition. It had nothing at all to do with the fact that Tsukishima had had a crush on his best friend for the past two years. Not at all. And it certainly didn't have anything to do with the sudden onslaught of gay couples coming out of the closet within their volleyball team, either. The fact that everyone was together and Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were the only players who weren't in relationships, let alone a relationship together, had nothing to do with the rapid heartbeat in Tsukishima's chest. And Tsukishima finding a journal at the bottom of Yamaguchi's desk drawer with a 'Bi-Pride' sticker on it didn't…
Okay, no, that one actually did make Tsukishima's face flush a little bit. But just a little.
"Tsukki, look! It's the CGI stuff again!"
"I see it." Tsukishima winced. Why did he have to sound so bored all the time?
But when Yamaguchi turned his head away from the screen to face Tsukishima, he was still smiling. "I think they have a Megalodon in this part, too! What do you think it'll look like?"
"Probably just a big shark."
Yamaguchi hummed and turned back to the screen, drawing his knees up to hug them against his chest as he waited. And while a part of Tsukishima wanted to watch as well, if only to participate in what was clearly interesting for Yamaguchi, he found it rather difficult to focus on anything but the other boy. In all honesty, he was starting to feel like a bit of a creeper.
"Awww…" Yamaguchi suddenly jutted his lower lip out in a pout, causing Tsukishima's heart to skip a beat. "They didn't show it."
"Maybe it's in the next segment."
"Maybe…" The pout remained for a few more seconds before Yamaguchi perked up yet again, turning away from the commercial. "Oh, hey! I almost forgot! I have something for you!"
"For me? What?"
"Hold on! I'll get it!" And with that, Yamaguchi was up and walking away. Tsukishima let his head fall against the back of the couch in order to watch as Yamaguchi went into his family's kitchen.
There was the sound of clinking plates and the refrigerator door opening and closing, and if Tsukishima strained his ears just a bit, he could also pick out Yamaguchi's humming. A personality trait he'd picked up from his father that Tsukishima hadn't realized until he first spent the night over at Yamaguchi's house a few years ago. Letting his eyes drift away from the kitchen entryway, Tsukishima looked around the sitting room. Not much had changed since then. A few more pictures and knick-knacks, perhaps. Some that Tsukishima himself was in, just like how Yamaguchi was in more than a few photos at Tsukishima's own house.
The sound of floorboards creaking brought Tsukishima's attention back towards the kitchen, and his mouth instantly watered. Yamaguchi was back, and this time he was holding two plates in his hands, each of them with a beautiful looking slice of strawberry shortcake plopped on top of them. Tsukishima's first reaction was to reach out both of his hands over the back of the couch and order 'Gimme', but he restrained himself for the time being. What was Yamaguchi doing with cake at his house? Neither of his parents were huge sweet fans, so usually the two of them just ordered strawberry shortcake for themselves by the slice in town. And Yamaguchi usually got a slice of chocolate instead. What was with the sudden treat?
Probably realizing all the questions flying through Tsukishima's head, Yamaguchi let out a few shy giggles as he shuffled his feet. "I kinda found a recipe online by accident and decided to try my hand at it, since I knew you were coming over today. The first try kinda got burnt but I did okay with this one."
"Date me."
Tsukishima needed to invest in a roll of duct tape and somehow train himself to slap a piece onto his mouth right before spoke aloud for the rest of his life. It was hard to tell whose face was burning hotter at that moment. Yamaguchi's eyes went wide, but in a different way than they had earlier, and Tsukishima's heart actually stopped beating in his chest. Ah, mortification… Tsukishima hadn't felt that particular emotion in a while.
Then Yamaguchi smiled. He giggled, shoulders hunching a little as he turned his head to the right, his blush fading to more of a pinkish tinge. Once he regained control over his laughter, Yamaguchi turned back to Tsukishima, the endearing sparkle back in his eyes.
"Sure, Tsukki. Just don't hog the bed covers and I'm all yours."
Holy shit.
He couldn't believe that worked.
Tsukishima could hardly focus the rest of the night. The rest of the mermaid documentary and dinner passed by in a blur and before he knew it Tsukishima found himself standing outside the Yamaguchi's front door. His friend stood on the inside, leaning his shoulder against the doorframe as he gazed up at Tsukishima. God, he hoped he didn't have any food stuck to his face.
"Maybe I should make you cake more often. You haven't stopped smiling since I gave it to you."
Oh god, he's been smiling this whole time?
"Please don't. I have a reputation to uphold."
"Mmm, true. Okay, I'll never make you-"
"No, stop. That's not what I meant."
Yamaguchi burst out laughing, looking all sorts of cute as he brought a hand up in a half-hearted attempt to hide his snorts. Tsukishima knows he's smiling this time as he waits for Yamaguchi to calm down. He… he sort of wants…
"Well, I won't keep you. We have school tomorrow and a long practice after that. Night, Tsukki. Text me when you get home."
"I will. Goodnight, Yamaguchi."
And with one final smile and an exchanged wave, the door shut in Tsukishima's face. It was only then that Tsukishima realized he had sort of wanted to kiss him. He might've stood there for a tad longer than necessary, but eventually he did turn around and start walking home. Given he didn't live even a full three blocks away, it wasn't long before Tsukishima was walking through his own front door, calling out a greeting to his mother.
"Hello, Kei! How was your little movie with Tadashi-kun?"
"...Actually, Mom, there's something I need to tell you."
*\/*
To say the next day was stressful for Tsukishima was an understatement.
First, he'd had to endure his mother's rather enthusiastic celebration of her son's first official relationship, mainly on how much she adored 'Tadashi-kun' and was so happy that Kei felt comfortable coming out to her. The rainbow-dyed rice for breakfast had been a little overzealous for his taste, but he ate it anyways.
Then came his and Yamaguchi's morning walk to school. As per usual, Yamaguchi had the faintest of bags under his eyes and he periodically yawned in between his running commentary of what was to be covered in his classes that day. Tsukishima hummed along like he usually did, but for once he was unable to focus at all on Yamaguchi's words. He was a bit too preoccupied working up the nerve to grab hold of Yamaguchi's hand.
He could picture it, reaching out and gently threading their fingers together. Yamaguchi's words tapering off as he looked down at their hands, blushing as he looked back up at Tsukishima's face, maybe whispering that cutesy nickname he gave Tsukishima all those years ago. Then he'd probably smile and continue talking, swinging their hands back and forth in between them as they kept walking to school.
Now, if only he could actually do it.
Every time he started to reach out, Tsukishima withdrew his hand right before their fingers brushed. He didn't know what was holding him back. He was sure that whatever reaction Yamaguchi had to holding hands with him it would be a positive one, so what was it?
Yamaguchi turned his head to face Tsukishima and he was quick to adopt a neutral expression once again.
"Tsukki, do you think anyone else on the team watched that documentary?"
"Maybe."
Maybe he could hold his hand on the way back home.
School was terrible. Being in a different class than Yamaguchi had always been a bit of a burden to Tsukishima, but he usually was able to reason that it was the better alternative. Fantasizing about Yamaguchi was less embarrassing, in Tsukishima's opinion, than outright staring at the back of the boy's head in the middle of class, where anyone could see him. This way, he had some form of control over his own thoughts. So long as the physical embodiment of his affections wasn't in the same room, Tsukishima could tune out the thoughts and force himself to concentrate on his schoolwork a good 90% of the time.
But now, the day after they finally crossed that fine line between friends and lovers, Tsukishima's concentration had been thrown into the metaphorical trash can. He only rarely resurfaced from his thoughts of freckled cheeks and a stupid, persistent cowlick, enough to write down all the notes he'd need to complete that night's homework assignment, but actually retaining the information being fed to him by his teachers? Not happening.
Would the daydreaming fade away eventually? It had before… back when Tsukishima had first realized that what he felt for Yamaguchi was definitely more than a schoolyard crush. Maybe, once the novelty of their relationship faded a bit, Tsukishima wouldn't have to be so worried about flunking his classes. If not, then getting into college might be a little more difficult that he first imagined.
Lunch was slightly better, in his eyes. The two of them had sat outside in the courtyard, as per usual, and while Yamaguchi gleefully recounted the latest gossip topic in his class he'd overheard, Tsukishima let their knees gently knock together. Usually to accentuate his opinion on whatever Yamaguchi was talking about at the moment. That kind of touching wasn't so hard… so why had he still failed to grab Yamaguchi's hand when they walked back to class afterwards? Was it the people around them? The setting? The fact that Yamaguchi also wasn't initiating touch between them?
His hesitation bothered Tsukishima for the rest of the day. Enough so that he couldn't even find some form of solace in the fact that his and Yamaguchi's new relationship was given a secretive, yet warm, reception from the other members. Even when Yachi conspiringly whispered to Tsukishima that she was so happy that Yamaguchi would no longer need to gush about how much he liked Tsukishima to her, Tsukishima barely managed to hold his irritation at bay.
Why did this have to be so frustrating? Clearly, everyone already knew that they were a couple and were supportive, so why couldn't he just suck it up and hold his boyfriend's damn hand?!
Watching the other couples interact and touch so easily wasn't helping either. Maybe he didn't want to be all over Yamaguchi like Sugawara and Daichi were, but he did want something. But he just… couldn't.
And it sucked more than usual, because Yamaguchi was starting to get the brunt of Tsukishima's irritation.
"Yamaguchi, aren't you finished yet?"
"Just a sec! Sorry, Tsukki!"
"Well, hurry up. Or I'll lock you in."
"Wait!"
Tsukishima stepped back as Daichi and Sugawara ran past him and into the club room. He watched in silence as Sugawara explained that his cell phone was missing.
And then Yamaguchi offered to help look for it.
In his mounting irritation, Tsukishima almost wanted to insist that since it was Suga's own fault for losing his phone, Yamaguchi shouldn't waste his time by helping. But he didn't, because Daichi could assign extra laps to him if he was too mouthy towards the club's vice captain. And, in all honesty, Sugawara scared him to some degree. So instead, he went to remind Yamaguchi that by staying behind, he was also keeping Tsukishima from going home as well.
"Yamaguchi…"
"It'll only take a few seconds, Tsukki! Then we can leave!"
And that was it. It didn't take a mind-reader to know that Yamaguchi's choice was now set in stone. He might enjoy cutting stupid people down a peg as much as Tsukishima did, but the difference between them was that Yamaguchi was, by default, nice to people. He'd call people out on their shit, but if someone needed his help it was a no brainer to him on whether he'd help or not.
So, Tsukishima did the only thing he could do. He clicked his tongue to display his annoyance and pulled away from the doorway to wait. What other option was there? Leaving Yamaguchi behind was a 'no-go' scenario, especially not on their first night as a couple. Which also meant he couldn't tell Yamaguchi to forget about his promise to Sugawara and just leave without helping, because just because they were dating didn't mean that Yamaguchi couldn't be around others. Nor did it mean Tsukishima could control Yamaguchi. That's not why they started dating!
They were dating because… because they liked each other. Tsukishima liked how kind Yamaguchi was. He liked how the boy was slightly awkward in new situations. He liked how he could chatter on and on without needed a verbal reply to know that Tsukishima was listening. And if Yachi and Hinata were to be believed, then Yamaguchi liked things about Tsukishima too. Even things he never told Tsukishima to his face.
He sighed, back pressing against the wall as he shut his eyes. That's right. Nothing had changed. They were still the same Yamaguchi and Tsukishima. Their relationship had just… elevated a bit, and there was no standard or guideline they could follow for that. The only gay couples Tsukishima even knew of hadn't been immediately lovey-dovey around each other when they first got together either. Tsukishima had once thought that was because they'd been actively hiding their relationship, but maybe that's just how relationships worked?
And even if it wasn't, there was no need for him and Yamaguchi to push themselves to do things they weren't ready for. It was their relationship, and they'd go about it their own way. At their own pace.
"Tsukishima?"
He opened his eyes, not surprised to see Daichi and Sugawara standing in front of him. Daichi opened his mouth to speak again when his own boyfriend tugged at the arm that was wrapped around his waist. Sugawara winked at Tsukishima over Daichi's shoulder.
"Don't bother, Dai-kun. He's figured it out."
Daichi raised an eyebrow, but smiled when Tsukishima nodded. And then they were gone. He only hoped that Sugawara was right. He and Yamaguchi should just take it slow. He didn't need to overthink things. So…
"Yamaguchi? I swear, if you're still not ready I will actually leave you behind for once."
"Ah! C-coming, Tsukki!"
Yamaguchi was bolting out the doorway the next second. His face is a little red and he's holding a piece of paper covered in handwriting that looked remarkably like Hinata's in his free hand. Tsukishima eyes it as he locks up the club room.
"What's that?"
"Oh, this? I found it when looking for Suga-san's phone. It looks like a late math assignment by Hinata." Yamaguchi's lips quirked to the side. "On a scale of 1 to 10, how horrific do you think it is?"
God, Tsukishima really struck gold with Yamaguchi, didn't he? The hand-holding could wait.
*\/*
Who would've thought that a relationship could be so easy?
By the end of their first official week as boyfriends, Tsukishima could honestly say that he was starting to get the hang of it all. Of course, that could possibly be because almost nothing had changed in regards to how they acted around each other, but that was still fine. They would go about it at their own pace. And since Tsukishima knew that Yamaguchi was the most at ease with new things if he was allowed to approach it himself, he would just have to wait for Yamaguchi to make the first moves.
And that wasn't to say that things weren't changing at all.
Tsukishima had started returning the smiles that Yamaguchi sent him throughout the day with little ones of his own. The rest of the team who hadn't made the connection on the first day noticed and also sneakily announced their approval. And it made Yamaguchi happy, so there was that, too. Their knees still knocked together during lunch hour, water breaks, and while studying. They still weren't holding hands, but that was fine. Tsukishima was more than willing to just hang back and wait for his boyfriend to work up the nerve.
"Ah, Tsukki? I'm heading this way."
Of course, there were still times when Tsukishima's resolve was tested.
The classic movie scene where the boy and girl share a quick peck before parting, the one who received the kiss blushing and unable to move as they watch the other hurry off into the dark flashed behind Tsukishima's eyes. He felt stuck. He knew he and Yamaguchi were taking it slow and he needed to wait for Yamaguchi to make the first move… but didn't that mean he could make a few moves himself?
Just small ones, of course. A kiss on the cheek would be harmless enough, right? But what if he freaked Yamaguchi out? What if by kissing him on the cheek, Tsukishima threw him off for practice? None of the other couples he knew exchanged kisses before or during practice. At least not that Tsukishima knew of.
Maybe he could just ask for permission? Be a gentleman?
Humming to make sure the words wouldn't get stuck in this throat, Tsukishima opened his mouth and said, "...Don't forget to study for the math test tomorrow."
He was a goddamn coward. That's what he was.
Yamaguchi's eyes zipped up to meet his and one of those heart melting smiles appeared on his face. Oh goodness… had Yamaguchi been pouting because he couldn't finish the walk with him? This boy was going to be the end of him.
"I won't. I still have the notes you gave me yesterday. Well... good night."
"...Good night."
Yamaguchi gave him a little wave before turning to the right and walking off. Tsukishima took one step in the opposite direction before pausing, watching his boyfriend walk off for another few seconds. Was he… skipping? No, there was just a little bounce in his step. Was that because of him? The thought made something sputter in Tsukishima's chest…
He almost wishes he could go with him. Maybe watch as he practiced with Shimada-san. Would it be any different from when he practiced at the gym? Could he ask to join him next time? Did he dare? Would it be awkward? Would he throw Yamaguchi off his game?
Yes, was probably the correct answer to that last one. Back when Tsukishima was pretty sure that Yamaguchi had developed a crush on him, he remembered the boy becoming oddly jittery and an even bigger emotional wreck around him. Especially during volleyball practice. Maybe later, once they settled deeper into their relationship?
The thought sent another little thrill through his chest and Tsukishima finally turned to continue walking home, lifting his headphones up to cover his red ears.
*\/*
The very next morning, Tsukishima immediately knew something was wrong with Yamaguchi. Firstly, he was too quiet. There had been no texts since yesterday afternoon and their whole walk to school had been in silence. Even when Tsukishima himself attempted to break it, his boyfriend was remarkably tight-lipped.
And that was the second clue: Yamaguchi was fuzzing out. It was sort of a by-product of his anxiety. When it got really high Yamaguchi often was tugged so deep into his own thoughts that he struggled when trying to escape back into the real world. It was like middle school all over again, and it was painful for Tsukishima to watch. Yamaguchi jumped every time he was addressed directly during morning practice and even then he zoned back out the same minute he didn't have something to do.
After nudging Yamaguchi for the third time since practice ended, prompting him to finish pulling his school shirt over his head so they could go to class, Tsukishima felt like he was running low on options. It was becoming exceedingly rare for Yamaguchi to not go to Tsukishima when he had a problem, so for him to still be in the dark about what this was all about was starting to worry him. But asking him point blank didn't guarantee answers, either. If anything, it could easily make Yamaguchi feel even worse knowing that he'd caused others to worry about him. And now that they were boyfriends, who knows how he'd interpret that?
It wasn't until they were eating lunch that a terrible idea came to him.
Did he come out to his parents?
Side-eyeing his boyfriend, Tsukishima took note of everything from his bento box to his expression as he ate. After a few seconds of careful observation, he forced the thought out of his mind.
No… He reasoned. They've given more hints than my mother did about us being a couple. It's got to be something else.
Once again completely lost with no leads, all Tsukishima could do was keep an eye on Yamaguchi for the rest of the day. He hoped that Yamaguchi's teachers didn't notice the boy's spaciness, but considering how afternoon practice went, there was no guarantee. Yamaguchi was fumbling and nearly got swiped across the face with a volleyball more than once. Not even coach's sharp words were enough to pull him out for more than a minute or two.
Tsukishima thanked every deity he could think of once basic training was finally over. Even though there was still an unofficial half hour left for everyone to focus on their own strengths until the coach yelled at them to go home, that meant that Yamaguchi could go be off in his own little world and Tsukishima wouldn't have to worry about somebody breaking his face.
With his fingers just barely brushing the small of Yamaguchi's back, Tsukishima led his boyfriend over to their pile of stuff that lined the gym wall. His boyfriend gave him a gentle smile before bending down to grab his water bottle, unaware of how Tsukishima was still watching him. As much as he wanted to stop worrying, he was going to be on the other side of the gym working on his own blocking practice, so he wouldn't be able to-
He darted his hand out and snatched the water bottle from Yamaguchi's hand. His boyfriend starts and watches and Tsukishima flips the bottle right side up. There's already a small puddle of water on the ground now between Yamaguchi's feet, but there's not much they can do about that right now so Tsukishima doesn't bother giving it a second thought.
"Ah… thanks, Tsukki."
"Be more careful next time."
Yamaguchi turns away, staring at the ceiling and completely missing how Tsukishima is now mentally kicking himself. Why couldn't he just ask outright? Clearly, whatever it is, it's bugging Yamaguchi far more than Tsukishima thought at first. Maybe he should ask if Yamaguchi wanted to head out early? That way he'd be able to interrogate his boyfriend without any other prying ears?
Trying to work up his nerve, Tsukishima opened his mouth-
"Hey, Yamaguchi!" Nishinoya bounded over, one hand waving wildly above his head as he asked Yamaguchi to send him a few jump-floats. At first, Tsukishima was disappointed in himself. Then he leveled a glare at Nishinoya for, unknowingly, cutting him off.
But then he saw the upper classman's face as Yamaguchi went off to grab a ball cart. The big smile disappeared and his eyebrows creased. He gave Tsukishima a similar glance before giving Yamaguchi another smile and following him and the ball cart over to Asahi at the other end of the gym.
It doesn't surprise Tsukishima in the slightest that the others have noticed Yamaguchi's strange behavior. Or that they're clearly worried about him. Even Tanaka, in the midst of either gloating or cursing Tsukishima's name whenever he lobs a spike in the blond's direction, managed to ask about Yamaguchi's health and private life. Even if the teasing jab about their relationship wasn't strictly necessary, Tsukishima is glad that his boyfriend has such a dependant and caring support group.
Fifteen minutes later and Yamaguchi is finally acting like normal again. Tsukishima isn't the only one watching him hit serve after serve, but he is the only one who's watching Yamaguchi's face rather than the ball, he's pretty sure. While the others might like guessing if Nishinoya was going to pull another "dramatic" save or not, Tsukishima prefered to watch his boyfriend's expressions. How his eyes had a razer-edge focus up until he hit the ball. The way his eyes sparkled and he fist pumped whenever he scored a point and the pout of his lip when Nishinoya caught the ball.
He was more than just a little cute and Tsukishima found himself struggling once against the urge to kiss him.
Then, the peace is shattered. Whatever Yamaguchi had forgotten about while being absorbed in his serves was lost, and Tsukishima wonders if, perhaps, he finally knows why. It's just a possibility, of course, but he thinks that maybe Yamaguchi might be experiencing the same thing he was a week ago.
He had been totally fine until Nishinoya brought up his relationship with Asahi… could it be that Yamaguchi was also unsure of what to do now that he and Tsukishima were together? Was he wondering if Tsukishima wanted more than what Yamaguchi was willing to give this early in the relationship? Could this all just be nerves?
Watching the way Yamaguchi's eyes dart between Sugawara and Daichi is all the proof Tsukishima needs.
He can hold off on the kissing for now. If Yamaguchi needed reassurance that they were still best friends who just happened to also be dating, then that's what Tsukishima would give. He quietly slid away from the net and gathered up his and Yamaguchi's things in his arms before making his way to his boyfriend.
"Hey, want to head out early? I don't think they're going to notice we're missing. At least not before practice is called to an end."
Once Yamaguchi nodded, he led the way to the door. Yamaguchi's eyes had glazed over once again as he started drifting. Tsukishima hummed before gently bumping their shoulders together. Yamaguchi blinked rapidly, turning to look up at him with a soft pout.
"Your serves are looking better."
Immediately he perked up. "You really think so? Thanks, Tsukki!"
Nice.
*\/*
The next few days are better. Or, more specifically, Yamaguchi is better.. He's back to smiling and chatting and he no longer spaced out during practice. There were still some instances where Tsukishima caught his boyfriend gazing out at seemingly nothing, but at this point he was "counting his blessings" and letting it go unquestioned.
He pushes open the door for Class 1-4 and is not disappointed by the outright beam shot at him from Yamaguchi's desk. Tsukishima's boyfriend jumps up from his desk, his bento already in hand as he races for the door.
"Hi, Tsukki! So, you'll never guess what-"
"Yamaguchi-san? Please take these notebooks to the faculty room and leave them at my desk before lunch."
Tsukishima let out a small groan at the interruption, and from the looks of it Yamaguchi felt the same. He watched as his boyfriend turned around and walked over to the front desk. The pile of journals came up to Tsukishima's neck and immediately his heart went out to his boyfriend.
"Want some help?"
"No, I'll be fine." Yamaguchi sighed before giving Tsukishima another small side smile. "Thanks for the offer, Tsukki, but you should go make sure no one takes our spot outside."
I don't give a damn about someone taking our spot. I'd rather just spend time with you.
But that would just make Yamaguchi feel bad, so instead Tsukishima agreed. He reached out and plucked his boyfriend's bento out of his hand, as both a kind gesture and a potential hostage.
"Don't take too long," he reminded Yamaguchi before walking out of the room.
"Sure thing."
And then he was alone.
Tsukishima takes his sweet time walking outside and getting settled beneath their tree. He didn't like eating without Yamaguchi by his side. And there were a number of reasons for that, such as just enjoying his boyfriend's company to Yamaguchi's ability to fill up the silence with his cute demeanor. But the number one reason was that when they were together, even before they were together, Tsukishima wasn't bothered as much by the girls who had the unfortunate luck of developing a crush on him.
Sure enough, it hasn't even been a full three minutes of him sitting outside before a girl approached.
Tsukishima sees her coming the moment she sets foot outside. He'd been watching the door hoping to catch a glimpse of Yamaguchi, but instead it's a blonde-haired girl with ribbons tied around her braids. She's shyly sneaking her way towards him, like she's worried someone might see her. Tsukishima glues his eyes to the opened bento in his lap, hoping the girl will either lose courage, get the memo, or trip over a tuft of grass and hit her head hard enough to either pass out or forget about Tsukishima's existence entirely.
No such luck. He sees her shoes come together just a few steps away from his spot of grass. He fights against the knee-jerk reaction to look up at her. There's still time left for her to lose her nerve…
"Excuse me? Tsukishima-san?"
Dammit.
"Yes? What do you want?"
"Ah… I was wondering where Yamaguchi-san was?"
"He had to take some journals to the teacher's lounge."
"So, you're only going to be alone for another few minutes, huh?"
"Yes."
"So…"
Finally his patience runs out, and he looks up at her, eyes narrow. "Either spit it out of leave me alone. This is getting annoying." And stressful. Everything about this girl's presence is grating on Tsukishima's nerves, from society's expectations of carrying on a conversation to exactly what this girl wanted to hear from him. Too much.
The girl's eyes widen before she sends him a glare of her own. "Well, if you're going to be so rude about it, then maybe I'll just tell my friend to not confess to you at all, you big jerk!"
"Good. Go do that. I would've only turned her down, anyways."
Clearly, that wasn't the answer she was expecting, and it only served to make the girl angrier. She stomped her foot on the ground. "Ugh! I don't know what she sees in you! You- argh, you jerk!"
Then why are you still talking to me? Tsukishima ground his own teeth before snapping back, "If my 'jerk', you mean 'taken', then yes, I am a 'jerk'."
Another surprise. The girl blinks a few times, her fists unclenching from her skirt fabric. "Taken? What, you mean you're dating someone? Seriously?"
"Yes. Now please, go away before he rejoins me."
Tsukishima realized what he'd said the moment after he said it, but by then it was too late. The girl's eyes went wider than before and one of her hands came up to her mouth. Tsukishima wasn't sure if his face was red or pale, but he was starting to feel lightened. He didn't know who this girl was… what if she was a part of the school's rumor mill? What if she told her supposed "friend" that he and Yamaguchi were dating? Tsukishima wouldn't necessarily mind others knowing they needed to back off, but what if-
"Oh… I'm sorry. I didn't know." The girl looks down, her lips forming a small frown. "I guess that's probably why you get so annoyed with confessions, huh? Okay… okay, then. I'll let her down easy. I won't tell. I promise."
The breath Tsukishima had been holding rushed out of him. He almost smiled. But he stopped himself in time and just gave the girl a small bow of his head before she ran off.
Once she was out of the little courtyard, Tsukishima fished his phone out of his pocket, texting his boyfriend to hurry up. He didn't want any other unexpected guests to show up.
He receives a reply almost immediately.
Yams 3: Omw Tsukki~
*\/*
They're in the club room when the next disaster strikes.
"No… no, no, noooo!" Yamaguchi drops his school bag to the floor, his knees right behind as his chin tucks into his chest. Tsukishima is instantly at his side, one hand resting on top of Yamaguchi's head while the other goes to the hand holding his school bag.
After a moment's consideration, he grabs it.
Yamaguchi's hand is warm, but not sweaty. His returning grip is secure as well, but almost gentle as he squeezes Tsukishima's fingers. It's possible that he's aware, somewhere in the back of his mind, that he has to be careful around his boyfriend's fingers. Could it be that he's been thinking about this moment for as long as Tsukishima has?
Shelving that thought for another time, Tsukishima let his other hand fall from Yamaguchi's head as he asked, "What is it? What's wrong?"
"I… I forgot my water bottle at home." Yamaguchi's eyes squeezed shut, his words coming out a little garbled, like he was just barely holding back a sob, "I just… I thought I put it back in my bag and now I'm gonna have to by some water from the vending machine and I've already been doing so bad during practice these past few weeks and I can't believe I was so stupid-"
"Woah, hey, stop that. You forgot your water bottle, so what? It's fine. Everyone else here has done that at least once or twice before. You're okay."
After a few deep breaths, Yamaguchi nods, but he still pulls his hand away from Tsukishima and presses his palms against his forehead. Tsukishima knows that if it were anyone else, he might've scoffed at their overreaction to something so small, but for some reason he doesn't feel annoyed. He actually feels like his heart might break for Yamaguchi. Over a water bottle. It's weird.
Trying to ignore the feeling, he digs around his own backpack before finding his coin purse. By some miracle, there are still a few 100 yen coins. He makes a fist around them before gently knocking at Yamaguchi's forehead, the part that isn't covered by his boyfriend's fingers.
Yamaguchi slowly lowers his hands, but he doesn't look back up at Tsukishima until the coins are dropped into his right hand.
"I- Tsukki, you don't have to-"
"Shut up, Yamaguchi." Tsukishima can't resist giving Yamaguchi's fingers a brief squeeze before he pulled away. "Go buy your water. I'll take the rest of your stuff down to the gym."
"...Thank you, Tsukki." Yamaguchi leans forward a bit, and for a moment Tsukishima wonders if he's about to get a 'thank-you' kiss… but then his boyfriend is standing up and walking out the door. Tsukishima stares after him for a moment before standing up as well. There are no mirrors in the club room, but if he had to guess, his cheeks were probably a deep red.
Maybe it was a good thing that they weren't holding hands in public yet. If Tanaka or Noya saw Tsukishima blushing up to his ears just by holding Yamaguchi's hand, he'd never hear the end of it. And god help him if Kuroo or Bokuto got wind of that.
Once the two gym bags are slung over Tsukishima's shoulder, he makes his way out the door. And, as per usual, all he could think about was Yamaguchi. His boyfriend seemed to be getting worse all over again, and Tsukishima didn't know what to do. He didn't want to overwhelm him with questions, but if he didn't know what was going on how was he supposed to help? Because not doing anything… it was starting to feel like not enough.
"What? Of course you're doing enough."
Tsukishima tugged at the bottom of his shirt, looking anywhere but at Sugawara. The vice captain was sure to have on of his signature, if not increasingly rare, "soft-senpai" look. The ones where it was obvious that he was really feeling the "team mom" vibe. Tsukishima didn't receive those looks often, even before the stress of getting to nationals started wringing Sugawara's gentleness dry. The knowledge that he had created the look again felt odd to him, so he did his best to ignore it.
"Are you sure?" His tugging was more like wringing now as he glanced towards the side doors yet again. Why wasn't Yamaguchi back yet? "I just… I don't know what's wrong and everyone expects me to know…"
"Hold up. First of all: no, we don't. We're just as concerned as you are about Yamaguchi, and you're the closest person to him, so of course you are going to be who we ask. But that doesn't mean you've failed because you don't know."
Tsukishima felt a little bit of weight fall off his shoulders, if not all. He knew he'd made a good choice coming to Suga about this. Still…
"I just feel like I'm failing at this whole 'dating' thing. He's been like this ever since I became his-"
"Nope! Quick that!"
"Ouch!" Tsukishima quickly let go of his shirt, hands coming up to rub at the top of his head. Geez, was he trying to make Tsukishima as dumb as Hinata? How come Suga only ever hit him on the head?
"You are not to blame for Yamaguchi's weird behavior, and it's not because he's regretting going out with you or whatever the heck was going through your head right then! So you stop that! You two were inevitable in my eyes, and literally no one was surprised by it, so stop overthinking or I'll have to hit you again!"
"Please don't!"
Suga's frown softened and he straightened his back. "Good. Now, I don't know Yamaguchi as well as you do, so I'm just going to recommend you keep doing what you've been doing. If you think that waiting for Yamaguchi to make the first move is the best option, then that's what you should do. He's still Yamaguchi, after all. He's still the same person you became best friends with all those years ago, so you know best how to help him. You don't need anyone's help with this. Now… if you ever need real relationship advice, feel free to come to me. I promise it won't hit you ever time."
"That's good to hear."
Tsukishima knew that he should feel somewhat embarrassed that he'd just basically promised to ask Sugawara for relationship advice in the future… but for some reason he didn't. If anything, it made him feel better knowing that Suga would be waiting for it.
The Hinata and Kageyama ran into the gym like they were being chased and everyone started getting ready for practice to really begin.
*\/*
They were alone in the club room. For the first time since the night of their first day as a couple. Which was, according to Tsukishima's calendar, almost a full month ago. Yes, he'd written it down so he wouldn't forget, now shut up.
Yamaguchi had been on edge all practice long and Tsukishima knew his boyfriend was starting to reach the end of his rope. He wasn't spacing out any more, which was a good sign, but his hands were shaking and he looked like he was about to explode. Which is probably why Tsukishima was prepared for Yamaguchi's shout once they were sure the rest of the team were far enough out of earshot.
"I'm so freaking oblivious!"
Tsukishima hummed in response, looking down at his boyfriend who was now sitting on the floor by his feet. He was quiet as Yamaguchi screamed into his hands, fighting back the part of him that wanted to crouch down and wrap his arms around the other. If Yamaguchi was finally about to spill what had been bothering him so much, Tsukishima wasn't going to risk anything. He chose his next few words carefully.
"What are you so oblivious about?" And does it have anything to do with the Freak Duo being all weird tonight? Those two had better not said anything to Yamaguchi to set him off or Tsukishima was going to-
Yamaguchi's head hit the lockers behind him with a thump as he looked up at Tsukishima. "Oh, nothing, Tsukki… just the fact that I didn't know the entire volleyball club was made up of couples until I saw them going on dates or using pet names or kissing AGAINST A WALL!"
His boyfriend cut himself off with another scream before his hands smacked and rubbed against his cheeks, looking like he was trying to remove his freckles just like when they were younger. "Because, you know, I couldn't pick up on the not-so-subtle signs beforehand! God, I'm a moron…"
Woah, hold on, pump the breaks there. Yamaguchi? A moron? Sorry, does not compute. Error message. Try again later.
As badly as Tsukishima wanted to say that…
"You seriously didn't notice?"
"No…"
Tsukishima couldn't believe it. All this time he thought something terrible had happened to Yamaguchi, but in reality he was just in shock at the amount of gayness in their everyday lives? Really? That was it? Tsukishima had lost sleep over this! This was such…
A relief. Tsukishima didn't know what he would've done if Yamaguchi was dealing with homophobic parents or internalized homophobia or… he didn't even know what else. And it was only this… which probably explained Hinata and Kageyama's heightened dumbassery during practice, too.
Still, it was a big surprise to learn that Yamaguchi had only learned about the others now. As far as he was aware, some of the couples like Sugawara and Daichi had been dating for almost two years, meaning they were more than comfortable with PDA once the secret came out.
Suppose all that's left to do is to help Yamaguchi jump over his latest social-cue hurdle.
"How is that possible? Most of them are all over each other during practice."
"I see that now! I guess before, I just…"
"You just… what?"
Yamaguchi looked away, one of his hands dropping to toy with the hem of his practice shorts. "I mean, I guess I sort of knew, I just never connected the final piece."
Tsukishima hummed as Yamaguchi listed some of the couples he'd suspected beforehand. Yes, those three were the most obvious of them all… He pulled his practice shirt off as his boyfriend spoke. This was kinda funny now that he thought about it. All this time Tsukishima thought it was their relationship Yamaguchi was worrying about. Nope. He was just freaking out over every other relationship in existence.
"I suppose your, quote unquote, "obliviousness" isn't entirely your fault. Until Suga-san figured out that Coah and Sensei were a couple, everyone else did their best to keep their relationships under wraps. They all only recently decided to be more open about their relationships around the rest of the club, figuring that if everyone else was gay, no one was going to give them shit for it."
"Why didn't you ever tell me? You clearly knew about it!"
"You're the one who talks the most when we walk home. Since you never brought it up I assumed you didn't want to talk about it or found it interesting." Tsukishima caught the end of Yamaguchi's glare before his boyfriend dropped his forehead against his knees, his arms wrapping around his legs.
"I feel like an idiot."
Ugh, that word again. Tsukishima couldn't resist letting his tongue click in response. He hated it when Yamaguchi was talked down, especially by Yamaguchi himself. Placing Yamaguchi's school clothes on top of his head, Tsukishima searched for a way to cheer his boyfriend up.
"Don't forget to change. And I disagree with you. Now… if you had been unaware that we've been dating, then you might've been an idiot, but-"
"Wait, we're what?"
...No.
Those words could not have possibly come out of Yamaguchi's mouth.
They're staring at each other, Tsukishima looking all over Yamaguchi's face is search of a tell. Holding back his laughter. A teasing smirk. A raised eyebrow. Something.
But no. Yamaguchi looks just as floored as Tsukishima felt. Words don't compute in Tsukishima's head until Yamaguchi's school clothes slide off the boy's head and land behind him with a soft 'thump'. And the sight of Yamaguchi's cowlick springing back up is so cute that Tsukishima finally remembers how to speak Japanese.
"Please don't say I heard you right."
"Tsukki… did you say that we're dating?"
"Oh god, you did say it." If it weren't for the blush now covering up Yamaguchi's whole face, Tsukishima might've had a different reaction. Same way as if Yamaguchi's breath hadn't caught or if his question didn't have that thread of hope in it. So, he burst out laughing.
"Oh my god! You actually didn't know?"
"W-wait! You aren't joking? When did this happen? Why… why haven't you… why didn't you say something, Tsukki, Jesus!"
What else could he do? The whole thing was just so ridiculous… he'd been so worried that Yamaguchi's problem had to do with being unhappy with their relationship and he didn't even know they were in a relationship to begin with! Maybe if Tsukishima was worried that Yamaguchi didn't actually return his feelings he would've been less entertained, but Yachi's words from a month ago about Yamaguchi going on and on about his crush on Tsukishima were still locked in his memory.
So, with nothing to worry about, he laughed.
"I asked you out on our first date three weeks ago!"
"What?"
"You don't remember?" Tsukishima knelt down beside who he thought was his boyfriend and hopefully still was, barely refraining from reaching out and tugging at the cowlick. "We were watching that weird mermaid documentary you were so excited about and when you came back from the kitchen you brought out two slices of strawberry shortcake. You said you spent the whole day trying making it, knowing I was coming over. And after I took a moment to process how absolutely adorable you looked with your big proud smile and the plates of cake in hand, I said-"
"Date me."
Oh my. This was delicious. Yamaguchi's face went another shade darker as he clapped his hands over his mouth. His eyes went wide in either mortification or realization, Tsukishima couldn't tell. This was probably just the cherry on top of what had been a long three weeks for Yamaguchi, and Tsukishima was really enjoying it. After everything Yamaguchi had unknowingly put him through, this was the least Yamaguchi could do for him.
… He went through the 'first-month-of-dating' jitters all by himself!
Yamaguchi's face had disappeared once again, but Tsukishima wasn't letting him off the hook that easy! He sat down and scooted over until he was sitting comfortably beside Yamaguchi, a teasing lit in his voice as he continued, "So you do remember. When you smiled, blushed, and said 'Sure, so long as you don't hog the bed covers', I assumed that you understood I was being serious about it."
"Oh my god, I am an idiot."
"Unfortunately, I have to agree with you this time around." He was going to have to apologize for that later, but for now Tsukishima was enjoying watching Yamaguchi squirm far too much. Yamaguchi shyly met Tsukishima's eyes for a second before looking away again.
"So… now what?"
Ah, Tsukishima had hoped for that question.
Fainting nonchalance, he hummed, "Well, since for the last three weeks only one of us was in a relationship, I'd like to think that if both of us were in a relationship together we'd be even happier."
"You… were happy to be dating me?"
Fuck, blushing was not a part of the plan. Teasing. More teasing. Look cool.
"Yes, though now I'm concerned that I've been looking at your intelligence with rose-tinted glasses."
That seemed to do it. Yamaguchi's face disappeared against his knees, his arms coming up to hide the rest of it.
"Blocked."
A joke they used together. Too easy.
"Wait, unblock me, I have something important to tell you."
"Unblocked."
"Date me."
The squeak he received went straight into Tsukishima's 'Victory' tally marks. As did the "yes" he whispered out. But there was no way Tsukishima was done with the teasing. Maybe if he was lucky, he could get Yamaguchi's blush all the way down his chest, and he'd be able to see it when his now-definitely-official-boyfriend finally got changed.
""Yes" you will date me or "yes" something else? I've learned my lesson, Yamaguchi, and I won't make the same mistake twi- mmMph?"
Okay, maybe he'd played that song a little too much. For a moment, all he could do was stare down at Yamaguchi's face which was far closer than it had ever been before. From what he could see, Yamaguchi's eyes were squeezed shut as he continued to kiss Tsukishima. He could also feel the other's hands clutching handfuls of his school uniform shirt. It would be wrinkled beyond belief once he finally let go…
His lips are just as soft as I thought they'd be.
Tsukishima's eyelids had just started to flutter closed when Yamaguchi pulled away. He almost reached out to pull his boyfriend back in. No, wait, his thoughts complained. I'm not done yet. More please.
"Guess I was right." The hand that had been reaching out was pulled back in to cover the blush that was definitely spreading across his whole face. He switched to pushing his glasses up at the last second. Damn you, pasty pale skin. "Both of us dating is much better than just me dating you."
"You're so mean to me…" Yamaguchi's voice was soft. Similar to when he was just woken up from deep sleep. And it made Tsukishima's stomach do weird flippy things. But he liked it, he supposed.
"But I do it with affection."
"Still mean."
"Shall I make it up to you? We do have three weeks to catch up on."
"Tsukki, do me a favor and shut up."
"Help me out?"
Tsukishima didn't get the chance to cringe at his own dumb line before they were kissing again, his hands finally reaching up to cup Yamaguchi's cheeks. His boyfriend hummed, leaning forward and wrapping his arms around Tsukishima's neck as they melted into the kiss.
Fuck hand holding, Tsukishima decides. And… oh. Oh? Yamaguchi was wearing chapstick. Strawberry flavored. Yachi's gift to Tsukishima for his birthday last September. One of the many things that they shared over the years… Tsukishima thought he'd seen it in Yamaguchi's bedroom last. He was going to have to thank Yachi again for it. Of course, that might lead to telling her exactly why he was thanking her. But hey, Yamaguchi was probably going to tell her himself… wait.
With more self-restraint than he thought it would take, Tsukishima managed to pull away from the kiss. Yamaguchi's dreamy expression and breathy 'what?' almost pulled him back in, but he resisted. There was something he was curious about. Yamaguchi had only mentioned the team members...
"Does this mean you also didn't or you don't know that Yachi and Kiyoko-san are dating?"
"...Huh?"
"Dear god, I fell for one of the idiots I make fun of."
"Hm, maybe I am an idiot. I did say 'yes' to dating you." Oh, and there's the sharp wit. Tsukishima wishes he could take credit for corrupting Yamaguchi like that, but he really can't. His right hand trailed up to carefully tug at the cowlick.
"The second time I asked."
"This is going to be the story you use to embarrass me for the rest of our lives, isn't it?"
It was no longer just his face that felt warm. No, now it was his whole body, from his chest to his toes. If he didn't know any better, Tsukishima might've thought he was experiencing heartburn.
"Absolutely," he ended up whispering against Yamaguchi's lips.
The rest of their lives seemed to be shaping up really well so far.
In all honesty, I should be writing anything but this, but here I am and hopefully now that it's done I can actually start working on studying for my finals which start tomorrow… wish me luck!
If people like this enough... I do maybe have an idea for an Akiteru chapter... maybe.
See you next chapter!
