Warning: This chapter be gay- enjoy you heathens (also, Tsukki says a nono word)

Tadashi blushed, fidgeting with his hands.

"You want to walk me home?" Tsukishima parrotted.

"I mean, we don't have to, I can just-"

Tsukishima bumped Tadashi on the back while walking by. "Might as well. It's been a while, anyway."

As they walked, Tadashi slowly inched his way closer to Tsukishima. Near halfway to Tsukishima's home, Tadashi was so close that he could feel the subtle warmth coming off of the blond boy.

"Congratulations on winning the festival, by the way," Tsukishima disrupted the silence.

Tadashi rubbed the back of his neck. "It was a fluke, really."

"You still won." Tsukishima stopped the two, raising an eyebrow. "Why can't you take a compliment, Yamaguchi?"

"I…" Tadashi started, sort of losing his train of thought. For some reason, all he could focus on was the concerned look on Tsukishima's face. It was so out of character for the tall boy. Tadashi screwed his face up. "I'll take a compliment when you…"

"When I what?" Tsukishima crossed his arms impatiently.

Tadashi's heart leapt out of his chest. Was he really doing this? Was this what he wanted? He had an unrecognized crush on his best friend since who knows how long. He thought he wanted this, but...what if he was wrong? And what if Tsukishima didn't feel the same way? What would he do then? But Tadashi would never know if he didn't ask. He gulped down a breath.

His voice started very quiet and timid. "When you go on a…"

Tsukishima narrowed his eyes. "Go on."

Tadashi sucked in all of the air his lungs could take. "I'll accept a compliment when you go out on a date with me." He squeezed his eyes shut, ready for the boy to laugh at him. He knew he wasn't ready, and right then and there, he wanted to drop dead.

But much to his surprise, no laughing came. No other noises came, either. Not even the sound of Tsukishima's impatient feet. Tadashi cracked one eye open at his tall friend. He couldn't see him all that well, so he opened the other one. What met his eyes was Tsukishima with his back turned to him. Tadashi knitted his eyebrows together out of worry before approaching. He noticed Tsukishima's shoulders bouncing slightly. He tapped his back.

"Tsukki?" he asked timidly. "Are you alright?"

What answered him was a huge bark of laughter. Tadashi jumped back immediately, almost tripping over his own feet. He blushed madly, and he could feel hot tears burning at the backs of his eyes. He pursed his lips together to prevent a whimper.

Tsukishima turned around, beet red, tears at the corners of his eyes. And laughing. He seemed to notice Tadashi's heartbroken face and immediately stopped laughing, walking closer to him. "Come on, Yamaguchi. Don't be like that. I-"

"I knew it." Tadashi's voice was no louder than a whisper. There was a slight whine to it. "I knew you would laugh at me." The tears burst from his green brown eyes like water breaking through a dam. He tried rubbing the tears away, but it was futile. They just kept coming and coming and coming. Why didn't they stop?

-0-

Kei watched as the green haired boy sobbed. He didn't know what to do. He was only laughing because the request was so unexpected. He couldn't figure out how to help the crying boy, so he just stood and observed.

Yamaguchi wiped his tear stained face, seemingly out of tears. "I guess...I guess I'll go home now." He turned away.

Kei didn't know what to do. He didn't know what he was doing when Yamaguchi turned away from him. He didn't know that his hand would shoot out. He didn't have a clue that his hand would grab the shorter boy's thin wrist. He didn't know that Yamaguchi would stop at the gesture and turn around with that expression.

That expression. It reminded Kei of a kicked puppy, one still loyal to its owner. The expression that had that faint glimmer of hope that the puppy was still a good boy in its owner's eyes. That expression made Kei want to cry and throw up and laugh because no one, no one, could love someone after being kicked by them.

And yet, there Yamaguchi was, emotionally bruised by Kei, and still looking at him with those hopeful, sorrowful, beautiful, brown green eyes.

Kei didn't know what to do next. He wanted to keep his pride in tact. He didn't like admitting defeat. He didn't like telling people how he really felt. But there Yamaguchi was. He felt his heart trying to tear its way out of his chest. What am I doing, he puzzled. Why did he-

Yamaguchi interrupted the moment with a small hitch. "If you're not gonna say anything, Tsukishima, then I don't-"

"You win." Kei squeezed Yamaguchi's wrist.

"What?"

"I said you win!" Kei asserted, squeezing the wrist tighter. "I don't know how, or why, but you win!" His face was burning up. He clenched his teeth. "I'll go on a date with you, so take a damn compliment, alright?"

"I still don't understand, Tsukki-"

Kei fumed. He was angry, upset, in love. "Screw talking, I'm so much better at doing."

With that, he took Yamaguchi's face into his hands and pressed his lips to his best friend's. He felt the shorter boy hesitate, then push back. He felt Yamaguchi's hands on his waist. It was so sudden. Kei never thought he wanted this, but now, he doesn't want it to stop. Yamaguchi's lips were so soft and warm. His face was almost feverish.

It felt like forever until they finally broke apart. Kei gazed at Yamaguchi's face. He noticed the tears were back. But this time, Yamaguchi was smiling. He was happy. Kei was happy, too. It had been a long time since he'd really felt like that.

"Tsukki, I-"

"No, Yama-I mean, Tadashi." Kei felt nervous. That was an emotion he hadn't felt in forever, either. "Tadashi, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. Your condition was just so out of the blue, and I-"

"I love you."

"You...love me?" Kei was confused.

Yamaguchi flushed. "I didn't mean to say that," he said quickly, backing up slightly.

Kei shook his head. Another wrong response. He took a breath, deciding his pride wasn't important. "I just didn't understand why you would love me. I'm awful to you." He loosened his uniform tie. "But I guess...I guess I love you, too?"

There was a deafening silence as both boys tried to figure out what to say.

"Are we doing this?" Yamaguchi asked.

"Doing what?" Kei answered. He knew exactly what Yamaguchi was asking, but he wanted to hear him say it.

"Are we...together?"

Kei put a hand on Yamaguchi's cheek. A very rare, very real, very genuine smile spread across his own face.

"I think we are, Tadashi," Kei said softly.

Intertwining his fingers with Yamaguchi's, the two walked home. The hardest part about one walking the other home was parting. They didn't want to leave each other for a single second of their lives.

A/N: You know, I take stupid enjoyment out of writing gay shipping moments~