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“I swear to god, Tadashi, this guy could rival the King with his anger issues,” Kei drawled, rolling his eyes as he continued to mix the batter in the bowl he was holding, his phone wedged between his shoulder and ear. Tadashi giggled on the other end of the line. “I’m sure he can’t be that bad, Tsukki! Besides, Kageyama’s doing a lot better now,” He replied, a humoured lilt to his voice, and an easy smirk slipped onto Kei’s lips. Regardless if Tadashi didn’t want to admit it, he found all of Kei’s ‘rude’ critiques funny, Kei was certain of it. He set down the bowl he was holding, grabbing his phone so it wouldn’t fall as he bent down to grab a cake pan. “No, trust me, he’s that bad. He makes some pretty funny sarcastic comments under his breath about Kogane, though, so he’s got one redeeming quality.” Tadashi chuckled, and Kei’s smirk turned proud. He liked being the one to make his best friend laugh. “Alright, then, Tsukki. If you say so. I’ll pick you up after practise tomorrow, m’kay? Be prepared to be grilled by my mother about your depressing lack of a love life, by the way!” Tadashi teased playfully, and Kei could envision the slightly mean smirk curling his lips.
Kei had never understood why everyone they met had thought Tadashi was a complete sweetheart who let Kei walk all over him, although he had been more inclined to back down in high school. His best friend had a mischievous streak a mile wide. Either way, Tadashi made just as many sarcastic and ‘mean’ remarks as Kei did, but something about him got everyone to look the other way. “Shut up, Tadashi,” Kei let the familiar words roll off of his tongue and Tadashi snorted in response. “Yeah, yeah, sorry, Tsukki. Forgot you can’t handle taking a joke. See you tomorrow~!” Kei opened his mouth to retort, but there was a click, and Tadashi hung up the phone. No surprise. Kei rolled his eyes, pulling his phone away from his ear to glare at the screen. Of course, Tadashi would pull something like that. Always had to get in the last word, the b*stard. Kei huffed, tossing his phone onto the counter somewhat gently before moving to pour the batter into the cake pan.
Coconut cake batter, to be precise. Tadashi’s favourite flavour of cake, though Kei had given up on trying to understand why. Strawberry was so much better. The ex-pinch server had been on some sort of work retreat for the past week, and Kei had missed him to the point he was reduced to doing sappy things, like making Tadashi’s favourite cake for no good reason. Well, Kei knew it would be worth it once he got to see Tadashi’s eyes sparkle as he grinned too big for his face. Kei clicked his tongue at himself, scooping out the last of the batter with a spoon into the cake pan. Once it had evenly settled, he put the cake into the oven, setting a timer. While the cake was baking, Kei got out his ingredients for cream cheese icing. Another of Tadashi’s favourites. Internally, he knew he was acting a little pathetic. Doing sentimental things like this instead of simply telling Tadashi about his feelings was the coward’s way out, but Kei had never considered himself to be brave. He shook his head, opening his phone for his playlist as a way to drown out his thoughts as he continued to make the icing.
“Tsukishima!” Koganegawa shouted exuberantly, causing Kei to lift his head from where he’d been focusing on putting away the volleyballs. He bent down, picking one of the last ones up, before walking over to where Koganegawa stood. “What?” He asked, not particularly kindly, but he wasn’t scowling. Character development, as Tadashi would say. “Someone’s here to see you!” Koganegawa said with a bright grin, gesturing to the entrance of the volleyball gym. Unintentionally, Kei’s lips began to curl upwards at the corners. Finally . He thought, tossing the volleyball he held to Koganegawa without a second thought as he stalked towards the door. “Is the world ending or something? Pretty sure that was a smile Tsukishima was wearing.” Kyoutani huffed, eyeing the blond’s back as he walked away. Koganegawa nodded, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “It was, Tsukishima was actually smiling . That guy must be awfully important to him,” He replied with a thoughtful look, and Kyoutani raised an eyebrow, curious despite himself. “What guy?” Kyoutani inquired brusquely, and Koganegawa shrugged. “Some guy in business apparel with green hair and freckles was waiting outside. Told me he was here to see ‘Tsukki’, which confused me until he said Tsukishima.”
Kyoutani burst out into startled laughter, causing Koganegawa to give him an odd look. He managed to collect himself after a few seconds, to which Koganegawa looked grateful. “You’re telling me that Mr. ‘I-Hate-Everyone’ and ‘Don’t-call-me-Tsukki’ actually let someone call him that?” Kyoutani snorted, half in disbelief. Koganegawa raised an eyebrow, his eyes widening a little. “Hey! You’re right!” He exclaimed with a slight pout, which confused Kyoutani. “That’s not fair, we’re Tsukishima’s teammates! Shouldn’t we get such priveledges, too?” Oh, so that was the reason Koganegawa was acting like someone had stolen his favourite volleyball again. Kyoutani shrugged with a small huff. He didn’t care about calling Tsukishima such a cutesy nickname, he was just focused on figuring out why this guy was special.
So far, Kyoutani had come up empty-handed when it came to teasing material for Tsukishima, and he had to get back at the blond for the tennis ball comment. “Tadashi, I swear- And, of course, you just walk right in.” Kei huffed, following Tadashi back into the volleyball gym. “Hi! My name’s Yamaguchi Tadashi, I’m Tsukki’s best friend. He’s told me so much about you guys,” Tadashi introduced himself with his signature beam, and Kei realised he was screwed as he noticed the crap-eating smirk that Kyoutani was wearing. “Kyoutani.” The man in question replied bluntly, offering his hand to Tadashi for a shake. Tadashi shook it happily, letting go a second later. Koganegawa seemingly had no qualms about manners, though, as he went right to give Tadashi a bear hug. Kei rolled his eyes, lightly pushing Koganegawa’s shoulder. “Personal space, angry bird.” Koganegawa pouted, stepping back. “It’s fine, Tsukki, calm down. Hi!” Tadashi lifted his hand in a wave, and Koganegawa’s pout disappeared as he grinned. “Hi! I’m Kogane, it’s nice to meet you, Yama. Any friend of Tsukki’s is a friend of ours!”
Kei’s nose wrinkled and he pierced Koganegawa with a glare. “Don’t call me that, for gods’ sake.” He grumbled, the tension bleeding out of his shoulders when Tadashi laid a comforting hand on his arm. Koganegawa didn’t seem to notice the shift, but a glance at Kyoutani told Kei that the other blond most certainly had. “Hehe, Tsukki’s just irritable now because I said we’d leave right away. I wanted to meet you guys, though, after hearing so many stories,” Tadashi explained, putting both Koganegawa and Kyoutani at ease, and Kei felt a spark of pride for his best friend. Of course, it was immediately drowned underneath the wave of jealousy he felt at the thought of Koganegawa or Kyoutani getting along with Tadashi too well. “I doubt they were anything good.” Kyoutani rolled his eyes, and Kei pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, sneering at the other. “I tend not to lie, so yeah, probably not.” He retorted instantly, and Kyoutani’s eyes narrowed. Tadashi rolled his eyes at the sudden strain on the conversation and reached out a hand to lightly tap Kyoutani’s shoulder. To Kei’s surprise, Kyoutani didn’t immediately snap at him or shove him off.
“Let’s calm down, m’kay?” Tadashi glanced over his shoulder at Kei with a disapproving expression. “You too, Tsukki.” Kei rolled his eyes but inclined his head ever so slightly in acquiescence. There was a reason Tadashi had been captain their third year at Karasuno, and in occasions like this, Kei was reminded why. He was great at mediating between two clashing personalities, which had usually been Kei himself and the King, unfortunately. “Fine.” Kyoutani agreed and was rewarded with the sight of Tadashi’s bright smile. The freckled man clapped his hands together in a pleased manner. “Great! We have to get going, otherwise, my mother will kill us, but I’ll make sure to see you guys later, ‘kay?” Tadashi explained, reaching out to pull Koganegawa into a hug, which Kei didn’t like, but the angry-bird-lookalike seemed very happy about. “See ya,” Kyoutani said, holding his fist up for a fist bump, which Tasdadhi gladly reciprocated.
“I don’t know what you were talking about, Tsukki, Kyoutani seemed plenty nice to me,” Kei rolled his eyes at Tadashi’s teasing tone as the pair walked to Tadashi’s car. “That’s because it was you, Tadashi. You’re like magic when it comes to taming unpleasant personalities,” He replied truthfully, and Tadashi raised an eyebrow curiously. “What makes you say that?” He wondered, and Kei gaped at him, unable to believe that this was the same man who’d surpassed him grade-wise in their third year at Karasuno. “Oh, gee , I don’t know, Tadashi, maybe the fact that I’m a right *sshole and yet you somehow managed to land yourself as my best friend. I’m literally a ‘case in point’.” Kei explained in exasperation, jabbing a finger at his chest, and Tadashi laughed. The pair got into Tadashi’s car with the latter still greatly amused. “You’re not that bad either, Tsukki! You show you care in plenty of ways, and I’m sure Kyoutani does, too.” Tadashi said with an honest grin, and Kei rolled his eyes once more. “That’s because it’s you . Like I said, magic.” Tadashi laughed and that was the end of the conversation.
“So,” Tadashi’s mother began, and Kei winced unnoticeably, hoping that Tadashi would get back from whatever he had to grab soon. “Tadashi tells me you still haven’t found anyone to settle down with, Kei.” The brown-haired woman tutted, and Kei plastered on his best polite smile. He loved Tadashi’s mother, but the woman was very inclined to focus on the romantic aspect of both her son and Kei’s lives, which made him nervous. This was the same woman who’d been able to tell he was only attracted to men years before Kei himself had figured it out, so he wouldn’t put it past her to figure out that it happened to be her son that he was in love with. “Yes, well, that’s true, Yamaguchi-san. I’m not trying to focus on romance right now.” Not technically a lie, Kei reassured himself, because he was trying to ignore his feelings in the hopes they’d go away. “A shame. I’ve been wanting to see you confess to my son for a while,” Tadashi’s mother admitted, and Kei stared at her blankly, his mouth dropped open just a little. The woman’s nose wrinkled. “Shut your mouth, Kei, you look ridiculous.”
Kei did as he was told immediately, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose nervously. His hands were only barely shaking, which Kei took as a good sign. “You are in love with him, or have you not figured that out yet, Kei?” Tadashi’s mother was an extremely blunt and honest woman, a fact that used to impress Kei, but now was making his cheeks turn a fierce scarlet colour. “I- Excuse me?” He stammered, and Tadashi’s mother shot him an annoyed look. “Don’t play coy, Kei. It’s not a good look on you.” Kei winced at her tone. “You plan on confessing any time soon or shall I do it for you?” Tadashi’s mother asked, her eyes narrowed as she stared Kei dead in the eyes. She’s worse than Kuroo and Bokuto… Kei thought, his lips downturned at the corners. Something in him snapped at the thought of telling Tadashi and for the first time, he scowled at the man’s mother.
“No. I’m not confessing because I refuse to ruin what Tadashi and I have. Even if there is the most minuscule chance he doesn’t return my feelings, I refuse to confess. I know you, Yamaguchi-san, and you won’t tell him without my consent.” Thankfully, Tadashi walked back into the living room before his mother could get a chance to respond. Kei’s scowl immediately melted away to reveal a small, pleased smile as Tadashi nestled himself against Kei’s side on the couch. “Look! I found it! Michi-san shipped me your baby book a few days ago, Tsukki!” Tadashi settled the picture book on their lap, opening it to the first pages. Kei groaned, rolling his eyes at the sight of his baby pictures. “Of course. I’m not sure if I even want to know why you wanted this stupid book,” Kei huffed, flipping past the few first pages of the book to get past the most embarrassing photos. “Hey, no, Tsukki, I like those! You were adorable as a baby… I wonder what changed?” Tadashi teased with a smirk and Kei rolled his eyes, flicking the other’s forehead. Tadashi broke out into giggles, smiling, and Kei’s cheeks flushed a rosy shade of red.
“Kentaro! Hi! Whatcha doing?” Tadashi asked curiously, his hands clasped behind his back as he smiled softly at Kyoutani. The volleyball player looked sheepish, which was a new one, his cheeks stained a faint red and his lips curled into a small frown. “I- Ugh. This is horrible.” Kyoutani hissed, and Tadashi giggled, reaching out and grabbing the other’s wrist. He pulled the blond inside his apartment, ready to help his newest friend in any way possible. “Come on, we can chat about whatever’s bothering you over a nice cup of tea!” Tadashi cheered pleasantly, humming as he walked into his kitchen, Kyoutani following close behind. Tadashi set his kettle on the stove, turning the heat up before whirling around to face Kyoutani, who’d taken a seat at the kitchen island. “So, what’s bothering you, hm? Kentaro?” Tadashi prompted after a few minutes of silence, and Kyoutani flinched a tiny bit, folding his hands over one another. “What… what are you supposed to do when you’re in love with someone?” He murmured, and Tadashi’s cheeks flamed a bright crimson. He put up his hands, waving them about.
“Wh-What?! Why are you asking me?” Tadashi spluttered, burying his face in his hands, and Kyoutani seemed surprised. “I just, I thought, with stupid Four-Eyes and all, you’d have some knowledge. Sorry if I was too forward, Tadashi.” Tadashi peeked between his fingers at Kyoutani, who was avoiding his gaze and looking contrite. The blond rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, and Tadashi dropped his hands, shaking his head. “No! Don’t feel uncomfortable, Ken, please. I’ll give you any advice I can, though I don’t get what you mean with Tsukki, I’m not exactly experienced in this area,” He confessed with a bashful smile, only a little embarrassed by his lack of knowledge. He’d dated a few people in the past, and even had a three-year relationship with Terushima, who was still his friend, but nothing had ever worked out for Tadashi. After breaking things off with Terushima, Tadashi had realised the reason why his romantic endeavours tended to fail: Tsukishima Kei, his best friend.
“You aren’t dating Four-Eyes?” Kyoutani asked in surprise, and Tadashi blushed a heavy red. He shook his head, flinching slightly when the kettle suddenly began to whistle. He turned around, busying himself with making their cups of tea. “Nope,” Tadashi answered once he’d faced Kyoutani once more. “Tsukki and I… We’re just best friends. Always have been, since we were little kids, so that’s probably why you thought we were dating.” Like it or not, Tadashi always had to field questions about whether or not Kei and he were romantically involved. A small mercy was that no one ever asked Kei about the nature of their relationship because he was too antisocial to entertain people for more than a second or two. Kyoutani hummed in response, lifting his cup of tea to take a sip. “Oh. Sorry, it was just the way he talks about you that made me assume. I should’ve asked,” He apologised sincerely, and Tadashi smiled warmly in return. “It’s fine. If I may ask, who are you in love with?” Tadashi wondered, unable to help his curiosity as Kyoutani’s cheeks flushed.
“Uh. Do you remember Yahaba from Seijoh? We played against you guys, he wasn’t a regular until after Oikawa graduated. Setter.” Yes, Tadashi did remember the peachy haired man Kyoutani spoke of, though not for a particularly good reason. “Yeah, I know who you’re talking about. I almost socked him in our second year when he made Yacchan uncomfortable with his flirting.” Tadashi replied casually, lifting an eyebrow when Kyoutani choked on a gulp of tea. The blond man stared at him in shock and Tadashi offered a crap-eating grin in return. He’d been scrawnier in high school, certainly, but by second year he’d learned not to let anyone mess with his friends. “Wow. Suddenly, my respect for you just shot up 10x.” Kyoutani snorted, and it made Tadashi laugh. There was the sound of his apartment door opening and Tadashi’s eyebrows furrowed. He didn’t remember inviting anyone over. “Tadashi?” Oh, it was Kei. Of course, no one else has a key to your apartment, dummy. Tadashi smacked his forehead in exasperation before grabbing his still-warm cup of tea and moving to greet Kei in the other room.
“Tsukki! Hi, I wasn’t expecting you. Tea?” Tadashi grinned happily as Kei slid off his shoes before taking the cup of tea from Tadashi’s hands, bringing it up to his mouth to drink. “Hey, Tadashi. Peppermint? You have company?” Tadashi ignored the way his heart skipped a beat at Kei’s casual question, because of course, Kei knew he only made the peppermint tea he had stocked up accidentally when he had company. Tadashi wasn’t fond of the flavour, so he tried to rid himself of his ever-dwindling supply whenever possible. “Mhm! Come, come. Kentaro is in the kitchen!” Tadashi beamed, leading the way back into the kitchen, where Kyoutani sat waiting at the kitchen island still. “Kyoutani.” Kei nodded at Kyoutani, who returned the gesture before Kei busied himself with pulling out a slice of strawberry shortcake from Tadashi’s fridge. He’d gotten in the habit of always having some at his place just because of how often his best friend came over.
“Tsukki! No, you can’t have cake right after work without eating anything healthy first.” Tadashi reprimanded, snatching the plate away from Kei’s grasp and replacing it with a granola bar instead. He smirked at the blond, who was wearing a disgusted expression. “I hate granola, Tadashi,” Kei grumbled, and Tadashi giggled in response. “I know, but suck it up, you big baby. I haven’t had time to go grocery shopping this week yet, so my snack supply is running low.” He explained, placing the cake back into the fridge as Kei reluctantly began to eat his granola bar. “Right, so, back to what you were saying, Ken!” Tadashi redirected his attention to Kyoutani, who looked awed, for whatever reason. “Is Yahaba straight?” Hitting on the opposite gender didn’t make someone straight, Tadashi himself was bi, but he wanted to check with Kyoutani before assuming. “No. He doesn’t like labels, but he’s had crushes on dudes.” Kyoutani answered, and Tadashi noticed that for the first time all afternoon, he looked confident .
Tadashi chuckled, propping his head upon his hands as his elbows rested atop the marbled countertop of the island. “Great,” He cooed a little teasingly, and Kyoutani’s cheeks flared red once more, which was amusing to Tadashi. “Are you finally confessing to Yahaba, Kyoutani?” Tadashi rolled his eyes as he noticed Kei had eaten only half of his granola bar but was now making his way through the slice of strawberry shortcake with ease. He straightened out, reaching up to gently slap the back of Kei’s head as he finished the granola bar for him. “Ow, Tadashi, jerk. I told you I don’t like granola,” Kei huffed, and Tadashi simply smiled at him, cheeks stuffed with said granola. “Yeah. Confessing, or whatever Tadashi tells me to do.” Kyoutani gestured at Tadashi with his hands that were still wrapped tightly around his mug of tea, to which Tadashi winced. Kei shot Tadashi a sidelong glance and the green-haired man groaned internally, knowing the remarks to come. “Don’t tell me you went to Tadashi for advice, Kyoutani?” Kei drawled with his usual b*stard smirk, and Kyoutani raised an eyebrow.
“He’s terrible at it, didn’t he tell you? He can’t handle it when someone admits to finding him even remotely decent, let alone attractive and is sh*t with his feelings. Amusing, but not the kind of person you go to for love help.” Kei snickered, and Tadashi rolled his eyes, unable to deny the words but finding them irritating nonetheless. He wasn’t that bad, or at least, he liked to think he wasn’t. Kyoutani bristled. “Easier to deal with your much better half than your pompous *ss, Tsukishima.” He retorted grouchily, his eyebrows drawn together as he scowled, and Tadashi was momentarily touched that Kyoutani had even thought to rise to his defence. Kei arched an eyebrow with a smug expression. “Go on then. Ask ‘my much better half’ on how to get Yahaba to fall for you. See what idioticness he comes up with.” Kei invited, and Tadashi groaned, his cheeks stained red at the nickname regardless.
“Look, Tsukki’s right. I can’t offer much- I get flustered too easily, and I’ve been in love with the same person for the better part of the past three and a half years. But, my advice to you is: be honest. You know Yahaba better than I ever will, and I’m positive you know what he likes. So, set something up, small or big, and just… Tell him. If you’ve been friends for this long, he won’t drop you because you went and fell for him. So, don’t be worried about being rejected.” All Tadashi was doing was telling Kyoutani the words he thought he’d like to hear if he ever asked someone about advice for confessing to Tsukki, but from the way Kyoutani looked, he assumed it was working. After a second, Kyoutani’s gaze slid to Kei with a lazy smirk. “You were saying, Tsukishima?” He inquired, and Kei blew his bangs out of his eyes, glancing at Tadashi. “He pulled that from thin air, I’m telling you he normally sucks at this. He freaked when Shoyo asked him to help him ring shop for the King, and that didn’t even involve advice..” Tadashi giggled at the slight wrinkle on Kei’s nose, knowing the other didn’t like addressing Shoyo so informally, but it had to be done now that he’d taken Kageyama’s name.
In the next official match for the Sendai Frogs, Tadashi was surprised to find someone vaguely unfamiliar with him in the stands. Goshiki was standing next to a certain peachy haired man, making polite conversation with the other. The ravenette’s eyes lit up at Tadashi’s approach and he disregarded whatever he was saying in favour of greeting Tadashi with a tight hug. Tadashi laughed, squeezing Goshiki back. “Goshiki! It’s been a while, huh? I couldn’t get off for the last few games, it sucked,” Tadashi complained, his eyes drifting from Goshiki to Yahaba, who looked slightly uncomfortable, or maybe it was nerves. Tadashi had tried to punch him in the face the last time they interacted. “Uh, hi, Yamaguchi… I’m-” Yahaba’s eyes widened a little when Tadashi cut him off, holding up a hand for a high-five. “Yahaba! I know, I remember. You’re good friends with Kentaro, right?” Tadashi asked eagerly, his smile brightening when Yahaba returned his high-five reluctantly. Reluctance or no, Tadashi would take that as a win. “Yes.” Yahaba glanced away at the volleyball court, cheeks dusted rosy pink. “He means a lot to me.” He muttered under his breath and Tadashi’s smile turned soft.
“Tsutomu!! You came!” An excited shout garnered the trio’s attention and they looked down to see Koganegawa beaming up at them, his hands stretched out as he made grabby motions. The opposing team, who had begun to warm up, gave him a few odd looks. Goshiki blushed, but leaned over the railing, smiling down at the other. “Win for me, ‘kay, Kanji?” He asked, and Koganegawa’s eyes filled with sparkles as his grin stretched from ear to ear. “Anything for you, Tsutomu!” He agreed confidently, and Goshiki laughed, making the look in Koganegawa’s eyes turn soft. “Oi! Break it up, lovebirds, we need him,” Kyoutani snarled, having stalked over and grabbed the back of Koganegawa’s shirt. He didn’t wait for a reply before dragging Koganegawa in the opposite direction, ignoring how the angry-bird lookalike continued to shout declarations of love for Goshiki.
The ravenette buried his face in his hands in embarrassment as Tadashi let out a good-natured laugh, slinging an arm over Goshiki’s shoulders as he waved bye at Koganegawa. He managed to catch Kei’s eye from the other end of the court and flashed a peace sign, his grin growing when Kei did the same in return. Kei was distracted by the arrival of Koganegawa and Kyoutani, and Tadashi looked away. His eyes found themselves resting on the smooth, silver band that rested on his thumb. It was studded with a single star sapphire, and Kei had given it to him the day before graduation as a promise ring. A promise to stay in touch and not to fall apart like so many others after they left high school behind. Tadashi treasured it more than any other object in the world. “Engaged?” Yahaba inquired softly and Tadashi looked up, startled and flushed. “What? No-” He spluttered, and Yahaba shrugged in return. “Oh. Sorry. Your ring is on your thumb, so I should’ve guessed that.” Yahaba murmured, clearly not bothered by the incident, but Tadashi’s heart was racing.
“What makes you think we’d ever be engaged, anyways?” He was failing miserably at sounding uninterested, but Tadashi had never been good at hiding his emotions. Yahaba gave him a half-curious sidelong glance. “Hope, probably. If you’re involved with stuck-up Tsukishima it means you aren’t involved with Kyoutani…” Yahaba trailed off, lips falling into a displeased frown as he stared intently at the volleyball court. Tadashi tilted his head with a small chuckle, which seemed to both surprise and infuriate Yahaba. “Hey, jerk, don’t laugh. You’re freaking lucky , okay, Kyou doesn’t talk about hardly anyone the way he talks about you,” The peach-brunette snapped with a vicious, protective glare, and Tadashi managed to compose himself, his hands held up in surrender. “I’m flattered! Kentaro is an amazing guy,” Yahaba’s expression softened as his rage faded and hurt flashed deep in his eyes. Tadashi hurried on. “But, but! I don’t see him that way, and I know for a fact that he doesn’t see me that way.” Yahaba looked relieved and a sense of pride washed over Tadashi at clearing up that misunderstanding before it got out of hand.
“So, you are involved with stuck-up Tsukishima, then?” Yahaba questioned, a curious glint in his eyes, and Tadashi’s easy smile faded a little. “No…” He trailed off with a mostly resigned shrug. “And Tsukki’s not stuck up,” Tadashi defended, watching as Kei practised his serves. He could do an impressive jump float serve by now, only after months of one-on-one practise with Tadashi, who’d both felt flattered and found it humorous every time Kei messed up. “Sure. Kyou says Tsukishima is a stuck-up pr*ck, but, as I said, he thinks the world of you .” Something in Tadashi told him that Yahaba was still jealous of that, even after he’d confirmed it was all platonic. “Tsukki isn’t like that, okay? Just trust me. A lot of people think Ken’s a jerk, but we both know he isn’t. It’s the same with Tsukki, he’s just antisocial,” He explained, and a sense of understanding seemed to dawn on Yahaba’s face.
“Alright, jeez, I get it, you’re both hopelessly in love.” Tadashi nearly jumped a foot in the air at the sound of Goshiki’s voice. He turned around, facing the ravenette with a sheepish expression. “I forgot you were here,” Yahaba admitted without any regard and Goshiki huffed, rolling his eyes. “Figures. You two wouldn’t shut up about your non-boyfriends, but the game’s about to start,” Goshiki said smugly, and Tadashi got the distinct feeling he was rubbing it in their faces that he did have a boyfriend. Yahaba blushed. “We should focus on that, then,” He said, too quickly, but Tadashi didn’t make mention of it as he refocused onto Kei. It’d been years since their first year at Karasuno, and years since he’d first seen Kei truly play in a volleyball match, but the sight never failed to make him catch his breath. Besides, he could just make out the smirk Kei was giving the opposing team, the one that got on every opponent’s nerves because of how cocky it was. Tadashi loved that smirk. It was the same one he’d worn when he’d met Tadashi all those years ago, after all.
Tadashi was waiting near the entrance to the court for Kei while their coach talked to the team when one of the opposing players approached him, a flirtatious smirk on his lips. Tension bled into Tadashi’s shoulders and he held himself a little stiffer, already wary. “Hi, can I do something for you?” He wasn’t short by any means, but the guy in front of him had to be at least 6’5 and towered over Tadashi. “The name’s Makisu, sweetheart, and you can give me your number,” Makisu flirted with a confident grin, and Tadashi blinked, repulsed. “Yeah, no thanks. Nice to meet you and all, though.” Tadashi attempted a smile, trying his best to be polite as Makisu’s face darkened. The blond took a step forward and Tadashi stepped back instinctively, growing a little pale. God, he hated guys like this . “Oh, come on , sweetheart. I’m sure this must be rare for you anyways, what with those freckles, so you better take my offer while you still can.” Tadashi bristled, his cheeks puffing up defensively as he glared at Makisu. “I said no. Please leave me alone,” He managed to say through gritted teeth, his fingernails digging into the palm of his hands.
The colour suddenly drained from Makisu’s face and he began to back away, hands held up in surrender. Tadashi breathed a sigh of relief, his clenched hands relaxing. The adrenaline that had flooded his body disappeared and he swayed a little, only to fall back into a solid chest. Tadashi quickly whirled around, panicked with apologies already on the tip of his tongue. They died when he saw that it was just Kei. “Oh, hey, Tsukki,” Tadashi said, working to sound as cheerful as he always did, and Kei’s lips twisted into an unpleasant grimace. “Why didn’t you punch that guy?” Even though he knew he hadn’t done anything wrong, shame flooded Tadashi’s system at the thought of Kei witnessing what had just happened. Despite that, a spark of warmth settled in his chest at the fact that Kei knew he could protect himself. “I didn’t want to cause a scene, Tsukki. Honestly, not sure why he backed off, but I guess my glare must be improving! I’ll be a regular Tsukki in no time!” Tadashi clapped his hands together for emphasis, a smile on his lips, and Kei seemed to relax.
“Mhm. Sure, Tadashi, whatever you say,” Kei drawled teasingly, settling his arm over Tadashi’s shoulder as the pair made their way out of the building entirely. Tadashi laughed, unable to refute Kei’s words. He’d never been the best at intimidation. “Yeah, I don’t really understand why he backed away. He seemed real intent and then suddenly, nope.” Tadashi laughed, the fear from the incident already fading now that Kei was with him. He was at his most natural and comfortable when he was with Kei. “Doesn’t matter, the guy was a jerk. Seriously, making it seem like you owed him your number because he was hitting on you. Your freckles are cute, I don’t understand why people are such *ssholes.” Kei cursed, rolling his eyes, and an odd mixture of shame and love washed over him. He’d always been ashamed of his freckles, but hearing Kei say something like that made his heart go pitter-patter in his chest. “Thanks, Tsukki.”
-best bros chat-
> tsukkiblehblebleh
-think I’m gonna do it (2:09 p.m.)
> thing1
-OMG @thing2 (2:10 p.m.)
>thing2 is online<
>thing2
-TSUKKI
-YOURE FINALLY CONFESSING
-GAHHHH (2:11 p.m.)
>thing1
-IM SO PROUD
-OUR STUDENT HAS COME SO FAR (2:12 p.m.)
>tsukkiblehblebleh
-we are literally adults
-you guys are TWO YEARS older than me (2:13 p.m.)
>thing2
-:’) im so proud of us bokuto
-raising a child in this harsh environment (2:14 p.m.)
> thing1
-YEAH WE’RE AWESOME! (2:14 p.m.)
> tsukkiblehblebleh
-I hate you guys (2:15 p.m.)
Kei sighed, setting down his phone in favour of pinching the bridge of his nose. He should’ve known Kuroo and Bokuto would be of no help, even if the idiots had somehow managed to land themselves partners. Kenma and Akaashi were much smarter than their other halves, which gave Kei an idea. He picked his phone back up, finger hovering over the contact names before eventually tapping them.
>tsukkiblehblebleh added kenma-san & akaashi-san<
>
thing1
-AGHKAAASHI (2:17 p.m.)
>thing2
-babyyyyy <3 (2:18 p.m.)
>akaashi-san
-we’re next to each other, kou
-no need for the greeting (2:19 p.m.)
>kenma-san
-ew the honorific (2:20 p.m.)
>kenma-san changed kenma-san’s name to applepi<
>applepi
-so why are we here Tsukishima? (2:21 p.m.)
>tsukkiblehblebleh
-wanted some help for confessing
-and your partners are idiots (2:21 p.m.)
>thing1
-heart been broke so many times (2:22 p.m.)
>thing2
-the way Kenma ignored me :( (2:22 p.m.)
>applepi
-we are in THE SAME BED??? (2:23 p.m.)
>akaashi-san
-oh, you’re confessing to Yamaguchi? (2:23 p.m.)
>applepi
-finally lmao (2:24 p.m.)
>tsukkiblehblebleh
-gonna pretend I ain’t see that
-anyways. Yes, I’d like some help (2:25 p.m.)
>applepi
-k. Do a picnic :[ (2:26 p.m.)
>akaashi-san
-I was going to suggest something similar (2:26 p.m.)
>applepi
-just soulmate tingz <3 (2:27 p.m.)
>akaashi-san
-<3 (2:27 p.m.)
>thing2
-😀😄😀 (2:28 p.m.)
>thing1
-bro c’mere let’s be soulmates
-💑💏💋💗💗💗💓💓💞💞 (2:28 p.m.)
>thing2
-💑💏💋💗💗💗💓💓💞💞 (2:28 p.m.)
>akaashi-san
-starlit picnic, bring a rose, wear a suit (2:29 p.m.)
>applepi
-make sure to tell him to dress formal too
-write ur confession down so you don’t forget it (2:30 p.m.)
>tsukkiblehblebleh
-thanks (2:31 p.m.)
“Tsukki?” Kei looked up from his phone, lips curling into a smile at the sight of a freshly woken up Tadashi. His eyes were still half-lidded and one of his hands held the hem of his oversized t-shirt. The ex-pinch server yawned (adorably, in Kei’s opinion), running a finger through his messy, medium-length green hair. He waddled to where Kei was sitting on the couch, sitting next to him, curling into Kei’s side. “Afternoon, Tadashi. Do y ou want to go on a picnic later?” Kei planned on taking Akaashi and Kenma’s advice, although maybe not to the extent they’d said. He didn’t have formal clothes because they were uncomfortable and he’d never had a reason to. Plus, writing down a confession seemed unnecessary, and Tadashi would question what he was doing with a letter. “Oh, sure! That’d be a lot of fun, Ts’kki.” Kei laughed fondly at Tadashi’s sleepy words, settling an arm over the shorter’s shoulders. He clicked the camera icon on his phone with his free hand, changing the view so that it showed Kei and Tadashi themselves. Kei resisted cooing at the sight of a droopy-eyed Tadashi and took several pictures before exiting the app.
After a few seconds, Kei disentangled himself from Tadashi, laying the other down carefully on a pillow. He straightened out, grabbing the quilt off the back of the couch and draping it over Tadashi. Kei smiled softly at the sight, leaning down to brush his lips against Tadashi’s forehead. “Sleep well, my star.” Kei whispered, letting his fingers linger as they tucked a strand of hair behind Tadashi’s ear. He stood up, beginning to walk away. “You do that everytime I’m asleep, Tsukki?” Kei froze at the sound of Tadashi’s rough after-sleep voice, turning around on his heel to see the other wearing a lazy smirk. Kei’s eyes widened and he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, a nervous tic of his. “You weren’t supposed to be awake…” He whispered, feeling his stomach drop, and Tadashi shook his head.
“I’m glad I was. That was so cute, Tsukki. Anyway, want some help making food for our picnic?” Tadashi didn’t wait for an answer before toddling to the kitchen, humming to himself happily. Kei blinked, composing himself as he followed Tadashi into the kitchen. “You handle the pork chops, alright? I’ll make the rice, onions, and eggs.” Tadashi cheered happily, and Kei, unable to do much else, simply nodded. They appeared to be making pork katsudon, which made sense, as it was one of Tadashi’s favourite foods. The two worked in easy quiet, which Kei was only a little anxious about. Why wasn’t Tadashi mentioning the kiss? Sure, Kei had always been more affectionate with Tadashi, unable to resist loving him after so long, too. However, he’d never crossed that line. They were best friends- Just best friends. That was all they’d ever been. “I’m going to go get dressed, Dashi.” Kei stepped away from the stove, hesitating for a moment. He brushed his lips against the top of Tadashi’s head before darting out of the kitchen. Kei’s face burned in mortification and his thoughts were racing, but a warm feeling spread throughout his chest.
“Hey, Dashi,” Kei stood in the doorway of the kitchen, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. He was wearing a pale pink, strawberry-patterned button-up shirt along with a pair of ripped, black skinny jeans. A few decorative chains hooked from his belt loop to another one, and he’d managed a decent wing with his eyeliner. A bowl clattered to the floor and Kei blinked, confused and a little concerned. He rushed over and picked up the bowl, setting it on the counter. Tadashi stared at him, eyes blown wide. “Tadashi?” Kei questioned, and the ex-pinch server seemingly snapped out of his daze. He looped his arms around Kei’s waist, pulling the blond close. He laid his head on Kei’s chest, listening to the heartbeat that pitter-pattered so quickly under the surface. “I was going to wait for you to confess at your picnic, Tsukki. But you look so pretty in that outfit and I want to kiss you very badly,” Tadashi admitted, leaning back to look Kei in the eyes. The blond stared at him, eyes glancing downwards at his lips. “Do it, then,” Kei murmured. Tadashi smiled softly before leaning forward, brushing his lips against Kei’s own for a few seconds. He pulled away four or five seconds later.
A slow, sappy smile spread across both of their faces. “I love you. So much, Dashi. You’ve always been my number one, even back at Karasuno. You’re so beautiful, my star. I did almost kill that guy who hit on you the other day, though,” Kei admitted with only a small amount of hesitation, nuzzling his nose against Tadashi’s. Tadashi giggled. “Oh, so that’s why he was in such a hurry. You were standing behind me, lookin’ all terrifying like usual,” He said happily, putting the pieces together right away. “And, I love you, too, Kei. You’re my number one too, don’t you know?” Tadashi teased playfully, hugging Kei’s waist tightly.
-end