Chapter Text
True happiness is not a feeling Kei has experienced many times in his life. Instances like getting to go home before five o’clock, or waking up early and remembering that it’s the weekend don’t bring Kei joy, more like a sense of relief.
Yamaguchi, on the other hand, is another story. Kei can’t remember life before Yamaguchi, but he figures that it was a bleak life, a sky with no stars.
Yamaguchi, perfect as he is, placed stars in Kei’s sky, and Kei can no longer spend the night without looking up at the constellations. Kei never imagined that he would fall in love, much less wake up to a pretty boy sleeping beside him.
But alas, here Kei is, spending lazy mornings with Yamaguchi cradled in his arms. Now, as Kei stands in the kitchen, he feels nothing but warmth in his chest. Yamaguchi sits at the table, focused on reading a comic in the newspaper, occasionally giggling quietly.
Kei takes a sip of his coffee, and watches Yamaguchi from his spot by the counter. He honestly can’t believe his fate—one day he was pining over a ghost, and now he’s able to hold Yamaguchi in his arms.
Kei sits down at the table, and Yamaguchi looks up from the newspaper. He grins widely, before standing up to press a kiss to Kei’s cheek. “Good morning, Tsukki!” He smiles, and Kei feels his heart grow ten sizes.
“There’s a party next week,” Kei says finally.
Yamaguchi nods, “let me guess, it’s the annual apartment party?”
“It is,” Kei replies. “Suga told me to bring a plus-one,” he continues. “You should come with me, but only if you want to.”
Yamaguchi laughs, “of course I do.” He hands Kei the newspaper, “there’s a lot going on this week.”
Kei pushes his glasses up his nose, “and here I was thinking that it would be a quiet week.”
“Don’t be so negative, Tsukki.” Yamaguchi replies, “we can do something fun this weekend.”
“Like what?” Kei asks, looking over the newspaper.
Yamaguchi leans closer, “it’s Monday today.” He says, “but I want to take you on a tour of Tokyo over the weekend.” He smiles, “what do you think?”
“That sounds good,” Kei replies. He imagines the tour to be something romantic, and maybe that was Yamaguchi’s intention. Even though Kei has lived in Tokyo since starting college, he hasn’t had the time to explore the city.
He looks at Yamaguchi again, then back down at his coffee. The rush of caffeine surges through his veins, and Kei considers asking Yamaguchi what his plans are. Yamaguchi gauges Kei, and answers his questions before he has the chance to ask.
“I’ll be going into work today,” Yamaguchi says. “I’m a little worried about explaining things to my boss, but I’m sure she’ll understand.”
“I would hope so,” Kei replies.
“I probably can’t tell her that I faked my death, I might just get fired.” Yamaguchi muses, “I guess I’ll tell her the truth.”
Kei briefly wonders what Yamaguchi means by that, if he’s planning to tell his boss that he fell in love and came back to life, but he doesn’t.
Instead, Kei quietly reaches for Yamaguchi’s hand from across the table. He places his hand over Yamaguchi’s, before taking another sip of his coffee.
-
It has become somewhat of a regular thing for Kei and Yamaguchi to watch the stars. After all, the stars have become so important, and Kei likes to think that he knows the stars like the back of his hand, thanks to Yamaguchi.
Kei looks up at the constellations, then at the galaxy on Yamaguchi’s face. “How was work?” He asks, and a soft smile spreads across Yamaguchi’s lips.
“Everyone was really happy to see me,” Yamaguchi replies. “My coworkers never talked to me much, so I was surprised that they missed me.”
“Who wouldn’t?” Kei says, and Yamaguchi shifts closer. “Are you worried about the party?”
“A little,” Yamaguchi replies. “I missed my friends so much, I don’t even know where to start. I want to apologize, for causing them pain, but I just want to hug them, too.”
Kei moves closer, before wrapping Yamaguchi in a tight hug. Yamaguchi’s eyes widen, but he smiles and leans into the touch.
They pull away, and Yamaguchi leans his head on Kei’s shoulder. Yamaguchi yawns, “I’m getting tired, what about you?”
Kei nods, “let’s go to bed, then.”
-
Kei has never shared a bed with anyone before, in fact, Yamaguchi is the only one he’s ever been romantically involved with. For all of Kei’s distaste towards affection, times have changed, and Kei has waited eagerly for the day when he could hold Yamaguchi in his arms.
Yamaguchi emerges from the bathroom, looking radiant as ever. He slides into bed, but his back is facing Kei.
“How was work?” Kei asks, and Yamaguchi turns around.
He smiles, “it was good. They were all surprised to see me, but my boss wasn’t.” Yamaguchi says, “she just welcomed me back.”
Maybe Yamaguchi’s boss knew all along, Kei supposes, and it makes sense. Yamaguchi is bright, more vibrant than any flower or star Kei’s ever seen before. Even before the fateful day when Yamaguchi appeared in his apartment, Kei felt his presence long before Yamaguchi decided to make himself known.
“I’m sure they missed you,” Kei says, staring at Yamaguchi’s lips.
Yamaguchi laughs, “maybe they did. I think I saw someone crying in the break room,” he says. “I’m just so glad to be back.”
“Now that you’re human again,” Kei says. “You can finally eat again,” he adds.
“I can!” Yamaguchi says, and gazes at the window. “Since I can eat again, we should go to the restaurant over the weekend.”
Kei finds it incredibly interesting that he knows exactly which restaurant Yamaguchi is referring to—the little Thai restaurant across the street. “Sure,” Kei replies. Kei now has something to look forward to, besides waking up to Yamaguchi every morning.
If Kuroo were here, he’d give Kei a slap on the back, before calling him whipped. Kei hates to say it, but he has to agree. Kei likes having something, or someone, to look forward to, and he wouldn’t change it for the world.
Kei’s eyelids get heavy, and he closes his eyes. Before he fades away, he pulls Yamaguchi close, tucking him under his chin. Yamaguchi is warm against him, and Kei can only feel happiness, now that Yamaguchi is more than just a ghost of the past.
-
The week passes Kei by quickly, and the weekend arrives before Kei has a chance to complain. Kei stalks to the kitchen, immediately pouring himself a cup of coffee.
They’ve come a long way, Kei knows, and Yamaguchi starts Kei’s coffee machine even before Kei wakes up, as opposed to the old days, when Yamaguchi could only watch Kei from afar.
Yamaguchi is sitting at the table, staring at Kei with a fond expression on his face. He gives Kei a small wave, “good morning, Tsukki!”
Kei wordlessly walks over to him, and presses a kiss to Yamaguchi’s forehead. Yamaguchi smiles at the touch, and looks over at the clock. “Are you ready for the party?”He asks, and Kei nods, albeit begrudgingly.
“Moderately,” Kei replies. In all honesty, Kei can’t wait for Yamaguchi to see his friends again. He remembers the days when Yamaguchi would cry quietly, thinking that Kei couldn’t hear him. Kei’s heart ached, and now, he has the chance to see Yamaguchi’s winning smile again, and that is perhaps the most rewarding thing of all.
Yamaguchi sometimes stays quiet, and Kei has a hard time understanding him, but he knows Yamaguchi cares. Yamaguchi stands up from the table, and walks to the bedroom. Kei pours himself a cup of coffee, and looks out the window.
It’s a beautiful day today, perfect for a party. Kei sets his cup down, and joins Yamaguchi in the bedroom. Yamaguchi looks nice today, dressed in a large sweater and jeans. Kei buttons his shirt, and pulls on a pair of skinny jeans.
“You look nice,” Kei says. Yamaguchi smiles, giving him a thumbs up. If it’s even possible, Kei feels like he just fell further in love.
Yamaguchi smooths his pants, “are you ready to go?”
Kei takes his hand, “I am.”
-
Kei knocks on Sugawara’s door, and Suga opens the door with a grin. His eyes widen when he sees Yamaguchi, and he rushes to give him a hug. Yamaguchi pulls Suga close, and Suga whispers things into Yamaguchi’s ear.
“I missed you so much,” Suga says.
Yamaguchi smiles, “I missed you, too.”
Kei and Yamaguchi step inside Suga’s apartment, and the others come out to investigate the commotion. Hinata sees Yamaguchi, and rushes to his side. The others crowed around Yamaguchi, all taking turns speaking to him.
Yamaguchi seems happy with attention, despite being someone who prefers to stay out of the spotlight. Even Kageyama, for all his brooding, is looking at Yamaguchi from across the room, smiling fondly.
Hinata stands on the tips of his toes to hug Yamaguchi, and Yamaguchi smiles widely. When they pull away, Suga looks at all of them. “Now that everyone’s here, let’s get this party started!”
They end up starting with charades, a game that Kei is pretty good at. Kei isn’t someone who is good with words, so when he gets paired up with Yamaguchi, he silently hopes that Yamaguchi can read his mind.
Fortunately, Yamaguchi watched Kei before approaching him, and has catalogued all of Kei’s expressions at this point. Kei picks up a piece of paper from the hat Suga has set out, then pushes his glasses up his nose.
A sea captain exploring troubled waters, the paper reads. Kei grimaces—this is going to take more effort than Kei would like to put in. He makes a wavy motion with his arms, and furrows his brow. Yamaguchi catches on immediately, and raises his hand. “A sea captain?” He asks, and Kei nods.
Hinata and Kageyama go next, but Kei isn’t sure what Hinata’s trying to say. He jumps, and does a strange little dance. Kageyama raises his hand, to the surprise of everyone else. “A dancing bobblehead?” Kageyama asks, and Hinata nods, smiling brightly.
The boy from the shop below the apartment goes next, but not before introducing himself as Nishinoya Yuu. The name fits him, Kei supposes. Nishinoya is joined by a tall man with a beard, someone Kei has never seen before.
The doorbell rings, and Suga stands up to answer it. Daichi joins them in the living room, and he waves to Kei. Kei looks away, because there’s nothing more embarrassing than seeing his boss outside of work.
Daichi sheepishly rubs the back of his neck, “sorry I’m late.”
“No worries,” Suga replies. He smiles, “you’re just in time for another round!”
-
The party ends up lasting longer than Kei intended, but for once, he doesn’t mind. In fact, Kei can confidently say that he had fun. More importantly, Yamaguchi looks happier now, more vibrant than the brightest star.
The party concluded with a movie, and Yamaguchi is always one to fall asleep during movies longer than an hour. So, Kei now finds himself carrying Yamaguchi back to their apartment, but Kei barely notices, because Yamaguchi is easy to carry.
Yamaguchi stirs in his sleep, and Kei opens the door to their apartment. He walks down the hall, and stops inside the bedroom. Kei sets Yamaguchi down on the bed, and heads to the bathroom.
Kei slips into bed, and opens his phone. He’ll remember this day for years to come, because he’s never seen Yamaguchi so happy. Kei has never wanted much in his life, and he’s always been content with scraping by, and doing the bare minimum. But Yamaguchi changed things, and Kei finds himself wanting to go above and beyond.
Yamaguchi is still sleeping when Kei closes his eyes, and he fades out of consciousness with only the dull chirping of crickets and the hum of the radiator lulling him to sleep.
-
The end of the week reaches Kei quickly, and Kei now finds himself walking into their usual restaurant with Yamaguchi by his side. They head to their usual spot in the corner, and Kei slides into his seat.
Yamaguchi leans against the booth, “come here often?” He has a stupid smile on his face, and Kei fights the grin threatening to spread across his lips.
“Shut up, Yamaguchi.”
“Sorry, Tsukki.” Yamaguchi says easily, it’s routine by now, and he knows that Kei is never serious when he replies. He slides into the seat across from Kei, picking up a laminated menu. “The usual?”
Kei gives Yamaguchi a slight nod, and a waiter comes to their aid. Kei orders their usual, the shrimp salad and iced tea. The waiter comes back with their food quickly, and Yamaguchi thanks them for their service.
Yamaguchi lifts a fork to his mouth, looking Kei in the eyes. He smiles, and Kei’s heart glows with warmth. Yamaguchi takes a sip of his drink and smiles, “are you excited for my grand tour tomorrow?” He asks, and Kei nods.
“I am,” Kei replies. “This will be my first time exploring the city, and of course, you’ll be leading me.”
Yamaguchi blushes, “it’s not that big of a deal.”
“Of course it is,” Kei says, setting down his cup. “It’ll be the highlight of my week,” he says, a small smile playing on his lips.
Yamaguchi looks away, “you shouldn’t say things like that.”
“Why not?” Kei asks, even though he can guess.
“It’s just…” Yamaguchi begins, trying to find the right words, “I don’t know if anything I do is that big of a deal.”
At that, Kei raises an eyebrow. Falling in love with Yamaguchi was a short process, one Kei somewhat predicted from the beginning, and being in love means being prepared to support Yamaguchi, however insecure he may be.
“It’s a big deal to me,” Kei replies. Yamaguchi looks at him, with a big smile on his face, bigger than Kei has ever seen before.
Yamaguchi reaches across the table, grabbing Kei’s hand. “That means a lot to me,” he whispers.
“I know,” Kei replies, and interlocks their fingers.
-
Kei, stoic as he may be, loves holding Yamaguchi’s hand. Yamaguchi’s hand fits perfectly in his, and Kei never wants to let go.
Yamaguchi stops before the apartment, and kneels down. He reaches his hand out, and a cat approaches him. Kei knows this cat, as he’s fed it many times, per Yamaguchi’s request. The cat begins purring, and Yamaguchi smiles as he runs his hand down its back.
Kei knows that Yamaguchi is a gentle soul, even though his armor is cracked, and the paint is chipping away. Kei joins Yamaguchi in petting the cat, and Yamaguchi looks at him with wide eyes. Kei briefly wonders what it would be like to have a small animal running around their apartment.
Yamaguchi stands up, and extends his arm out to Kei. Kei takes it, and they walk into the apartment. They manage to avoid Hinata and Kageyama, although it wasn’t hard, considering the fact that Kei can always hear them from ten doors away.
Kei holds the door open for Yamaguchi, and he follows him inside the apartment. Yamaguchi disappears into the bedroom, emerging from the room wearing one of Kei’s shirts. Kei feels a thumping in his chest, and he holds a hand to his heart.
Kei is so in love.
-
Yamaguchi wakes Kei up bright and early, and Kei stirs from his state of bliss. It’s golden hour, Kei realizes, judging by the light pouring in through the window, covering Yamaguchi in waves of liquid sunshine.
Yamaguchi presses a kiss to Kei’s forehead, “wake up, Tsukki!” He grins, “it’s time for your grand tour of Tokyo.”
“How could I ever forget?” Kei asks teasingly, and rolls out of bed. Before Kei can do anything, he needs at least two cups of coffee in his system, although Yamaguchi only needs one.
Kei turns on the coffee machine, and he waits by the counter. The drip patters as it hits the pot, and Kei lets out a content sigh. There are few sounds better than the sound of the coffee machine after a long night, in Kei’s humble opinion.
Kei pulls two cups out of the cupboard, filling both of them with coffee. He stirs his coffee for a while, and opens the fridge, pulling out a small carton of milk. At this point, Kei knows Yamaguchi’s coffee routine by heart, it’s always exactly five spoonfuls of coffee, mixed until Yamaguchi deems it perfect.
Yamaguchi emerges from the bathroom dressed in his usual outfit of jeans and a sweater. He looks nice, but that’s nothing new. Kei hands Yamaguchi his cup of coffee, and Yamaguchi takes it with a smile and a few whispered words of thanks.
Kei studies Yamaguchi carefully, and hell, Yamaguchi is perfect, down to the way he drinks. Yamaguchi catches him staring, so Kei looks away. They’ve been dating for a while, but Kei still hasn’t gotten over the way Yamaguchi makes him feel. Kei takes a long sip of his coffee, before setting it in the sink.
Kei walks over to the bedroom, and quickly gets dressed before meeting Yamaguchi in the living room. Yamaguchi looks confident enough, Kei supposes, but Kei also doesn’t put it past Yamaguchi to forget the directions.
Taking Kei’s hand, Yamaguchi leads them out of the apartment and into the street. They slide into Kei’s car, but Kei lets Yamaguchi take the wheel. Yamaguchi begins driving, taking them down streets Kei has never explored before. Kei looks out the window, at the vacant streets stained with sunlight.
Yamaguchi keeps driving for a while, but the route begins to feel familiar. Yamaguchi finally pulls into a parking lot, and Kei realizes where they are. The Tokyo Skytree is somewhere that Kei has always wanted to visit, but he’s never had the chance. Yamaguchi takes Kei’s hand, and wordlessly leads them into the building.
The view from the top of the tower is something Kei never wants to forget. He can see the city from here, in all of its busyness. The ground is so far away, and yet, Kei has never felt closer to the streets below. Lush greenery surrounds a body of water back on the ground, and Kei looks over to Yamaguchi, who is gazing at the view with wide eyes.
Kei smiles, and takes in the view until Yamaguchi looks at him and says that they still have a few destinations on their list.
-
After a day of sightseeing, Kei has never been more tired. Now, they’re inside a small diner, and Kei is not sure if he’s looking at Yamaguchi with disgust or wonder.
“I can’t believe you like that,” Kei says, wrinkling his nose.
Yamaguchi just shrugs, taking another bite of a fry. Kei has never been the biggest fan of greasy fast food restaurants, but sometimes, deep-fried potatoes is all Kei can handle. Yamaguchi’s fries have been sitting there for a while, and they’re soggy now, but apparently, Yamaguchi likes them that way.
Kei has cut his burger into pieces, because even though they’re at a greasy fast food restaurant, Kei still has dignity. Yamaguchi seems to be enjoying himself, though, and that’s all that matters.
Later, after they’ve finished eating, Yamaguchi drives them home. The city is dark now, but the hours after dark are when Tokyo shines the brightest. Neon lights over the city in a cold glow, and every street is lit up with at least one sign. Kei looks out the window, and takes in the bustling city.
Yamaguchi stops in front of their apartment, and steps out of the car. As soon as Kei exits, he takes Yamaguchi’s hand. They are parked farther away than usual, as Yamaguchi insists that walking builds character. The lights above the apartment begin to flicker on and off, so Yamaguchi shifts closer.
Kei never imagined hugging Yamaguchi beneath the neon lights, but here they are, and Yamaguchi is closer than ever before. Yamaguchi is warm against him, and Kei feels like he’s risking it all by flying this close to the sun.
Kei isn’t a sappy guy, but with Yamaguchi, he might just be the sappiest man alive.
-
Kei always tries his best to avoid Kageyama and Hinata, because he knows that if Hinata corners him in the hallway, he’ll never escape. It’s easy to avoid them, though, as Kei can hear them all the way down the hall.
Kei grits his teeth, and walks quickly down the hall. It’s pretty silly, really, how Kei is now speed-walking down the hall in an attempt to avoid his neighbor, but crazier things have happened.
Today, however, Kei is wearing his headphones as he does the laundry. The song Kei is listening to clouds his mind, and he has never loved a song more. Yamaguchi is the one who recommended it to him, and like everything else Yamaguchi has told him about, Kei liked it upon first listen.
Kei hums along with the song, pulling clothes out of the dryer. Kei feels a tap on his shoulder, and he wonders for a moment if he should turn around. Kei removes his headphones before turning around, and is greeted by the sight of Hinata standing in front of him.
“Hey, Tsukishima!” Hinata says, sounding happier than the last time they talked. Kei acknowledges him with a nod, and Hinata smiles. “Kageyama and I were just about to head down to the Sleeping Dragon, do you wanna come?”
Kei immediately wants to say no, but he nods. “That sounds fine,” he replies. “I’ll have to ask Yamaguchi about it.”
Kei takes his laundry and hurries up the stairs, and barely makes it into the apartment. Yamaguchi hears him entering through the door, and gives Kei a questioning look. “Hinata wants us to come with him to the Sleeping Dragon.” Kei says, and Yamaguchi nods.
“That sounds fun,” Yamaguchi replies. “It’s not like we have anything to do tonight, anyway.”
Kei pulls on a light coat, as Tokyo is slowly transitioning into spring. It’s not cold enough to warrant a thick coat, so Kei makes sure not to put on anything too heavy. Kei follows Yamaguchi out the door, and they meet Kageyama and Hinata at the Sleeping Dragon.
Yamaguchi sits down next to Kei, and Kageyama quietly orders them a round of drinks. Yamaguchi takes a sip of his, and Kei wonders why he’s never seen Yamaguchi drink before. Yamaguchi has a stupid smile on his face, and he leans his head on Kei’s shoulder.
Hinata also seems to be a lightweight, as he is cozying up to Kageyama, who looks at him in disgust. Kei takes another sip of his drink, and he’s not sure why his chest is so warm. His heart vibrates in his chest, like a crow ready to take flight. Kei smiles, and gazes at Yamaguchi with fondness in his eyes.
Kei doesn’t remember how he got here, but that’s probably the alcohol talking. Yamaguchi is soft and warm and perfect against him, and Kei has never felt happier. Falling in love with a ghost was never part of Kei’s plan, he realizes as he looks around the izakaya, but sometimes, the best things in life are the ones that aren’t part of the plan.
-
Kei is beginning to believe in fate. He isn’t a religious guy, but he’s starting to believe that he was meant to find Yamaguchi.
And now, as Kei and Yamaguchi sit on the balcony, looking at the stars, Kei is sure of it. Yamaguchi somehow convinced Kei to adopt the little cat that sat by the apartment, and Kei agreed. The kitten has just wormed its way into Kei’s heart, he supposes.
The cat jumps in Kei’s lap, and he widens his eyes, but he runs his hand down its back. The cat begins to purr, and Kei’s heart grows in his chest. This is where Kei is supposed to be, with Yamaguchi, living in his apartment. Everything in his life has led to this.
Kei used to think that fate was a cruel joke, something that would toy with Kei’s heart and rip it out, leaving him without a sense of direction. And yet, fate isn’t as cruel as Kei made it out to be, in fact, fate has been treating Kei quite nicely. Kei has been rebelling, flying too close to the stars, but he hasn’t been burned yet.
Yamaguchi looks at him, and Kei can only see galaxies in his eyes. Kei has gotten lost in the depths of Yamaguchi’s eyes before, but he’s always been able to come back, always been able to find his way back home.
Now, Kei doesn’t need to find a home, because his home is right here. Yamaguchi might as well be his own constellation, for how bright he shines, and Kei has also found his place among the stars.
So now, as Kei and Yamaguchi sit in a comfortable silence, Kei has never been more at peace. Spring has arrived, so it’s not warm enough yet, but the raging fire in Kei’s heart keeps in going. More than that, Kei is happy that Yamaguchi found him, and that he’s living a normal life, saved from becoming a faded memory of the past.
Yamaguchi isn’t a ghost anymore, and Kei knows that Yamaguchi is so full of life, and so perfect. Kei couldn’t ask for more.
Kei is happy, an emotion he is now used to feeling. Kei is happy, and most of all, Kei is in love with the brightest star in the universe.