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Yamaguchi was smiling as he walked down the hallway toward the North Hangar with his best friend, Tsukishima, by his side. He bobbed his head back and forth as he hummed a little tune but flinched when Tsukishima’s sharp eyes landed on him.
“Shut up, Yamaguchi.”
“Sorry, Tsukki. Why are you so grumpy?”
“Why are you so excited?”
Yamaguchi laughed and moved away from his friend, worried about being hit for the next thing he was about to say.
“I have a feeling you’re grumpy and I’m excited for the same reason.”
“Tch,” Tsukishima responded, the sharp sound ricocheting off the arched walls surrounding them and disturbing a group of soldiers walking on the other side of the hallway. Yamaguchi cautiously slid back to his friend’s side but kept his lips pressed tight, not wanting to press the issue. They had been friends since childhood and remained by each other’s side all the way through Academy. He was nervous about being stationed on an entirely different base than Tsukishima once they graduated, but luckily they were both assigned to the Lunar Base. And since they were both trained as engineers they worked together on the same ships usually.
Having so many years of experience with the elusive Tsukishima Kei told him that though he refused to admit it, he was anxious for a certain pilot to return to the base. Early in their years at the Academy, they had met Hinata Shoyou. Tsukishima turned his nose up at the excitable dumbass but couldn’t deny his raw talent and natural instincts for flying. Like everyone who comes across Hinata’s path, Tsukishima eventually warmed to him, his sarcastic words filled with amusement instead of its usual bite.
Yamaguchi was pleased with the development and was proud of his best friend, but he wanted Tsukishima to take it further and admit his feelings for the plucky pilot. His intentions weren’t entirely pure-hearted, however. A part of him wanted Tsukishima to have a stable relationship so Yamaguchi wouldn’t feel guilty pursuing a little something of his own. The last thing he wanted was to abandon his reclusive friend just because of the crippling crush he had on Hinata’s gunner, Kozume Kenma.
Even the mere thought of Kenma’s amber eyes sent shivers down Yamaguchi’s back. He had been a year ahead of them at Academy but didn’t have many friends of his own, just a few classmates and his own childhood friend. Everyone else, he seemed to slink away from, averting his eyes not in fear but in a simple desire to avoid unneeded interaction. It reminded him slightly of Tsukishima, but without the harsh words that liked to draw out people’s insecurities. There was an aura of peacefulness around him that drew Yamaguchi in as well as a mysterious air.
It was Hinata who befriended him first, of course, finding him by himself in one of the training rooms, playing a game in a small alcove. The two slipped into an easy friendship, and though Yamaguchi was a little jealous at his friend’s ability to draw anyone out from their shell, he was thankful for the chance to get to know Kenma himself. His main issue was how wary Kenma became whenever Tsukishima himself was around, instantly picking up on a similarly analytical mind to himself. It’s made it nearly impossible to start a conversation with Kenma, and the only chances he’s had were when Hinata and Tsukishima started their arguments and ignored everyone else.
When they finally arrived at the hangar, their eyes scoured the ships already landed. Yamaguchi winced when he didn’t see Hinata and Kenma’s ship there yet.
“They’re fine, the idiot probably just got lost,” Tsukishima said, but his furrowed eyebrows gave away his own concern.
“He shouldn’t get lost with Kenma as his partner.”
“I think you underestimate his ability to pull anybody along at his ridiculous pace.”
“Hmm, you almost sound impressed,” Yamaguchi teased, and this time didn’t flinch quick enough for Tsukishima to knock his palm against the back of his head.
“Come on, I’m sure Daichi-san has heard something.”
They meandered over to the ship closest to them, where the captain of the squad Sawamura Daichi was slipping out of the cockpit. He was the youngest captain ever to be assigned, and the first ever gunner since that was a role usually given to a pilot.
“Um, Captain?” Yamaguchi called, and Daichi peeked over his shoulder as he began to descend the ladder.
“Hey, Yamaguchi… Tsukishima. What’s up?”
“We were wondering if you heard from Hinata and Kenma? They haven’t arrived yet.”
Daichi smirked as his feet hit the ground and leaned his back against the ladder.
“Yeah, they’re alright. They should be landing soon. Hinata just felt compelled to try out a few new tricks with their ship, which means Kenma will probably need to be taken to the infirmary once they land.”
Tsukishima rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue once again, something he did compulsively whenever Hinata was involved.
“Of course, he would,” He muttered under his breath.
“What’s that, Tsukki?” A sly voice said above them, and they craned their necks to see Kuroo Tetsurou hanging out of the cockpit, sliding his helmet off to reveal his mischievous grin. “Sounds like someone’s a little worried about the Chibi-chan.”
Tsukishima’s glare sharpened at his mentor, and Yamaguchi could tell he was trying to maintain his cool.
“Why would I be worried about him? If he damages the ship it’ll be more work for us.”
Kuroo’s grin stretched wider, refusing to take the bait. Yamaguchi glanced between them, getting nervous about the crackling atmosphere forming.
“Um, Daichi-san, I can take Kenma to the infirmary when he gets here.”
All eyes darted to Yamaguchi, and he flinched back from the onslaught of attention.
“Oh? You will, Freckles?” Kuroo asked as he leaned further out of the cockpit, half his body hanging out of it. “You’re finally ready to make your move?”
“What?” Yamaguchi squawked and Kuroo let out a cackle that filled the entire hangar.
“You don’t think I noticed you giving my best friend those big puppy-dog eyes? Come on, I’m a bloodhound when it comes to sniffing out sexual tension.”
“Well, maybe you should try focusing on yours,” Tsukishima shot back, and Yamaguchi gasped as he looked at his friend in horror. Kuroo and Daichi were legends at the Academy for being fierce rivals that seemed to rile up the entire class with their competitions. It was to everyone’s surprise when they were put together as a team after graduation, but what was even more shocking was when the rivals immediately fit together like two pieces of a puzzle and shot up the ranks faster than a jump through hyperspace. There were many rumors surrounding their obvious chemistry, but no one had dared to call them out on it until Tsukishima just did.
Yamaguchi’s head jerked back up to Kuroo to gauge his reaction, but the grin was still firmly in place though his eyebrows had disappeared up into his crazy hair. He didn’t have time to answer, however, as Sawamura coughed and laid a heavy hand on Tsukishima’s shoulder.
“He has, um… already focused on it.”
Tsukishima’s mouth dropped open, and once again Kuroo let out his hideous laugh as Sawamura smirked at his kouhai.
“Damn right, I have. Speaking of which, Sawamura we gotta get going, to do that thing.”
“As soon as everyone checks in. Finish your stuff so the engineers can do their thing.”
“Yes, Sir,” Kuroo said, putting emphasis on the last word that sounded more salacious than respectful. Daichi sighed heavily and shook his head, but Yamaguchi could see a light flush to his cheeks.
“I’ll be relying on you then, Yamaguchi, to make sure Kenma is alright when he gets in. Tsukishima, check their ship over well. It would be bad for them to have a malfunction, especially with how hard Hinata likes to run it.”
“Yes, that would be a pity,” Tsukishima answered with poison in his voice, giving a shallow bow to the Captain before wandering off. Yamaguchi followed behind and they were only several steps away when another ship soared into the hangar. Even within the confines of the space, it gave a little flip before releasing its landing gear and settling lopsided in its designated spot. Tsukishima hissed under his breath as he tore off toward it, not quite at a run but certainly faster than Yamaguchi could walk.
The cockpit shield opened with the hydraulics straining, and Hinata’s shining face popped out of it, his helmet already off.
“Hi, Tsukki! Hey Yamaguchi! Did you see that?!”
“Yes, and if you don’t get your ass down here now I’m going to make you do it again, without the ship,” Tsukishima growled, and Hinata cocked his head at him.
“Huh?”
“I’ll toss you across the hangar.”
Hinata laughed cheerfully but did what he was asked, leaping onto the ladder with ease and sliding down it until his feet hit the ground.
“You’re turning into Kageyama.”
“I am not, though you are testing the limits of my self-control.”
Hinata’s grin slid up the side of his cheek to shoot Tsukishima a dangerous smirk as his eyes glittered with mischief.
“How much more do I have to do then? To make you lose self-control?” Hinata asked softly, and Yamaguchi noticed Tsukishima’s cheeks flare pink as he gulped.
Yamaguchi suppressed a grin as he turned his eyes up to the cockpit where the top of a helmet was barely visible. He cringed and began ascending the ladder to peek inside. At that angle he could just see the outline of Kenma’s body, still strapped into his seat. His hands were placed against his stomach, and he didn’t make any movement to show he was even conscious.
“Um, Kozume-san?” Yamaguchi asked warily, and Kenma’s hands slowly rose from his stomach to his helmet to peel it off. Golden strands spilled out of it, and he gave his head a little shake before gazing up at Yamaguchi. He said nothing for a moment, regarding him with his mesmerizing amber eyes that made Yamaguchi’s heart stutter.
“Kenma.”
“What?”
“I told you that you can call me Kenma, Tadashi.”
“O-Oh, right,” Yamaguchi chuckled, feeling his heart race in his chest. “Are you alright?”
“I will be, I just need a minute. Shoyou was even more energetic than usual today.”
“Yeah, that’s what I heard. Let me know if I can help.”
Kenma’s eyes slid away for a moment, his lips pressing tight before he answered.
“I… wouldn’t mind a little help. Can you take my helmet?”
“Sure!” Yamaguchi chirped as he reached his hand out to grab it. A small smile crept on Kenma’s lips, and it made Yamaguchi feel warm from his head to his toes. He gave him a wide smile back and reached his other hand out to help Kenma out of his seat after he had unbuckled his harness. Kenma slid his hand into Yamaguchi’s, and he was struck by how cool his skin was even if his palms were a little sweaty from being in his gloves.
Yamaguchi was about to move further down the ladder to give Kenma some space when the gunner swiftly slipped his legs over the side and slid them against Yamaguchi’s chest as he placed his feet on a few rungs down. Yamaguchi froze, having half Kenma’s body up against him and a full view or the large buckle that held Kenma’s space suit together, right in front of his crotch. He heard a huffed laugh above him and slowly craned his head up to see Kenma smirking at him.
“Are you alright?”
“Yes!” Yamaguchi said in a pitch much higher than usual. He coughed and nodded as he tried to focus. “Yeah, here let me get down, so you can--”
“Take your time,” Kenma said, watching his movements closely as he started to descend the ladder with Kenma’s helmet in one hand. He made it safely back to the ground and glanced around to avoid looking up at Kenma’s ass as he climbed down as well. Tsukishima was already underneath the ship, only his legs visible as he tinkered in the engine. Hinata had his stomach on the floor, his head laying sideways on his arm as he watched Tsukishima work and chatted his ear off. Yamaguchi snorted, enjoying every moment he saw Hinata bothering his friend. As much as Tsukishima complained, he knew he would be worse if Hinata ignored him.
“Thanks,” Kenma said as he slipped his helmet from Yamaguchi’s grasp.
“Oh, of course. Um, my pleasure. Do you need to go to the infirmary?”
Kenma shook his head, still giving him that small smile. Yamaguchi resisted the urge to reach his fingers out and run his thumb over his curled-up lips.
“I’ll be alright. Could do with some rest, it was a long patrol.”
“I bet. How long do you have before you go back out?”
“Actually, we don’t have to go out for another day.”
“Oh! So, do you have plans?”
“Not yet. Shoyou mentioned something about getting off base to visit the capital, but maybe we can convince someone else to go with him,” Kenma said, his eyes darting to the pair of long legs sticking out from under his ship.
“Hmm, that sounds like a good idea. The question is, how do we do it?”
“You’re his best friend, aren’t you?”
“So, he needs to be tricked into it somehow.”
Kenma huffed out another laugh, and Yamaguchi was worried he’d float away from the rush of joy at the sweet sound.
“Maybe we can--”
They both flinched when a siren rang out, the red lights scattered against the walls and ceilings going haywire as a voice crackled over the speaker.
“Rebels have been spotted coming in hot. This is not a drill, this is not a drill. Everyone, report to your stations. This is not a drill…”
Kenma shoved his helmet back on and sped up the ladder. Hinata scrambled to his feet, hastily zipping up his flight suit where he had opened it up. He lunged for the ladder once Kenma was up it, but Tsukishima grabbed onto his hand before he could.
“Don’t do anything stupid,” He muttered just loud enough to be heard over the racket surrounding them. Hinata said nothing but gave him a firm nod before slipping his hand out of Tsukishima’s grasp. Tsukishima clenched his jaw as he watched Hinata race up the ladder and leap into the cockpit. The cockpit shield immediately began to shut, and Hinata gave him one more glance before he slipped his helmet over his bright red, hair.
“Come on, we gotta get out of here,” Tsukishima said as he grabbed Yamaguchi’s arm and pulled him away. Yamaguchi glanced over his shoulder and saw Kenma’s head turned toward him and his gloved hand gave him a small wave. Yamaguchi returned it and then faced forward to avoid having his arm torn from its socket.
He drew in deep breaths to keep calm, but it was difficult under the circumstances. The Rebels were a fierce enemy, trying to carve out pieces of the galaxy without any thought to order or decency. They were as disloyal to the race of humans as they were to themselves. Despite dethroning their current leader every few months, they never seemed to slack off on their assaults against the Human Alliance.
Yamaguchi followed Tsukishima toward the armament storage as the massive door rolled up to reveal the engineer’s battle suits. Each one was about nine feet high, making each engineer nestled inside the chest look like a giant robot with machine guns for hands. Yamaguchi took another deep breath as he climbed inside his assigned suit, the lights flickering on as he threw the switches. The harness came down over him automatically with a blast shield in front of him that would provide protection as well as a digital readout of incoming enemies.
The ground trembled as Tsukishima began moving his suit out into the hangar with several of the other engineers. Yamaguchi moved his foot to step forward, and the giant leg of his spacesuit lunged forward and slammed into the ground. He cringed from the unnatural power his body suddenly had but kept moving forward. He slipped his arms into their fittings and curled his arms forward, the battle suit’s guns into place mimicking the action. His palms were sweaty as they gripped the triggers, but he had no time to wipe them as several enemy ships swept into the hangar.
It bothered Yamaguchi that they had made it past their own ships, but he couldn’t concern himself about that. He could hear the chatter constantly running through his comm, Captain Sawamura shouting orders and receiving check-ins from every one of his ships. Yamaguchi bolstered his courage as he heard Hinata’s voice come through, saying he and Kenma had taken one of them out. He needed to keep it together, for Kenma.
Bullets were already pounding back and forth between the engineers and the enemy aircraft as they hovered in the hangar. A missile flew past Yamaguchi, and he could feel the heat from it still singeing the air even after it had hit something behind him. With a shout, he wrenched up his guns and began firing at the closest ship. Luckily, it had been focused on Tsukishima, and Yamaguchi was able to get a hit straight into the cockpit, shattering the ship’s windscreen and obliterating the pilot. Tsukishima scrambled back in his battle suit to avoid being crushed underneath the crashing ship, but the impact of the ship onto the ground wasn’t so harsh that it exploded.
With a nod from Tsukishima, they turned their attention toward three ships that were attacking Ukai in particular. It must have been obvious that he was their leader and they were attempting to throw them into disarray by trying to kill him off first.
Yamaguchi screamed as he unloaded his gunfire into one of them, concentrating this time on taking out the ship’s guns first. Ukai’s suit was already malfunctioning, but he was still alive, and he tried to move away from the action to make quick repairs. Whether he’s out of the fight or dead, he knew he could rely on his team to never back down. Yamaguchi held onto that trust as he focused even harder on taking the enemy down.
His perseverance was rewarded when the ship he had been fighting with slipped away, hardly keeping its balance from being so crippled. Yamaguchi’s triumph was short-lived, however, when he heard the chaos shouting over the comms.
“Captain! We need orders!” Tanaka’s voice came over.
“There are more coming in! Dammit, Sawamura, what’s the plan?” Bokuto growled over it as well.
The comms cut in again, but instead of an order or a request, a breath shuddered.
“The-the Captain is out of commission,” Kuroo’s voice wavered into it. “Fall back to the base and we’ll defend from there. Move it.”
There was a moment of silence as Kuroo’s words sunk into everyone who was listening. A heartbeat later they all called their acknowledgments and gave any report they could. Yamaguchi bit his lip, but he knew he needed to hold it together as well. He didn’t know if Daichi was dead or just injured, but he knew the last thing their captain would want is for them to give up.
He ignored the hot tears forming in the corners of his eyes as he gave a harsh sniff and raised his guns once again. He took several more steps to approach the last two enemy ships and began hammering bullets into them. In the comms, he heard Hinata’s voice come through. He didn’t hear what he said, but he was relieved they still seemed to be flying. Taking that hope and storing it in his chest, he fought with all his might.
He thought about all the times in his childhood or at Academy when bullies would torment him, calling him timid or weak. He let out a scream of anger, channeling it into his guns as he forced his way forward. His eyes flickered around his blast shield, the screen giving flashes of information about each ship and looked for weak points in the vessels still flying until he finally found a sweet spot. He slipped his left arm out of the mechanism and pressed a couple buttons, taking one last aim and slamming his fist down on a red button.
A missile flew out of his suit’s shoulder, usually saved for last resorts since they only had two embedded in each battle suit. It whizzed through the air and made its mark, slamming into the ship and blasting it to bits. All the other battle suits scrambled to back away from it, and he heard his fellow crew praise the shot over the comms.
There was just one ship left in the hangar, and it was beginning to swerve erratically as every battle suit aimed their weapons straight at it. Yamaguchi joined his team in firing at it, letting his victory swell in his chest and filling him with confidence. The pilot flying the rebel craft was very good, however, and it was difficult to land a critical shot against him.
With his team distracting the pilot with a barrage of bullets, Yamaguchi tried lining up another missile shot. Sweat began dripping down his face as he made his calculations, but it was difficult with how quickly the ship was swerving. Suddenly his screen began flashing with warnings, and Yamaguchi looked up as the ship aimed a missile straight at him.
“Yamaguchi! Run!” Tsukishima yelled through the comm, but his limbs were frozen as the missile slipped away, heading straight for him. His battle suit suddenly tipped as a flurry of bullets hit the side, and with a split-second realization, he shoved his body against the side of it, tipping it the rest of the way and missing the missile by a hair. It exploded, the force from it sending him and his suit careening across the hangar. He saw nothing but a blur and flashes of light before the whole world went dark.
When Yamaguchi awoke, the first thing he heard was a series of beeps and hushed whispers across the room. He hadn’t opened his eyes yet, but he could tell he was laying down on a bed and could hardly move his limbs. His lungs expanded, drawing in a deep breath and flooding his nostrils with the sterile scent of the Infirmary.
He fluttered his eyes open and managed to tip his head to the side to look around. His chapped lips fell open when he saw nothing but a blonde head with dark roots resting on his arm. He must have stared at it for several minutes, slowly realizing that Kenma’s hand was grasping his own. He gulped to say something, but his throat was parched and his voice vacant. He gave Kenma’s hand a gentle squeeze, and immediately his head flew up with his eyes wide and hopeful.
“Tadashi?”
Yamaguchi nodded and Kenma blessed him with a warm smile.
“I was worried. Are you thirsty?”
Yamaguchi nodded again and Kenma turned to grab a glass of water from the small table next to the bed. He slipped his hand behind Yamaguchi’s head to lift it up and placed the glass up to his lips. Yamaguchi managed a hum of appreciation as the cool water rushed down his throat. After several gulps he leaned back onto the pillow, giving a couple coughs to find his voice.
“What happened?”
“Apparently, there was an explosion behind you and it knocked you out. You have a few injuries, but nothing major. I’m just relieved that was it.”
“And you’re okay?” Yamaguchi asked, reaching his hand up to stroke a cut across Kenma’s cheek. Kenma blinked at him for a moment before closing his eyes and leaning into his touch.
“Of course, I’m fine.”
“Tsukishima?”
“He’s fine, though he got a nasty bullet wound in his arm. Hinata’s with him now, but I feel like Tsukishima’s going to punch him with his other arm if he doesn’t settle down. Look,” Kenma said as helped Yamaguchi lean up. He snorted as he saw the pilot bouncing around Tsukishima’s bed like a hyper grasshopper. Tsukishima’s eyes darted around as they followed him, his eyebrows furrowed darkly. His lips were pressed tight with irritation, but even from where Yamaguchi was he could see the corners curling up in a smile.
Suddenly, Tsukishima’s gaze shot over to him, and his features immediately softened as he cocked his head in question. Yamaguchi nodded, and he could see Tsukishima sigh with relief. Yamaguchi turned back to Kenma as a flood of questions invaded him about the attack, but one was at the forefront of his mind.
“Is Daichi-san…?”
“He’s alive.”
Yamaguchi sighed heavily and dropped his head back onto the pillow.
“That’s a relief.”
“He’s heavily injured though, suffered some head trauma. He woke up for a bit and he immediately started barking out orders. It took Kuro holding his face still and talking to him gently to get him to settle down. He was back asleep within moments, but Kuro was relieved he was at least functioning. It could have been much worse.”
“I bet. I tried not to fear the worst when I heard about it over the comms.”
Kenma nodded but said nothing else as his shoulders hunched up. Kuroo was his best friend and he obviously cared a great deal about Daichi because of his relationship with Kuroo. He knew that Kuroo losing his partner (and possibly his lover as well) would destroy him, and it would destroy Kenma as well as a result.
Yamaguchi reached out and took his hand once again, Kenma’s head snapping up at the soft touch.
“How bad is the damage?”
“Not as bad as you’d think with how many missiles were fired. They obviously couldn’t invade the base, and they took on more casualties than we did. Not many of our guys got out of it completely unscathed, so it’ll take us a while to regroup. Ukai put out the order for everyone to be on guard since the Rebels could potentially hit us again before we can patch everything up.”
“So, I guess you no longer have a day off?”
Kenma blinked at him a moment and then laughed, reaching a hand over to smooth his damp hair out that had fallen over his eyes.
“No, unfortunately. Perhaps if we plan it well, we can sneak off for a few minutes without anyone noticing.”
“Oh? And do what?” Yamaguchi said teasingly though his own face grew warm as he said it. Kenma narrowed his eyes and slowly leaned over him, blocking out the rest of the room until all he could see was his lovely amber eyes.
“Whatever you want,” He whispered. Yamaguchi widened his eyes, his lips falling open in shock. Kenma snickered and as his eyes glanced down at Yamaguchi’s lips, he leaned down and kissed them gently.
Am I dead? Yamaguchi wondered briefly since his crush for how many years was kissing him and it was soft and perfect, and he felt compelled to kiss him even harder. He leaned up to do so, and pain shot through his back, forcing him back onto the bed and Kenma releasing his lips in shock.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” He groaned. He opened his eyes to see Kenma gazing back at him with worry. Yamaguchi smiled, despite the pain, and reached out to touch those lips like he always dreamed of. “I’m alive.”