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Yamaguchi was not a big fan of the rain.
There was just so much wrong with it: the thunder was disrupting, the dark skies always made him feel a bit sad, the lightning startled him. Your shoes got wet if you stepped outside, there was always the chance of a power outage, the leak in his house’s roof would drip, and most importantly, Tsukishima would get a ride home from school if it was raining, rather than walk to his house with Yamaguchi.
And considering the fact that Yamaguchi was kind of head over heels for his best friend, you couldn’t really blame him for not being too fond of the rain.
Today had started off great. Truly, it had.
When he’d walked into school in the morning, the sky had been clear, not a cloud in sight, a brilliant and bright shade of blue. He’d made a small remark to Tsukishima about how nice it looked outside, who had nodded before taking his seat next to the window.
But then lunchtime rolled around, and when Yamaguchi lifted his head from his desk (he hadn’t been sleeping, nope, totally not), the sky was a dismal shade of grey. And then, his afternoon classes were filled with images of the slow, steady progression of dark clouds drifting by outside of the windows as he tapped his pencil on his desk impatiently. By the time school had ended and practice was about to begin, raindrops were splashing onto the pavement and littering the sidewalk. Wonderful.
“I hate the rain,” He grumbled, as he laced up his shoes in the locker room. “It makes everything seem so sad, don’t you think so, Tsukki?”
Tsukishima shrugged, reaching up to adjust his glasses. “Why should the weather affect my mood?”
As usual, he had a very fair point.
Yamaguchi grinned sheepishly. “I guess you’re right.”
During practice, he managed to tune out the rain for a bit. The pitter-patter against the windows was slightly distracting, but it wasn’t too loud, and there wasn’t any thunder or lightning, so Yamaguchi didn’t have much trouble focusing. He concentrated on pouring his all into volleyball, the satisfying sting of the ball against his palm after a particularly good serve occupying his attention despite the noise from outside. As practice drew to a close, Yamaguchi sweaty and still high on adrenaline, he’d nearly forgotten about the rain altogether.
He was unfortunately reminded of it when he saw the umbrella Tsukishima was carrying at his side, dragging the tip of it against the floor lightly as the pair exited the locker rooms.
“How’d you know to bring an umbrella?” Yamaguchi asked, trying to ignore the sinking of his heart when he remembered that they wouldn’t be walking home together today.
“I checked the forecast this morning.” Tsukishima said casually.
Yamaguchi frowned. Maybe it would be a good idea for him to do the same, if he hated rain so much. At least then he could be prepared for when it happened.
“That was smart of you, Tsukki.” He mumbled under his breath.
Tsukishima hummed in agreement as they approached the gym doors. Yamaguchi yanked them open, and was promptly greeted by the sight of the rain pounding the grass in front of them. Wrinkling his nose in distaste, he put the hood on his jacket up, ready to make a run for his house. He’d get soaked either way, and Tsukishima wouldn’t even be there to get soaked with him, but it’d have to do.
He gave a longing glance at Tsukishima’s umbrella.
He won’t even need it for long, Yamaguchi thought. Just for the walk to the car. So unfair!
But he wouldn’t ask Tsukishima for his umbrella. It’d be impolite, and besides, he’d rather Tsukishima be comfortable than deal with the knowledge that he got rained on, even if it was only a little bit, because that would probably piss him off.
Whipped. A small voice in the back of his head taunted. In other words, you’re whipped. Yamaguchi told that voice to shut up.
“Well, see ya, Tsukki.” He said, flashing Tsukishima a small smile. “Your mom is coming to pick you up, right?”
Tsukishima looked at him.
Yamaguchi blinked. He was used to Tsukishima’s stares, he was used to reading them after so many years. He knew which ones meant he was annoyed, which ones meant he was happy, which ones meant he was upset. He’d expected Tsukishima to confirm Yamaguchi’s statement with a neutral expression.
But no, there was something different in his look right now. Something that looked suspiciously like... Was that hesitation?
“No, actually,” Tsukishima said after the pause.
“No?” Yamaguchi immediately felt himself perk up, standing a little straighter and smiling a little wider. Did that mean they could walk home together?!
“She offered,” Tsukishima said slowly, dragging his eyes away from Yamaguchi’s to look at something in the distance. “But I wanted to stop by the bakery today.”
“Your sweet tooth acting up again?”
“Something like that.” Tsukishima opened his umbrella, positioning it over his shoulder. “Want to come with?”
Date! The voice inside Yamaguchi’s head screamed. Date date date, it’s a date!
“Sure, Tsukki!”
It wasn’t a date. Yamaguchi wasn’t stupid, only the voice inside of him was. But that didn’t stop his stomach from twisting up, or his heart from stuttering because Tsukki wanted to spend more time with him.
He looked at Tsukishima’s umbrella, then thought about the distinct lack of his own. Oh well, he’d get soaked, but it’d be worth it. The things he did for his best friend.
Tsukishima began to start off in the direction of the bakery.
“Wait a second!” Yamaguchi called.
Tsukishima turned around to look at him, lips pursed with what might have been impatience as Yamaguchi fumbled with the hood of his jacket, trying to pull it closer to him. If he was going to get wet, he might as well try to minimize the damage as much as possible. Otherwise, the employees at the bakery would probably send him all sorts of nasty glares.
Yamaguchi noticed that Tsukishima was looking at him again, that same strange and hesitant stare from before. It was a brief look, and then Tsukishima stepped forward, kept stepping forward, and then stepped really close to Yamaguchi, who stilled.
“Tsukki, what’re you doing?” He said, cheeks flushed. Hopefully the sky was too dark for Tsukishima to notice.
Tsukishima raised an eyebrow. “Making sure you don’t get wet.”
And then Yamaguchi noticed how the umbrella was now covering him as well, Tsukishima standing so close to him that their shoulders were pressed against each other.
Oh my God, He thought. We’re sharing an umbrella. I’m literally in a romance movie right now.
It wasn’t as if Yamaguchi hadn’t ever touched Tsukishima before, per se, it was just that they weren’t a very touchy-feely pair to begin with. They were only friends, after all. And now they were going to walk to the bakery together, in what could very well be interpreted as a date, even though Yamaguchi knew that it was not, arms brushing with every step.
“Thanks,” He muttered, face warm.
They began their walk slowly, as it was kind of difficult to share an umbrella if you had never done so before, matching their steps as they made their way across the school grounds.
Tsukishima made a tch sound of disapproval when he saw Hinata and Nishinoya very aggressively splashing in puddles, neither of them wearing any sort of raincoat or umbrella.
“The idiots are back at it again,” He said. “Do you think once they catch pneumonia, they’ll finally realize how stupid they are?”
Yamaguchi snickered.
And then a memory from several years ago floated into his mind as they rounded the corner, away from the school.
“Hey, do you remember that one time when we were kids, and I splashed you when I stepped in a puddle?”
“Mm. Shows that those pair of idiots were being childish.”
“Yeah...”
Every place where Tsukishima was pressed against Yamaguchi felt electric, his skin tingling underneath all of his layers. It was a firm presence, the way their shoulders were pressed together, one that felt comfortable and casual.
Yamaguchi eyed a puddle that they were approaching. Tsukishima followed his line of sight.
“Yamaguchi, don’t you dare.” He said gravely.
That’s no fun, Tsukki, he thought, feeling a bit giddy from being so close to him.
So he didn’t splash Tsukishima exactly, but he may or may not have stomped a little harder than one usually would when walking in a puddle. It was just enough that water splashed onto his shoes, and Tsukishima’s too, the bottoms of his pants turning a darker shade.
Tsukishima let out an irritated sigh, but when Yamaguchi looked up, he saw that he really didn’t look that annoyed at all. It was kind of cute.
“Sorry, Tsukki,” He said, grinning a bit sheepishly.
Tsukishima didn’t reply, instead choosing to wait until they passed another puddle, to step down very aggressively with the foot that was closest to Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi jumped a bit when he felt the cold water coat the side of his pant leg, laughter bubbling up inside of him.
He let out a wild giggle.
“Splashing in puddles is childish, huh?” He teased.
“Shut up, Yamaguchi.” But Tsukishima was smiling as he said it.
The walk to the bakery was short, not very far away from the school at all. It was often a popular destination for students wanting a quick snack after class, or for couples to stop by for a treat to share. Yamaguchi and Tsukishima didn’t frequent it often, but the food was good and the atmosphere cozy, so Yamaguchi rather loved it when they did.
Today, there weren’t many people inside, most likely because of the heavy downpour, only a few adults scattered around the tables, most of them hunched over laptops as they shoveled forkfuls of sweets into their mouths.
Under the awning of the bakery, Tsukishima pulled away from Yamaguchi, who felt himself deflate at the lack of contact. Tsukishima shook out his umbrella, then propped it up against the side of the building.
They entered the bakery, wiping their shoes off on the mat at the front, and Yamaguchi felt the corners of his mouth turn upwards. It was a quaint little place, and it felt nice to be underneath a roof again.
“Are you getting a strawberry shortcake?” He asked Tsukishima, who was scanning the display case.
“What else?” was his response as he fished in his pocket for his wallet.
Yamaguchi mirrored him, reaching into his jacket to search for his, fingers scraping along the lining. He frowned. Where was it?
“I think I left my wallet at home.” Yamaguchi frowned, pulling his hand out of his pocket and staring at it, as if the money would magically appear.
“Did you?” Tsukishima asked. He glanced at the wallet in his hand. “I don’t have enough money to buy you anything.”
Yamaguchi felt a zing of pride shoot through him. Was Tsukishima implying that if he did have enough money, he would’ve bought something for him? The voice in his head was going to love this one.
Yamaguchi waved Tsukishima off. “It’s fine, Tsukki. I’ll go find a table, and you can order your stuff.”
Tsukishima nodded, and Yamaguchi left to let him order. He chose a table for two in the corner, far away from the window, so he wouldn’t have to watch the rain as it continued to drizzle from the sky. His wet pant leg brushed against one of the table legs, and he grinned again. The whole puddle exchange earlier had been fun. Not to mention that Tsukishima had looked absolutely adorable. Playfulness surprisingly suited him.
He drummed his fingers against the table absentmindedly as he waited for Tsukishima to return.
When he did, Yamaguchi looked up with his usual beaming grin, as Tsukishima slid into his seat. He placed the strawberry shortcake on the table, and then made a small gesture towards it. Yamaguchi glanced down, and then felt his heart squeeze when he saw that there wasn’t just one fork, but two.
Sharing food? You really are in a romance movie with Tsukki! Score!
“Thanks, Tsukki! You didn’t have to!” He chirped, swiping one of the forks.
Tsukishima shrugged. “You can pay me back later.”
Yamaguchi was too focused on digging into the cake that he completely missed the blush that was painting Tsukishima’s cheeks.
The cake was sweet, but not overly so, and the strawberries were fresh. It was delicious, and the two boys fell into silence as they ate, forks scraping against the plate.
When they had finished, the plate completely clean, Yamaguchi leaned back in his chair, satisfied. Wiping his mouth on the napkin, he looked at up at Tsukishima, who was looking right back at him, that same weird stare from before. He was fiddling with his fingers, and Yamaguchi raised his eyebrows. That was definitely one of Tsukishima’s nervous habits. Was he nervous right now?
Then he noticed the whipped cream at the corner of Tsukishima’s mouth.
Oh no, Yamaguchi thought miserably. I know exactly where this is going, I’ve seen all the movies...
“Tsukki, you have something on your mouth.” Yamaguchi said, motioning to the area on his face.
He tried not to think about how soft Tsukishima’s lips looked right now, or how pink they were from the strawberries, as Tsukishima wiped the corner of his mouth. Unfortunately, he missed the whipped cream entirely.
Fate was really planning on milking this moment for all it was worth, huh?
Do it, That little voice nagged at him. You want to, so just do it!
Yamaguchi did want to do it. He did want to indulge in his stupid fantasies, and with how things were going currently, maybe he really was in a romance movie. That, or God was playing some huge practical joke on him.
“Here.” Yamaguchi said impulsively, and then he was reaching across the table.
Tsukishima’s eyes widened slightly as Yamaguchi swiped his thumb over the corner of Tsukishima’s lips, heart beating erratically in his chest. They were soft, he thought numbly. His lips were so soft.
Collecting the whipped cream on his thumb, his hand lingered for what was probably a beat too long, unable to help himself from touching Tsukishima’s lips one more time. His face was burning, he was sure of it, and if Tsukishima hadn’t been aware of his feelings previously, he probably was now.
Yamaguchi started to pull away, thinking about how awkward it would be if he didn’t, but then Tsukishima’s hand curled around his wrist, effectively holding him in place. He froze.
“Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima murmured, and was Yamaguchi imaging it, or was he beginning to turn slightly pink?
“Yeah?” He breathed, eyes wide.
Tsukishima was twisting his free hand around on the table, playing with his fingers in what was clearly a nervous feat.
Yamaguchi thought back to earlier, when Tsukishima had been doing the same thing, and then he thought about all those looks he’d given him, and the sharing of the umbrella, and realization dawned on him. Yamaguchi’s eyes widened, and he saw the doubt in Tsukishima’s stare, but he also saw the longing.
Yamaguchi was leaning in then, and so was Tsukishima, and Tsukishima was letting go of Yamaguchi’s hand, and then they were so close that Yamaguchi could count Tsukishima’s eyelashes, and then they were kissing.
Tsukishima’s lips were even softer than he’d thought, and he tasted like strawberries, and Yamaguchi felt his heart soar. His mind was swirling with thoughts, like wow, I’m really kissing Tsukki, and oh my God, I could do this forever, but mostly he concentrated on how it just felt so right.
The kiss lasted for only a few seconds, but Yamaguchi didn’t mind, not even as they pulled away, feeling dazed and fuzzy inside. It was worth it.
“Tsukki,” He said breathlessly, feeling himself flush when he saw Tsukishima’s red cheeks. “I’ve wanted to do that for a long time.”
Tsukishima’s hands lay completely still on the table, no longer fidgeting and fussing.
“Me too,” Tsukishima said, offering Yamaguchi a small smile in return.
Yamaguchi couldn’t help the wide grin that broke out onto his face. He was itching, he realized, to kiss him again.
“Can we... Can we do that again?” He asked, a bit shyly.
Tsukishima hummed, then glanced around the bakery. Nobody was paying attention to them, not really, everyone focused on their own things, but Yamaguchi already knew what he was thinking.
“Maybe not here,” He said, wiping his hands on his napkin. “Do you want to come over?”
Excitement shot through Yamaguchi’s spine, and he practically jumped out of his seat.
“Yeah! Let’s go!”
He didn’t miss the smile that crept up on Tsukishima’s face as he stood up as well, depositing their trash in one of the bins near the door. Yamaguchi was filled with adrenaline, unable to stop thinking about how he wanted to kiss Tsukishima again, how he wanted to be close to him and hold his hand and call him his boyfriend and go on all sorts of cheesy dates.
They exited the shop, and as Tsukishima opening his umbrella, Yamaguchi got an idea.
“Tsukki!” He chirped. “We should totally kiss in the rain!”
Tsukishima let out a huff of laughter, and Yamaguchi stepped closer to be under the umbrella as well.
“You’ve really learned a lot from those romance movies you always watch, huh.”
As they emerged from under the awning, the rain pattering against the top of the umbrella, Tsukishima turned to face Yamaguchi. With the hand that wasn’t holding the umbrella, he pulled Yamaguchi in close, who squeaked in surprise.
His heart was hammering in his chest again, and he felt his cheeks heat up, but it all faded away, because then Tsukishima’s mouth was on his again. The gooey feeling inside of his stomach intensified, and he lifted his hands up to wrap them around Tsukishima’s neck, contentment bubbling up inside of him.
Maybe the rain wasn’t so bad after all.