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Warm summer nights—these were the kinds of nights Yamaguchi waited the whole year for. As the blazing sun and all its harsh, burning heat crawled down to the horizon, Yamaguchi waited for the full moon to appear and take its place in the sky.
Sometimes Yamaguchi just liked to do this: sit and watch the sunset from his doorstep and appreciate the beauty of the moon as it lit up the night. He especially loved the summer sunsets and the way they seemed to turn the shining blue sky into a fiery blanket over Miyagi, being swallowed by the skyline as quickly as they had appeared. Sometimes he felt like if he blinked, he would’ve missed the thing altogether.
Yamaguchi also loved the way his skin prickled with heat while the sun beat down on him, but loved it more when the sun set and moonlight washed over him like a cool stream of water running down his body after doing a particularly rough set of drills. That was the thing that sometimes bothered him about volleyball; though he loved the sport and his team, practices were long, and he often missed subtle moments of beauty like this. Though Hinata and Kageyama’s quick or Nishinoya’s receives were beautiful in their own way, they didn’t always live up to the dazzling display in the sky.
Yamaguchi chuckled to himself at the thought. The fact that I even dared to compare the demon and his club to a sunset proves that I spend way too much time thinking about volleyball.
Tonight though, he didn’t want to spend all his time thinking about volleyball. It was easy for Yamaguchi to spiral when he thought too much about his position on the team and his weaknesses compared to his teammates, but tonight, it was a full moon and that’s all he wanted to think about.
The sun had already set, so Yamaguchi sat meditatively on his porch, waiting for the cover of darkness to overtake his neighborhood. The time between sunset and darkness was something he particularly enjoyed. Before the sun set, kids would ride their bikes past, car horns sounded in the distance, and voices echoed and bounced off each house, creating a symphony of sound that sparked a sense of nostalgia in Yamaguchi’s chest. Those moments reminded him of he and Tsukishima when they were kids. They would play outside at the park or in front of Tsukishima’s house in the street, sometimes kicking a ball around with Akiteru when he wasn’t busy with volleyball practice. They would run and laugh and play together until the sun began to set and Yamaguchi knew he’d have to head home.
The green-haired boy sighed and rested his head against his knees which were pulled up to his chest. Tsukishima was never a super energetic or happy-go-lucky kid, but Yamaguchi certainly missed the vigor they both had as elementary schoolers. Though Tsukishima was his best friend, Yamaguchi thought that he could stand to be a little less grumpy all the time.
The thought made him smile. Tsukishima may be a grumpy best friend be he was his grumpy best friend. And even if the blonde was grumpy, he definitely made up for it with his coolness. And his intelligence. And athletic ability. And looks. And everything else amazing about him.
The moon was now high in the sky, pouring its cool light down onto Yamaguchi, yet he still felt a warmth in his cheeks as he thought about his best friend.
Maybe I should text him…see if he wants to come stargazing with me...
~~~
Tsukishima wasn’t really the type to get caught up in celestial beauty. He was always much more interested in what was happening below the Earth’s surface, not above it. Though he could admit that the stars were beautiful and their patterns in the sky were be mesmerizing, he’d much rather learn about fossils deep within the Earth’s crust and the creatures they came from. The past could be so interesting in that way.
Buzz buzz.
Tsukishima was torn from his thoughts by the buzzing of his phone on his desk. He huffed and picked it up, reading the message Yamaguchi had sent him.
Yamaguchi: hey tsukki !! there’s a full moon tonight, wanna go stargazing with me ?
He pursed his lips and thought about it. It’s not like he was doing much. It was a weekend, so they didn’t have practice, he’d finished all his homework for the coming week, and he’d gone through his chill bops playlist a couple times already. He didn’t really care for stargazing, but it was Yamaguchi who asked him—the one person on Earth he actual seemed to like—so why not?
Tsukki: Sure.
Yamaguchi: ok cool ! meet me at the pond by the park in 10 ?
Tsukki: Okay.
~~~
The boys used to come to this pond all the time when they were kids. The body of water was home to a variety of critters, many of which Yamaguchi would try catch and show off to Tsukishima, who liked to observe them while they were restrained by Yamaguchi’s grasp. The blonde-haired boy would never do something as dirty as chasing frogs through mud, but he was surely interested in the little things Yamaguchi would show him. He always gazed upon the little insects or amphibians with wonder; what creatures came before them? What will come after them? How could they be so stupid to end up in the hands of his friend?
These days, the pond was seldom visited by the two boys. In fact, Yamaguchi thought as he walked towards the water, I don’t think we’ve been here since we were kids. Once the two got to middle school, catching frogs in a pond became woefully out of style, and they had more important things to do anyways—desperately trying to be cool and figuring out their place in the world, for example.
Yamaguchi was so caught up in his reminiscence of the past that he almost didn’t see Tsukishima standing at the water’s edge.
“Oh, hey Tsukki!” he gently called out, picking up his pace a bit.
“Oi, Yamaguchi,” the taller boy replied nonchalantly.
Yamaguchi felt himself grin at his friend’s greeting. God, Tsukishima was so damn cool.
The pair made their way to the edge of the small pier that stretched towards the middle of the pond, chatting comfortably about how their weekend was going so far. Upon reaching the edge of the dock, they sat down next to each other like they’d done so many times as kids. Yamaguchi immediately began taking off his shoes, setting his feet in the water once he’d successfully removed them. He then laid down on his back to gaze up at the sparkling night sky.
Tsukishima looked at him and cocked an eyebrow, questioning his friend’s decision to instantly remove his shoes. Yamaguchi stayed oblivious to the boy’s inquisitive look, so he decided to follow suit and take off his shoes too.
It was a warm summer evening, but Tsukki had decided to wear pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and a sweatshirt, knowing how cold it could get once the sun set. Yamaguchi didn’t bother to think that far ahead, Tsukishima thought, noting Yamaguchi’s choice of clothes. He was wearing a pair of shorts and a striped t-shirt, which surely wouldn’t keep him warm through the night, but Yamaguchi had endured worse. He was the type of person who always seemed to be warm no matter what the temperature was outside. Tsukishima on the other hand was almost always cold as ice, something Yamaguchi had commented on multiple times.
Maybe you should get your iron checked, Tsukki.
Shut up Yamaguchi.
The tall boy scoffed thinking about the interaction. Yamaguchi seemed to flutter around him like some kind of worrisome moth, always making sure Tsukishima was okay and defending him from any threat or harm. The blonde boy thought about how funny it was that their roles had changed like that. Just yesterday, Tsukishima was protecting Yamaguchi from bullies on the playground, but now, Yamaguchi was the one protecting him. Not like he really needed protection from anything. But…he did kinda like being Yamaguchi’s center of attention. It was nice to feel somebody’s love for you so openly expressed, though he would probably never admit that he enjoyed it.
While entranced in thought, Tsukishima rolled up the hem of his dark jeans, just high enough so that he could put his feet in the water without completely soaking his pants. He then laid down on his back to match the shorter boy next to him, gently resting his hands on his stomach.
“Tsukki…do you ever wish you could go back in time?”
Tsukishima didn’t bother to turn his head and look at Yamaguchi. The green-haired boy often threw out deep, insightful questions like these when they were alone. Tsukishima thought that he probably did it to deal with his anxieties and was used to them by now.
“If it meant that I never had to meet that idiot duo, I would gladly go back without a second thought,” Tsukishima said curtly. Yamaguchi laughed at his response, and the taller boy couldn’t help but turn his head then. Yamaguchi, though plain in his looks, was truly beautiful in this moment, and Tsukishima let his eyes travel over Yamaguchi’s face slowly as to try and preserve the memory. Yamaguchi’s dark green hair was lit up by the moon above, and his long, dark eyelashes sparkled. His lips were slightly parted in a smile, and the curves of his mouth were accentuated by the deep shadows of night.
“Why do you ask?” Tsukishima asked quietly.
Yamaguchi had a soft smile on his face. “Sometimes I miss how we were as kids, y’know? Playing until dusk, catching frogs, being generally mischievous. I like being older, but you have to admit things were simpler back then, right?”
Now Yamaguchi had turned his head to meet Tsukishima’s gaze. Embarrassed, the blonde-haired boy looked back up to the sky.
“Maybe things were simpler,” Tsukishima started softly. “But things are better now. You’ve grown a lot since we were kids. You’re taller, stronger, smarter, and way cooler. It’s amazing to watch you, sometimes so amazing that I feel like I’m being left in the dust.”
Yamaguchi let out a chuckle at that and nudged Tsukishima’s side with his elbow.
“If anyone should feel left in the dust, it’s me Tsukki. You’re the amazing one.” Yamaguchi continued to laugh, simultaneously amused and touched by the fact that Tsukishima thought so much of him. Yamaguchi had always admired Tsukishima, but as the years went on, the green-haired boy noticed that his admiration had slowly turned into something more. Not just friendship, but love, like true, unfaltering love for the tall grump. Yamaguchi could admit that at first, he was a little confused by his emotions, but he quickly accepted the fact that Tsukishima would never return his feelings. For starters, Tsukishima wasn’t really the feelings type, and even if he was, he would never be with Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi was just too uncool for the blonde boy and he became content with loving him silently from the sidelines…until recently. Yamaguchi didn’t know what changed; maybe it was standing up to Tsukishima at the summer training camp, but something changed inside him. He didn’t want to be content standing on the sidelines to love Tsukishima, he wanted to be right next to him and love him openly and earnestly. He didn’t want to hide anymore.
Yamaguchi cringed a bit at the thought. Easier said than done to confess your feelings to your best friend.
Tsukishima gently cleared his throat, shaking Yamaguchi from his thoughts.
“Anyways…what’s so complicated in your life now that you’d want to go back in time to simplify it?” he asked the smaller boy.
At this point, the two were now looking at each other head on. Yamaguchi started to sweat a bit at the thought of telling Tsukishima the truth. It would be a relief to get his feelings out in the open…but at what cost? To tell Tsukishima he loved him meant risking the friendship they’d taken so long to build up, not to mention the effect it would have on the team dynamic, which could result in Tsukishima not wanting to play which would jeopardize their chances of going to nationals because without him—
“Hey Yamaguchi, what’s wrong with you?” Tsukishima’s gentle touch on Yamaguchi’s arm pulled him out of the panic he’d brought upon himself. “You’re shaking. I knew you’d get cold in just that t-shirt. Tch.” The taller boy proceeded to peel off his sweatshirt and toss it unceremoniously onto Yamaguchi’s chest, flopping back onto the dock once he’d done so. “Put that on before you catch a cold.”
Yamaguchi blinked at the boy laying next to him before sitting up and gingerly pulling the sweatshirt over his head. He wasn’t cold in the slightest, but his anxiety often left him shaking. Good thing Tsukki didn’t notice that.
“Thanks, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi said softly.
Tsukishima gave him a questioning look, as if to ask why he was being so weird. “You know you can tell me anything, right?” And it was true. Though Tsukishima wasn’t the feelings type, he knew that Yamaguchi could combust if he didn’t talk about what was on his mind, and he definitely didn’t want that to happen. Yamaguchi was his best friend after all, and what good would a best friend be if he exploded. Tsukishima let his lips curl into a smile at the silly thought, then allowed himself to watch Yamaguchi settle into his sweatshirt. It was a little too big on Yamaguchi, just enough so that only the tips of his fingers poked out of the bottom of the sleeves. It really was adorable how comfy he looked—how natural he looked in Tsukishima’s sweatshirt. The blonde-haired boy blushed at the thought, and silently wondered what Yamaguchi would look like in more of his clothes. How cute…
Yamaguchi finally settled back down on the dock and turned to face Tsukishima. “I know I can tell you anything, but I’m not sure if this is something that you’d want to hear.”
Tsukishima furrowed his brows in confusion. “Yamaguchi, just spit it out already.”
The green-haired boy sighed and glanced up to the stars, wordlessly praying that they’d give him the strength to say what he had to say. “Um…” he started. “I think that I like you, Tsukki.”
“Okay…I like you too? We’re friends, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima said, a puzzled expression settling on his face.
Yamaguchi groaned in exasperation and brought his hands up to cover his face. For such a smart guy, Tsukishima still had his moments of idiocy. “No Tsukki, I mean I like you like you, like more than a friend. I, uh, I wanna be with you and kiss you and stuff…y’know?”
Yamaguchi sat for a moment, wondering how he was going to get himself out of this mess…wait, why was it so quiet? The shorter boy pulled his hands from his face and turned at a snail’s pace to meet Tsukishima’s gaze. What he saw was…a smile?
“Yamaguchi. If you want to kiss me, what’s stopping you?”
Yamaguchi’s heart proceeded to pound in his chest. What did that mean? Was he giving him permission? Or was it all some dumb joke and when he tried to kiss his friend, a camera crew would come out and tease him and the video would be sent to all of their teammates and they would never let him live it down because who tries to kiss their best friend and—
A pair of lips on his stopped Yamaguchi’s train of thought from entering the station.
OhmyGODTsukkiiskissingmerightnowthisisdefinitelyadreamIcan’tbelievethisishappeningholyshitwhatisgoingonrightnow.
Yamaguchi quickly kissed back, trying to savor the moment and remember every detail. He felt the hem of Tsukishima’s sweatshirt against his palm, the cool summer air blowing past his cheek, and most importantly, Tsukishima’s mouth against his. Yamaguchi didn’t know how, but the taller boy’s lips felt like they were made to fit perfectly between his and he couldn’t help but feel high on the sensation of their bodies next to each other, soaking up the moon and starlight shining down on them.
After what felt like an eternity, the two boys pulled away from each other. Yamaguchi stared intently at Tsukishima, desperately trying to take in every bit of this perfect second in time, from Tsukishima’s beautiful face illuminated by the full moon, to his eyes that sparkled like a constellation, to the soft smile that Yamaguchi seldom got to see. It was perfect—no, more than perfect, something so perfect that it couldn’t be described.
“Is this real?” he managed to choke out.
Tsukishima smirked and reached up to pinch Yamaguchi’s cheek. “Is this real, dummy?”
Yamaguchi swatted the taller boy’s hand away and burst into a fit of laughter, sitting up in the process. Tsukishima rose to meet him, and the two of them sat there on the dock underneath the stars, just laughing and basking in the joy of the moment.
Once their laughter had dissipated into the occasional giggle, Yamaguchi turned to his friend. “You really like me?” he asked with a smile.
“Yes, I do,” Tsukishima answered assuredly. “Sorry for earlier, I didn’t want to assume anything. You’re really cute when you’re flustered though.”
Yamaguchi broke out into a toothy smile and brought his hand up to Tsukishima’s face, pulling him close. “Shut up, Tsukki.” The two came together for another gentle kiss. Tsukishima brought his hand to Yamaguchi’s waist, pulling the shorter boy closer in one swift motion. He then pressed deeper into the kiss, slightly parting his lips and swiping his tongue across Yamaguchi’s bottom lip. Yamaguchi melted into him and felt his skin light up where Tsukishima was touching him. Though he’d never drank or done drugs, he could only imagine that this is what they felt like. The thoughts in his head all swam together, making his mind and body feel like a muddled mess—a lovely mess of course.
The two parted again and just stared at each other before Tsukishima moved his head to press a kiss against Yamaguchi’s cheek and then rest it on his shoulder, looking up to the sky. It was pitch black and yet somehow, so much light seemed to pour out of it. The moon was big and beautiful of course, but even more beautiful were the thousands of stars freckled across the dark canvas of night. They twinkled and shined like diamonds against the sun, and they were so damn amazing. Tsukishima never got caught up in celestial beauty but tonight was the one exception.
Maybe the stars are beautiful after all.