Work Text:
Tsukishima has been hunched over his notebook for far longer than he should be. He doesn’t understand. English has always been one of his better classes, even after factoring in the fact that he rarely spoke the language outside of school. For some reason though, this assignment was kicking him, and he had been stuck on the same question since he started.
Running his fingers through his hair roughly enough to knock his glasses askew, he groaned and dropped his head down onto the paper. The notebook was thin, and dropping his head down felt like he was just banging it off the table. Tsukishima shot back up, rubbing his forehead where it was now sore.
Sighing deeply, he grabbed his pencil, clicking it so the lead was sharp again. It hadn’t been dulled down by any actual work, just random doodles on the margins of his paper that he was sure to get in trouble for once he handed the assignment in. He was a good student though, so maybe he could get let off with a warning instead of docked marks on something that he was sure to fail.
Okay, Kei, he thought. It’s not that hard. Just think.
He tried to think, he really did. At this point he was considering asking one of the third years to help him finish the assignment before morning practice, but he had too much pride for that. Tsukishima let out another frustrated groan, and in his anger and confusion, he didn’t hear his door slide open or the soft patter of feet across his floor.
In an instant, Yamaguchi’s face flooded Tsukishima’s vision. Hands pressed warmly on his shoulders, holding Yamaguchi steady as he hung upside down to look at Tsukishima.
“Whatcha doing?” Yama asked.
Tsukishima knocked his head back into Yamaguchi’s chest, breathing in deeply enough to get a whiff of his familiar and comforting smell; a mix between the ever-present scent of the gym and something softer and sweeter. Something that was just distinctly Yama.
“English homework,” Tsukki said gruffly.
Yama lifted his hands up from Tsukishima’s shoulders and Tsukki tried not to look disappointed. However, any dismay was quickly brushed away as Yamaguchi took a seat in Tsukki’s lap, his legs dangling awkwardly in between the gap of the arm rests and the back of the chair. His eyebrows were furrowed and his mouth was quirked to the side; Yama’s thinking face.
“Still?” he said. “You’ve been working on the same homework since you got home.”
“Yeah, well, I haven’t gotten anything done. I’m just as stupid as Kageyama and Hinata.”
Yama’s face rapidly switched from confusion to something reminiscent of anger, but it was too sweet of a look to really convey any hateful feelings. “Don’t say that, Tsukki. You’re not dumb, and neither are they.”
Tsukki snorted, placing his forehead against Yama’s shoulder. “I know. I was just teasing. Mostly.”
He felt Yamaguchi lean his head over so it was resting softly against Tsukki’s. Yama wrapped his arms around Tsukki, pulling him closer. “You should take a break. Maybe ask Suga for help tomorrow,” he said gently.
Tsukki sighed, and his breath sent goosebumps up Yamaguchi’s neck. He spoke, but his voice was muffled but Yama’s skin, causing Yamaguchi to thread his fingers in the back of Tsukishima’s hair, pulling his face up tenderly so they were looking eye to eye again.
“What was that?”
“I said, I don’t want them to think I’m stupid too.”
Yama bit his lip. “Don’t you know how smart you are? Why do you keep saying you’re not?”
“Because anyone else could understand this assignment, and I can’t! If I ask someone for help, that just proves that I’m not as smart as everyone says.”
“You’re so stubborn, Tsukki,” Yama said. “If you won’t ask Suga for help, then can I take a look?”
Tsukishima nodded, and Yamaguchi turned around so his back pressed up against Tsukki’s chest. He held the notebook in one hand, the other one playing with Tsukishima’s fingers where his hand rested on Yama’s thigh. Once he was finished reading through the assignment, he dropped the book down onto the desk again. He turned his head so he was looking more at Tsukki’s face.
“I can help you with this, but you have to pinky promise me you won’t call yourself dumb every again.”
Tsukki rolled his eyes, “You aren’t serious.”
Yama didn’t say anything, just raised his eyebrows, challenging Tsukishima.
“We haven’t pinky sworn anything since we were kids.”
Holding a pinky out in front of Tsukki’s face expectantly.
Tsukishima sighed, connecting their pinkies. He glowered at Yama without any real hatred behind it.
“You have to say it, Tsukki.”
“I’m not saying the whole thing.”
“You gotta! Then you know it’s real!”
If it were anybody else asking him to make such a childish request, Tsukishima would’ve turned them down immediately, but the playful glint in his boyfriend’s eyes made it hard for him to refuse him anything, no matter how silly the request.
“I pinky swear I will not call myself stupid if you help me with my assignment.”
Yama turned back around, facing Tsukki fully and keeping their pinkies locked, “Finish the rest.”
“If I break this pinky swear, I will give Yamaguchi all of my dinosaur collection,” Tsukki said under his breath.
“Louder.”
“No!” Tsukki blushed, furrowing his eyebrows. “That’s the best you get!”
Yamaguchi smiled brightly, “Good enough for me! Now you have to lock it.”
Well, that was new. Yama obviously saw his confusion.
“Kiss me, idiot,” he said, leaning in towards Tsukki.
Tsukki blushed before leaning forward, kissing Yama squarely on the lips. Yama shook Tsukishima’s pinky from his own and brought his hands up, removing Tsukki’s glasses so they didn’t get in the way. After a good few minutes of kissing, Yama pulled away with a loud ‘mwah’ and a large grin on his face.
“Let’s finish your homework, love.”
Tsukki brought his hand up to adjust his glasses as his cheeks heated from the pet name. His finger slid right up past his eyebrows now, as Yama giggled with Tsukishima’s glasses in his hand.
“Shut up,” Tsukki said, snatching his glasses back and pushing Yama out of his lap over the arm rest.
He landed with a soft thump, his smile never faltering, and Tsukishima was quick to get up and lend a hand to pull him to his feet.
***
With Yama’s guidance, the assignment was finished smoothly in no time at all, and Tsukki silently kicked himself for not understanding the first time around. His thoughts were interrupted by a soft kiss just above the bridge of his glasses, right on the crease of his eyebrows.
“Stop thinking so hard.”
“That was easy! Why did it take me so long to get it? I should’ve understood ages a⎼.”
Yamaguchi slapped the sides of Tsukishima’s, not quite hard enough to hurt, but sharp enough to stop Tsukki’s potential ramble.
“Tsukki, I love you so so much, but please, shut up,” Yama kissed Tsukishima tenderly on the lips.
Immediately, Tsukki melted into the kiss, falling back into the rhythm they had started up earlier.
“I love you too, Yams. Thank you.”