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It was the second day of the inter scholastic summer camp and Kei was already tired. Although not an early riser by any means, Tsukishima’s pride had forced him awake at an ‘acceptable’ hour- unlike certain other pinch servers. Yamaguchi’s penchant for sleeping in was well known and had become almost mythic after he woke up an hour late for a previous camp. Apparently, twelve rowdy teenagers were not enough to rouse him. Kei knew well enough that the boy was a heavy sleeper, but he blamed most of this mishap on his senpais.
In the previous year, Tadashi had spent most of his practice time working with his seniors. As a result, he had endeared himself to the older class, and was quickly identified as the favorite kouhai. Due to this, despite Captain Ennoshita’s rough posturing, Tadashi was liable to get special treatment in any scenario, and extra sleep time was no exception.
Therefore, it was a surprise to Tsukshima, Nishinoya, and Tanaka, when Yamaguchi shuffled into the boys bathroom, certainly the last to rise, but about 30 minutes earlier than expected.
“Oh! He’s up!” Exclaimed Tanaka, while Nishinoya crowed, “way to go Yamaguchi!”
The boy yawns his way through a wave to both parties before shuffling over to place his toiletries on the counter next to where Kei was currently brushing his teeth.
Tadashi moves his items down before turning to the blond. Leaning up, he nuzzles briefly under the taller’s jaw before rising to his tip toes to place a soft kiss on Kei’s cheek.
“Morning, Tsukki!” He murmurs, still soft and sleepy, before trundling off to the toilets.
Kei watches him, bemused, through the mirror with his toothbrush still in his mouth. Turning his attention to Nishinoya and Tanaka, who both look like Kiyoko-San just offered them a personalized bento, he raises an eyebrow expectantly.
“MORNING TSUKKI!!!” The two crow in unison. They’re mid breath into whatever lame follow up they undoubtedly have before they hear Ennoshita bark their names.
“Tanaka! Nishinoya! Do you want breakfast? Then you better hurry!”
The older boys respond immediately and take off out into the hall (although a few ‘morning Tsukki’s’ can be heard echoing off the walls as they go).
Ennoshita stares at Kei for a moment, helpless and a bit fragile. He hems and haws for a minute before blustering into his next exchange. Tadashi is conspicuously silent in the back of the bathroom.
“Uh, does, that happen a lot?” The captain asks, stilted and delicate. Kei shrugs, then spits. “Not typically in public restrooms.”
Ennoshita looks at him for a bit just processing, a little frustrated at Kei’s nonchalant attitude, before schooling his expression back into something respectable. “Ah! Um, ah....ok, well then, that’s good. Good. Good for you Tsukishima!” Ennoshita stumbles through. “I’ll try and keep Nishinoya and Tanaka in check””
And Kei is a brat in the morning, (Tadashi has told him as much) so he positively can’t help himself.
“Ohh? That was an option, captain? I didn’t realize you had been holding back this entire time. Feel free to reign them in from now on.” Kei chides mockingly.
Ennoshita, back to his unflappable self, is not impressed and simply reposnds “don’t dawdle, you’ll be late for breakfast” as he walks out.
“Yamaguchi, hurry up or I’m leaving you!” Kei loudly shouts. When he doesn’t get a response he heads down to breakfast alone.
—-
Yamaguchi does not make it to breakfast. He barely makes it to practice even, sliding into the gym with two minutes to spare and immediately starting up a inane conversation with Hinata.
After warm ups, they start their practice matches. In their first, Yamaguchi is called in and doesn’t even make it over the net.
In the second, the boy is so nervous and wound up that his typical gentle jump floater ends up being a fairly successful traditional jump serve (a service ace at that, much to his teams delight and Tadashi’s chagrin). By the time the lunch break has rolled around, awareness of Tadashi’s tense attitude has circulated.
Before he can slink out of the gym, Kei is called over to Ukai and Ennoshita. Ukai starts with an awkward, “So, um Tsukishima, I don’t know how to put this but, you’re probably the best person to ask—“ Ennoshita kindly interrupts, “I know they’re only practice matches, but could you do some thing about that?”
Over his shoulder, Ennoshita is gesturing to a Tadashi, who seems to have spilled the entire contents of his water bottle down the front of his body. Yachi is very concerned.
“Ah,” says Kei. “I’ll see what I can do”
——
Before he can slip away, Kei snags Tadashi’s wrist as he attempts to escape the gym.
Ever prepared, Kei says, “I have an extra shirt in my bag.” Tadashi is abashed, and Kei can tell just how uncomfortable he is by his silence. By the time Yamaguchi is changed and dry, they are the only ones left in the gym.
Yamaguchi bumbles about, putting on a fairly convincing show of refilling his water bottle and folding his towel, before he finally has to turn to Tsukishima.
“C’mon,” Kei gestures towards the door leading to the side of the gym. As they walk out, Yamaguchi refuses to meet his eyeline and avoids him even as Kei crowds him against the wall of the gym.
“Alright, out with it, what’s going on?” Kei demands, not unkindly, but certainly not giving Tadashi any room to flinch away.
Yamaguchi looks at him finally and seems a bit frantic. His eyes widen for a second before his hands fly to his face and he drops to a crouch.
“Tsukki! Tsukki, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to!”
Tsukishima is absolutely bewildered by this. He was quite sure that whatever Tadashi was working himself up over was stupid, but he definitely did not expect this. Leaning down and placing a gentle hand on Yamaguchi’s head, he murmurs, “baby, what’s wrong?”
“I kissed you!”
The shout is still slightly muffled by his hands but kei has no trouble hearing him.
Amused, Kei combs his hands through Tadashi’s hair, “yeah, I thought that’s how it’s goes?” In response, all Yamaguchi can do is utter a high pitched whine. Kei is Impressed that this one noise can convey “tsukki!” “Don’t tease me!” And “there’s more to it than that!”
“Are you upset that Tanaka-San and Nishinoya-San saw us?” He offers.
“Yes? No! I thought you would be mad!” The freckled boy exclaimes as he peeks through his fingers.
“Why would i be mad? You’re my boyfriend, why would I be mad that you kissed me?”
Tadashi sputters. “What?! Seriously? You don’t mind if people know? But we’ve never- we’ve never like kissed in front of other people!”
“Yeah, that’s cause you’re shy. I thought you wouldn’t want that?”
Oh. Oh. Tadashi is dumb so he’s a little breathless when he murmurs, “no. No I want that. I want all of that....please.”
“Oh. Ok. Good!” and Kei nods and gives him that rare smile that’s reserved only for him. Then he kisses him slow and soft and sweet.
“Ok?” Kei questions against his lips.
“Yes! Yes yes yes...” Tadashi repeats again and again until Kei kisses him quiet.