Work Text:
it's 11:50, and tobio wonders if he should have pulled a shouyou and run off to the bathroom. tsukishima's thigh is too hot where it presses to his, too present; would it be weird to shift? are they sitting as close as he feels they are? he's convinced that the second he moves, everyone will know what he's thinking, that his heart will be lain out on his sleeve.
he glances over; he's overthinking things, probably. tsukishima seems plenty composed, glass in his hand. the charm bracelet glints under the lights, seeming to mock him; were it not for the thin silver chain around his own neck, the carved crow's feather resting over his buttons, he'd be able to convince himself he hadn't meant anything by it. that it was just bought for tsukishima's birthday, not on a whim in november-- too late for that, and too early for their spur of the moment christmas plans.
platonic christmas plans. nevermind that it's a couples holiday. didn't it make sense, when they were both back in japan for such a short time around the holidays and no one to spend them with? when it would be troublesome to take the train twice in one day? and the cake-- strawberry was tsukishima's favorite. that was the only reason tobio had picked it up. he can explain away everything but the bracelet and the necklace and his own racing heart as tsukishima's eyes slide to meet his, as the man offers him a slight incline of his head.
tobio nods back awkwardly, averting his gaze and tugging at his collar. his hand slides down instead to fiddle with the little feather, metal cool on his fingers, as the party continues on outside of their little bubble. people are starting to crowd in front of the clock, a found family where family can't be found or reached when they all travel so much nowadays; a party was only fitting, it felt. he's lost enough in his thoughts that he doesn't snap back to his anxieties until akaashi is quieting people, the clock ticking to 11:59:30, and the energy is palpable.
he tells himself that now's the time to go; it's just the two of them here, thirty seconds to the new year. they should at least be joining the crowd, not be two of the only stragglers. but he's stuck to the spot, unable to force his legs to carry him away from-- from what, exactly?
ten
he runs the pendant along its chain, eyes stuck to the floor.
nine
someone takes a champagne bottle from hinata, before he bursts it open too early.
eight
tsukishima shifts, and tobio's eyes are drawn back to the movement.
seven
there they sit: tobio fiddling with his pendant, tsukishima's thumb smoothing over the little charms on his bracelet.
six
tobio opens his mouth, closes it, gauges tsukishima's expression out of the corner of his eye.
five
he tries not to interpret the look on tsukishima's face, because any assumptions he might arrive at make his palms sweat.
four
they don't say anything.
three
they don't move.
two
tobio brings his eyes up, finally, to meet tsukishima's.
one
the muted noise in the room bursts into whoops and cheers. people kiss and drink and celebrate around them, and the two stay seated on the couch: thighs pressed together, eyes locked, bodies still.
it's tobio who breaks the spell, a few seconds later; he nudges their thighs, just enough to be more than a shift of weight. "happy new year, tsukishima."
nothing's changed, but everything's different. tsukishima blinks once, and tobio feels himself finally breathe.
"happy new year, kageyama."