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Tadashi’s vision was always perfectly normal.
“20/20 vision, the doctor said so himself!” A young Tadashi used to brag to Tsukishima, who wore glasses and was as blind as a bat for as long as he could remember.
Tadashi couldn't tell you when exactly that changed, it felt like one night he went to sleep with perfect vision, then the next he woke up with a slightly blurred point of view. Though of course, he knows that didn't happen. That ‘this event is highly unlikely,’ Tsukishima had told him as he drove Tadashi to his eye exam.
Looking back, Tadashi probably should have noticed sooner. Sometimes when his eyes got blurry and blinking really hard didn't help, he blamed it on his eyes being dry. Or sometimes when Tsukishima’s face looked slightly off above him in bed, he chalked it up to the bad lighting in their old apartment and moved on, trying to enjoy the task at hand as much as he could. The horrible migraines Tadashi would get at least three times a week should have a tell-tale sign in itself.
It wasn't until one day in the middle of September, right before Tsukki’s birthday, that Tadashi noticed something was actually wrong.
“What does that say?” Tadashi questioned, tucked under his boyfriend's arm, both of them stationed on their couch in the small living room of their one-bedroom apartment. In hindsight, they should get a bigger place, maybe even one that allows pets. But, this place was home, it had been since they graduated college almost 5 years ago, it didn't seem right to leave here just yet. Plus, their annoying best friends turned couple from high school, who were currently sitting on top of each other in the recliner, lived a few blocks down the street. It was a perfect fit.
“Where?” Hinata questioned from Kageyama’s lap occupying the recliner. “On the TV?”
The four of them sat in front of their TV watching an old volleyball game of theirs from their first year in high school, all of them reminiscing on old times.
“Yeah,” Tadashi confirmed, squinting his eyes at the glowing TV. “The blue school banner, I forgot what it says.”
“Rule the court?” Kageyama questioned, looking back at Tadashi. “What? Can you not read?”
Tadashi rolled his eyes in response and sat up against Tsukishima’s arm resting behind him. He blinked hard, squinted harder, and sighed the hardest. “I can read,” He defended, flipping the bird towards Kageyama, and by default Hinata on his lap. “We just need to get a new TV, this old one is shit, I can never read anything from here.”
Suddenly, someone had paused the game. All of them slowly turned to Tadashi.
“Tadashi,” Hinata started, latching his arm around Kageyama’s neck as they turned as a whole. “We can see the TV just fine.”
“Yeah,” Tadashi agreed, his brows now furrowed together in confusion. “Because you guys are closer to the TV, from here it's harder to see.” He started, turning towards Tsukishima sitting beside him. “Because it's broken.”
“Yamaguchi, that doesn't even make sense.” Kageyama deadpanned, Tadashi could almost hear his eye roll.
“Can you really not read that, Tadashi?” Tsukishima asked, letting his hand that was previously tucked behind Tadashi find its way back to his back. He rubbed softly between Tadashi’s shoulder blades.
“Yeah, because the TV is broken. We've had it since we moved here. It’s old as shit. Tsukki, we talk about it all the time, how it's a shit TV.” Tadashi spoke again, his confusion becoming greater as a smirk grew on Tsukishima’s face.
“Babe,” He started, letting his hand comfortably sit on the back of Tadashi’s neck. “That's a new TV. I got it a few days ago on my day off.”
“Oh,” Tadashi replied, looking back to the slightly blurry screen, just enough that he couldn't read the big letters draped across Aoba Johsai’s banner. “So you can read that from here?” He asked, turning back to Tsukishima.
“Yes.” He spoke plainly, leaning towards Tadashi slowly, the smirk on his lips growing. If he wasn't so confused as to what was going on, and slightly pissed off at Kei for not telling him, his stomach would have filled with butterflies.
“And you two can read it too?” Tadashi asked Thing #1 and Thing #2 on the recliner.
Hinata nodded quickly and looked at Kageyama, whose smirk was scarily matching the one of Tadashi's boyfriend's face.
“Clear as day,” Kageyama replied.
Hinata, who looked like he had just caught on to what was happening, jumped up in Kageyama’s lap and gasped. Tadashi, though, was still confused. Later, he would beat himself up for letting the air-headed couple figure it out before him.
“Oh, my god!” Hinata gasped, leaping out of his spot and over to the small kitchen.
Tsukishima poked the back of Tadashi’s head, catching his attention he turned back towards his smirking counterpart. As much as he loved it, right now that smirk was getting on his last nerve.
“You're scaring me,” Tadashi complained and for some reason was rewarded with a soft kiss.
Before Tsukishima could reply, Hinata was back in the living room with a handful of printer paper and a pen. He scribbled letters on the paper and stood near the TV, holding up the paper in front of him.
“Tadashi, what does this say?” Hinata asked.
“What do you mean, Sho. I’m telling you, it was the TV–” Tadashi sighed, turning his attention back towards the orange boy. “–What the fuck?” He cut himself off, as the letters on the paper were illegible, and not in the way that Hinata’s writing was messy, in a way that all the letters blurred together.
Hinata took a slight step closer, the letters didn't budge. Tadashi shook his head. Next to him, Tsukishima chuckled as Hinata stepped another step closer. Still nothing, he shook his head again. Another step, then another and it wasn't until Hinata was stationed at the coffee table, that Tadashi could finally read what was on the paper.
“Kageyama is hot .” He read, immediately hating as the words fell out of his mouth.
“Well thank you, Yamaguchi.” Kageyama teased, accompanied by Hinata finding his way back to his lap.
“Oh, god.” Tadashi groaned, finally realizing what was going on. He quickly turned to Tsukishima, who had a smile on his face as wide as the width of his glasses as he laughed in Tadashi’s dispense.
“Tadashi,” Tsukishima started, letting his hand to run through his mossy hair.
“Kei, don't say it,” Tadashi warned, realizing his boyfriend's face was slightly off, not as much as the lettering on the TV, but it was noticeable now that his attention was drawn to it.
“Shortcake,” Tsukishima teased, the nickname Tadashi loved so much felt sour in this context. “I think you need glasses.”
Tadashi groaned loudly as the words fell out of Tsukishima’s mouth, he hid his face in the crook of his warm neck.
“With old age,” Hinata spoke, though Tadashi is only 26, “comes bad eyesight.”
Tadashi’s eye exam, as it turned out, fell on Tsukishima’s birthday. He had been complaining about all week.
“C’mon, Tsukki! You don't want to spend your birthday at the eye doctor watching me get my eyes checked! We can spend it at Kageyama and Hinata’s! I heard they just got a dog, Yachi called me.” Tadashi begged while he poured himself some cereal three mornings before the exam. “Don't you want to spend your birthday with an adorable puppy?”
“I’m allergic to dogs,” Tsukishima lied, he really wasn't. “Plus, my greatest gift is watching you finally pay for all those years teasing me about my glasses.”
“Mrgh,” Tadashi had groaned as Tsukishima kissed down his stomach, two nights before his eye exam. “Don’t you want to be doing this on your birthday? Not in some stupid doctor’s office?” He forced out, his head dizzying from Tsukishima’s lips on his skin.
“Are you really talking about this?” Tsukishima asked, lifting his head from his position between Tadashi’s legs. “Right now?”
A day before Tadashi's eye exam, he got desperate.
“I’ll blow you if you don't make me go tomorrow.” He pleaded as they sat on the couch together.
“You’ll probably do that anyway,” Tsukishima smirked, his hand racking through Tadashi’s hair.
“I’ll buy you lunch for a week.” He tried.
“We literally share a bank account,” Tsukishima argued, a laugh forming in his throat.
Tadashi cursed at himself, he forgot they had done that a few months prior. Damn, stupid Tsukishima and his brain that remembered things.
“I don't want to go, Tsukki! Please!” He pleaded, climbing on top of his boyfriend of too many years, now.
Tsukishima still made him go.
“This is so fucking stupid,” Tadashi whined from the passenger seat. His body was turned towards the window as he complained, yet his hand was still intertwined with Tsukishima’s as he drove. “This is all your fault.” He scowled, looking over to the driver’s side. It really wasn't, Tadashi just needed someone to blame.
“Okay, how?” Tsukishima replied, bringing Tadashi’s hand up to his mouth, peppering kissing across each of his fingers. “You’ll live, Tadashi. Stop being so dramatic.”
Tadashi ignored him altogether, though his heart fluttered as Tsukishima’s lips grazed against his skin. “Did you know they emailed me this morning and said I need to get my pupils dilated? Dilated!” He emphasized for dramatic effect. “Not only am I going to spend my boyfriend's 27th birthday in a doctor’s office, I probably won't even get to see his face for half of it! I curse this day and these stupid eyes!”
In response, Tsukishima let out a laugh. “I’m surprised you could even read the email.” He teased, smirking over at Tadashi while they were stopped at a stoplight.
“I fucking hate you,” Tadashi replied, staring blankly back at Tsukishima who was getting too much joy out of this.
“No, you don't.”
“I know,” Tadashi whined again, pressing a kiss to Tsukishima’s lips before he started driving.
For some scary reason, Tadashi thought getting your eyes dilated would hurt. Maybe rekindling their friendship with Kageyama and Hinata and hanging out with them almost every day was taking a toll on Tadashi.
The exam went fine. Tsukishima, who actually is way needier than he comes across, held Tadashi’s hand the entire time.
“See? Not bad at all.” Tsukki spoke up once the doctor left the room after dropping the dilation eye drops into his eyes. Tadashi scowled at Tsukishima for the unintentional pun. No Tsukishima, I can't see, thank you very much! His vision was already starting to blur as his pupils got larger and larger. Thankfully, they had let Tadashi pick out which frames he wanted before he was completely blinded for the day.
He picked out dainty wireframes, they curved at the bottom and then formed into a straight line at the top, connecting in the middle and at the ends with a warm shade of brown that complimented Tadashi’s hair. (Tsukki’s words, not his.) Frankly, Tadahi thought he looked dumb with the glasses on, but they were the ones that didn't look the most ridiculous.
After signing paperwork and filling out their home address for the glasses to be shipped to once they were finished, the pair left the medical office and headed home. Despite it being an overcast day, Tadashi had to wear a stupid pair of special sunglasses to protect his dilated pupils from the harmful sun rays. As they walked through the lobby of the office, and back out to Tsukki’s car, Tadashi had to latch onto his arm as they walked, since the whole world to him looked like a big huge blob of color.
Everyone looked like gigantic blob, stick people as their hair blended into their clothes. Though, Tadashi bets, he could still pick Hinata and his bright orange hair out, even in this condition. The thought made Tadashi laugh. He told Tsukishima this much as he was loaded into the car, causing the birthday boy to laugh alongside him.
The ride back home was boring, as expected. He couldn't make out what was going on on his phone as it buzzed in his pocket. (Somehow, he ended up being able to find the camera to take more than a few funny pictures of himself with his giant glasses on. He made a mental note to look at them later when his eyes returned to normal.)
“Do you look older?” Tadashi asked as Tsukishima sat him down on the couch once they got back home. “Oh, my god. You're 27 and I can't even see you. I bet you look so handsome right now. I can't believe I’m missing this!” Tadashi’s eyes followed Kei’s blob into, what he could only assume was the kitchen. What was he kidding? Of course, it was the kitchen. After living here for almost five years, Tadashi could navigate this place with his eyes closed.
“You're too much, Tadashi.” Tsukishima groaned from the kitchen. “Your eyesight will be back in six hours. Though I am going to miss those funky sunglasses.” He cooed, making his way over to the couch carrying a clear glass of water Tadashi could barely make out. “You look cute in them.”
“Tsukki, if you compliment me more, I’ll be even more pissed at you,” Tadashi argued, though he never wanted it to stop. Tsukishima slung his arm around Tadashi’s shoulders, pulling him into his chest. “Don't think you can make up for making me do this today by calling me cute. It’s not gonna work.”
“Yes, it will,” Tsukki replied, planting a kiss on Tadashi’s head.
“I know.”
Surprisingly, for his birthday, Tsukishima wanted to hang out with Kageyama and Hinata, and their cute dog. Though, Tadashi couldn't tell if it was cute or not, because he couldn't fucking see. It could be a horrible ugly monster for all he knows. He kind of hopes it is. He hopes it's ugly and mean and tears all of their mean faces off. This was just cruel.
As if today couldn't get any worse, Yachi surprised Tsukishima by showing up with Kageyama and Hinata. Tadashi was more than excited that she was here, he hadn't seen Yachi in years. Though that was the thing, not only could he not see his hot boyfriend on his birthday, nor his annoying best friends’ annoyingly cute dog, but now he couldn't physically see his beautiful best friend he hadn't seen in years.
Tsukishima is so fucking cruel, if Tadashi actually had the willpower to punish him for this, he would. But, he didn't.
“You look so fucking dumb with those on.” Kageyama laughed as they entered the already cramped apartment, Hinata, the dog, and Yachi trailing behind him.
“You look dumb, always!” Tadashi pouted from the couch, shoving his middle finger towards the door. He hoped Kageyama was one of the blobs by the door.
Based on his response, he was. “You can't see me so how would you know.” He shot back, Tadashi crossed his arms and sunk further into the couch. Only four more hours to go. “Why didn't we all meet up at our place? This place is too small for this many people.” Kageyama complained.
“Tobio!” Hinata defended, placing the excited puppy on the floor. “Yamaguchi is incapasitated, be nice.” He teased.
“I hate all of you so much,” Tadashi complained more.
“Even me?” Yachi’s beautiful, angelic voice rang from in front of him. Tadashi turned to the short blonde blob in front of him and opened his arms wide, a smile stretching on his face that was miles wide.
“No! Hitoka you beautiful creature, I could never hate you!” Tadashi glowed, followed by the girl falling into his arms, laughing as she did. It was music to Tadashi’s ears. He hugged her tightly against his chest, beaming as they hugged. Though he couldn't see her, he was grateful she was even here at all. “Oh, my god, I missed you my little sunshine.”
Yachi and Tadashi always had a strong bond, all throughout high school and even into adulthood. Tadashi loved Yachi almost as much as he loved Kei. Different kind of love, but never-the-less.
“Hey,” Tsukishima defended, sitting on the couch beside the two best friends. “I'm the birthday boy. Don't go stealing my boyfriend, Yachi.”
The two laughed together, only grabbing onto each other tighter.
“Any other day can she steal me though?” Tadashi joked, shoving his feet onto Tsukishima’s lap. “She's just so damn cute, I can't help myself.”
“You're not wrong.” Tsukki laughed, placing a gentle hand on Tadashi’s calf.
Yachi laughed and seated herself on the couch next to Tadashi. “You wish,” She teased, pinching his cheek. “I love you, Tadashi. But, my lesbianism is too intact. Good luck breaking down these walls.”
All four boys laughed, even the dog running ramped through their small apartment barked.
As the day progressed, and it rained for the first time in the season, all five friends talked like nothing had changed since high school. Except a lot had. Hell, Tadashi was getting glasses for crying out loud! The world was probably coming to an end.
Slowly, (and even two hours earlier than the doctors had said), Tadashi’s vision returned to its rightful glory. Still slightly blurry, but what he was used to. Finally, he could take off those dumb glasses. Hinata insisted on keeping them for safekeeping. Though, it was because he just thought they were cool and wore them for the rest of the evening. Thankfully, Yachi still looked beautiful as she always had. Hinata and Kageyama’s dog wasn't a horrible monster, but a delightful Shih Tzu. And, Tsukishima looked as handsome as he did every day.
Everything felt right in the world as the rain pattered against their window. Tsukishima was a year older, Tadashi’s eyes were in the works of getting fixed, and his four best friends in the whole world were all in one room. A room that belonged to Tsukishima and himself, the couple that shared a bank account, the couple that drove to eye exams together and held hands the entire time, the couple that had been together since their senior year of high school.
Maybe this day wasn't as horrible as Tadashi once thought it was. Maybe, just maybe, it was pretty amazing after all.
They were all getting older, faster than any of them would have hoped, but one thing stayed the same. The bond between the previous crows of Karasuno was just as strong as it had ever been, and for that, Tadashi felt like the luckiest guy in the world.
Two days after his eye exam, and Tsukishima’s impromptu birthday gathering at their apartment, Tadashi’s glasses arrived.
Yachi had stayed in town a day after Tsukishima’s birthday before returning to her apartment across Tokyo. Tadashi insisted that she come back for his birthday in November. Immediately, she accepted the invitation.
“Look what came,” Tsukishima smirked as he leaned on the door of their bedroom. Tadashi was still lazily in bed, even though he woke up hours ago, the rain that still beat outside their window caused his laziness. Tsukki held up a brown box that had a small drawing of an eye on the side.
Tadashi groaned and threw a pillow over his face, hoping to suffocate.
“Keiiiiiiii!” He drew out Tsukishima’s name, whining as he came closer to the bed. “I’m gonna look so stupid, baby! You're gonna break up with me and leave me and then I’m not gonna have anyone to love with my dumbass glasses and I’ll be alone forever.” He complained, sitting up in bed and crossing his arms over his bare chest as Tsukishima sat in front of him.
“You complain too much for your own good.” Tsukishima laughed, opening the box that contained Tadashi’s glasses. “You like my glasses don't you? What’s the difference if you have some now.”
“ The difference ,” Tadashi enunciated, “is that you look sexy with your glasses. You literally always have, they look amazing on your stupid handsome face. I’m probably gonna look like a fucking dork with mine on.”
“We won't know until you try them on,” Tsukishima spoke as he pulled the brand new glasses out of their case. He carefully handed them to Tadashi, making sure not to smudge to new lenses. “Go on then, try them on. You want to see don't you?”
Tadashi slowly unfolded the glasses and closed his eyes, slipping the dainty frame onto his face. After a few moments of hesitation, he opened his eyes back up to see Tsukishima’s grinning face, clear as it had been in years in front of him. Tadashi hadn't even realized how long his vision had been wrong until this moment, when he saw their entire bedroom sparkling in high definition.
“Holy shit,” Tadashi gaped, looking around the place. “We really have to dust.”
Tsukishima laughed.
“Tsukki!” He realized, “ Kageyama is hot! Go get it!”
“What?” Tsukishima questioned, his eyebrows drawing together. “Why are you calling Kageyama hot?”
“Dipshit!” Tadashi yelled, pointing toward the living room. For straight-A student when they were in school, Tsukishima sure was thick sometimes. “The paper! Go get it and stand by the door. I wanna read it.”
Tsukishima sighed, relieved Tadashi didn't actually think Kageyama was hot, (not that he ever would), and quickly ran into the living room. Almost instantly, he materialized back at the door.
“Ready?” He asked. Tadashi nodded eagerly. Tsukishima revealed the paper in Hinata’s messy writing from the week before in front of him. Though the penmanship was rough, he could read the phrase clear as day.
“ Kageyama is hot, Kageyama is hot, Kageyama is hot!” Tadashi shouted, throwing his arms in the air triumphantly. Tsukishima laughed loudly, joining Tadashi on the bed as he celebrated. Tadashi planted a big kiss on his lips, their glasses clinked together as they kissed.
“Okay, now please–” Tsukishima started, promptly cut off by another small peck on his lips. “Never say those words again.”
“Deal,” Tadashi agreed, grabbing Tsukishima’s wrist and tugging him on top of him. Tadashi laid back as Tsukishima caught himself on his hand, now hovering over the boy.
Tsukishima’s face went blank as he stared at Tadashi below him. His mouth hung open slightly, quirked up at the edge. Tadashi, went beet red.
Oh god! This is it! He’s gonna break up with me because he realized I look so dorky in my glasses and then I’m never gonna get laid again. Yamaguchi Tadashi is a dead man walking!
“What?” Tadashi asked, looking up at his boyfriend hovering over him. “Are you laughing at me because I look dumb in these?” He asked, instantly taking the glasses off. The vision change was disorienting at first, then his eyes adjusted. “Please don't break up with me. I swear I have other redeemable qualities!”
“Tadashi,” Tsukishima laughed, (he laughed!), taking the glasses from his hands and sliding them back onto his nose. “Please shut up.”
“Why?” Tadashi asked, his entire body now lighting up red as Tsukishima smirked down onto him. “So you can make fun of me? Tell me I look dumb? So you can break up with me?”
Tsukishima shook his head and slid his hand onto Tadashi’s face, his palm cupping his flushed cheek as the pad of his thumb ran over the freckles sticking out from under his new glasses.
“No.” Tsukki started, placing a small, but hungry kiss on Tadashi’s lips. “So I can tell you you look hot.”
Tadashi’s heart pounded in his chest, his arms snaked around Tsukishima’s neck, eyes entranced by the look on his face. Tadashi felt like with this clear vision he could snap a picture just with his eyes. Seeing Tsukki this clear, hoving above him like this, left him speechless.
“You think?” Tadashi asked, heart pounding so hard in his head he could barely hear himself. Tsukishima, though, he heard loud and clear.
“Mhm,” He nodded, leaning down to press a wet his on Tadashi’s bare neck. He leaned his head to the side, hands traveling into Tsukishima’s blonde short hair. “So hot, baby,” Tsukishima smirked against his skin.
The noise Tadashi let out after that was not one he’s proud of. Maybe there was more than one plus side to this whole glasses thing.
Turned out, in the end, though Tadashi thought it would be the opposite, his new glasses got him laid. From that point on, he had a new appreciation for the glasses that sat on top of his nose day by day.
(The being able to see was a plus, as well.)