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Tsukishima wasn't the touchy-feely type, or at least, he didn't look it. He avoided most if not all attempts at contact, from fist bumps from his teammate to bumping into people in the hall to fingers brushing when he handed back papers.
He didn't like touching people, he told himself. And he didn't, really, he didn't. Only...
Tadashi was the exception.
He didn't know exactly when it became routine for them, but he definitely knew he never wanted it to stop. He would only reach out for Yamaguchi when they were alone, preferably in either one of their homes. Still looking at his phone with music blaring in his ears, he would silently reach his hand out and beckon for Yamaguchi to join him. He would pull him down so they were both situated comfortably on the couch or the bed, depending on the situation, Yamaguchi's back pressed up against Tsukishima's chest.
He never blushed, never stuttered; never showed any signs of embarrassment at all when he reached out for Yamaguchi, because for him, it had almost become a reflex. If they were alone, he would pull his friend (best and only friend) down so they were cuddling together. Sometimes they would do homework in that position, or just read. More often than not, Yamaguchi would end up falling asleep in Tsukishima's arms, and of course it wasn't like he minded.
Yamaguchi never questioned it.
Not out loud at least.
It first happened back when they first met. After patching Yamaguchi up from the encounter with his bullies, seeing Yamaguchi's tears elicited a response that he had inadvertently picked up from his caring mother.
Tsukishima pulled pulled the smaller boy into his arms, finally getting them wiggled into a position on their sides, limbs mingling.
“U-Uh...Tsukishima-kun?” Yamaguchi breathed out, and Tsukishima couldn't see his expression with his chin hooked over the smaller boy's had, but he knew it was probably shock.
“W-What are you doing?”
“Shut up and stop crying, it's annoying me.”
He could feel a small grin against his collarbone and nearly grinned himself—nearly being the key word—when Yamaguchi clung to the front of his shirt.
So it continued like that. When Yamaguchi began to wonder if they should stop doing this weird cuddle session thingys since they were graduating from middle school and probably should be worrying about getting girlfriends to cuddle with, because Yamaguchi was almost positive that two male friends didn't often have cuddle sessions together. But Tsukishima didn't stop.
When Yamaguchi began to hesitate Tsukishima's beckoning, Tsukishima would just are at him right in the eyes and say, “Tadashi” in a tone that left no room for arguing, and Yamaguchi would stammer out a “Sorry, Tsukki!” and wiggle into his customary cuddling position.
Then things started to get awkward.
High School brought volleyball club, and volleyball club brought training camps. When it was time to retire for the night Yamaguchi would always follow Tsukishima to wherever he decided he wanted to put his futon, and Yamaguchi would take his customary spot next to him. They started off on two different futons, but by the time morning came and they awoke to the rambunctious laughter of Tanaka, their two futons had become overlapped with one another, their blankets mingling and their legs entwined. One of Tsukishima's hands was around Yamaguchi's head, absentmindedly running through his hair while the other was wrapped around Yamaguchi's waist.
Yamaguchi, on the other hand, was pressed up against Tsukishima's chest, hands clenched onto his friend's shirt.
“BWAHAHAHA, WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS, MAN?” Tanaka screamed, pointing a finger at the two boys. “WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS someone take picture, quick, we need blackmail for whem Tsukishima pisses me off again.”
“No,” Sugawara said frmly, but secretly Nishinoya had already taken a picture, much to Asahi's silent horror.
“Why the fuck is everyone so loud,” Tsukishima growled, upset at being awoken so abruptly.
At his chest Yamaguchi whimpered in his sleep and clutched onto his shirt tighter, still dead to the world.
“Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N—HEY!” Hinata began singing, only to be quickly cut off by a sharp slap delivered to the back of his head by Kageyama.
“Shut up, you idiot!” Kageyama hissed.
“Be quiet, you two!” Daichi hissed. “Just go get ready!”
And as it always seemed to happen with the duo, it became a race to see who could get ready first.
Yamaguchi, finally waking up due to the rambunctious attitude of most of the team, began to awaken, rubbing his eyes and yawning.
“Tsukki? What's--” he suddenly realized the embarrassing situation they had been caught in, quickly scrambling up and away, eyes wide. He began looking from one teammate to another, his face steadily becoming redder as he realized just how many of his teammates were stifling laughs at their unexpected intimacy.
“It—it—I wasn't—I mean—that was uh...--I mean--”
“Yamaguchi, shut up, you look like a fish with your mouth gaping open like that,” Tsukishima said, already getting up and folding his futon.
“Sorry, Tsukki!”
Tsukishima didn't acknowledge him or his words, getting his stuff to get ready. Yamaguchi was left scrambling after him to catch up, wondering why he was the only one embarrassed by this.
A few weeks later, with Tsukishima and Yamaguchi laying on the couch, lazily watching tv while Tsukishima played with Yamaguchi's hair, Tadashi finally worked up the courage to ask him.
“...T-Tsukki...why do you...do this?”
“Do what?” Tsukisima answered lazily, not stopping his hands in the smaller boy's hair.
“Well...this,” he said, gesturing to them and their position. “The...uh...cuddling and stuff.” It made him blush to actually say it out loud, but that's what they were doing, right? Cuddling?
“Because I like it.”
Yamaguchi blinked, unsure what he expected to get for an answer.
“...Why?”
Tsukishima sighed. Tearing his hands away from Yamaguchi's hair and sliding his headphones, the music barely playing, around his neck, he said in a monotone, bored sounding voice, “Tadashi.”
The shock of Tsukishima saying his first name was enough to get him to turn around, eyes wide with confusion.
Tsukishima pressed their lips together, holding Yamaguchi's jaw lightly so he wouldn't pull away. Not that Yamaguchi was planning on doing so anytime soon. A shock went through his body when their lips connected, while Tsukishima only felt rightness, like this was what he had been wanting to do almost the whole time.
The kiss was chaste, and lasted only a few seconds, but it seemed to last an eternity for Yamaguchi. When Tsukishima puled back, Tadashi dazedly turned back around and rested against Tsukishia's chest, blinking.
“Oh,” he said, realization finally dawning upon him.
“Yeah.” Tsukishima pulled his headphones back up.
They finally seemed right now
“Does this mean I get to call you 'Kei' now?”
“Absolutely not.”