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Yamaguchi didn’t know what it was about Tsukkishima, but it was something about him that drew him in. something about how his glasses left small dimples on his nose because of the weight, something about the way he always knew how to stay one step ahead of his opposing team and something about how he always had my back. Or maybe it was something else entirely. Whatever it was, he was addicted to it.
“Yams, study night it mine remember?” the stern but warm voice shook me out of my swooning. His voice, that was one of the somethings as well. warm like cinnamon… “Yamaguchi, you there?” Oh yeah right, focus Yams. “yeah Tsukki! How about we watch a movie after?” the tall blonde gave a small nod before he walked off to the bathroom. I went off to the court to train a bit more before nationals.
Yet another something. His nerdy room in the attic of the Tsukkishima household. It had a skylight where they spent countless nights looking at the constellations at. He’d point them out and I’d admire them. Once he told me you could see them in my freckles too. It was good it was at night when he said that because I don’t think I stopped blushing for half an hour. He said it so casually, so genuinely and so purely. This voice was different when we were alone, less harsh. He didn’t have his usual walls up around me. No, with me he was kind, fun and warm. Warm like cinnamon. Recently I started noticing he was getting more sweet too? I don’t really know how to place that yet but it made me feel all soft and loved and I loved it when that happened. His sweetness was like honey, it stuck with me for a long time and I always wanted more. He took the time to admire his dinosaur collection before he sat down and took his homework out. After all these years he still loved them. It was sweet, like honey.
“by the way, my parents are spending the weekend in Tokyo visiting Akiteru, so if you want we can have a sleepover, like old times sake?” he sounded, shy? Why was he suddenly the shy one, that’s my job. ”Oh fun! What shall we do for dinner? let me just quickly tell my parents hold on!!” he gave me a nod, as in permission to text my parents. He always seemed to nod instead of just using his words to agree on stuff. Yet another something. We decided to order some takeout and pick out a movie. We made a huge pillow and blanket ford on the floor beneath his skylight, so we could stargaze later. I let him pick the movie which obviously was Jurassic Park. His favorite movie. “hey Tsukki? I uh, I have an early birthday present for you… do you want it now or should I just wait?” a small blush peeked through on his skin, barely visible in the soft light of the burning candles, but still visible enough to be noticeable. He nodded, consenting to wanting it now and set up in the fort. I went on and grabbed the small dinosaur pendent, with the date we first met engraved in the back. It’s subtle but special, just like that sweet blush he had just now. Just like honey…
I took place across from him. Our knees touched ever so slightly, warm against my own skin when it touched his. Just as warm as cinnamon. “close your eyes.”
He sighed and locked eyes with me. “can’t I just take of my glasses, I won’t be able to see then anyway.”
This immediately sent me into a giggle fit, automatically covering my face with my hands.
“don’t hide your smile Yams, it makes you shine.” Tsukki, blunt, straightforward and gloomy Tsukki just said WHAT?! I could tell he started to blush right after telling me that, sweet. “a-anyways, just hold out your hands. Here, it’s not that big or anything bu-“
I abruptly stopped rambling when I saw him looking at the pendent in awe. He wondered the details of the dinosaur like it was the most beautiful this he’d ever seen. He softly traced the spikes with his fingers before he finally turned it over and saw the engravement.
“Yams is this, i-is this this really the first date we met? October 12th 2001? You remembered too?” I’m truly flabbergasted that he remembered. Tsukkishima ‘I don’t do traditions’ Kei. Tsukkishima ‘I don’t really care about special days’ Kei. How?? I got shaken out of my thoughts by two strong and slender arms wrapped around my waist. I immediately wrapped mine around his mostly out of shock. What is happening? He’s not the type to hug someone.
“uh Tsukki? Are you okay? Run me through your thoughts here.” He chuckled and hugged me closer. “I can’t believe after all this time you still didn’t pick up on it Yams, you idiot.” He let go of the hug and grabbed my hands, intertwining our fingers. They were bigger then mine, they felt both rough and soft at the same time. I looked up at him to see him gazing right back at me. From his gaze I could tell what he meant. I feel like on some level we both already knew it back then. He’s my person, the one I want to have with me forever, never letting them go. We just work and we both know it. The world seems so slow down to peaceful flow when we are around each other and I think that is just the thing that love does to a person. To make you feel like you’re both floating above the world and walking on it like a king. To make you feel like you can do and say anything and it being accepted. Being loved for being you to the core. That’s us. That’s our sweetness like honey and warmth like cinnamon.