Chapter Text
It was early fall, the leaves on the trees had just started to turn a variety of breathtaking yellows, reds, and oranges. It was Yamaguchi's favorite time of the year for multiple reasons, but mostly because when it started to turn colder, Tsukishima wanted to cuddle more. It also meant that he was able to stay over at Tsukishima's house more, since Tsukki never made him walk back home in the cold. They usually hung out at his house after school and practice anyways. His friend would often worry about his health, which Yamaguchi thought was kind of cute, saying that he would catch a cold if he were to walk home so late at night. Yamaguchi would just happily accept the offers of staying the night, since he really didn't want to go home— for multiple reasons. Reasons that he could never talk about to anyone, not even to Tsukki. When the blonde got curious and questioned him about his family or his home life, since he made quite an effort to hide it from him, it took all his willpower to keep a straight face and lie to him. He hated lying to Tsukki, but it was definitely better than having to deal with his stepfather finding out that he told someone about what happens at home.
Yamaguchi sat on the steps to Tsukishima's house, swinging his legs back and forth as he waited for his friend. While he waited, he admired how beautiful Tsukki's yard was. The green grass was full of scattered brightly colored leaves. He couldn't help but giggle to himself as he remembered a few years back when they decided to make piles of leaves and jump into them. The way the blonde boy's cheeks reddened as they accidentally fell on top of each other as they threw themselves into the piles of leaves. Constant giggles and flashes of Tsukki's beautiful smile clouded his mind. The memory was so vivid and serene it seemed as if it was just yesterday.
Suddenly saddened by the thought of how happy and carefree they both were years ago, his smile faltered once he heard the door slam shut behind him. Turning his head, he saw a bored looking blonde staring back at him. Yamaguchi quickly put a wide smile back on his face, standing up to greet his friend. He noticed a dark blue scarf tucked around his friend's neck and wondered if his mother had forced him to wear it. Biting his lip, he refrained from mentioning it.
"Morning Tsukki!" Yamaguchi's too perky for morning voice rang through the brisk autumn air. His friend just responded with an inaudible mumble and started to walk down the driveway, not bothering to wait for him. The brunette's smile fell, turning into a small pout as he raced to catch up with his friend. He knew the blonde was not a morning person, but still.
"Tsukki—wait!" Yamaguchi yelled from behind, grabbing onto the taller one's hand and threading his cold, freckled fingers through Tsukishima's softer, warmer fingers. Frowning, he looked up at Tsukki only to find his golden eyes already staring down at him.
"Tsukki you really need to learn how to communicate in the morning," The freckled boy puffed his cheeks at him in annoyance, his hand squeezing Tsukki's for some sort of response. It was often the blonde didn't say a word to him in the mornings, but it didn't bother him too much. He just enjoyed the comfort of his friend's presence.
"I did communicate, you just don't have ears." Tsukishima murmured, focusing his gaze back in front of him.
"Yes I do!" Yamaguchi shot back, glaring back at his friend who mocked his lack of attention span. "Why are you always so mean in the morning?"
"It's not called being mean, it's called stating the obvious." The blonde's voice stayed relatively monotone as he spoke, despite his sharp tongue.
Yamaguchi opened his mouth to shoot back another comment, but he was stopped by his friend's worried glance at his neck out the corner of his eye. Furrowing his eyebrows, he put a hand to his neck and abruptly realized why his friend had been staring by the way the area stung to the touch. He stopped, unthreading his fingers from Tsukki's and dropping his head to the ground.
"Tadashi, why does your neck have red scratches all over it?" Tsukishima stopped along with him, coming closer to observe the wounds. The handprints that surrounded the boy's pale freckled neck looked red and irritated.
The blonde didn't need to think twice, his observant mind already piecing together the puzzle.
Yamaguchi shook his head, using his hands to cover the red marks on his neck even though they stung terribly. "It's just a scratch, Tsukki." Yamaguchi's voice had turned from lively to hoarse in a matter of seconds.
Tsukishima narrowed his intimidating golden eyes that he knew made Yamaguchi uncomfortable when he was lying.
"I-It's really nothing to worry about. I just must have accidentally scratched myself in my sleep or something. I do have pretty long fingernails," Yamaguchi choked out a forced laugh, but the blonde could clearly see the tears welling up in the freckled boy's brown eyes.
"Do you really think I'm that stupid?" The blonde countered irritably, immediately regretting the harsh tone of voice when he saw the shorter boy's eyes squeeze shut in dread.
"Y-You can't tell anyone about this, okay? Tsukki, please!" He pleaded, his voice timid as his shoulders shook with fear. Flashbacks started replaying in his head that refused to stop, pain radiating throughout his whole body as he induced his step father's blows. The sting of the back of his hand against his cheek to the tightening hands against his neck. He could feel the pain, even when it wasn't there physically. He could see the fury in his stepfather's eyes. His stepfather had warned him time after time that if the word had ever gotten out, they'd have to move to a different town and he'd never get to see Tsukki again. He'd probably go through much worse then than he was going through now. His heart raced at the thought and he grabbed at his friend's hand again for reassurance that he was still there.
"Don't leave," Yamaguchi's voice sounded so fragile and needy, gripping Tsukki's hand tighter.
The blonde let out an exasperated sigh as he began to unravel his scarf with one hand, while he squeezed Yamaguchi's hand back with the other. He placed the scarf over Yamaguchi's shoulders, gently wrapping it as carefully as he could around his neck to avoid irritation. Tsukishima listened to the freckled boy blubber nonsense as he adjusted the scarf to cover the wounds, but soon stopped as he saw the tears streaming down his muddy, freckled cheeks.
"Yams," Tsukishima spoke softly to the other boy, but he kept rambling, ignoring everything and everyone around them as if he were in his own world. He rolled his eyes, kneeling down to place a steady hand on Yamaguchi's shoulders. He had to get him to stop before anyone started to take notice. Wiping the fresh tears on Yamaguchi's cheeks away with his thumb, Tsukishima rubbed small, comforting circles on his temples to sooth him.
"Tadashi, stop. I'm not going to tell anyone, but just please calm down for fucks sake. You're starting to make a scene."
The smaller boy sniffled at the sound of his name, finally opening his eyes to see Tsukishima's staring back at him, silently telling him to stay calm as people started to pass by them. The brunette nodded, wiping his nose and eyes with the back of his sleeve.
"I think I-I'm okay now, thank you Tsukki." Yamaguchi's hiccuped, his voice thick with tears, but still managed to give Tsukki a small, sad smile. The fact that Tsukki had just witnessed him having a breakdown was embarrassing, but he felt oddly better about his situation now that someone he trusted knew. He concluded that he wouldn't have to lie to Tsukki anymore, which made his heart throb.
"We'll still have to talk about this later, but we can wait until you calm down more," The blonde's voice sounded distant in his ears while his mind raced with anxiety, but he just nodded, hugging Tsukki's arm securely as they picked up their pace and started walking to school again as if nothing happened.