Chapter Text
“Just play it!" Kei pauses Yachi’s newest vlog ten minutes in, staring curiously at the strange boy standing in front of a keyboard he's clearly just put down not too far from Yachi’s familiar face in the frame of the shot. The setting is different from her usual vlogs, in a cluttered bedroom with boxes stacked in the corners. Yachi had mentioned helping a friend move, both in person to Kei earlier in the week and at the start of her vlog. Kei hadn't thought much of it, and it's clear she was telling the truth if the boxes strewn around the background of the video is any indication. The guy in frame is unfamiliar to Kei, but then again he doesn't know all of Yachi's friends, so it isn't all that unusual he doesn't know who this is. Normally Kei isn't a fan, but he likes to give his friends the view time because he knows himself how hard it can be to get views. He clicks play again once he’s regained some sense of the scene, curious. Yachi’s giggle instantly fills his ears, loud and melodic and Tsukishima smiles lightly at his laptop screen.
"Yachi you said you’d help me unpack,” The boy whines, hiding his face in his hands. "Please, after we get everything done I will."
“Ta-chan, please?”
“Fine.” Yachi giggles at her friend's exhausted response, and hums a note. He somewhat begrudgingly hits the key that matches it, his face going almost stone cold-- the change makes Yachi squeal in excitement at the tune he begins playing, his fingers moving deftly, meaningfully.
It was a simple tune, and Tsukishima had learned the same one on his violin a while ago; ironically enough, because it's one of Yachi's favorites. He quite liked the song, and he hums along to the melody coming from the piano. Then Yachi starts singing, her face barely in view of the camera she held, angled to show both her and the mysterious boy, though the angle mostly on him and the empty room they're in. Tsukishima watches the way the boy nods his head to the beat, and the way Yachi smiles brightly when he plays one of her favorite lines-- a fact Tsukishima knows because the line was scribbled across almost every surface in her apartment.
Kei hates to admit, but he stops focusing on Yachi all together, instead watching the brunet boy playing the piano diligently by her side. He plays it well enough, his technique definitely that of someone home trained, but not at all untalented-- and he was pretty, which helps him if he misses any notes. Kei, even with his classical training, can't hear a slipped note, because he's too busy watching the stranger's face…With the freckles lining his cheeks, to the dimples at his smile lines, he looks like he hasn't been sad in his lifetime, which is befitting for a friend of Yachi's. The woman in question almost always has that same sunshine smile on her face, on and off camera.
Kei is so caught up in looking at the boy that when he starts singing too, he’s taken aback some. Though, he suspects that anyone could be taken aback at a voice like that coming from such a small person. He sings the harmony to Yachi’s melody, his voice somehow able to reach higher notes that Tsukishima would never be able to reach without a kick to the groin. He’s sure his jaw visibly drops, but he can’t tell, because he’s still 100% focused on the screen in front of him. He's lucky Akiteru went home from his visit yesterday, because he's sure he'd feel a familiar teenage shame if he were caught having such a reaction.
The boy and Yachi harmonize and Tsukishima has to remind himself to breathe because this guy really is taking his breath away, which is an unfamiliar and strange feeling. They get to the final verse and Tsukishima dreads it because he wants to hear more from him, more piano, more of his voice, and did this kid play any other instruments–
“Can you help me unpack now?”
“One more?”
“Yes, please,” Tsukishima breathes.
“Yachiii,”
“Fine..."
The camera clicks out with another giggle from Yachi, and Tsukishima just stares at the computer in awe. Then his eyes fall to the description bar and he clicks the read more, sifting through Yachi’s rambling of apologies for not having any videos out, here’s a video I got today while at a friend’s house, blah blah blah, here’s his links. Tsukishima instantly clicks on the link and is redirected to his youtube channel. Tsukishima clicks the first video that pops up and sees it’s just been posted the day before.
“Morninggg,” The boy yawns into the camera, bare shoulders wrapped up with a blanket. He’s in a different room than Yachi’s vlog, but there’s no bed, just a blanket on the floor, and everything’s in boxes littered around the room. “It’s moving day, and I’m having some friends help me get everything in the van. Makoto came over yesterday with some of his friends and helped me get the piano over there, which I’m glad for, and he and Yachi are coming over in a few. I’ve just woken up and realized how late it is, so I don’t have as much time to get dressed today before–”
A doorbell rings and the boy sighs, smiling shyly at the camera. “…I guess I had less time than I thought.” He giggles. “Be right back.”
The boy covers the camera lens, and the video cuts to a shot of him and an older looking guy with glasses, smiling. He’s wearing a shirt now, and his hair is slightly less mussed.
“Hello Makoto~!” He says cheerily. “Thank you for coming over. I don't know what I'd do without you!”
The boy drops his head against the man’s – Makoto’s – chest and Tsukishima feels his heart drop. He was already taken.
“No problem-o, Tadashi,” Makoto chuckles and gives the other man a noogie.
Tsukishima perks up. Tadashi. It was a nice name.
“You ready to use your muscles and help me move boxes?”
“Not in the slightest.”
“Too bad! You’re stuck here now, sensei~" Tadashi pretends to laugh like a super villain, but little giggles break through and he sounds more adorable than ever.
The bell rings and Tadashi rushes to answer the door, opening it to a familiar face.
“Yachi!” The camera goes out just as Tadashi gives Yachi a hug and introduces her to the camera, and the scene changes again. This time someone else is holding the camera, filming Tadashi struggle with a box.
“You can do it, Ta-chan!" Yachi cheers, giggling, and Tadashi whines, trying to lift the box rather pathetically. Someone snickers and then Makoto is on the screen, lifting the box and patting Tadashi’s head.
“I got it, shortstack,” Makoto says, taking the box and immediately turning back to walk passed Yachi.
“You’re not that much taller than me!”
“Still short,” Makoto calls somewhere off screen, and Tadashi pouts.
Kei's heart stutters in it's chest at the sight. He tells himself to breathe.
Tadashi seems to notice Yachi with his camera, because he yelps when he sees it trained on him, walking over to her. "Yachi! Give me tha–”
The video cuts again, and now they’re in the cluttered room from Yachi’s video again, eating pizza and…french fries?
“So how are you liking the new house?” Makoto asks, taking a big bite out of his pizza. They're on the floor, using a box as a coffee table.
“It’s so beautiful! And way bigger than my apartment. Renting a house instead of an apartment is a must-do for content creators, I think,” Tadashi’s eyes light up as he rambles on about how he could finally play piano and film without worrying about waking the neighbors or something of the like. Eventually, after many shots of him messing around with Yachi and Makoto, it’s just Tadashi in-shot, shirtless and sleepy-looking again, rubbing at his eyes.
“All moved in! Yachi said she’d come help me unpack tomorrow, so we’ll be busy, but I thought I’d share a bit of life before I go internet-less for a few days while I wait for cable and everything. Being an adult is so weird,” Tadashi giggles, “I think we’re going to film soon, me and Yachi, for real. Not just like, vlogging filming. So look forward to that!” Tadashi smiles brightly. “I’ll see you guys as soon as I get internet! Byeee!”
Tadashi waves at the camera and then his face is gone and the next video is loading, but Tsukishima has to pause it before it starts to calm down. Tadashi was adorable. How has he never heard him come up in conversation before? How has he never seen any of his videos before? They were basically the same person, their anime and music style was nearly identical.
He pulls out his phone immediately, texting Yachi.
Who the hell is the guy in your video and why have I never heard of him before?
He gets a reply almost an instant later.
Yachi
Why, interested? ;)
Maybe. Isn’t he dating glasses?
Yachi
Nopeeee! Single. I can’t believe you thought he was dating Shimada-san, ew! He’s like ten years older than him!
…Will I get to meet him ever?
Yachi
Affirmative.
Good.
Tsukishima clicks his phone off, satisfied with the information he got, and clicks play on the next video with a soft smile.
“Hey guys, welcome to–”
He pauses the video again, burying his face in his hands. “Fuck, he’s cute.”