Work Text:
Yamaguchi is never the chattiest guy in his circle of friends; instead, he’s always been that one quiet guy who seems to know everything. Well, it’s a given, since he can read minds and all. Nothing omniscient; he can only hear thoughts through skin contact. But Yamaguchi hates his power, he always has. Contrary to popular beliefs, his power brings nothing but grief in his life. Sure it was cool at first; elementary school was fun and exciting.
Middle school? Not really.
It was at his second year in middle school when the reality hit him. Not everyone there was fond of him; no matter how hard he tried to socialize properly.
He’s so useless.
So ugly!
Who is he again?
Waah, poor guy. I shouldn’t get too close to him.
And then he stopped. He avoided touching people directly, hell, he even stopped looking at people in the eyes. He rarely went to school and spent his time at his house, burying himself under the warmth of his blanket. A girl—Miyuki, her name was, offered to deliver Yamaguchi’s homework every day he was absent. Yamaguchi slowly opened to her, and gradually, a feeling bloomed in his chest. It wasn’t until a group assignment at school that he finally learned the truth.
“Miyuki-chan, would you pair up with Yamaguchi-kun, please?”
Miyuki had a troubled look in her eyes before facing Yamaguchi. “Is that okay with you, Tadashi?” She had asked out of concern.
“Of… Of course!”
Miyuki then smiled before grabbing him by the wrist.
She shouldn’t have done that.
Why me? Why am I always stuck with him? He’s so clingy.
Yamaguchi stopped looking at her in the eyes too, since then.
High school was bearable. He avoided being stuck in a large group and enjoyed his time being alone. Though he always hated using the train. Since people tend to stick so close, Yamaguchi’s head had always been flooded with thoughts—horrible ones, too often—and it made him shiver.
“I don’t want this power, mom. I’m scared.” He had told his mother, once.
“Tadashi, my dear. You are destined for greatness, and what you have is a gift. Hold on to that gift, grip it tightly, and one day you’ll see the good in it.”
He’s a sophomore now, and there’s still nothing good about it.
He huffs with a roll of his shoulders. “Should we include this too?” He asks the girl next to him. She gives the paper in his hand a thoughtful look and hums.
“I don’t know, up to you I guess?” She shrugs. It’s obvious to him she’s not really into the project.
With a sigh, he scans the room skeptically. His class is empty by now, and with just the two of them, an awkward tension hangs in the air. The girl—Rie—has been forced to pair up with Yamaguchi for the project his professor has given. It’s not like they haven’t worked together before; in fact, they have, a lot of time. Rie must’ve been sick of it, by now. Yamaguchi knows because he kind of peeked inside of her head a few hours before.
Yamaguchi again? Man, I’d do anything to work with Oikawa-san.
Yamaguchi rests his head on the desk with a tired huff. Rie looks at him with a smile. “What’s wrong Yamaguchi?”
“You want to continue this some other time? I don’t feel so good.” He mutters quietly.
Rie tilts her head at him. “Sure,” She gathers her things and places her bag on her lap. “Just give me a call when you want to work together, yeah? Don’t tire yourself.” She says, standing. She slings her bag on her shoulder and pats Yamaguchi’s head, making the latter flinch.
“W-what?”
Rie shrugs. “You have bags under your eyes. Seriously Yamaguchi, take good care of yourself.”
Yamaguchi frowns. Like I can do that with all these negative thoughts flying around.
“See ya!” She waves as her figure disappears behind the door.
Yamaguchi slumps back in his chair, throwing his hands into his face. “Get a grip, Tadashi.” He sighs and collects his things, leaving not long after the girl.
Feeling awful and dejected, he makes a turn before his dorm and walks a block further. He always visits the Starbucks by his college’s dorm after class. He’s a little too fond of coffee, and it has been a problem since high school. Not that he cares, sleeping—with notions floating in his head is never an easy task. When he walks in, he’s greeted by the familiar scent of coffee, cream, and warm pastries. He makes his way to the cashier and glances at the fresh face behind it.
Yamaguchi had never seen him before, so he must be new.
He’s too tall and stiff for his own good, but his overall appearances (blond hair, dreamy eyes, cool glasses) aren’t so bad, Yamaguchi observes quietly.
“Your order?” The tall guy snaps, a scowl plastered on his ridiculously perfect face. Yamaguchi twists at the rude remark the cashier had shown him.
Well, so much for his good look.
“I’ll have a tall Macchiato.”
“Name?” The blond asks.
“Ya—Yamaguchi.”
With a hum, the cashier scribbles down Yamaguchi’s name down on the paper cup. He looks up not long after that, eyes glazed with disinterest. “Can I get you anything else?” He asks lazily as if he needs to drag each and every last syllable out of his mouth. Yamaguchi shakes his head. “Then that’ll be 420 yen.”
Yamaguchi fishes his wallet out of his bag. When he reaches out to pay for his drink, their fingers touch lightly.
Wow he’s cute.
Yamaguchi draws his hand back abruptly with a gasp, almost dropping his cash. His eyes widen in shock and the guy in front of him squints, with a puzzled look across his face.
He blinks repeatedly.
That faint voice just then definitely wasn’t his own.
“Your changes?” The barista reaches out his hand, holding out a couple of changes.
Yamaguchi looks up and nods, taking his changes from the blonde’s hand and tries to avoid any direct contact.
If I were to date someone like him—
Yamaguchi retracts his hand before anything else can spill out of the guy’s head. He casts his eyes downward, feeling slightly guilty for invading other people’s privacy. He inches to the waiting area, and after a while, the barista shoves a cup of hot macchiato in front of Yamaguchi’s face.
“Yamaguchi?”
Yamaguchi grabs the cup carefully, not wanting to touch the guy’s hands. His eyes dart to the nametag embedded on the tall guy’s chest.
“Thanks… Um… Tsukki.” He murmurs quietly before turning sharply on his heels and exits the store hurriedly. He fails to catch the flustered look on Tsukki’s face.
Yamaguchi lies on his back, one hand across his stomach. He stares at the ceiling blankly, eyes already accustomed to the darkness. His roommate had lectured him about the effect of too much coffee, especially on college students, but he doesn’t care. Caffeine is his friend. His eyes water after a few minutes staring into nothing in particular without blinking. He holds out his hand, unclenching the fist he doesn’t know he’s holding. He silently watches the back of his palm and his fingers twitch. His mind wanders back to the episode this afternoon.
Yamaguchi is unsure of what to feel. He knows his cheeks are warm, that’s for sure. He lets out a soft sigh.
He’s cute.
The voice is clear and vivid, and it repeats itself over and over again inside of his head.
A warm feeling grows inside his stomach and he curls up to his side, unable to stop a grin forming on his mouth. Nobody had ever thought of Yamaguchi like that before. It makes him happy and fuzzy and a little ditzy. It’s only one sentence, but it’s enough to lighten up Yamaguchi’s mood for the rest of the day. He thinks that maybe, after all these years, he’ll finally be able to sleep at peace.
Maybe this power isn’t so bad after all.
----
The afternoon class went longer than he had anticipated, and his eyes are heavy with sleep. He drags his feet out of class, shoulders hunch and head hung. Someone nudges him from behind, and it takes a lot of strengths just to lift his head.
“Ennoshita?” He mutters quietly.
A pale guy with a distinctive short dark hair—Ennoshita eyes him skeptically. “And what did I tell you about too much caffeine?”
Yamaguchi grins. “I’m fine. I just need a little coffee, alright?”
Ennoshita shakes his head. “Just don’t hurt yourself. I still have one class left. See you.”
Yamaguchi only smiles and waves weakly. Ennoshita is a rather nice friend and roommate, just a little strict and studious, but overall, Ennoshita never had any bad thoughts in his head and Yamaguchi is forever thankful he’s stuck with him.
Yamaguchi makes his way to Starbucks, per usual. When he enters, Tsukki has just finished brewing up a drink, and when he spots Yamaguchi, he scowls slightly. They’re face to face when the customer in front of Yamaguchi walks away to the waiting area.
Yamaguchi shoots him a crooked smile.
“Welcome. Can I get you anything?” Tsukki says flatly, hands drape neatly on the counter.
“Oh… Um, hot Drip Coffee,”
Tsukki grimaces, his hands pressing at the monitor swiftly. “Size?”
“The uh, big one. Grande.” Yamaguchi hums. He eyes the nametag again and lets out an acknowledging ‘ah’. “So it’s Tsuki… shima?” He mumbles softly.
Tsukishima only shrugs rudely in disinterest. “Anything else?”
“No, that’s all,” Yamaguchi blinks. Just how unfriendly can this Tsukishima guy get?
“Yamaguchi, right?” Tsukishima asks without lifting his gaze. Yamaguchi draws a steadying breath and nods. Of course he’d remember his name.
When their skins touch, even if it’s less than a second, Yamaguchi can faintly hear a sound resonating inside his head.
I think I forgot to clean up last night’s dishes.
Yamaguchi giggles, and Tsukishima fixes him an annoyed stare that doesn’t seem to faze the smaller guy. The warmth pools inside his stomach when the barista offers him a “Come back again soon.” He knows it's just some sort of store policy—or possibly politeness—but he smiles anyway.
“I will.”
Tsukishima knits his eyebrows, but this time the faint blush creeping up from his neck doesn’t go unnoticed by Yamaguchi.
Yamaguchi visits a small convenience store before going straight to his dorm. His fingers wrap tightly around the small and thin coffee cup, steam emitting from the mouth. The tip of his fingers where he had touched Tsuksihima earlier feels warm, and the feeling gushes all the way to his body.
He sets down his now half-empty cup of coffee next to the pile of papers that is his project. He looks at it rather repulsively. He decides to call Rie to work on it as soon as possible. Rie picks up after the third ring, which is fast, considering she doesn’t really want to work with Yamaguchi; but the tone of her voice says otherwise. They agreed to meet on Sunday afternoon at Yamaguchi’s usual Starbucks.
Rie hangs up after a sweet ‘see you then!’. Yamaguchi looks around his cramped dorm room and his messy side of space—in contrast to Ennoshita’s neat part of the room—and tiptoes his way through the dirty laundries on the floor to his bed. He really ought to clean his mess any day now. Once again he thanked the God for giving him Ennoshita who never yells at him nor makes a comment about his part of the room. He sits on the edge, dipping the worn out mattress on his weight while he fumbles with his phone. A few seconds later he decides to call one of his classmates who’s two years older than him.
Two rings, and the other side picks up.
“Yes, Yama-chan??” The voice ringing in his ear is sweet and smooth—a little too excited if he’s being honest.
“Um, Oikawa-san?” Yamaguchi starts. “Can you help me out on something?”
“Anything for you, of course!”
----
Rie waves at him in front of the store entrance. She’s wearing a pastel pink scarf and that covers half of her face. Yamaguchi waves back and jogs to her direction. As he gets closer, she lowers her scarf.
“Been waiting long?” He asks out of concern. Her nose and cheeks are rosy red; the cold must be getting to her.
“Not really, just got here.” She answers, accompanied by tiny puffs of warm breath. “Come on, It’s cold in here,” She jerks her head to the shop and pulls him by the wrist.
What should I get? Maybe something sweet?
I should probably lay off on the sugar though.
Yamaguchi pushes the door open with one hand still clasped around Rie’s tight grip. The inside of the store is warmer than outside, and Yamaguchi’s hand feels a tad bit clammy. He lifts his head and his gaze meets Tsukishima’s. The latter isn’t the one behind the cashier instead he’s standing dumbly in front of the coffee machine, expression twisting into something Yamaguchi can’t grasp. They stare at each other for a while before Tsukishima flicks his gaze to Rie and his eyes turn cold. His corner of his lips curls downward and the scowl on his face looks even more intimidating than usual.
Rie pulls him into the cashier and lets his hand go.
“Hi, can I get a Vanilla Latte? …Yep, low-fat milk, less sugar and no whipped cream.” She supplies to a middle-aged guy in front of her, before turning her head to face Yamaguchi. “What about you, what do you want?”
Yamaguchi looks up at the menu absentmindedly. “Eh, I’ll just have regular Cappuccino.”
He sweeps his attention back to the blonde, glancing sideway now and then, and looks away when he meets the other’s cold glare. Well, from the look of it, Tsukishima certainly is pissed.
They sit not far from the counter. Yamaguchi pulls his laptop out of his bag when the girl across him squeaks out.
“Yikes! This is too sweet—and I told him not to add whipped cream!” She brings the drink away from her mouth. “What the hell?”
Yamaguchi squints—her voice had been too loud for his taste—and lifts his head to look across the counter. Tsukishima stares, lip curls up into a lazy smirk.
No way.
No no nooo way.
Why would Tsukishima intentionally mess up her drink? Sure he’s rude and a little harsh, but it doesn’t look like he’s one to pull out childish prank. Yamaguchi leans in and grabs her drink from across the table. “I’ll ask for a new one.” He offers and gets up on his feet.
As if waiting for him, Tsukishima leans into the counter. “Can I help you?”
“Yeah, well, why did you mess up her drink?” Yamaguchi gets straight into the point, earning a surprised look from Tsukishima.
“I did?” Tsukishima tilts his head to the side innocently.
“You did, because she said precisely what she wanted.” He hands the drink to Tsukishima—who takes it begrudgingly. Tsukishima’s fingers drape on top of Yamaguchi’s, and for a second, he can hear the faint whisper of the other’s thought.
Oh hell, how should I know if he already had a girlfriend?
Yamaguchi curls his fingers into a loose fist, standing there dumbstruck as Tsukishima turns away, fixing him a new drink. Tsukishima’s voice on his head had been edgy and harsh, with hints of sarcasm.
Wait—what? Has Tsukishima been… jealous?
So, that is it? The unbearable attitude, the mismatched order, it was all because he was jealous? Of Rie?
With a shake of his head, Yamaguchi agrees not to jump into ridiculous conclusion yet.
When Tsukishima turns back to him and pushes the drink on the counter with his index finger lazily, Yamaguchi reaches out from across the counter to tug the tall blonde’s hand by the wrist and grasps Tsukishima’s hand with his own.
Drink ignored, he sets his gaze on Tsukishima’s slowly widening eyes.
What in the world?
What is he doing?
His hand falters and he gawks, surprised and unsure of what he’s doing as he stammers an apology.
What the hell, Tadashi!!’ His mind yells at him.
“I… I didn’t—“
“Your drink.” Tsukishima says calmly. He still has his usual cool demeanor on, and Yamaguchi curses silently at this perfect human looming before him. “Enjoy.” Tsukishima ends flatly.
Yamaguchi grabs the latte and hurriedly bolts to his table, somehow thankful Tsukishima doesn’t mention nor question the fact that Yamaguchi had just held his hand.
“What’s taking you so long?” Rie raises his head from the papers and notes sprawled across the table.
“Uh, nothing.” Smooth. “He-Here.”
She smiles at him. “Thanks, Yamaguchi,”
A figure enters the shop, their wide eyes searching through the crowd.
Rie is the first one to notice. She gasps, clutching Yamaguchi’s sleeve in the process. “Is that Oikawa-san?” He points at the figure. It indeed is Oikawa, in his over-six-feet glory—his soft brown hair tucked neatly behind his ears, and chin slightly hidden underneath his scarf. Oikawa spots Yamaguchi and he smiles, endearingly, before making his way towards them.
“Oh my,” The girl beside him squirms, drawing a sharp breath. “Is he coming this way? Oh, he is!”
It doesn’t take long until Oikawa settles next to Yamaguchi.
“Thank you for having me Yama-chan.” Oikawa chirps. “And you must be Rie-chan, right? We have Biology class together,”
Rie stiffens. “Yes indeed that’s what we’re working through right now,” Rie mutters nervously under one breath. Yamaguchi tries to hold his giggle fit.
“So how can I help?” Oikawa says, making himself comfortable at a chair next to Rie. The girl glances at Yamaguchi thankfully, giving him a hidden thumb up and whispers him a ‘thanks’.
Halfway through the work, Yamaguchi is being left out by Oikawa and Rie, and he’s completely okay with that because; he had his work cut off for him, and he gets to sneak glances at a certain blond working behind the counter without worrying about his companies. The only problem is, when he reaches out for his cup of Cappuccino, it’s empty.
“Oikawa-san, did you drink half of it?” Yamaguchi asks, frowning.
“Huh? Oh yeah, It’s too bitter for my taste, though,” Oikawa quips.
‘Then why did you drink it… Jesus.’
Half a cup is not an enough dose of caffeine for Yamaguchi, so he stands up and walks to the cashier. Unknowingly to him, it’s already Tsukishima’s turn handling the orders.
“Ah, uh… Can I get regular brewed coffee?”
Tsukishima shoots him a look. “Do you want your coffee with cream or milk?”
“Uh… none.”
“So black,”
“Yeah.”
“Alright,” Tsukishima says. “Just don’t come crawling to me when you have a massive stomachache, high blood sugar level or horrible insomnia.”
Yamaguchi giggles. “Is that what someone who works at a coffee shop should say?”
“Well, I’m just voicing out my mind. I think it isn’t healthy for a student to drink black coffee seven days a week.” Tsukishima shrugs.
“So you’re worried?” Yamaguchi jests. This time, Tsukishima doesn’t reply. He only fixes him a serious glare and turns his face to his co-worker next to him. When Yamaguchi pays, their skins didn’t touch, nor when he receives his drink. The smell of coffee is strong in this one, making Oikawa cringes slightly. It’s good though, meaning nobody would dare to touch his drink.
----
Oikawa and Rie left earlier, and with that their project is almost complete. Yamaguchi feels bad though, he hadn’t done anything major to help, but Rie assured him that she’s not bothered by it. So there he goes, sitting alone with nothing but his laptop to accompany him. He places his empty cup by the table when his stomach grumbles gracelessly. Okaay, enough caffeine for one day.
The rush hour comes like a wave, and from the huge window he can see men and woman respectively making their way through the crowds. He always hates walking home at this kind of time. Too many people bump into him; too many thoughts floating inside his head. He pulls out a clean tissue and scribbles something down on it with his pen then he proceeds to turn his laptop off, gathers his things and pushes them inside of his small backpack before grabbing the empty cups and throws them to the bin across the counter. He stops in front of the warm display case and stares at the varieties of pastries.
He walks closer, and a tall, dark-haired clerk with an amazingly unruly hair nudges on Tsukishima. The blond glares at his co-worker before making a beeline and stops in front of Yamaguchi.
“Can I get that?” Yamaguchi points at a cheese croissant and drags his finger to a slice of Apple Pie. “And one of these.”
Tsukishima hums in approval before sliding open the dark lid on the display. “Take away?”
“Yes,” Yamaguchi answers absent-mindedly.
Tsukishima packs his orders into a brown paper bag, eyebrows furrowed. “You’re… alone?”
“Huh?” It takes some time to realize that Tsukishima is eyeing the table behind him, where he and his friends used to sit. “Ah, yes, they left.”
Tsukishima hums, eyes squinted. “Isn’t it weird?” He asks, voice soft and quiet.
“What is?” Yamaguchi tilts his head, puzzled. He holds the tissue between his middle and index fingers, his throat dried up suddenly.
Tsukishima doesn’t answer. He makes his way to the cashier and Yamaguchi follows. Tsukishima drops the paper bag on the counter. “That’ll be 570 yen.”
Yamaguchi doesn’t waste any time grabbing the bag and paying at the same time. He slips the tissue through his cash, and mutters hurriedly, “Keep the change,” before exiting right away in amazing speed.
He doesn’t get to see Tsukishima’s puzzled and bewildered expression turns into a flustered one when he opens the tissue and reads the notes in it.
08-xxx-xxx-xx call me!
p.s She’s just a friend!
----
He thought Tsukishima would call—but he doesn’t. Embarrassed, ashamed, humiliated, Yamaguchi stopped going to Starbucks, for a few day at least.
He lies on his back, head hanging upside down by the edge of the bed; his throat and whole body ached. Ennoshita looks at him sympathetically.
“My head is throbbing horribly.” Yamaguchi groans. “Is this the end? Am I going to die?”
“You should drink some water,” Ennoshita advises.
“No, I need something strong.” Yamaguchi sits up. The black bags under his eyes are completely visible during this point, and Ennoshita sighs. “Do you want anything Ennoshita? Cakes? Ice blends?”
It’s futile attempt to try and persuade Yamaguchi by this point, so Ennoshita only shakes his head. “Nah, I’m good. Though can you drop by a store and buy me a pack of batteries?”
“Sure,” Yamaguchi puts his jacket on and slides into his worn-out converse, it doesn’t take long for him to depart.
He rubs his hands together to warm himself. During the walk, he was nervous, but now that he’s standing right in front of the shop, there’s no turning back. He pushes the door open, preparing himself mentally for Tsukishima’s cold, judging stare. When he opens his eyes though, what greets him is even more surprising.
“Noya-san?”
A tiny, thin figure stands behind the cashier. His hair is spiked up to add to his height, with flashy blond streak in the middle. Upon seeing Yamaguchi’s entrance, he grins widely. “Ohh, Yamaguchi! Welcome, welcome!”
Yamaguchi stumbled upon this tiny creature (Who’s actually three years his senior) at the college volleyball club. He’s a surprisingly quick and flexible guy, and a good player at that. Yamaguchi looks up to him as a junior.
“I didn’t know you work here.” Yamaguchi says lightly. His eyes are elsewhere though, searching high and low for a certain streaking guy, who’s nowhere in his sight.
“Because I don’t,” Nishinoya replies with a pout. “My roommate works here, and he’s sick, like, really sick. And I felt bad, so, as a good senpai, I offered to work on his shift.” He raises his chin and smacks his chest proudly.
“Really?” Yamaguchi laughs. “That’s really nice of you, Noya-san.” He leans in, fingers barely touching with Nishinoya’s on the counter, but enough to let the other’s thought into Yamaguchi easily.
He blackmailed me though.
How dare!!
If he weren’t all weak and lifeless like that, I would’ve kicked him hard in the ass!
Yamaguchi almost laughs until the next voice comes out.
God damn it Tsukishima!
Tsukishima?
“…guchi? Yamaguchi?” Nishinoya’s voice snaps him back to reality.
Yamaguchi withdraws his hand. “Ah, sorry…”
“So, what do you want?”
“I’ll just take the Apple Crumble Frappuccino,” He says with a strained smile.
“Okay!!” Nishinoya yells. He turns his back to Yamaguchi, yelling at the person behind him. “Hey, one Apple-Frappuccino-what-its-name!” and the tall, lanky guy behind him huffs desperately.
“Sheesh, tune it down a little,”
Yamaguchi sidesteps, making his way for the next customer even though there’s currently none. “So uh, you’re covering up for Tsukishima?”
Nishinoya gapes in awe, eyes wide and mouth opened. “How did you know?!”
Yamaguchi chuckles. “Just a hunch..?.”
“Reaally.” Nishinoya smirks. “I bet you’re a regular here aren’t you?”
“Kind of.” Yamaguchi replies, raising his eyebrows.
“Good!!” Nishinoya exclaims suddenly. “So, you know him??”
“More… or less?”
“Yes, yes.” Nishinoya nods. The barista hands him the drink, but he doesn’t give it straight to Yamaguchi, instead he holds it in his hand. “Then can I ask you a favor?”
Yamaguchi tilts his head as he watches his senior warily.
Nishinoya crouches down and retrieves a brown paper bag. “That kid had been in an awful state since yesterday, can’t say I’m not worried, so can you deliver this to him? I’ll tell you my room number,”
“Wait—what,” Yamaguchi backs away a step. “You want me to go to his—your room?”
“Yes, and buy some headache medicine while you’re at it, can you?”
“But I—“
“Daichi-san has been asking about you, he thought maybe you were too busy you skipped practices and games.” Nishinoya says, voice low.
Yamaguchi swallows. Daichi is the volleyball’s team captain, a nasty one at that. Yamaguchi has been skipping practice due to his lack of sleep, and he can’t possibly tell his teammates about his dependency of caffeine.
“Of course, he had no idea that you were so busy wandering in and out a coffee shop.” Nishinoya continues; his smile darkens.
‘The hell?! Now I’m the one being blackmailed?!’
“Alright, Alright—I’ll do it.” Yamaguchi exhales loudly while massaging his temple.
“Thank you, Yamaguchi! Here’s your drink!” Nishinoya beams at him.
Yamaguchi hunches his shoulders weakly and huffs.
----
Well, at least from today’s experience Yamaguchi can conclude; a) Noya-san is nasty as fuck b) Tsukishima is also a sophomore at his college c) plus he’s Noya-san’s roommate, d) and now he is standing in front of the room where that guy lives.
He drops the plastic bags he’s holding and knocks—a little too loud.
He can hear a groaning sound from the inside not long after that, followed by faint thumping noises of footstep.
“My shift hasn’t ended yet Noya—“ Tsukishima stops mid-sentence when the door swung open. He closes his mouth tightly, expression unreadable. Just like Yamaguchi, he has bags underneath his eyes, but his cheeks look thinner and skin way paler.
Yamaguchi smiles dryly. “Um, Hi?” He’s just about to open his mouth to speak when Tsukishima slams the door shut on his face.
Yamaguchi gawks wide-eyed at the door just right in front of his nose.
“What… What the hell?!” He hisses as he balls his fingers into a fist and whacks the door violently. “How rude!” He yells and slowly backs away, ruffling his hair. This is humiliating. He feels humiliated. He wants to crawl into a hole and never resurface, ever again.
With a sound of a door unlocking, Tsukishima peeks from behind the small gap. “What do you want?” He asks, voice rough.
Yamaguchi glares, not sure if he notices his face blush. “Noya-san sent me here.” He crouches down, taking the plastic bag with him. “I brought medicine and foods.”
Tsukishima moves away from the door with a huff and opens it for Yamaguchi to come in. “Why didn’t you just say so.” He says easily, running a hand through his blond hair casually.
‘Well, I would, but you kinda slammed the door on me.’ Yamaguchi raises his eyebrows, thinking to himself.
He steps inside the room with a quiet murmur of greeting, and Tsukishima shows him a counter where he can put his bag down. Yamaguchi observes the place quietly. The place is larger than his current room, with their own kitchen and separated bedrooms. Knowing Tsukishima, he probably avoids being in one room with Nishinoya. Yamaguchi spots with the corner of his eyes a room with the door opened and clothes sprawled messily down the floor.
“You don’t have to follow his orders, you know. Nishinoya can be pushy sometimes.” Tsukishima starts.
“But I did.” Yamaguchi shrugs, not looking at Tsukishima in the eyes. “He blackmailed me.”
Tsukishima doesn’t response.
Silence hangs awkwardly in the air. Yamaguchi ducks his head, looking down at his feet. “Well then, I... um… Better get going.” He smiles, a little bit strained.
“Yeah. Okay.”
He wonders why Tsukishima is really difficult to deal with.
A few steps before the door, Yamaguchi stops. He bites his lips and turns around facing the blond. He takes a shaky deep breath before continuing.
“Why didn’t you call?”
Tsukishima stands there, stunned. He blinks, adjusting his glasses with his index finger before finally his eyes narrowed, a look of irritation clear in his face. “Why should I?” He regards coolly.
Yeah, of course, why should he? Tsukishima isn’t the type of guy who’d randomly call a stranger he’d just met. And up until now, they weren’t even acquaintances. Yamaguchi is getting too far ahead of himself. “...Sorry.”
Tsukishima narrows his eyes. “You… why did you give me your phone number anyway—“ He’s being cut off by a cough. He clears his throat and continues, with a smug grin plastered on his pale feature. “Are you hitting on me?”
“No I’m not! I—“ He replies hurriedly. Then Yamaguchi realizes—even though he can read Tsukishima’s mind, it doesn’t mean anything unless Tsukishima says it directly. Tsukishima is still rude and cold; maybe he’s been reading it all wrong. Maybe he gets a little too excited when someone complimented him, and it messes with his common sense.
With the way things are right now—doesn’t it look like Yamaguchi is the one gradually pinning on Tsukishima?
“Oh my god.” He gasps.
Tsukishima tilts his head at Yamaguchi, puzzled.
A low whine escapes Yamaguchi as he crouches down, burying his face in his arms in embarrassment. He brings his knee closer to his chest trying to hide himself from Tsukishima.
“Oi? You okay?” Tsukishima asks, “I was only joking.” His tone wavers a bit in concern.
“No no no I’m okay.” Yamaguchi finally lifts his head and waves his hand dismissively. He stands up—if not a little too wobbly—and power walks to the door. “I’ll be going then. You should forget I ever—“ A hand on his wrist stops his movement. Tsukishima grips his wrist tightly, glaring hole into Yamaguchi.
“I…” Tsukishima starts.
Why did you stop coming to the shop?
You look sleep-deprived.
What am I supposed to do with your number?
Don’t look so cute when I’m trying to act cool, damn it!
Thoughts are drifting through his head and Yamaguchi looks at up expectantly. He can hear it now, loud and clear. Just like the sound of his beating heart.
Tsukishima opens his mouth to speak. “I… don’t like weak-willed guy like you. If you were trying to hit on me at least have more pride in yourself. Pathetic.”
What
“What,” Yamaguchi blinks.
“Eh—“
Yamaguchi yanks his hand away in one fluid motion and punches Tsukishima on the gut. “You… Idiot!”
Tsukishima falls on his knees and writhes in pain as Yamaguchi runs off, away from him.
----
Yamaguchi slams open the door to his room loudly and make his way to the joined bedroom. Ennoshita eyes him incredulously with raised brows.
“Too much caffeine?” He jests, closing the lid of his laptop and turns to face Yamaguchi.
“Very funny.” Yamaguchi quips. He drops his weight on the bed and pulls one of the pillows to his face.
“Where are my batteries?”
A low groan comes from underneath the pillow. “I’m sorry,”
Ennoshita chuckles. “Nah, don’t worry. I can get it tomorrow after class. What happened to you, though?”
Instead of responding, Yamaguchi presses the pillow even further to his face.
“If you don’t want to talk about it I won’t force you.” The dark haired boy huffs, bringing his focus back to his work.
It took a while until Yamaguchi gets up and sits back on the bed. He hangs his head, eyes fixated on his lap. “Actually, I messed up.”
“Mm?” Ennoshita hums.
“I ruined everything.” Yamaguchi says bashfully. “You see, there’s this guy who’s really cool but he was super rude.”
Ennoshita nods, but he looks a little confused.
“He acted all cool and all but he’s actually just a sore loser who’s no good with words.” Yamaguchi looks up. “B-but he thinks I’m… cute? And it was the first time I’ve ever—“
“Wait.” Ennoshita cuts him off, raising one of his hands. “Let me get this straight. So, he was hitting on you?”
“Something like that, yeah?” Yamaguchi chews on his lower lip. Well, he had only heard Tsukishima’s thought, but hey, one couldn’t possibly lie with their minds, right?
“Okay,” Ennoshita nods. He sounds awfully like an all-knowing big brother now. “And, Do you like him?”
Yamaguchi freezes.
“Because, it sounds like you do.”
“N-no no we… we just met, and…” Yamaguchi stammers. Do you like him? The words keep repeating themselves on Yamaguchi’s head. Sure, he’s tall and good-looking and perfect but he’s also an ass and—
Yamaguchi flops sideway to the mattress and sighs. “I… don’t know. He’s fine, I guess…?”
“Don’t overthink it.” Ennoshita smiles reassuringly. “If he’s serious he’ll come around, you’ll see.”
Yamaguchi stares distantly at the wall behind Ennoshita. “I hope not.” He murmurs into the silence.
----
Yamaguchi arrived late for his Physics lab and slept through his Organic Chemistry class. It went on for two consecutive days and he even got warnings from his professors. His next class is calculus—something he never looks forward to.
“Bad day?” A girl with short golden hair appears suddenly next to him, hands clasped around a pile of papers and notebook on her torso.
He jolts, a little startled with the appearance of his tiny friend. “Uh… Yeah. I forgot I even have calculus. I thought I got rid of everything mathematical back at my freshman year.” He ruffles his unruly hair, and his friend giggles at him.
“But you failed remember?”
“Oh come on Yachi, don’t remind me.” Yamaguchi huffs.
Yachi smiles at him, but it wasn’t enough to hide the worried look in her eyes. “I heard from Tobio you stopped coming to practice. I hope it’s because you’re too busy learning math, though…” She trails off.
Yamaguchi can’t hide his smile. “Lately I get tired easily.”
Yachi whimpers and Yamaguchi pets her head, laughing.
Yachi is one of his closest friends—she’s basically as timid as he is, and her thoughts are mostly about Kiyoko Shimizu—an English literature major student—and Yamaguchi knows better than to invade her privacy.
Yamaguchi peeks inside the classroom to find it almost empty. Well, at least he’s early.
“Yacchan,” Yamaguchi whispers. “Do you know someone in our year named Tsukishima Kei?”
Yachi angles her head to the side. “Yeah, of course. He’s an Economic major, right? Why?”
“Oh, I see.”
“He’s in a different building, right? And he’s often called the Ice Prince… Much to his dismay, though.” She continues.
Ice Prince? “And how did you know?” Yamaguchi squints at her.
“Kiyoko-san is in the same building that he is.” Yachi grins.
So that’s why.
----
Yachi dragged Yamaguchi into the last place he wanted to go—Starbucks—and sadly, Yamaguchi couldn’t really say no to his little cinnamon roll.
“That’s Tsukishima Kei.” Yachi says when they’re standing in front of the entrance. Indeed, Tsukishima is there, behind the counter—and not the cashier thank god—working on a drink. He hasn’t noticed Yamaguchi and Yachi outside yet, and Yamaguchi isn’t sure what to feel.
“Yeah, so?”
“Go talk to him for god’s sake.” Yachi cries, pushing Yamaguchi inside the shop with strength he never knew she had. Yamaguchi stumbles inside and Yachi escapes the place, leaving him alone. He curses the kid mentally when he catches Tsukishima’s eyes. It lingers there, not wavering. He looks better now; cheeks full and skin no longer pale. Yamaguchi blinks and it breaks off their contacts. When Yamaguchi shuffles to the counter, Tsukishima whispers something to his co-worker and they switch their positions.
Why did they have to switch?
“Welcome, can I get you anything?” Tsukishima says flatly, and Yamaguchi can’t bring himself to lift his head.
“I’ll… have Tall Thai Tea Latte.” Yamaguchi murmurs.
“Tea?” Tsukishima repeats incredulously. Yamaguchi can feel his stare without even looking up.
“Do I need to repeat myself?”
“One Thai Tea coming right up.”
When Tsukishima disappears behind the counters, his equally tall friend with messy dark hair takes his place in the cashier and greets the next customer in line. Did Tsukishima switch on purpose? Really? After saying all those things? Yamaguchi clenches the hem of his oversize black sweater tightly.
Tsukishima comes back not long after with Yamaguchi’s drink in hand. “Yamaguchi,”
The mention of his name was enough to make Yamaguchi’s stomach twirls. He looks up hastily and meets Tsukishima’s hazel eyes. From where Yamaguchi is standing Tsukishima looks like he’s glowing—radiating. It’s beautiful.
Oh no
Oh no no no, Yamaguchi mentally scolds himself. I am not smitten. Definitely not.
“You didn’t give me the receipt… how much?” Yamaguchi asks, weakly.
Tsukishima moves to the side, away from the cashier and Yamaguchi follows him—uh, his drink. “It’s on me.” Tsukishima states.
“Huh?”
“Look, I’m sorry about yesterday, I…” Tsukishima looks down, and his face falls. It’s weird because it doesn’t look like him at all.
“You didn’t mean any of it, I know.” Yamaguchi finishes for him.
Tsukishima lifts his face, eyes glued on Yamaguchi’s. He doesn’t say a word, but the apologetic expression on his face is enough to show how sorry he is. He frowns, but it’s different from his usual scowl. His eyes are softer and subtle.
Yamaguchi chuckles softly. “Hey, at least you’re sorry, yeah? And it’s not like I minded—well actually I did but I tried not to dwell on it but then you kept on popping in my head and—“ Yamaguchi blabbers and he has to bites his lip to stop himself from talking.
“Oh.” Tsukishima’s stares down, eyes wide. A faint pink blush appears on his cheeks.
Yamaguchi smiles. He cups the drink and drapes his hands around Tsukishima’s. When their skins touch it feels warm and welcoming, and when a sudden wave of affection hits Yamaguchi, he gasps.
I should probably ask him, yeah
Yeah ok, it’s just a little date nothing more
C’mon Kei get yourself together
It’s almost silly every time he hears Tsukishima inside of his head. Tsukishima always has these invisible arguments in his mind that he swallows deep within his pride. It’s funny and endearing, knowing this side of Tsukishima no one will ever know.
Tsukishima thoughtlessly pulls Yamaguchi’s hand and looks down on the boy through his golden eyelashes, cheeks red. Yamaguchi intertwined their fingers together, drink forgotten.
“D-do you wanna—“ Tsukishima starts.
“I’d love to,” Yamaguchi replies with a wide grin. “Just don’t forget to call me this time, okay?”
“Have anyone ever told you the horrible effects of too much coffee?”
Yamaguchi stops walking and turns on his heels to face his boyfriend, brows knitted together and mouth pulled into a pout. “You trying to be my mom now?”
“Don’t—don’t look at me like that.” The blond clicks his tongue. “My brother had a doctor degree I practically know what addiction looks like.”
“That doesn’t make you a doctor.” Yamaguchi growls.
“Oh, so now I can’t be worried over my own boyfriend’s health? Whatever.” Tsukishima throws his hands up in the air dramatically and continues his pace.
Yamaguchi swallows, lips curling into a smile. “Wait—Tsukki.” Yamaguchi keeps up with his boyfriend, grabbing his arm.
Tsukishima stops and turns his body slightly, only to shoot the brunette an irritated look.
Yamaguchi stands on his tiptoes and leans in, planting a chaste kiss on Tsukishima’s cheek. “Then I guess I’ll have to find something even more addicting than caffeine, huh?"
Tsukishima blushes like a love-struck teenage girl. He adjusts his glasses and pulls his lips into a straight, thin line. He doesn’t say anything but only fixes his cool gaze on Yamaguchi. The latter chuckles knowingly, knocking their foreheads together.
“I really like you too, Tsukki.”