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“Why is being in love so fucking awful?” Tsukishima’s muffled voice can be heard even with his head covered by a pillow. He’s laying on his back on Yachi’s couch in her small apartment in Tokyo. Yachi is perched on her office chair at her desk in her makeshift office/living room. It’s evening, and the two have just finished off some bento for an easy dinner.
Yachi sighs, tapping a pencil lightly on her cheek. She wishes she knew what to say to comfort her friend. She stares out the window of her fifteenth-story apartment. It’s a cloudy evening, darker shades of blue and purple coloring the sky.
“Well, at least Kuroo-san is handsome,” she placates, removing her attention from the window back to her friend.
“Why mention his looks?” Tsukishima uncovers his head and cranes his neck to the side to squint at her.
“I mean, like, at least he’s nice to look at… even if it’s from a distance,” Yachi says, a touch of wistfulness coloring her tone.
Tsukishima reaches for his glasses on the small coffee table, puts them on. He waits a beat before he says, “Still no luck with Amanai-san, huh?”
“Noooo,” Yachi groans. “It’s just! I get so nervous! Kanoka-san is really talented and cool, and I-”
“I didn’t realize you were on a first-name basis with Amanai-san,” Tsukishima says slyly as he props himself up on his elbows.
Yachi blushes, swiveling her office chair to face away from Tsukishima; she doesn’t speak.
“What’s there to be nervous about?” Tsukishima asks. He hopes he doesn’t sound sarcastic. He really does mean this genuinely.
Yachi swivels back around to face Tsukishima. She’s still blushing, he notes. “I just told you! Because she’s amazing and talented and way too good for me!”
Yachi then promptly bursts into tears.
“Wh-what? Hitoka-chan?” Tsukishima says feebly, sitting up fully on the couch. He falters in both speech and movement.
He doesn’t have to decide, because Yachi decides for him; within a moment she’s sitting next to Tsukishima on the couch, bawling into his side (she’s too short to cry on his shoulder).
That one gif of the person, being comforted via broom pats, with the caption “there, there” flashes in Tsukishima’s mind. He hesitantly pats her head. It isn’t like he’s never seen Yachi cry; it’s that it’s never been just the two of them. Tsukishima has always relied on Hinata or Yamaguchi to do the comforting.
Yachi sniffles, and Tsukishima considers his options. There’s a few different things he could try:
- Tell her that Amanai isn’t worth all this heartbreak. Yachi is amazing in her own right and shouldn’t place so much of her value in one person’s view of her.
- Go out and buy her ice cream. Sweets solve everything.
- Pat her head more and say, “there, there.”
He goes for option two.
“Hey, Hitoka-chan. Let’s get some ice cream. You want me to go pick some out and bring it back? Or we could go out for crepes or something…” Tsukishima trails off as Yachi withdraws herself from the folds of his shirt.
Yachi takes a deep breath, rubs her eyes, and mumbles, “Ice cream sounds great. Thanks, Kei-kun.”
“I’ll be back,” Tsukishima says, standing up and stretching. He reaches her door, which is only a handful of steps away from the couch with his long stride. “What flavor do you want?”
“Any flavor that will make me less gay and anxious, please.”
Tsukishima chuckles, despite himself. “Alright, I’ll keep you posted, then.”
Yachi shouts out just as he’s about to close the door; “Better get yourself some of it, too, if you find it!”
Tsukishima returns less than 30 minutes later, several types of sweet treats in a plastic bag from a nearby Lawson’s. He notices that Yachi has turned on some indie playlist in the background, a bittersweet melody about unrequited love drifting through the apartment. He can’t see Yachi in the office/living room so wanders into her small kitchen. He finds her putting away dishes.
“Haven’t done dishes in a few days,” Yachi gives an embarrassed smile. “Figured we needed to have bowls, so it gave me a good excuse.”
“Well, I didn’t find the anti-gay anxiety-reducing flavor, but I did get some pints of vanilla, cookie dough, and strawberry, then lemon sorbert, aaaand a few drumsticks,” Tsukishima says, placing each item on the kitchen table. “Oh, and some pastries. Which do you want first?”
“Ooh, lemon sorbet!” Yachi answers. She then grins and says, “And you’ll have strawberry?”
Tsukishima scoffs. “I was going to have some cookie dough, actually.”
“Ok, ok,” Yachi giggles. “Hey, can you go to my computer and turn down the music a little?”
While Tsukishima leaves to do so, Yachi scoops a bowl of strawberry ice cream for him. She’s opening the lid to the pint of lemon sorbet as Tsukishima comes back to the kitchen.
Yachi hands him the bowl of ice cream.
“Here, Tsukki-kun!”
“Thanks,” Tsukishima replies, taking the bowl. “I did get the ice cream to share, you can have some strawberry too, you know.”
“I know! But it’s your favorite. You can head back to the living room, I’ll be just a second,” Yachi says.
“Alright.”
Tsukishima settles himself back on the couch, placing the bowl of ice cream on the side table as he pulls a blanket over his lap. It’s still early autumn, so the temperature hasn’t cooled down too much, but Tsukishima likes feeling cozy. Yachi follows shortly after, stopping to turn of the lamps in the room, then turns on the fairy lights she has hanging over her desk.
Yachi comes to curl up next to Tsukishima, leaning on him as he uses his free hand to spread the blanket out to cover her legs as well.
The two enjoy the sweet spoonfuls as they listen to more of Yachi’s indie playlist. As yet another sad song about love ends, Tsukishima speaks up.
“I know love is stupid,” he begins. “But I hope you don’t let it bring you down too much. You’re one of the best people I know, Hitoka. I want you to know that.”
“Tsukki!” Yachi gasps, nearly dropping her bowl. “I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said! Are you feeling alright?”
“Ok, ok,” Tsukishima gripes, slightly annoyed. “I’m just saying… Amanai-san would be lucky to date you.”
“So would Kuroo-san.”
“What does he have to do with anything?” Tsukishima demands, blushing.
“Come on, Kei-kun! You’ve been pining after him for how many years now? Like twenty?”
“Only like… six… maybe seven,” Tsukishima mumbles.
“Close enough! You should just tell him that you like him! What’s the worst that could happen?”
“He’d call me lame and never talk to me again,” Tsukishima replies.
“Ok, now who’s the anxious gay?” Yachi teases.
“Whatever,” Tsukishima says, taking another bite of ice cream.
“You should do it!” Yachi exclaims.
“Do what?”
“Text him! Text Kuroo-san now!”
“He’s probably busy.”
“Ok, but when is Kuroo-san not busy? Just send him a quick text! Ask him out! You’re in Tokyo for the week, anyway!”
Tsukishima turns to her thoughtfully.
“I will,” he says slowly, “if you text Amanai-san, too.”
“That’s unfair, Tsukki!”
“Is it?” Tsukishima asks, eyebrows raised.
“Yes, it is! You’ve known Kuroo-san since high school! I just met Kanoka-san a couple of years ago at Shimizu-san and Ryuu-san’s housewarming party!”
“But you’re close enough with Amanai-san to be on a first name basis,” Tsukishima points out.
“Ugh, fine! Let’s… let’s do it!”
Tsukishima blinks in disbelief.
“Fine,” he says stiffly. “But if Tetsurou-san never talks to me again, you’re going to owe me a lifetime supply of ice cream.”
“You got it,” Yachi laughs.
They finish their ice cream and then set to work carefully crafting their texts. After roughly 45 minutes of editing, their resulting messages are ready to send:
Hello Kanoka-san! How is practice going? I know you’re working hard! I watched your last game, you were so impressive! I was wondering, could I take you out to lunch to celebrate your latest win?
Hey, Tetsurou. Yes, I watched your latest collaboration video with Kenma-san and Hinata. I commend Kenma-san’s patience with you both. I’m in Tokyo this week, and have some free time. Would you be free to meet up? I’d like to check out some of the museums here, and was hoping for some recommendations, as well as someone to go with.
“Mine is too long, I’m not sending it,” Tsukishima says.
“You were replying to a previous text that Kuroo-san sent yesterday! Mine is only shorter because the last time Kanoka-san and I texted was like three weeks ago!”
“Still…”
“We’re sending them!” Yachi announces. “Here, you take my phone, and I’ll take yours. That way we can make sure the texts actually get sent.”
Tsukishima stares at Yachi, silently praying she’ll say, “Just kidding!” But she doesn’t. He sighs.
“Fine.”
They swap phones.
“Ok, ready?” Yachi prompts. “1, 2, 3, send!”
They both hit the send button.
Tsukishima feels a cold rush sweep through his body.
“It was a causal enough of a text,” he says slowly. “It could even be interpreted as friendly.”
“Right,” Yachi says, eagerly trying to assure her friend. “It’s up for interpretation! And besides- OH MY GOD SHE TEXTED BACK!!”
“What’d she say?” Tsukishima asks, trying not to sound too urgent.
Yachi quickly reads the text, then bursts into tears for the second time that evening.
“She said she’d love to go out to lunch together!” Yachi wobbles between tears.
“That’s- that’s great, Hitoka-chan, I’m so happy for- SHIT,” Tsukishima swears as his own phone buzzes.
“Oh my god, is it Kuroo-san? What’d he say, what’d he say?!”
Tsukishima takes a moment to process the text before responding faintly, “He gave a recommendation for a history museum here, and asks if tomorrow around noon would work. He’s asking if I want it to be just us.”
“Say yes, say yes!” Yachi shouts excitedly, happy tears still streaming down her face.
“Ok, ok!” Tsukishima says, trying desperately not to show how anxious he is.
Yes, noon works. Yes, just us, please.
They both wait with bated breath for Kuroo’s response.
Sounds great, see you then ;)
“Oh my god, this man is 25 using winking emoticons,” Tsukishima groans.
“And you love it,” Yachi says cheekily.
“Hey, what did you say back to Amanai-san?”
“Oh!” Yachi blushes. “I have to text her back!”
After Yachi figures out a restaurant to meet up at with Kanoka, she settles back into the couch, feeling like she can breathe for the first time in two years, ever since she was introduced to Amanai Kanoka.
“I’m really happy for you,” Tsukishima says. “I mean it.”
“I’m happy for you, too!”
“But we’re meeting back at your place tomorrow night, after our, uh, dates?” Tsukishima confirms. It still feels odd to him to think he’ll be going out on an actual date with the crush he’s had for over half a decade.
“Definitely,” Yachi grins. “We’ll need to over-analyze every moment, after all.”
Tsukishima gives a wry smile. He holds up a hand for a high five. “Anxious and gay?”
Yachi laughs, high-giving him back before confirming, “Yep! Anxious and gay.”