Chapter Text
Friday evening, 7:54 pm.
After what felt like forever, Karasuno High School’s volleyball team finally finished a day full of practices and drills, preparing for the next few big matches. First-year Tadashi Yamaguchi, already feeling the physical drain, stares at himself in the changing room through his locker’s tiny mirror with heavy eyes.
“Plans tonight, Yamaguchi?” A voice asks from Yamaguchi’s right, taking him out of his short daze. He recognizes the familiar voice as Koushi Sugawara, his teammate two lockers down. He also looks ready to get out of here but still manages to spark conversation as he quickly dresses.
“I’m heading over to Tsukishima’s tonight. Probably gonna do some studying for our English quiz next week.”
“Oh, that’s nice!” Sugawara shoots Yamaguchi a smile. “Hopefully it’s not all just work. Both of you deserve a break after this week.”
“Usually we end up watching a random movie or falling asleep too quickly to do anything else, honestly.” Yamaguchi laughs.
“I see…” Sugawara says, trying not to read into it. “Well, don’t work too hard, you two.” He locks up his locker and heads out to catch up with Daichi. “See you both next week!”
Back on the court, Kei Tsukishima gathers his things before heading to the club room.
“Hey, Tsukishima!” Hinata calls over from the net. It’s clear he and Kageyama have no speck of intent to leave anytime soon.
“Mm.”
“Where you going? Don’t you wanna practice a bit more with us?” Hinata asks, even though everyone knows the answer to that question already. As persistent as he is, Shoyo doesn’t see the harm in asking every time.
Tsukishima breathes out a sigh. “I’m done for today. Knock yourselves out,” he says before meeting with Yamaguchi at the door.
“See you, Kageyama, Hinata.” Yamaguchi waves before the two head out of the gym.
“Wait, are you guys gonna practice at Tsukishima’s?! Fun!!! We should totally go along with them sometime, Kageyama!” Hinata is so busy grinning at the idea of even more volleyball practice outside the gym that he doesn't notice Tsukishima and Kageyama flinch at his absurd suggestion. “See ya!”
It wasn’t exactly an uncommon occurrence for the pair to head home together, especially during peak volleyball season. In truth, Tsukishima appreciated the company.
Well, Tadashi’s company, specifically.
“I wonder what’s that about.” The team’s captain Daichi points down to the pair walking as he locks up the club room. Asahi, Sugawara, and Kiyoko look down to where he gestures.
“You noticed, too?” Sugawara replies.
“Well yeah, almost everyone has. They’ve been going home together more than usual, hanging out on weekends, coming to practice together.
“Really? I didn’t catch anything. I thought they were just really close childhood friends,” Asahi says, prompting a chuckle from Daichi and Sugawara for his cluelessness.
Sugawara takes a final look at the pair before they turn a corner. Yamaguchi is visibly giggling about something while Tsukishima looks down at him. “Their friendship… it’s sweet. I’m glad they have each other on the team.”
--
Saturday morning, 1:32 am.
After dinner and some time studying, the Tsukishima residence is quiet. The two boys are the only ones awake, sitting in the dark of Kei’s room watching a space documentary — the only remotely interesting thing on TV at this hour. Their respective right and left ears each hold half of some tangled wired earphones.
“God, this documentary is so dated. Pluto isn’t even a planet anymore,” Tsukishima says with a slight eyebrow raised at the film’s credibility (or lack thereof).
Unsurprisingly, Tsukishima is tuned in while Yamaguchi’s attempts to stay awake are in vain. When he does fall in and out of consciousness, he finds himself looking at Tsukishima.
By the time the documentary’s credits roll across the TV screen, Tsukishima finally notices his friend next to him — head buried in his knees, out cold.
“Hey. Movie’s over, sleepy. Time for bed,” he says to Yamaguchi as he gives him a shove. It’s a bit stronger than he intends.
“Huh?” Yamaguchi whips his head up, “Oh, yeah, that was a really good movie.”
Normally Tsukki would give a slight scoff at anyone’s attempt to save face, but with Tadashi, it just comes off as endearing.
“Come on, I’ll help you make your bed.”
Soon enough, the pair find themselves in their respective sleeping spots. Yamaguchi on the floor mattress and Tsukishima on the bed, his back to his friend and the rest of the room.
With the television off, nothing but a sliver of moonlight illuminates the room, specifically on to the back of Tsukishima’s head. Despite being knocked out 15 minutes ago, something stirred within Tadashi. He couldn’t get himself to fall back to sleep.
“Tsukki?” Yamaguchi whispers, unsure if his friend is still awake.
“Mm,” Tsukishima responds to signal some form of listening.
“Do you ever feel like the world stops sometimes?” Yamaguchi blurts out, wanting to keep Tsukishima awake for just a bit longer but unsure how.
A small pause. Tsukishima isn’t sure how to respond.
“No, not really.”
“Oh.”
A few seconds go by.
“Sometimes, in the spring, I watch the blossoms fall from the trees outside of our classroom, floating, one by one gracefully to the ground.”
“Tadashi. You don’t even have the window seat… no wonder you’ve been getting distracted in class lately.” Tsukishima manages to reply. It comes out less sarcastic than expected with his half-conscious voice.
“Right, that’s my bad.” Yamaguchi chuckles awkwardly.
A few more seconds pass. Tadashi can’t tell if he’s overthinking things.
“Other times,” he continues, “when we walk from practice, I can feel the familiar gust of the evening winds blowing through my hair strands.”
Tadashi’s restless pupils scan around the room, searching for something mundane to focus on and calm his thoughts. It’s useless, he thought, not noticing his heart beating a little faster as he hugged his pillow a bit tighter.
“Even today, coming home with you I noticed way more stars. It’s like… the sky was a painting.”
“Hm,” Tsukki mumbles. It’s unclear to Yamaguchi if he’s actually retaining any of this.
“I ask because I, um…” Tadashi starts. His eyes rest to focus on his friend’s blonde hair. His mind draws a blank. “Well, I’m not sure why I ask.”
Silence from Tsukishima. His breathing is steady, his body still. He ruminates on his childhood friend’s words.
2 am crickets begin to fill further silence through the cracked window.
I’m just rambling now, Tadashi thought, but his mind continues anyway.
“You know, it’s funny because…” He breaks the short silence again. “I notice every time I feel like the world stops… it seems that you're there, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi says, the last part much softer, almost inaudible.
But Tsukishima hears every word.
Yamaguchi isn't sensing any more half-asleep responses from Tsukishima anymore. With the words slipping out of his mouth, for some reason, he feels a little less restless. A little… lighter.
Turning to his other side, his back to Tsukki, Tadashi closes his eyes and whispers one last thought to the moon before succumbing to exhaustion.
“In those moments when it feels like the world has stopped…
I will always be thinking of you.”