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Yamaguchi Tadashi had known Tsukishima for so long that he began forgetting what it was like not having him by his side.
Sure, he had other friends at Karasuno, especially Hinata and Sugawara, but he always circled back to Tsukki, whether the guy liked it or not.
Yamaguchi wouldn’t exactly call Tsukki a friend, though. They were so close but you’d almost never expect that Tsukki would be hanging out with a guy like him– you’d be surprised at how soft he was internally.
Sometimes Yamaguchi, even after being boyfriends for so long, would be surprised too.
As he and Tsukki hung out in his bedroom, Yamaguchi crashing immediately onto his bed and tossing a loose volleyball on the floor up, almost bumping into the ceiling, Tsukki sat at his desk with headphones around his neck as Yamaguchi asked, “Tsukki, are you free the rest of today?”
Tsukki swiveled his body around to him and frowned. It was such a classic expression coming from him– though it looked less menacing and serious when you see the unhealthy amount of dinosaur figurines stacked upon the wall. Usually he’d hide the figurines in his closet whenever someone were to visit, but Tsukki never did whenever he came. Yamaguchi found that endearing, “No, I have something.” Tsukki shook his head, face suddenly darkening.
“What is it?”
Tsukki huffs, turning back and staring at the marked off calendar, “A doctor’s appointment.”
“...Why do you look so concerned? It’s not a bad thing.”
“I know, Yamaguchi.” Tsukki laced his hands together, “I’m not upset.”
“You are.” The shorter wrinkled his nose.
“How would you know?”
Yamaguchi caught the volleyball, arms still outstretched in a setting motion as he suddenly rambled, “When you’re worried, your face gets a little scrunched and you push up your glasses a lot. Then, you avoid eye contact for a bit.” He let it easily slip out and then stared at Tsukki, who locked eyes with him with a concerned expression. “Uh-huh. Like that.”
“It’s not just a doctor’s appointment.” Tsukki mumbled, getting up from his desk and laying down next to him– immediately, Yamaguchi noticed the warmth of his body and took a nervous, shallow breath as the blonde ventured on, “It’s for some vaccine shots.”
Yamaguchi nodded understandably. Some vaccines were recommended before going on to the next year, and not too long ago Yamaguchi had gotten his own, “Oh, I see… ah. I get it now.”
Tsukki raised his head up to slide his hands under, staring into the ceiling, his vision sometimes catching a glimpse of the ball Yamaguchi was tossing up, “I’m not too fond of needles.”
Yamaguchi’s mind immediately searched for a way to cheer him up, “Hmm…”
“It’s fine,” Tsukki murmured loosely, “It doesn’t matter.”
“But Tsukki—“ He paused, catching the ball again and this time setting it down on the bed. It uselessly and promptly rolled and tumbled onto the floor. “Hey, how about I go with you?”
Tsukki scoffed and he turned his body to him, “Absolutely not.”
“I think it’d be nice, Tsukki.” Yamaguchi shrugged.
“Why would you wanna go to the doctor with me?”
“We’ll we’ve been… kind of busy with exams and I just wanted to hang out with you today since it was one of our free days,” Yamaguchi offered weakly, turning to smile at him. Tsukki pursed his lips, his features softening and then there comes that expression of sadness washing over his face— another thing Yamaguchi noticed throughout their dating experiences. “Even if I just stay in the waiting room, or—“
“No.” Tsukki mumbled.
That effectively shut Yamaguchi up.
“…I’m sorry.” Tsukki rolled over on his bed again and grabbed at the sheets, a sigh escaping him.
“It’s fine, I understand… it was a little bit of a weird request, anyway.” Yamaguchi said.
His mind kept searching, searching for things that could add with the conversation—
…
Oh, I remember now.
“Hey, if I tag along I can pay for a strawberry shortcake at one of the nearby cafes. Wouldn’t that be nice?”
Tsukki immediately perked up at his sentence, “It’s fine, I don’t want to inconvenience you or anything. ” He managed.
“O—oh, no it’s nothing,“ Yamaguchi laughed, “I just remembered the times you’d come back from shots during elementary school and your lunch box would always be packed with shortcake. Every single time.”
The blonde sat up, a blush beginning to creep up on his pale face, “How do you remember all of this? It’s creepy.”
Yamaguchi sat up and inched closer, kissing him softly on the cheek, “So can I come? I promise I’ll get you a slice.”
Tsukki pursed his lips, body limp as he tapped his fingers against the fabric timely, like a clock. “Yeah, sure. Just don’t tell my brother.”
“That’s fine, I won’t.” Yamaguchi hooked himself onto him, “I just kinda wanna hang out with you today. Just us after you get your shots.”
Tsukki tensed at that, and he leaned back a little, his palms supporting his upper body weight as he lowered his gaze–
“Yeah.”
A couple of hours later, they were in the waiting room. Tsukishima Kei tried not to show his pathetic anxiousness.
Shots had always been a fear of his, but not because of how sharp it was– it was due to the after effects whenever he’d get patched up and start walking– his body would feel nauseous, lightheaded, and his palms would soften and then shake concerningly. It usually overwhelmed his body, which already didn’t get enough nutrients due to his small appetite.
Tsukki never really talked about it. He just brushed it off and always said he wasn’t hungry, but alas, it’d slip out once in a while. Yamaguchi already knew but… it was still a little embarrassing.
They sat down, Tsukki placing his hands in his lap as Yamaguchi leaned his head onto his shoulder. “Are you nervous?” His boyfriend asked.
Tsukki stared at him, seeing how his eyelashes would bat. He flushed, “I guess.”
“It’s gonna be okay. We get them all the time!” Yamaguchi tapped his forearm before lacing a hand into Tsukki’s.
“That doesn’t mean that I’m used to it.” The blonde murmured, “The last time I had a needle in me, they had taken a sample of my blood. It was…”
Yamaguchi fell expectantly but kindly silent, and Tsukki apprehensively continued, “It wasn’t great. I felt so weak I couldn’t go to school.”
“Was this during elementary?” Yamaguchi blinked.
“Uh-huh.”
“Ah… so that’s why you didn’t come that day… I didn’t have a phone so I sat in class wondering where you went.”
How does he remember all of this? Tsukki frowned. It was always spot on. It made him feel jittery, butterflies forming in his stomach because of how considerate and thoughtful Yamaguchi was. It was probably something he’d take ages to get used to. “I don’t like them.” Tsukki shuddered.
“How about I go in with you?” Yamaguchi asked.
Tsukki looked away. “That’s… wei–”
“Tsukki.”
“...Sure.” The blonde corrected himself with a small cough.
The silence was practically deafening and created a deeper nervous pit in his stomach– by the time the doctor pulled the both of them into the office, and they had left to grab the syringes, Tsukki was knocking his leg against the chair anxiously, staring down at his hands with Yamaguchi apparently concerned next to him.
“Shortcake would be nice right now.” Tsukki said quietly, and his boyfriend let out a breathy laugh as he tried to console him.
“What arm do you usually get it in?” Yamaguchi asked, their hands intertwining again. He squeezed Tsukki’s palm.
“Uh, my left.” Tsukishima replied, albeit a little shakily, but he ventured on, “I don’t use it very often when playing volleyball.”
“That’s–” Yamaguchi’s words were stopped when the doctor knocked and peeked in, holding the dreaded basket of bandaids, mini wipes, alcohol swabs, and two loaded syringes. Immediately Tsukki swallowed and sat up considerably. Yamaguchi pulled away from him.
He wasn’t really sure what the doctor was saying to him, nor did he care– he eyed the liquid inside the syringe and already felt his mind growing dizzy.
“Alright, so left or right shoulder?”
“Oh, ah… left.” He couldn’t believe how weak his voice was. If he saw Yamaguchi’s face right now he’d most definitely bury himself.
The first injection was really not that bad. He felt a little pinch, body relaxing with a small huff as the doctor wiped it quickly and then bandaged it.
The second injection was fine…. At first. They used the same shoulder, patching him up a second time, and maybe it was just his nervousness crashing down, but he could already feel his muscles becoming sluggish and stagnant. Yamaguchi squeezed his left hand as he leaned his head back.
“Okay, you’re all set. Just leave when you’re ready.”
“Yeah, thank you…”
The doctor left them, shutting the door and letting the heaviest silence blanket them for a moment before Yamaguchi broke it: “Are you… okay?”
Tsukki sighed, flexing his shoulders and feeling the medication seep in, “Yeah. I’ll just take it easy– it’s really nothing physically.”
Yamaguchi got up from his chair and tried for a good, enlightening smile, “Shortcake time?”
The blonde nodded– distantly, his body and mind were aware of Yamaguchi’s calculated actions in trying to help him feel a little better– the way he’d let Tsukki lean on him just a little, not a lot, since he knew that it’d look a little embarrassing, and the way he squeezed his hand reassuringly when they walked out of the office and started searching around for one of those mini, humble cafes. Despite the pain being low, the mental consequences were absolutely not.
He shifted his weight away from Yamaguchi apologetically, “Sorry, I–I just feel a little dizzy.”
Yamaguchi turned to him, raising an eyebrow, “Why are you saying sorry?”
Tsukki fell silent after that. He wasn’t sure how to answer, either.
They sat at a table, laying his head down slightly as he listened dimly to the way Yamaguchi would order them food. His mind couldn’t process most of the words, and the only word he caught was shortcake.
His ears rang a little. The only thing he could really feel was Yamaguchi squeezing his hand repetitively. He raised his head up groggily.
“We– we should have just gotten takeout, or something.” Tsukki mumbled hushedly, “I look like such a mess right now.”
“We can do that if you want.” Yamaguchi offered.
Can this guy be any more considerate? Tsukki flushed, “No… it’s fine.”
Soon after, their food arrived, and Tsukki had no appetite for anything other than shortcake. He immediately took the plate and dug into it with a fork, eating it immediately. Yamaguchi’s expression was amusing, “It’s like batteries, huh?” Yamaguchi mused.
Tsukki nodded vigorously, having no time to talk.They ate in silence, simply just enjoying the other’s company– soon, his dizziness vanished, his muscles relaxing just a bit. After a couple of minutes, he swallowed and said, “It was a thing my mother used to do.”
“Hm?” Yamaguchi set down his plate, “What was?”
Tsukki placed his almost empty plate of dessert down, “There was a local shop near us that sold shortcake. My mom would stock up whenever I had an upcoming doctor’s appointment like these.” He licked his lips and tasted the sweetness.
Yamaguchi stared at him for a moment. Tsukki blinked rapidly and mumbled, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“No, nothing…” Yamaguchi started, voice trembling a little, and then he croaked out, “That’s so cute, Tsukki.”
Tsukki buried his face in his hands, groaning and leaning back into his chair, “God, no it’s—…”
“No, seriously! It’s cute!”
The banter that followed after was the cherry on top— it basically revived Tsukki from the mental overload he had just now and by the time they cleaned most of their plates off, Tsukki felt more jittery than slow. Suddenly, he was aware of everyone and everything, especially Yamaguchi sitting across from him— how his smile would perk up and crease at the edges. He still wasn’t used to the heat growing on his face whenever Yamaguchi was around.
He was so pretty.
After they paid and soon after left, they decided to head over to Tsukki’s house, Yamaguchi was set on bringing him home as fast as possible. Tsukki quietly assured that it wasn’t much of a big deal, but of course, his boyfriend was adamant on getting him to bed and also getting him some barley tea. Tsukki felt a little breathless… not from his systems overriding, but Yamaguchi’s overflowing empathy.
“I told you, It’s not a big deal.” Tsukki argued weakly, “I’m not like… sick, or anything. It’s very much the opposite.”
“Again, your face is all scrunched up and you’ve pushed up your glasses too much for me to handle today.” Yamaguchi stated, sliding into bed with him, Tsukki sitting up slightly and putting his hands together. “Does it hurt?”
“No,” Tsukki shook his head, “I feel it a little bit, though.”
“You still playing volleyball tomorrow?”
“Of course, Yamaguchi.” Tsukki bumped him, “Don’t ask stupid questions.”
“Sorry Tsukki.” Yamaguchi stared up at the ceiling.
“You know you don’t mean that.”
“Yep, I don’t.” Yamaguchi laughed breathily, “Hey, I’ll be leaving in an hour and a half. Get well soon, okay?”
Tsukki blinked, body a little worn, You’re saying that like I have a fever. He still nodded faintly though, “Thank you.” He said quietly.
Yamaguchi soon slipped off the bed, heading to his door when Tsukki uttered last minute–
“Hold on, Yamaguchi.”
His boyfriend turned back to him with those endearing freckles of his, “Hm?”
Tsukishima furrowed an eyebrow, “You’re gonna leave without kissing me? So unlike you.”
Yamaguchi smiled warmly and came back to him, leaning into his ear, “I was just waiting for you to point it out.”
Their bodies clicked, and Yamaguchi leaned in even more for the kiss, tilting his head and letting his hands roam to Tsukki’s neck, the blonde’s eyes fluttering closed in bliss. He had two thoughts as of right now– Yamaguchi, and the taste of shortcake. Tsukki pulled away for a split second before going in for the next one eagerly.
They had gotten more used to doing this. Of course, not in public– Hinata and Kageyama would never stop taking pictures secretly on their phones if they did– but when alone, Tsukki gave him permission. He loved it. He loved it so much.
Yamaguchi pulled away, foreheads touching as he gasped slightly, staring at Tsukki’s face. Tsukki’s lips were soft and red, while his face was beginning to flush even more than before.
“I really did find it cute, you know.” Yamaguchi whispered, giving him a kiss on the forehead– honestly, that was more electrifying than the actual kiss, since Tsukki’s entire body tensed up and then melted into jelly at the same time.
“F–find what cute?” Tsukki murmured. He brought his legs a little closer to him, Yamaguchi’s body unable to move because of it.
“That you like shortcake because of your shots as a child.” Yamaguchi said easily, “It’s so cute. You’re so cute.”
“Uh-huh. And you’re so embarrassing, Tadashi.” Tsukki swiped him away with a heated huff, “Go home.”
Yamaguchi groaned, wrapping arms around him and drawling, “Just let me sleep here. I’ll be on the floor if you’d like.”
“No, I wouldn’t wanna make you do that.” Tsukki managed out, the heat coming from Yamaguchi’s body unbearable. He readjusted his glasses and stumbled out, “Just sleep next to me, it’s fine.”
“Really? Thanks, Tsukki!” Yamaguchi laughed, giving him another quick kiss before flopping onto the bed space next to him.
…
“Tsukki.”
“Yeah?”
“You tasted like shortcake.”