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Yamaguchi stared at the small mountain of neatly wrapped chocolates in front of him, his hands resting on the edge of the kitchen table. The soft scent of cocoa still lingered in the air, mixing with the faint chill of the late-night breeze slipping through the window he’d cracked open.
There was… a lot.
Way too much, actually.
His initial plan had been to make just enough—one perfect bag filled with carefully crafted chocolates for Tsukki. But as the night stretched on and his nerves refused to settle, he kept making more. And more. Until now, when he sat staring at multiple bags, stuffed to the brim with chocolates all meant for the same person.
Maybe this was overkill.
But… it wasn’t like he’d give them all to Tsukki.
Just one bag. Just one, if things went well. The rest could be a backup, or maybe a consolation prize for himself when Tsukki inevitably rejec—
No. No, he wasn’t going to think about that yet.
Yamaguchi ran a hand through his hair, exhaling through his nose. This wasn’t like him. He may have totally been the kind of guy who'd pine over someone for years and then crumbled at the last moment, but he wouldn't be this time. He had been in love with Tsukki for so long, he owed it to himself to at least try.
The chocolates were done. That was the easy part. But the letter…
His stomach twisted as he looked at the blank sheets of paper in front of him.
He had already tried three times already before giving up and deciding that it'd be smarter to do the chocolates first. The three pages sat discarded beside him, all starting with the same hesitant words before veering off into something awkward, or too dramatic. He still decided to not throw them away yet. They weren't awful after all. They still encapsulated Yamaguchi's raw and honest feelings.
But he could do better.
He picked up his pen and tapped it against the table, staring at the page like it might give him an answer. Then, hesitantly, he started again.
Hi Tsukki,
I know you don’t like stuff like this. I know you think Valentine’s Day is dumb. But I wanted to give you something anyway. Not even because of today, but because I just… wanted to. And today seemed to fit the theme, so yeah, it is today.
Yamaguchi frowned. He was barely a paragraph in and was already rambling… he better get to the point.
The truth is, I’ve sort of been feeling a certain way towards you for a long time. A really long time. Longer than I should have, probably. But I never told you, because I didn’t want to make things weird between us. I didn’t want to risk losing what we have. But that’s selfish, isn’t it? Keeping these feelings bottled up just because I’m scared? But I'm done being scared now. I want you to know this.
I really like you! I like you a lot and I want to be with you, so please accept my feelings!
Happy Valentine’s Day.
Yamaguchi Tadashi
He read over it once. Twice. His hands trembled slightly as he set the pen down. It was… too much. Wasn’t it? And way too rambly. He'd tried but…
Yamaguchi let out a breath and folded the paper anyway, setting it next to the others. He could decide later.
Instead of stopping, he grabbed another sheet and started again.
Tsukki,
You’re my best friend. You always have been. I don’t know when it turned into something more, but it did. And I think I just needed you to know.
Yamaguchi Tadashi
Too short. Too casual. Definitely not to Yamaguchis style, but maybe Tsukki would like something like that. He'd imagined that should Tsukki ever write a love letter it'd be something like that.
He folded that one up too and threw it to the pile.
Then he grabbed his pen once again. Why was this so hard? All he had to do was write his feelings, and nobody should know them better than himself. Maybe he was thinking too much.
Dear Tsukki,
I want you to know that first and foremost you are my best friend and I cherish our friendship more than anything in the world. I would never want to do anything to mess it up. I need you to know that and I need you to understand, before I get to the important part, that having you in my life as I do today, is more than enough. I am happy to be around you, grateful that you let me be a part of your life andI wouldn't give it up for anything in the world.
I know I'm rambling, and I know you hate it when I do that, but I can't help it. You’d probably call me an idiot if you knew how long I’ve been sitting here, rewriting letters over and over, trying to make it perfect. But nothing feels right. There’s no perfect way to say this, but I still need to say it.
I love you. I love you and I fear I always have, since middle school, and now in high school as well, throughout every moment we’ve spent together, I have loved you. You make me feel a way nobody else can. When I look at you it feels like I'm moon gazing, and this isn't supposed to be a play on words, I genuinely mean it. It feels like I'm lying in a field at night and gazing at the moon because it's the most beautiful thing the world has to offer.
I know this is a lot. I'm embarrassed to write it, but it's honest. This is how I feel, Tsukki. And if you don’t feel the same, that’s okay. But I needed to say it at least once.
Yamaguchi Tadashi
He swallowed.
Terrible. Too much again. Why can't he find a balance? Where did he go wrong?!
His eyes darted to the clock on the wall. Nearly 4 AM.
God, he was exhausted. And none of these letters felt right.
Yamaguchi rubbed his face and groaned, slumping forward onto the table. He was never going to get this perfect, was he?
His gaze drifted to the pile of letters and he picked a random one up to read it through again.
Dear Tsukki,
Today is Valentine's day so we both know what it means to receive a letter. Please take my words seriously here, and my feelings into consideration and let me down gently. You can make fun of me later—
He put the letter away.
At least Yamaguchi knew for sure now that he had at least somewhat improved.
He sighed and looked through the rest again. Each one clumsy and imperfect in its own way.
But maybe… that was okay.
Maybe Tsukki didn’t need perfect.
Without thinking too much about it, Yamaguchi shoved the entire stack into his bag, along with the chocolates. Every single one of them.
If Tsukki accepted his feelings, he could give him the rest. If not, well…
At least he wouldn’t have to write another letter.
With that, he stumbled to his bed, barely pulling the covers over himself before exhaustion claimed him.
Tomorrow, everything would change.
One way or another.
___
Yamaguchi sat at his desk, fingers curled around his pen, the words in his notebook blurring together. He wasn’t even writing—just staring, the edge of the pen pressing into the paper. He could feel Tsukishima’s presence beside him, sitting with his usual slouched posture, elbow resting on the desk, chin propped up on his palm.
It was like every other day. Except it wasn't. It was Valentine's day and Yamaguchi’s heart was pounding.
He hadn’t even done anything yet. Hadn’t handed over the chocolates. Hadn’t given him the letters. But the weight of it pressed down on him, made his stomach twist every time he glanced at his bag, filled with too many chocolates and too many badly written confessions.
He peeked at Tsukishima out of the corner of his eye.
Maybe he should just do it now. Just pull out the chocolates and shove them into his hands. Get it over with.
But then Tsukishima turned his head slightly, gaze flicking toward Yamaguchi like he’d noticed the way he was fidgeting. “What?”
Yamaguchi’s breath hitched. “N-nothing.” He immediately looked away, back to his notebook, flipping to a random page like he had something important to check.
Tsukishima let out a long, drawn-out sigh. “Seriously, what’s with you? You've been odd since morning.”
Before Yamaguchi could attempt some clumsy excuse, the classroom door slid open. A girl—a second year, Yamaguchi realized—stepped inside, shifting awkwardly before locking eyes with Tsukishima.
The room went quiet.
“Tsukishima-kun,” she said, voice soft but clear. “Could you… meet me in the hall for a moment?”
A few boys near the back whistled. Someone muttered, “Again?”
Tsukishima exhaled sharply, already looking annoyed. But he stood anyway, shoving his hands in his pockets as he followed the girl out. The moment the door shut behind them, the class erupted in whispers.
Yamaguchi turned toward the window, pretending not to care.
He didn’t have to watch. He knew how it would go.
Sure enough, when Tsukishima returned a few minutes later, he had nothing in his hands. The girl had left. Her chocolates, wherever they were, had been rejected.
Every valentine's day Tsukishima got numerous confessions. Based on what some of their classmates murmured, this wasn't the first one. Yamaguchi must've missed the first one when he had gone to the bathroom earlier.
But it wasn't surprising to him anymore.
Not even when it happened again at lunchtime.
And then again after classes.
Different girls—cute girls, beautiful girls, handing Tsukishima chocolates with nervous smiles, only for him to barely glance at them before turning them down.
It was hard not to think Tsukki was the absolute coolest, whenever that happened.
He still hoped Tsukishima would be more gentle with him later. Best case scenario he'd accept Yamaguchi's confession, but Yamaguchi wasn't delusional enough to consider that as a possibility. But if he turned him down like he did the girls, Yamaguchi would just be happy enough if his friend was just a little kinder to him than the other's.
___
The changing room was its usual mess of loud voices and thrown uniforms as everyone hurried to get ready for practice. Yamaguchi sat on the bench, tying his shoes, while Tanaka and Nishinoya groaned dramatically from across the room.
“Man, another year of only getting obligatory chocolates,” Nishinoya complained, throwing his towel over his head. “It’s depressing.”
“At least you got some,” Tanaka shot back, pointing at him. “I barely even got those! Are girls here afraid of my natural charm?”
“That must be it,” Ennoshita said dryly as he adjusted his jersey. “Or maybe they just don’t wanna waste good chocolate on an idiot.”
“Oi, rude!” Tanaka squawked.
Nishinoya ignored him, turning to Tsukishima instead, grinning wryly. “I guess not all of us can be as popular as a certain tall blonde here.”
“Oh right!” Tanaka joined in, slinging his arm around Tsukishima and pulling him down. “We heard from Hinata you got confessed to, what, three times today?”
Tsukishima shot a glare toward Hinata, who flinched. “I didn’t say anything!” he yelped, bolting out of the changing room before Tsukishima could call him out on the obvious lie. That only left Tsukishima to sigh, it was clear he didn't want to engage in this conversation.
“What do they see in you?” asked Nishinoya, genuinely, even if he kind of sounded like a jerk.
“Yeah, what do they say when they confess? There's no way they like your personality, right?”
“What do I know?” Tsukishima simply responded, like he really didn't know. And didn't care to know either. Yamaguchi wasn't curious about it as well, because if anyone knew why someone might like Tsukishima, it'd be him.
He could never really hate the girls confessing to his best friend for that exact reason. At first it was scary, back in middle school, because Tsukki could've just accepted their confession and gotten a girlfriend, and the thought of that alone was terrifying. But after years of Tsukishima getting confessed once or twice to every few months, and multiple times on valentines day, with him always turning down every girl, Yamaguchi had stopped worrying about them.
Instead he just felt bad. Tsukishima was cool, tall and funny, who could seriously blame them for falling for him? And how could Tanaka-san and Nishinoya-san not see that?
Besides, at least the girls had the courage to confess. Yamaguchi still lagged several steps behind.
Nishinoya groaned again. “Man, we need to change tactics next year. Maybe if we act all cool and mysterious, girls will take an interest.”
“I feel like you’d just end up looking suspicious,” Enoshita muttered. “Anyway, let’s get going before we’re late.”
They all started heading toward the gym, Tanaka and Nishinoya still grumbling about their bad luck. Yamaguchi followed, relieved that the conversation had moved on.
And then—
“Tsukishima-kun?” A soft voice called out.
They all turned to see a girl standing in front of the gym, clutching a small, pink-wrapped box of chocolates. She was very pretty, wearing a shy, hesitant smile, her fingers fidgeting against the packaging as she stepped closer.
“I—I really like you,” she said, her voice shaking slightly as she bowed and held her chocolates towards Tsukki. “Please accept these.”
Tanaka and Nishinoya both froze.
“No, thanks.” Tsukki simply said.
The girl’s expression faltered. “O-oh,” she mumbled. “I… I understand.” She clutched the chocolates back to her chest, bowed slightly, and hurried away, shoulders hunched.
For a second, no one spoke.
Then—
“Are you crazy?!” Nishinoya burst out, grabbing Tsukishima’s arm. “What the hell was that?!”
Tanaka joined in, gesturing wildly. “She was so cute! Are you serious? You didn’t even think about it for a second!”
Tsukishima rolled his eyes. “What’s there to think about?”
“Her beauty was almost at Kiyoko-san’s level!” Nishinoya shouted. “You’re way too picky!”
“If even she’s not good enough for you, then who the hell is?” Tanaka demanded. “Hey Yamaguchi, were the other's that pretty too? No way, right?”
“Uh…” Yamaguchi didn't really know what to say. He smiled awkwardly and scratched his cheek. “I guess?”
Tanaka and Nishinoya exploded.
“Tsukishima, damn you!”
“All these cute girls are wasted on you! Just so you know!”
Tsukishima just kept walking, completely uninterested.
Yamaguchi trailed behind him, leaving their upperclassmen outside to wail.
Practice thankfully went normally. Ennoshita handled them well. But of course nothing lasted forever. Yamaguchi already felt Tsukki dreading the inevitable when they were back in the changing rooms.
“Seriously Tsukishima, I'm not trying to be a jerk. I'm your upperclassman, so I'm just looking out for you.” Tanaka said.
“Uh hu…” Tsukki definitely wasn't buying it.
“Ryu is right! We're worried! What was wrong with the girl from earlier? Just tell us and we'll leave you alone.”
Tsukishima finally sighed and gave an innocent smile. “I don't get why you're so curious. Shouldn't my upperclassmen worry more about themselves? If I heard correctly, you're barely even getting obligation chocolates.”
“Tsukishima, you…” Tanaka was basically burning at this point.
“You better have more respect for your uppercla-”
“Yamaguchi.” Tsukki interrupted Nishinoyas rage. “I'll wait at the gate for you.”
Yamaguchi blinked. Tsukki was already done with changing, and he still hadn't given him the chocolate.
“Oh, yeah sure! Thanks Tsukki!” he said, forcing a smile.
Tsukishima left with that, leaving his two upperclassmen fuming with Yamaguchi.
“That Tsukishima… He doesn't know how good he has it…”
“If a cute girl like that confessed to me…” Nishinoya started. “I'd take her on a nice date.”
“I… would accept her chocolates… but my heart belongs to Kiyoko-san. I couldn't…”
“Ryu…”
And now they were tearing up.
“You won't have to worry.” Ennoshita interrupted their wholesome moment.” No cute girl, nor Kiyoko-san is going to confess to you any time soon.”
“Hey, you don't know that!”
“Anyway, you two are taking too long.” he threw Tanaka the keys. “You can close after yourselves today. I'm not waiting.”
“Yea yea…” Tanaka sighed.
Yamaguchi realized he should hurry up too, and not let Tsukki wait that long. He put on his jacket but just as he was about to leave.
“Uh, wait a sec Yamaguchi!”
It was Nishinoya.
“Yes?”
Nishinoya stepped closer and glared up at him, with a serious expression. Despite being a head shorter than Yamaguchi, Nishinoya sure was intimidating.
“Do you know?” he asked.
Yamaguchi blinked. "Know… what exactly?”
“Why Tsukishima is such a stick in the mud!”
“Uhm…”
“No wait, what I mean is… How come he keeps rejecting all these cute girls?!”
“Yeah!” Tanaka joined in. “Didn't you say you've known him since middle school?
“Elementary school, actually.” Yamaguchi sheepishly corrected.
“Then… Is this a common occurrence? Him getting confessed to and coldly turning these cuties down?”
“Ah, well…” Yamaguchi didn't exactly want to answer. Tsukki was waiting after all, he should get going.
“Don't worry,” Tanaka said. “I'm sure Tsukishima won't mind you telling us.”
“Besides… We know you like talking about him. For once we're actually asking.”
Yamaguchi blushed. He thought he'd gotten better at that. “W-what? I dont-”
“Come on, Tadashi-kun… aren't we your favorite Senpais?”
“uh… well…” there probably was no harm telling them a bit, Yamaguchi decided. “Tsukki was always kind of popular, I guess? But he never accepted a confession, at least not that I know of..”
“Really?! That's crazy!” screeched Nishinoya.
“Were all the girls pretty though?”
“Of course they were pretty.” Nishinoya answered Tanaka before Yamaguchi could say anything.
“And how would you know?”
“Think about it! If he turns down girls that are drop dead gorgeous, there's now way a plain girl would confess too! She knows better than to get her heart broken!”
Yamaguchi's stomach dropped. They weren't wrong.
“Damn it! I think you're right, Noya-san…” Tanaka sighed.
“Aghhh! These poor girls… If a girl were to confess to me, even if she was plain…” Nishinoya said, and Yamaguchi was getting a deja vu. “I'd definitely take her on a nice date!”
“and I… well my heart still belongs to Kiyoko-san, but I'd let her down gently!”
“uh… then.” Yamaguchi interrupted.” Can I get going?”
“Hm? Oh yeah. Guess you don't know Tsukishima's type either then, huh?”
Yamaguchi tried to smile. “No. No idea.”
Nishinoya and Tanaka weren't wrong. Plenty of girls would ask Yamaguchi about Tsukishima, but only the most confident ones actually tried to strike up conversations with Tsukishima himself.
The more plain ones knew better than to risk it. The outcome was inevitable.
And Yamaguchi wasn't even just plain, on top of that, he was also a guy.
Would Tsukishima give a lame looking guy a chance over one of the prettiest girls in their year? He thought of the chocolates in his bag, and the letters he wrote. It all felt like a bad joke now.
What had he been thinking?
There was no point in confessing.
___
Yamaguchi hurried toward the school gate, his breath coming in short puffs of cold air. He spotted Tsukishima almost immediately, standing with his hands shoved in his pockets, his usual unimpressed expression in place.
Hinata and Kageyama stood in front of him, deep in some heated argument—one that Tsukishima clearly wanted no part in.
“C’mon, just a few jumps! Just one block!” Hinata pleaded, bouncing on the balls of his feet.
“I said no,” Tsukishima muttered, sounding bored. “I’m tired. I want to go home.”
“But it’s good training!” Hinata insisted.
“Four eyes doesn't like the extra work,” Kageyama scoffed.
“What an insightful observation from his majesty.” Tsukishima yawned before his eyes finally locked with Yamaguchi's. “Finally, what took you so long?”
“Sorry,” Yamaguchi panted. “Got caught up.”
Hinata turned his attention to him immediately. “Oh! Yamaguchi, Kageyama and I were thinking to stay a bit longer. You should join us!”
Yamaguchi shook his head, giving Hinata an apologetic smile. “I think I’ll pass. I’m pretty tired too.”
Hinata slumped. “Man, no one wants to train today…”
Tsukishima smirked slightly. “Maybe we simply don't want to third wheel the two of you on your Valentines date.”.
“Wha—shut up, you jerk!” Hinata sputtered, as Kageyama yelled “You've lost it completely! What are you talking about?!”
Yamaguchi couldn’t help but laugh and followed Tsukishima.
As their voices faded behind them, Yamaguchi let out a small laugh. “You sure like teasing them, huh?”
Tsukishima sighed. “They make it easy.”
Yamaguchi shook his head, smiling, but his grip on his bag tightened.
The chocolates were still inside and seemingly felt heavier with every step.
This was it. They were alone now. This was exactly the kind of moment he had been waiting for—the perfect time to confess.
Except he couldn’t.
He had already given up.
He gripped the strap of his bag tighter, staring at the ground. He should just go home and pretend today was just another day. That was the safest option.
“You’re quiet,” Tsukishima said suddenly.
Yamaguchi flinched, eyes snapping up. “Huh?”
“You’re acting weird.”
“I-I’m fine,” Yamaguchi said quickly. “Just a little tired.”
Tsukishima gave him a look but didn’t push it. “If you say so.”
They walked in silence for a little while longer, Yamaguchi drowning in his thoughts.
Until he noticed something strange.
The familiar crunch of pavement under his feet had changed.
He blinked, glancing down.
Grass.
The wind was stronger here, the air crisp with the scent of winter. Yamaguchi looked up and realized they weren’t heading toward the station.
They were standing in an open park. The trees swayed gently, and the usually busy playground was completely empty. The cold must have driven people indoors.
Yamaguchi turned to Tsukishima, confused.
“Yamaguchi.”
Tsukishima’s voice was unusually soft, and when Yamaguchi turned to face him, his breath caught in his throat.
Tsukishima wasn’t looking at him directly. His gaze was fixed somewhere off to the side, his jaw tense, and—most surprising of all—a faint blush dusted his cheeks.
And then, from his pocket, he pulled out a small bag of chocolates.
Yamaguchi stared.
What?
For a second, panic seized his chest.
Did Tsukishima… accept one of those girls’ confessions after all? Had he decided, last minute, to give one of them a chance? Was he about to tell Yamaguchi all about it?
But then—
“I’m sorry.”
Yamaguchi blinked, his head snapping up.
“For what?” His voice was barely above a whisper.
Tsukishima took a breath. Then, as if forcing himself to get it over with, he met Yamaguchi’s eyes and said, “I like you.”
The wind howled in the empty park.
Yamaguchi’s entire body locked up.
He—
No, wait—
What?
His brain refused to process the words.
Tsukishima must have seen the shock on his face because he continued, his voice steady but quieter than before.
“I don’t expect you to feel the same,” he said, expression unreadable. “But I still wanted to tell you. No matter what, I—” He hesitated for a fraction of a second, then went on. “I hope we can still be friends.”
Yamaguchi opened his mouth. Then closed it.
His heart was pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears.
And then—before he even realized what he was doing—he screamed.
Not a word. Just a sharp, startled yell that had Tsukishima flinching slightly, eyebrows raising in surprise.
And then Yamaguchi was grabbing at his bag, fumbling with the zipper and shaking it violently.
Papers flew out.
His notebooks hit the ground.
And then, spilling out between them—
Chocolate.
So much chocolate.
And letters. Folded, stacked, some crumpled with uncertainty.
Yamaguchi barely registered the mess as he dropped to his knees and shoved the chocolates and letters toward Tsukishima, his hands trembling.
“For you!” he choked out, voice rising in pitch. “All of it! For you, Tsukki!”
Tsukishima didn’t move.
Didn’t blink.
Didn’t breathe.
For several long seconds, he just stood there, completely still, staring down at the pile of chocolates and letters on the ground like Yamaguchi had just dumped a truckload of bricks at his feet.
Then, slowly, he knelt down.
“…Are you serious?” His voice was barely above a whisper.
Yamaguchi couldn’t stop nodding, his entire body buzzing, his chest so full of emotions that he thought he might actually explode.
Then, finally—finally—he managed to get the words out.
“I’m in love with you.” His voice cracked slightly, but he kept going. “I’ve been in love with you for years. Hence the chocolates. But I had no idea you'd actually— I mean there’s no way you’d ever accept someone like me. I’m just—” His breath hitched, and he dropped his gaze. “I’m just plain. I’m not— I’m not even a girl.”
“Yamaguchi.”
“And I’m not— I’m not cool like you, Tsukki, and—”
“Yamaguchi, hey.”
“I just thought— If you rejected all those girls today, all those pretty, cool, amazing girls, then there was no way—”
A flick to his forehead cut him off.
“Ow—”
“Shut up, Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima muttered.
Yamaguchi blinked at him, holding his forehead.
Tsukishima sighed, eyes narrowing slightly. His voice was quieter when he spoke again.
“You’re still talking about the guy I like.”
Yamaguchi’s breath caught.
And then—
His vision blurred.
Tears welled in his eyes before he could stop them, spilling over before he could even think to blink them away.
Then, suddenly, Tsukishima’s arms were around him.
And Yamaguchi let himself fall into the warmth, gripping the back of Tsukishima’s jacket as if he never wanted to let go.
___
The wind had calmed by the time they sat down on the grass, their legs stretched out in front of them as they quietly ate the chocolates Yamaguchi had made.
Tsukishima picked up another piece, eyeing the sheer amount of sweets scattered between them.
“…Why did you make so many?” he asked, popping the chocolate into his mouth.
Yamaguchi flushed. “I—I don’t know. It just kind of happened.”
Tsukishima raised an eyebrow but didn’t press. Instead, he shifted his gaze to the unopened bag of chocolates sitting in Yamaguchi’s lap.
“Why aren’t you eating yours?” he asked. “You don’t like salted caramel?”
Yamaguchi immediately shook his head. “No! It’s nothing like that. I just…” He trailed off, rubbing his thumb over the bag’s crinkled surface. “I wanted to save it. Since it’s the first chocolate you ever gave me.”
Tsukishima blinked at him.
Then, suddenly, he chuckled.
“You’re such a sap.”
Yamaguchi’s blush deepened. “I am not!”
Tsukishima smirked and leaned back on his hands. “Just eat it. Now that we’re boyfriends, I can get you chocolate all the time.”
Yamaguchi choked on air.
“B—B-Boyfriends?!”
Tsukishima gave him a dry look. “What, did you think I confessed for fun?”
Yamaguchi’s hands flailed slightly. “T-T-That’s not it!”
Tsukishima rolled his eyes. “Then what’s with the dramatics?” He picked up one of the letters from the pile between them, eyeing it curiously. “I just assumed the reason you wrote all these was to ask me out.”
Yamaguchi stiffened.
Tsukishima hummed, running a finger over the folded paper. “Guess I should get to reading them.”
Yamaguchi panicked.
“Wait, don’t!” He lunged forward, trying to snatch the letter, but Tsukishima easily lifted it out of reach.
“They’re really badly written!” Yamaguchi protested, flustered beyond belief.
Tsukishima snorted. “I thought you wrote them for me.”
“I did! B-But it's embarrassing!”
“And? You’re embarrassing all the time.”
Yamaguchi whined. “Tsukki…!”
But Tsukishima ignored him, flicking the letter open with one hand.
Yamaguchi buried his face in his hands, already dying of secondhand embarrassment.
He could hear Tsukishima shift beside him, the sound of paper rustling as he silently read.
Then—
Nothing.
Too much nothing. Why wasn't Tsukki saying anything?!
Yamaguchi hesitantly peeked through his fingers.
Tsukishima had fallen back on the grass, covering his face with his forearm.
“Tsukki?” Yamaguchi sat up a little straighter. “I—I told you they were bad!”
Tsukishima sighed, tilting his head back against the grass. His arm still covered his face, but Yamaguchi could see the tips of his ears burning red.
“…You really drive me crazy,” Tsukishima muttered.
Yamaguchi blinked.
He barely had a second to process the words before Tsukishima suddenly moved. He sat up, shifting closer, and before Yamaguchi could even think to react, warm fingers brushed against his cheek.
Yamaguchi sucked in a sharp breath.
Tsukishima was looking at him, really looking at him, and Yamaguchi felt trapped in that gaze—caught between disbelief and something deeper, something heavier that sent his heart pounding.
His breath hitched as Tsukishima’s fingers curled slightly, his thumb grazing the corner of Yamaguchi’s mouth, hesitating for only a second—
And then Tsukishima leaned in.
Yamaguchi barely had time to close his eyes before their lips met.
It was soft. Warmer than he thought it would be. Tsukishima kissed him carefully, like he wasn’t sure if he was doing it right, like he was waiting for Yamaguchi to pull away. But Yamaguchi didn’t—couldn’t. His hands curled into the fabric of his pants, his heart hammering as he melted into the kiss, letting himself sink into the gentle press of lips, into the warmth that curled at the edges of his chest.
It was over too soon.
Tsukishima pulled back, just enough for Yamaguchi to feel the ghost of his breath against his lips.
The world felt unsteady. His head felt light.
Tsukishima’s hand lingered against his cheek for a second longer before he let it fall away.
Yamaguchi, still frozen in place, stared at him, wide-eyed and dazed.
Then, all at once, it hit him.
His face exploded in heat.
With a squeak, he shoved his hands over his face, hunched forward, and practically yelled,
“S-Shut up, Tsukki!”
“I didn’t even say anything…”