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Preface: You and Tsukishima had been dating in secret for 4 months, and this takes place after practice. You are an assistant manager for the volleyball club, and you forgot your jacket in the gym.
The gym was humid, despite it snowing outside. Today as assistant manager, you were playing the role of ball collector. Running around the gym for the entirety of practice. You sure got your steps in for the day.
The holidays were right around the corner. Waiting for a break from school, and knowing that team practice would be put on hold until after the new year, everyone was soaking up every second in practice before spending time with family. Laughter filled the gym as people made mistakes and scored points. It felt like home.
During the cooldown stretch, you and Kiyoko started to clean up the gym. Once the boys were done stretching, they joined to help you two so you could get home sooner. Teamwork wasn’t something that Karasuno High School was lacking.
Putting the last of the mops away in the storage closet, you immediately felt Tsukishima’s presence behind you. You didn’t know how you knew, but it was a gut feeling. You two were like magnets. His gaze always found its way to you whenever you were in the same room. The team didn’t know about you two dating, so these stolen glances were essential for him to stay sane. But when he found time alone with you in public, he jumped at the chance.
Turning around to see him wiping the sweat from his forehead, you couldn’t help but think he was cute. Though practice was fun, it was still hard work. You reached your hand out to offer to clean his glasses for him. Tsukishima didn’t trust anyone else to touch his glasses but you. Somehow you always managed to clean them better than he ever could, despite never wearing glasses in your life.
It was simple acts of kindness like this that made his heart melt. Like the universe was sending a message that you two were perfect together.
You handed the glasses back. As he put them back on, you exited the storage room to go change. His hand brushed against yours, and your heart then ached for your walk home together.
Left to his own thoughts, Tsukishima stood there in the closet. Taking a moment to recover after being alone with you. He was more easily flustered than you were, and he knew that if he left the closet then, his ears would still be pink. He wasn’t willing to risk it today. His teammates were too nosy for their own good.
After leaving the girls’ changing room with Kiyoko, the boys were downstairs chatting amongst themselves. Instantly, you met eyes with Tsukki and gave him a small smile. You made your way downstairs and started a conversation with Hinata and Kageyama about how the quick attack was going, knowing that they had been working hard on it. Tsuikishima is standing off to your side.
Mid-conversation was when you noticed that you didn’t have your sweatshirt in your bag. You must have taken it off in the gym during practice.
You turned to Tsukki, “Hey, could you run back inside to get my jacket?”
“Sure, babe.” He said nonchalantly as he started walking towards the gym. Not realizing what he had said.
It had sounded so natural, so normal that no one noticed at first. Then Tanaka finally comprehended your boyfriend's slip-up. “WOAH WOAH WOAH. Stop right there, Tsukki-dude.” Running after him.
All hell broke loose then and there in the parking lot. Once Tanaka started talking, it was only a matter of time before Noya, Hinata, Kageyama, and even Asahi started blabbering. Personally, you wanted to curl up into a ball and die on the cold pavement.
Daichi walked over to them surrounding you, “What the hell are we crowding y/n for?”
Hinata filled him in, giddy to be in the ‘know’ for once.
“And we care why?” He shot a glare at Nishinoya.
Daichi had known you two liked each other long before you even knew yourself. He wasn’t an idiot. He saw the way Tsukki looked at you. Even though Tsukki was reserved, he could tell by how he still used your last name when everyone else on the team called you by your first name. Shielding you from Noya and Tanaka when you first became assistant manager. How he always walked you home. It was obvious to him at least.
And now the team was finding out, being the team captain, he had to clean up the mess.
Hinata and Noya were still blabbering on and interrogating you about whether you were dating Tsukishima. Daichi grabbed the two of them by the back of the shirt and dragged them away from you. “We need to have a little talk.”
Suga walked up to you, rubbing the back of his neck. All you wanted to do was disappear into the center of the Earth. “You ok?” He asked.
Your cheeks were still red, “Yep. Yeah. Totally fine.” You muttered to your upperclassman.
“I’m sorry that my teammates are like this. I honestly think that we’re all just a little surprised.” He chuckled.
“Surprised by what?” You were still feeling defensive, “That someone would actually want to date me?”
“No, no! I mean- We didn’t think that Tsukishima would ever land a girlfriend.” He put his hands up in self-defense.
You could partly understand why they thought that. Tsukki wasn’t really outgoing, nor was he an outright ladies’ man. He always appeared so focused on his studies rather than on girls.
Ready for this humiliation to be over, you thought, How long does it take to grab a jacket?
Tsukki came around the corner and saw what, no who, was holding him up. Tanaka was at his heels, still shouting questions at him.
“Answer me, how long has this been going on?”
“Hello?? I’m right here, you dumbass!”
He handed your sweatshirt over to you and saw that the whole team was just standing there watching. They were all trying to see if it was actually true or trying to put the pieces together. Tsukki shot a glare at the team before looking down at you, eyes soft again, “You ready to go?”
You nodded and put the sweatshirt in your backpack. Though still embarrassed, your heart was back to a steady rhythm.
Kiyoko walked up to you and started mentioning something about a practice match later this week that she needed help with. You appreciated her not making a whole fuss about the situation.
When she walked away, Daichi came up to the two of you.
“Again, y/n, I’m sorry that our teammates are like this. I’m sure they mean no harm.” He looked at Tsukki next, “And you’re aware that if you hurt her, there is a whole team that won’t hesitate to seek revenge?”
Tsukishima rolled his eyes and nodded. “You all think so low of me.”
Daichi clapped him on the back and walked off. Tsukki was fed up and wanted to get home, or more so, get away from his team. You weren’t the only one embarrassed by the situation.
But he no longer cared about the ooo’s or ah’s of the team. He needed your comfort just as much as you needed his. The only difference was that he couldn’t wait until you two were out of the team’s sight. Slipping his hand in yours, he started walking off.
Just as you thought, this earned some hollers that you looked back at. Tsukki didn’t dare look back, but there was a small smile on his lips, as if he were amused with himself.
You bumped him with your hip. “What’s that smile about?”
“Oh nothing.” He sighed, “Just glad for it to finally be out.”
He started swinging your hand in his.
“Really? Because I got the impression that you were more afraid of telling them than I was.”
You were still in earshot of the school, and he gazed down at you. His eyes were sparkling. He pulled you to face him, stopping in your tracks, “Because now I don’t have to sneak around doing things like this.” He hummed before leaning in to softly kiss you.
His hands made their way to the sides of your face. Gently caressing you. Your legs felt wobbly, and you could barely stand up. Pulling him closer by his jacket, you pressed your lips harder against his. It wasn’t long before he pulled away, out of breath, running his hand through his hair. He was smiling like an idiot.
You gazed up at him through your eyelashes, raising an eyebrow, “That good, huh?”
Tsukishima had lost, if not all, most of his composure. You were the only thing he cared about in this moment. “Great as always.” He was practically rocking back and forth on his heels. He leaned in once more, snaking an arm around your waist, and yours around his neck.
This time it was soft and slow. There was no rush, just your lips moving in sync with him. His other hand cupped your face again, gently tracing your jawline.
“Oh my god. You two really are dating.” Came an exclamation from somewhere behind you.
Tsukishima ignored the comment and kept kissing you before you pulled away from him, your gaze searching for the commenter, and saw Hinata standing there, jaw agape.
Still running off the high from kissing you, he spat back with a smirk, “What are you jealous?”
Hinata turned red and started peddling his bike in the other direction. “Pff no!”
Tsukki turned to face you, and all you could do was stare up at him. When he was with you, his eyes were kind. His hard exterior shed when you were around. He’d never felt this way about anyone. He also never knew anyone would be capable of undoing him the way you did. When you were together, you moved like magnets. When you moved, he moved. He loved every second of it.
As you closed your eyes, warm lips gently pressed against your forehead for a brief moment. A smile spread across your lips, opening your eyes, and you started to grin like an idiot.
“You’re adorable.” He messed your hair up. “Now let’s get home before we freeze to death.”
Trailing off towards your house, he felt utterly lovesick. It was disgusting, but he couldn’t help it. He felt the weight in his backpack of the small gift he had gotten you for Christmas. He knew he wouldn’t see you until after the 25th, and he was also too impatient to wait to give it to you.
As he walked you to your door, he started rifling through his backpack.
“Did you forget something at school?” You asked.
“Because I’m not about to walk all the way back just because you forgot your pencil case.”
He silently handed you a small box that was delicately wrapped in shiny red and green paper. You stood there frozen in place. You surely thought that time had stopped.
“Are you just going to stand there? Or are you gonna open it?” He rubbed the back of his neck and started fidgeting with the hem of his sleeve.
Carefully, you unwrapped the box to reveal a silver necklace with a small charm, which was your birthstone.
“Kei-” It was barely audible. Your eyes met his.
“Merry Christmas.” He grinned, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.
“Would-” You cleared your throat, obviously surprised by the gift. “Would you help me put it on?”
His eyes went wide as you pulled your hair to the side. “O-of course.”
His hand brushed against your collarbone. A wave of goosebumps spread across your body. It was a simple, elementary moment, but this was still all new to both of you. Moments like this mattered.
Once the necklace was clasped into place, your hands rushed to grab the charm. You turned to face him one final time. His arms wrapped around you in a warm hug.
“I didn’t get you anything yet.” You mumbled into his chest.
His head resting on top of yours, “You being here is enough.”