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When Kei turned eight, he made a wish. Well, three to be more exact. He wished for a friend, that his family would be safe and happy, and that he would be getting strawberry shortcake for his birthday every year until he died. He closed his eyes so tightly that they hurt but that didn’t matter if his wish(es) was(were) going to come true. He then took a deep breath and blew at the candles. There was a distinct clicking of a camera and he opened his eyes to see his mother and brother clapping their hands like he had just done the greatest magic trick. It’s just as well, he supposed. Even though he never said his wish out loud- heaven forbid you don’t want your wish to come true- he knew that his family knew what he had just done. And even if he was no magician, birthday candles were magic. That’s also a good enough reason to celebrate.
Kei wasn’t superstitious per se. He didn’t believe in how stepping on a crack will break your mother’s back or how breaking a mirror will give you seven years of bad luck. That’s just dumb. He and his brother had stepped on cracks multiple times without thinking about it and, every time Kei rushed home in worry, his mother was perfectly fine. And how did they know that you’ll get exactly seven years of bad luck? Why does it have to be seven? Can’t it be six or eight or fifty? It just doesn’t add up, in his honest opinion. However, Kei liked to believe that wishes on a shooting star do come true just like how wishes on birthday candles do. He would never admit it but he would have an alarm set at 11:07pm so that he could have ample time to come up with a wish before 11:11pm rolled around. He would cross his fingers when he wanted something to happen really badly. He used to hunt for four-leafed clovers before Akiteru would have a match so that he could give it to him for extra luck.
When Kei saw Tadashi for the first time, he had just come from a four-leafed clover hunting spree. He wasn’t successful this time around and was about to mope about it when he heard laughter directed at someone and not in a good way. Kei didn’t like bullies. He never understood why they would use the free time they had to jeer at and bring someone down. It was pathetic and not productive at all. Tadashi was their victim this time. Kei recognized the bullies; they were in his grade. But the kid they were forcing to carry their bags wasn’t someone he had met before. He knew because no one else had freckles as prominent as Tadashi had. Kei liked Tadashi's freckles. They reminded him of the stars. He didn't think too much about what he had done at first. He just thought that it was the right thing to do and his family always told him to do the right thing. Besides, he was the tallest in his year. Nobody would dare to cross him.
Kei never saw Tadashi again until volleyball practice. The other boy startled him with a bow.
"Thank you for the other day!" he practically cried.
Kei racked his brain thinking about why a stranger would be thanking him. "What are you talking about?"
The kid slowly straightened up and that's when it hit him. Freckles. "Uhm... in the park, you helped me..."
"Oh, yeah. It's not a big deal."
The other kid was looking at him with big, bright eyes. Kei liked Tadashi's eyes. They were a deep shade of brown that sometimes turned black like the night sky. If Kei stared too long, he sometimes thought that he might get lost in them forever. He didn't mind that. The night sky was always littered with thousands upon thousands of stars. He'd be able to find his way eventually. The other boy shifted under his gaze.
"So, what are you doing here?" The other kid jumped. He was extra fidgety, Kei noted.
"Oh. Uhm, well. I wanted to join a sports club so I could be stronger but the other teams had scary-looking guys and this one seemed safe?" Oh. Kei thought. He should probably show the kid to the coach then. He was about to open his mouth when Freckles gasped at something.
"Whoa! You have really cool shoes!!!"
Kei followed Freckles' gaze and stared down at the hand-me-down volleyball shoes he received from Akiteru. "Oh, these are my brother's. He also plays volleyball and I'm just using them until I get my own pair next week."
"Your brother plays too?"
"Yeah, he's the ace of his school's volleyball team."
"Wow! That's so cool!!!" Kei decided then and there that he liked this kid.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Oh! Sorry. I didn't introduce myself. I'm Yamaguchi Tadashi."
"Yamaguchi, huh? Tsukishima Kei."
"Nice to meet you, Tsukishima-kun!"
"Nice to meet you too."
When Tadashi started calling Kei "Tsukki" instead of "Tsukishima-kun", they were practicing volleyball with Akiteru in the Tsukishimas' backyard. It was about three months after they had first met. Kei and Tadashi were practically inseparable. Kei had already met Mr. and Mrs. Yamaguchi who opted to call him Kei whenever he was over Yamaguchi's house and likewise with Tadashi who had met Kei's family. Akiteru was more excited than he was when he found out that he'd be meeting one of Kei's friends. Kei didn't say that Tadashi was his only friend at the time. Akiteru would be all up in his case telling him to be more friendly and to maybe tone down the sarcasm to a four. Tadashi was enough for Kei. Tadashi was more than enough for Kei.
"Kei!" Akiteru cried out as he tossed him the ball. Kei ran forward, jumped as high as he could, and felt the resistance of the ball as he slammed it down with his hand. "That was a good one. Your turn, Tadashi."
"Okay, Akiteru-kun." Yamaguchi readied himself.
Kei watched from the side as Akiteru tossed the ball. Tadashi started out slowly before running then quickly jumping. Kei marveled at Tadashi's form as he spiked the ball. He should have been able to avoid it but he didn't move fast enough. A loud scream that he would later identify to be Yamaguchi was all he heard before he fell to the ground disgracefully. Four Akiterus ran to his side at once asking him if he was alright while four Yamaguchis followed soon after. The world was spinning and he clutched his head to try and stop it from doing that. He felt blood drip from his nose. Yamaguchi's spike did a hard one on him.
"Kei-! Blood-! First aid-!" Akiteru spluttered incoherently before turning to Yamaguchi. "Tadashi, make sure he doesn't faint. I'll go get something to stop the bleeding." Akiteru ran inside the house and Kei felt Yamaguchi's trembling hands steady him.
"Oh my god, Tsukki!!! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!!!" he cried
Wait, "Tsukki...?"
"Ahh..." Tadashi visibly paled. "I mean... umm... I... uhhh..."
"I don't mind it."
"Eh?"
"I said, I don't mind. Can you look for my glasses?"
"Oh! Okay, Tsukki!"
It sounded different at first but a good different. Kei repeated it in his mind a few times to distract himself from the throbbing pain he could now feel working its way throughout his entire face. He touched his nose and flinched which attracted Tadashi's attention. Tadashi approached him slowly.
"I found your glasses," he said, meekly.
Kei turned to him and gently put his hand out. "Thanks." He didn't want Yamaguchi to think that he was mad.
Even though his vision was still pretty blurry, Kei saw Tadashi's shoulders relax as he placed Kei's eye glasses in his hands. They weren't broken at all, which was a surprise. Kei gingerly put them on and the world cleared with Tadashi sitting right in front of him. He smiled at his friend to reassure him that he was fine. Tadashi opened his mouth but then closed it again, hesitation clear in his eyes. Kei put an eyebrow up in inquiry and Tadashi replied by putting his hand, which he had wrapped around the sleeve of his shirt, close to Kei's face. Kei's heartbeat grew louder and he held his breath.
"I'll just wipe your nose, if that's okay, Tsukki. It's bleeding pretty badly."
Kei nodded once and closed his eyes as he felt Yamaguchi dab at the blood that settled on his philtrum. He didn't know what he did to deserve someone like Yamaguchi. Maybe all those wishes on birthday candles and shooting stars were finally coming true. Maybe the four-leafed clovers he kept for himself weren't a complete waste. Even though he didn't cross his fingers when they first met, maybe Yamaguchi was the friend he had hoped for.
Kei believed in Akiteru way more than he believed in himself. Akiteru is his older brother and Kei couldn't have asked for a better one. That is, until Akiteru lied to his face. Kei didn't know who to believe in anymore.
Pathetic.
He was in Yamaguchi's room in Yamaguchi's house in Yamaguchi's neighborhood. He was alone. Yamaguchi was on the other side of the door, or at least Kei liked to think so. It's been an hour since Yamaguchi knocked to check if he was okay. It's been five hours since he ran away from the gym, Yamaguchi following closely behind him. It was nearing nightfall. The sun was setting, making Yamaguchi's room, Yamaguchi's house, and Yamaguchi's neighborhood glow a deep orange. He sat on the floor.
He was thankful that Yamaguchi's parents weren't home. He looked so lame entering Yamaguchi's house before Yamaguchi did, his eyes growing red and leaking tears. Not to mention he would've been very impolite. He headed straight to Yamaguchi's room and locked himself in so Yamaguchi didn't have to see him lose it even if he was able to hear it.
"Tsukki?" Yamaguchi had finally called out.
"..."
"I got us some cake from the bakery down the street. Do you want to eat together?"
"..."
"Tsukki...?"
"...What flavor did you get?"
"I got myself green tea and I got you strawberry shortcake. I also have some milk in the fridge."
"..."
"...?"
Kei opened the door slowly. He hung his head low so Yamaguchi didn't have to see the aftermath of a crying session that could only be achieved by having your trust hacked to pieces by your own brother. Yamaguchi greeted him with a small smile. He reached for Kei's hand and squeezed tightly. Kei allowed himself to be lead to the dining table where Yamaguchi had set the cakes on small plates. The glasses were still empty though. Kei held onto the warmth of Yamaguchi's hand. His own hands felt clammy. He was tired. His eyes threatened to fill with tears as he remembered what had happened. His lips started to tremble but he bit them so they would stop. He took a deep breath and Yamaguchi looked back at him. He gave his hand one more squeeze. It was tighter this time. It seemed to tell Kei that it's okay. He didn't have to hold it in. He didn't have to hide. So Kei let it go. He was silent this time. He let the tears do their thing. Yamaguchi let his hand go. Kei's eyes grew wide as Yamaguchi's arms wrapped around him. He made shushing noises and rubbed Kei's back. "It's okay, Tsukki," he kept repeating.
When Kei's tears had stilled, Yamaguchi pulled away. He still had that small understanding smile on his face. Kei wanted to say thank you but his breath hitched. Yamaguchi nodded knowingly. "Just sit there, Tsukki. I'll go get the milk and we can eat the cake." Kei did as he was told. He waited patiently. He stared at the cake in front of him. It was his favorite. Strawberry shortcake. He liked it because it wasn't too sweet and the strawberries gave it a distinct tanginess. The cake itself was very fluffy and the whipped cream made everything blend together well. Nothing was better at this moment in time.
Tadashi filled their glasses before sitting himself opposite Kei. "Let's eat," he exclaimed.
"Thank you for the food." Kei took the fork and proceeded to eat the cake. As soon as the whipped cream hit his tongue, he felt a lot better. He wanted to eat the cake as fast as he can but he also wanted to savour it. He was torn.
"Don't worry, Tsukki. I got us both two slices each."
Kei couldn't believe Yamaguchi. Seriously, what did he do to deserve him? Yamaguchi threw his head back as he laughed. Kei turned strawberry red when he realized that he had said that out loud.
"Oh, yeah. Your mom called."
Kei raised his eyebrows.
"She wondered if you were going home or if you planned on staying here. It is getting pretty late," Yamaguchi observed as he looked outside the window.
Kei pondered for bit, staring at his now empty plate. Tadashi got up and served him his second slice. "What did you tell her?"
"I said that I'd ask you as soon as you woke up from your nap."
Kei didn't take a nap. Yamaguchi took a huge gulp of his milk. He finished his cake as well and was getting his second slice. Kei thought about it. He turned to the clock and saw that it was a quarter to six. He pursed his lips. He turned to Tadashi and watched as the other boy enjoyed his green tea cake. Green tea cake was Tadashi's favorite. Actually, Tadashi loved green tea anything. Kei will find out that Tadashi also liked to drink it without sugar.
He wanted to avoid his brother if he was being completely honest. But he already worried his mother enough. He promised to be home three hours ago. Yamaguchi's parents will be home soon too. As much as he was always welcome in the Yamaguchi household, Kei didn't want to abuse that by sleeping over unannounced. Yamaguchi had already bought him not one but two slices of cake. And since he bought two more for himself that was a total of four slices of cake. Kei was very grateful for Yamaguchi. He didn't push when Kei didn't want him to. He let Kei stay in his room to sort himself out without judgement. He continued to smile at Kei and provided comfort when Kei needed it. And did he mention the cake?
"I'm going to go home."
"What?" Yamaguchi was disrupted from his green tea cake reverie. "Oh. I'll call Tsukishima-san then."
Kei got up hastily. "No. I'll do it. You're eating your cake."
"Okay, Tsukki."
Before Kei left the dining room to enter the hallway where the phone was, he turned back to Yamaguchi and looked him straight in the eye. Yamaguchi raised his eyebrows as he popped the slice of cake in his mouth.
"Thank you, Yamaguchi." Kei tried hard to make Yamaguchi hear how sincere he was, how thankful he was, how blessed he was that he had Tadashi.
"You're welcome, Tsukki." If Kei had anyone to believe in, he had Tadashi.
When Kei turned 16, he was blindfolded by Yamaguchi and was forced to be dragged around from the gym to the clubroom to the foot hill store. He knew because he's got the route ingrained in his muscle memory. When he took off the blindfold, he expected to be surprised by the entire Karasuno team because he overheard Nishinoya-san and Tanaka-san talking about it rather loudly in the bathroom while he was in the bathroom as well. Of course they didn't know that but he knew. And Tadashi knew that he knew. But Tadashi asked him to act surprised anyway because they had been planning for so long and they've tried so hard to keep Nishinoya and Tanaka from ruining the surprise. "Please, Tsukki. For me?"
For him. Kei would do anything for him.
Kei tried his best to act like he didn't expect anything but he also had to act like he had kind of formed an assumption of what was going on. Because, if you were blindfolded on your birthday, there are only three ways that could have gone. He was Tsukishima Kei after all. He had the reputation of being clever. If he didn't show it, Sugawara-san would have noticed and then he'd also know that Kei already knew and Kei promised Tadashi that he wouldn't let anyone in the team know. "Especially not Suga-san, Tsukki. Never Suga-san." Kei understood. He didn't need to be told twice.
Thankfully, no one noticed and he was bombarded with a really loud "Happy Birthday, Tsukishima!!!" They held out to him a strawberry shortcake with a solitary candle alight in the middle. Kei was legitimately surprised at that one and he turned to Tadashi.
"How did they know about the strawberry shortcake?"
"Someone must have told them," Yamaguchi grinned with a wink.
Kei rolled his eyes but smiled back anyway. It was only for a split second because that smile was only meant for Tadashi and for Tadashi alone.
"Make a wish, Tsukishima!"
"Yeah, we're getting pretty tired holding this cake."
"Nobody asked you to hold the cake from when Yamaguchi started to lead him from the clubroom."
"Shut up, Kageyama!"
"Hinata, you dumbass!"
"Both of you stop it. I'll throw you out if something happens to that cake."
"Make a wish, Tsukki!"
Kei hadn't wished on a shooting star or his birthday candles in years. He stopped looking for four-leafed clovers when he entered middle school and he stopped crossing his fingers when he realized it was just as dumb as thinking how breaking mirrors could lead to bad luck. The only things broken mirrors lead to are haphazardly strewn pieces of it on your floor and, if you're not careful, a heavily wounded sole. You'll probably have to deal with a week's worth of painful walking but a week is not seven years.
To be frank, Kei didn't know what to wish for. Or rather, he did't want anything that he could ask for in a wish. His one and only wish had been granted many years ago when he came across someone who needed a friend as badly as he did. He didn't think about it then. He was only doing the right thing. But looking at how far they've both come and to still be together, after all those years, he was for sure that wishes do come true. Maybe, just maybe, he could find something else to wish for. Something better, something more.
Kei looked at Tadashi who stood by his side, who has always stayed by his side through thick and thin. His best friend. For a while, his only friend. Time seemed to slow down as Kei studied the freckles on Tadashi's face, the freckles he grew to adore and attributed to the stars. He listened closely to how his voice sounded. He was sure that if he was lost in a crowd, Tadashi saying his name would always make Kei come running to him. He remembered that one fateful day that caused the rift between him and his brother. He remembered how warm Tadashi's hand had been. How lovingly he smiled at Kei just because he could. He could've done so many things but he did what he did. And Kei was forever grateful. Kei could not imagine a life without Tadashi. Kei wanted a life forever with Tadashi.
He made a wish and blew the candle out. His teammates cheered and broke out into song. Kei reached for Tadashi and hugged him tight. In a low voice that only Tadashi could hear, Kei began. "I wished for us to be together until the end of time."
"You're not supposed to say your wish out loud, Kei, or it won't come true," Tadashi replied in the same low tone.
"That's why I only whispered it to you. I didn't say it out loud, Tadashi."
Tadashi shook his head and laughed. "This is why I love you."
"I love you too."