Chapter Text
Kei wakes up with a headache, which is perfectly reasonable for having been drunk off his ass the previous night. He also wakes up to the sound of a muffled curse and the shuffling of fabric.
"Shit." The voice says. Kei doesn't want to open his eyes, instead he mumbles out some incoherent bullshit.
"Please go back to sleep." The voice whispers in a pleading voice. Kei almost takes the bait, but instead is compelled to open his eyes.
Ok, maybe opening his eyes wasn't the best idea. It hurts his head even more, the sunlight coming through his window makes his brain feel like it's about to pop. He blinks a couple times before grabbing his glasses off his nightstand and being brought into reality.
Standing in front of his bed, is a man.
Well maybe not a man per say, he looks really young, but his body type and height would suggest he's about Kei's age. Kei can’t see the man's face, but he has clusters of freckles so dark that Kei can see them from here. The man has shoulder length hair that's in a very loose half up-half down style.
Kei kicks the covers off him and grabs his boxers from the edge of the bed. Slipping them on, he tries to act like he remembers what happened last night.
Pieces come through, scorching heat and nails running down his back, this man must have been a part of that. Kei walks over to the man, who is shorter then him by a couple centimeters, and asks him what he is looking for.
"My fucking shirt!" The man says, exasperated. He runs a hand through his long hair and pulls the ponytail holder out.
"What did it look like?" Kei asks, he can feel the thickness and gravelly texture of his voice. The stranger tells him it's pink before getting on the ground and looking under his bed.
Kei proceeds to, sleepily, rummage through his closet before throwing his favorite pink strawberry shirt at the stranger's head.
"I can't take this," the stranger protests before trying to hand the shirt back to him "this isn't my shirt."
" 'S fine. Don't worry about it." Kei really doesn't want to deal with this right now. He already slept with this man, and if he wants to find the shirt he can, their university is small enough.
The stranger slips the shirt over his head, it's a little long, if only because Kei has to shop in the "Big and Tall" section due to his abnormally long torso. The stranger grabs a hat from by the door, it's a jean material, before stepping out.
Kei promptly heads back to bed.
~~~
It's much latter in the afternoon when Kei wakes up, this time waking up to the sounds of a pot being dropped in the kitchen, along with a loud curse.
His headache is mostly gone, still a bit annoying, Kei grabs some pajama pants out of the dirty clothes hamper and slips them on. He walks out into the hallway, and then into the kitchen.
"Kuroo, if you could pretty please shut the hell up, that would be lovely." Kei grabs a sports drink out of the fridge and chugs about half in one go.
"Don't you 'Kuroo' me!" Kuroo snaps, picking up the pot from the floor.
Kuroo had invited Kei to live with him and his boyfriend when Kei started college, Kuroo had been a close friend for most of high school, despite being two years older. Kuroo had mostly invited him as an incentive to come to the same college instead of doing abroad studying. Kei hated the idea of a dorm.
Kei raised an eyebrow at Kuroo, taking another massive swig of his drink.
"You have sex with some guy at my party, which wasn't a quiet endeavor mind you, and then you don't apologize!?" Kuroo looks at Kei likes he wants Kei to apologize. Kei does not.
"I thought that it would be excellent payback for all the times you and Kozume have sex on the couch I bought. You know I'm sick of having to Febreze the smell of cum off the sofa." Kei delivers his comeback with the same amount of wit he always does, which is a lot.
"Tsukki, that's completely uncalled for. Me and Kenna haven't fucked on the couch in like two weeks." Kuroo goes back to making...whatever it is he's trying to make, and Kei trots out of the kitchen.
"I would appreciate it if you didn't talk about our sexual life with Kei, Kuro." Kenma mutters from the barstool. Kei didn't initially notice him sitting there with his laptop, but Kozume has always been good at staying on the down low.
Kei checks his phone, which surprisingly didn't get stolen last night while at least a dozen people were in their small apartment. He has some missed calls from his lab partner, who is probably the stupidest person to make it into advanced chemistry, and calls him back.
"You better have a very good reason for not being here Tsukishima." The menace barks at him through the phone. King Kageyama really isn't helping his headache.
"I fucked a stranger and have a headache," Kei says matter of factly "that good enough for yah?"
"I already know about the fucking part. What I wanna know is why you're so intent of having me fail this class!" Kageyama continues to berate him through the phone.
"I'm not even gonna ask about how you know about my unfortunate sexual encounters, what I want to know is how you're so stupid you couldn't figure out this week's homework." Kei deadpans, chugs the rest of his sports drink before setting it down on the coffee table littered with a bunch of solo cups.
~~~
Kei doesn't think about King Kageyama's comment, not until Tuesday when he has the class. While it's true that Kageyama is dumb, he's only here on a sports scholarship, Kageyama can get a hold of some gossip. It's probably his equally as stupid boyfriend.
"Why did you fuck Yams?" Kageyama is drinking out of a sports bottle, Kei knows from experience it's chocolate milk.
"Who?" Kei asks in a bored tone. He really doesn't want to think about what happened on Friday night.
"Yams? Yamaguchi?" Kageyama jots down a few more formulas from his book.
"Never heard of him." Kei gets out his own book, opening it to the page they're supposed to be writing the notes to.
"Well he sucked your dick, so you must know him to a certain extent." Kageyama looks up at Kei, Kei can feel his cheeks heating up despite himself.
"Can you not say that while we're in a lab? Please and thank you." Kei breaks eye contact he wasn't aware he'd made, trying his best to get his hands to stop shaking.
"I'm just asking why you had to have a one night stand with Yams of all people," Kageyama continues even though he was asked to stop, typical "he's like the nicest person ever."
Kei looks at the top of Kageyama's head, giving it a knowing look.
"Also I have to be the one that hears about how much of an asshole you are. Doesn't Hinata think I know that already?" Kageyama finishes and Kei snorts.
~~~
Kei doesn't typically like to think too much about his sexual experiences. They mostly happen when he's drunk, or if they don't they're very bad. Once he did it with a girl, and he'll be the first to tell you that that's never happening again.
The main problem with not thinking about his sexual experiences is that they never come back to haunt him, which is technically a positive, until it really does come back to bite him and he has no idea what to do.
Hinata Shouyou is probably the smallest, loudest, most annoying person Kei has ever come into contact with. Kei wishes with every fabric of his being that he could undo ever meeting him, or at least undo him getting his phone number.
"Tsukki!" Hinata likes to call Kei at ass o'clock in the morning. Kei checks his bedside clock and sees that it says 4:02 am, this kid must never sleep.
"What could you possibly want at 4 am Hinata." Kei tries to sound imposing, but it isn't really working due to his groggy nature.
"You know Yamaguchi right?" Hinata's voice sounds extra squeaky over the phone.
"Why does everyone keep asking me about this guy?" Kei borderline whines into the phone. Kei doesn't want to interact with this guy, he doesn't want to hear about him, he doesn't want to be asked about him. He's been told at least 15 times by Kageyama that this guy's sucked his dick (among other sexual acts performed that night, none of which Kei cares to go over), but aside from that he knows nothing about this guy.
"Because you fucked him? Because he really, truly, honestly liked you and you fucked him while drunk off your ass, don't remember a thing, and expect him to move on with his life?" Hinata says the news like he's reading off his grocery list, Kei rolls his eyes.
"I expect him to move on with his life like any self respecting adult, you don't have a one night stand and then fall in love. That's just not how those things work." Kei picks at his fingernails.
"Well he really likes you and I think you should talk these things over..." Hinata starts, but is promptly cut off by Kei.
"Absolutely not." Kei states definitively.
"Tsukki, I really really think that..."
"I said no, I'm not talking to this guy. Tell him to get a life and start liking people that want something to do with him." Kei says before hanging up the phone.
~~~
Most problems go away with time.
Unfortunately when those problems get Hinata Shouyou involved, they don't.
"Tsukki!" Hinata is waving his arms like a lunatic outside his and Kageyama's lab for chemistry.
"Go away." Kei starts to walk away, Hinata jumps in front of him.
"No! Not until you come with me!" Hinata has his arms out like a basketball player trying to block someone.
"I said no, I don't want to meet this guy." Kei shoots him an icy glare.
"You already had him on your dick, what's the big deal?" Kageyama interjects, like his fucking opinion is needed.
"Besides, even if you don't end up liking Yams, you can always be friends!" Hinata perks up, standing tall and erect.
"I've already met all the people I will ever need to, but thanks." Kei says, pushing past Hinata.
"I have a feeling that 'thanks' wasn't sincere." Kei can hear Kageyama informing his boyfriend of the news as he walks away.
~~~
"I don't see why you just won't have coffee with the guy." Kuroo asks as he gives Kei is helping of pasta. "There really is no harm in it, if you don't like the guy it can totally end there."
"Because I don't want to have coffee with this guy?" Kei says as he twirls some linguini on his fork.
"Is it because he, apparently, genuinely has feelings for you?" Kenma inquiries from his spot beside Kei.
"Why would that be the reason?" Kei asks, but is completely bullshitting.
"Well you've always been one for self deprecating thoughts." Is all Kenma says before checking his phone.
"Kenma, I said no phones while we're at dinner." Kuroo snatches the touchscreen away from Kenma's grasp. Kenma pulls a face.
"Is it really dinner if Kei's here?" Kenma asks earnestly.
~~~~
Kei thanks the heavens every day for the fact he only has to work with Kageyama on Tuesday's and Thursday's. Unless of course Kageyama insists Kei help him with something, unfortunately this Monday is one of those days.
"You know this is due tomorrow right?" Kei says as he bounces his pencil up and down on his notebook.
"Yes! Of course I know that! Why else would I invite you to my dorm at 11 o'clock at night?" Kageyama gets defensive, Kei rolls his eyes.
"You're on question 2, Kageyama." Kei hopes his tone is giving off the amount of done he is with this situation.
"Yes! Yes, I know!" Kageyama continues to become more stressed, his eyes are unfocused on problem 2.
Suddenly Kageyama's phone begins to ring. He looks at the I.D. and immediately picks up.
"Hello?" His gruff voice takes a softer attitude, Kei groans. Kageyama gives him a death stare.
"He's here, helping me with chemistry," Kageyama spares a glance at Kei, "he sucks at it though." Kageyama makes a face and Kei flips him off.
"Hinata wants to talk to you." Kageyama thrusts the phone in Kei's hands, not waiting for a response on whether he was going to actually talk.
Against his better judgment he begins to speak.
"What do you want?" Kei hopes his voice is gruff, it may drive Hinata away.
"Tsukki! Just the man I wanted to see!" Hinata talks very lively at every opportunity, Kei kind of loathes him for it.
"Tsukki, you know how you said you would talk to Yams..."
"No." Kei interjects, but Hinata continues to talk anyway.
"...how you would totally talk to Yams? Well guess what, I have the perfect opportunity for you." Hinata obviously can't listen as well as he can yap.
"I said no, what part of 'no' don't you wingnuts understand?" Kei is getting agitated, he won't let it show on his face, but the pinpricks of the unpleasant emotion eat at his edges.
"Tsukki, just give it a chance." Hinata sounds tired, for once in his annoying existence. "I just want my friend to be happy. You just want to be left alone, I get it."
"Why don't we come to an agreement?" Kei interrupts, as much as he hates the idea of having to have lunch with this guy, he hates this guilt tripping nonsense more.
~~~
It's decided that on Wednesday, the day Kei gets out of class at 12 and this Yamaguchi guy has no class, they will meet at a cafe three blocks from campus.
Kei's walk is brisk with the October air, he feels the start of fall coming even when the first day has long past.
He walks into the cafe and immediately takes his jacket off. Scanning the room, he sees the familiar denim hat atop the shoulder length brown hair. Yamaguchi is turned away from him, he walks over to the table and sits himself down without much formality.
"Hello..." the guy isn't looking at him, instead finding his latte much more interesting, Kei crosses his ankles and gives his own curt "hello" in response.
"Look..." the guy looks up, looks like he's about to throw up, a face of pure dread. At least Kei can now see the guy’s face.
Kei's already seen this guy, granted it was with a hangover and he was half asleep, but he can definitely say drunk him didn't do bad on finding an attractive partner for his one night stand. The guy has boyish charm, it looks like he's grown out his hair to take away from that, make him look more mature. In Kei's book it only suits to amplify that, framing his round face with a mess of brown hair. His huge cowlick in the front only helps. He has large brown eyes, and tons and tons of freckles dusting his face.
Not bad, drunk Kei.
"La-look..." the guy starts over, Kei realizes he's been staring, glosses over the fact by making a noncommittal noise, prodding the guy to hurry up.
"I know you don't want to be here, but I'm really glad you showed up." Yamaguchi's words come out a bit rushed, not too much that you can't understand if you were listening however. Yamaguchi looks at Kei and gives a bright smile. Kei grunts.
"Not like I would have had much a choice anyways." Kei says and takes a sip of water, it's all he'll be ordering today.
Yamaguchi chuckles, "yeah, Shouyou can be a bit of pest if he wants something," Yamaguchi looks off into a pocket of space beside Kei's head, "or if his friends do."
"I don't really understand why you want to talk to me so much, I'm not that interesting." Kei says, it's mostly true, Kei has never really gotten why he has any friends. He can't really fathom why someone would like him earnestly.
"Well, I just wanted to uh..." the guy trails off, brushing his finger against his cheek. "I wanted to make sure we were on good terms."
"I didn't know your name until a couple of weeks ago. We were on no terms until today." Kei doesn't want this formality, doesn't want someone to say "hey I hope we can talk!", he definitely doesn't want this guy getting all flustered over him either.
"Well Tsukki, it's just..." Yamaguchi begins to twirl his hair, "it's just important to me that we straighten things out."
"Alright, tell me what you want to sort out." Kei looks at Yamaguchi, the same way he looks at people when he's analyzing them and waiting for their next move. However now, Kei is simply looking that way to make this guy nervous.
"I just uh...I think that....it's just kinda..." the guy starts and stops his sentence a couple more times, before sighing and taking a long sip of his latte.
"Uh huh. Riveting conversation." Kei's snarky attitude will hopefully move the conversation into an area he can handle.
"Look...I just want to talk. About anything really." Yamaguchi wipes his mouth with his napkin and huffs. Kei leans closer.
"My names Tsukishima Kei, I'm on my second year of college and I'm an aspiring civil engineer major, I live with my dumbass roommate and his boyfriend, and I regret sleeping with you."
The guy gulps before speaking, "my names Yamaguchi Tadashi, I'm in community college until next year, I want to be a teacher, I live at home, same."