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Yamaguchi rifled through the clothing on the racks of the store, pulling a few out and holding them up against Tukishima.
‘Can’t you just pick one already?’ He asked, rolling his eyes as Yamaguchi it back on the rack.
‘I’ve got it!’ He exclaimed, and looked quickly through before pulling one off and holding it up against him. ‘Go and try this on, Tsukki.’
Tsukishima sighed, taking it from him and went towards the changing rooms. He emerged a few minutes later dressed as a skeleton and with a scowl on his face.
‘It looks great! Get that one!’
He nodded and got dressed back into his clothes and handed the outfit to Yamaguchi. ‘I hope you appreciate this.’
Yamaguchi giggled. ‘You’ll have fun, Tsukki, it’s Halloween.’
‘How exactly does that guarantee my fun?’
Tsukishima handed Yamaguchi the money for his outfit and they swiftly left the store.
‘Do I have to come?’
‘We’ve already bought your costume, you can’t not come, Tsukki!’
‘I’d rather stay at home.’
‘I know you would, but you’re going to come because I asked you to.’ He grinned and Tsukishima frowned.
‘I know.’
‘Why do you want to go? You could have just come round mine like you normally do.’
‘Because it’ll be fun!’
‘You’re only going because you fell prey to Hinata’s puppy eyes.’ Tsukishima said with a smirk and Yamaguchi huffed.
‘You would have too if you weren’t so heartless all of the time, Tsukki.’
Tsukishima didn’t reply, a frown on his face and Yamaguchi glanced up at him.
‘Sorry Tsukki, I didn’t mean that.’
‘It isn’t like you’re wrong.’ He said with a smile and they carried on walking back to Tsukishima’s house in a comfortable silence.
They sat on Tsukishima’s sofa and watched a scary movie until it was dark, Yamaguchi clutching at Tsukishima’s arm at all the scary parts and he had sent their popcorn flying (‘As usual, I should know better than to give you popcorn if we’re watching horror.’).
At around eight they got their costumes out, Yamaguchi had purchased a bat costume after the encouragement of Hinata and Nishinoya when the three of them had bought their costumes a few days prior.
Tsukishima had his skeleton costume that they had bought earlier and soon enough they were ready to leave.
They met up with their team at the edge of town, by the woods and proceeded to compliment each other’s outfits and begin walking through the town under the orange and green tinted (especially for the occasion) lights.
***
It was cold and dark and the wind was howling, rustling the leaves on the trees, sending them swirling to the ground, illuminated only by the sliver of a moon in the sky, the thousands of stars dulled by thick sheets of cloud that blanketed the sky.
Yamaguchi jumped as he heard something reminiscent of a twig snapping a little way away and he tried to regulate his breathing. This was a recipe for a horror film and Yamaguchi would for sure be the nobody that gets killed in the first ten minutes to create the tension and fear.
'Guys?' He called, his voice only a whisper as the wind carried it into the darkness.
No reply.
His palms grew clammy and his breathing quick and irregular as he listened to what sounded like heavy footsteps growing closer. Surely no one on the team would be so cruel as to play such a prank on Yamaguchi.
Stepping backwards, he could have laughed at the way tears gathered in the corners of his eyes as twigs snapped under his feet and he startled himself.
An owl gave a shrill cry and he heard the flapping of large wings as it took off, obviously disturbed, and Yamaguchi cursed softly as the tears spilled over and ran hotly down his cheeks, too terrified to be properly ashamed.
'Kei?' He said, though his voice too quiet and shaking to hope for a reply.
'Kei!' He shouted, stepping back again as more leaves rustled and he jumped as his back hit the trunk of a tree and he stood rooted to the spot, watching as his breath swirled out in front of him.
He whipped around as he heard a sound from behind him and wished that his phone hadn't died or that he'd listened to his mother and brought a torch with him.
'Kei!' He tried to shout, eyes squeezed shut in terror and hoping that somehow his voice would carry to Tsukishima’s ears, wherever he was.
Yamaguchi froze and let out a squeak in fear as arms enclosed around him and then he exhaled, sighing in relief and going limp in Tsukishima’s arms.
'I'm here, Tadashi, I've got you.' Tsukishima said softly, holding Yamaguchi tightly against him.
'Kei.' He choked out, letting his tears flow freely.
'I won't let anything hurt you, Tadashi, you're safe.' He said softly against Yamaguchi’s head as Yamaguchi clutched tightly at his shirt.
They were suddenly illuminated by a light growing closer, lighting up the faces of Karasuno's volleyball club who all looked relieved.
Yamaguchi sniffed and pulled away from Tsukishima, using the corner of his sleeve to wipe his eyes.
'There you are, Yamaguchi, we were worried.' Suga said with a smile.
'And Tsukishima.' Daichi said, frowning. 'You shouldn't have run off like that, anything could have happened.'
Tsukihima nodded and Yamaguchi smiled brightly, turning to Tsukishima and hoping that he wouldn't notice the tears still glistening in his eyes.
'Sorry, Tsukki.' He said and they found their way back to the path, with the help of Daichi's torch, which lead them back to the town. He didn’t miss the way Tsukishima slipped his hand into Yamaguchi’s as they continued to walk.
‘Are you cold?’ He asked Yamaguchi, noticing as he shivered a little in the thin material of his bat outfit.
Yamaguchi nodded and Tsukishima pulled his fingers from Yamaguchi’s, and moved through their team to their captain and Yamaguchi didn’t catch what was said, only that Tsukishima had re linked their fingers and was leading him into a coffee shop away from the rest of the people out.
‘Tsukki?’
Tsukishima ordered two hot chocolates and they sat in a booth by a radiator, Yamaguchi sliding in first and Tsukishima sliding in after him, rather than opposite him.
‘Are you okay?’ He asked quietly and Yamaguchi nodded.
‘I’m okay.’
‘Promise?’
‘Yeah.’
‘I’m sorry.’ Tsukishima said, staring into his steaming drink.
‘What for?’ Yamaguchi asked, at a loss as to what Tsukishima could be apologising for.
‘Letting you get lost.’
‘It was my fault.’
‘I should have taken better care of you.’
‘I don’t need you to take care of me, Tsukki.’
‘Then why did you call for me?’ Tsukishima turned to Yamaguchi, locking their gazes and Yamaguchi swallowed.
‘Why did you come? You ran away from the group into the forest to find me.’
‘You were scared. You called for Kei.’
‘I called for you.’
‘I’m Tsukki, to you, at least.’
Yamaguchi broke their gaze and looked away, letting out a breath.
‘Why does it matter what I called you?’
‘You were crying.’
‘I know! You don’t need to-‘ He broke off, letting out a huff.
‘I’m sorry I wasn’t there.’
Yamaguchi looked back at Tsukishima to find him already staring.
‘Why did you come tonight?’ Yamaguchi asked softly.
‘Because you asked me to, why else?’
‘You could have said no.’
‘I wanted you to be happy.’ He said quietly, looking away and taking a sip of his mildly warm hot chocolate.
‘Why?’
‘Why? Why what? Because I care about you, stupid Yamaguchi.’
‘You were calling me Tadashi just now.’
‘What happened to ‘why does it matter what I called you?’’
They both stopped and took a sip of their drinks, the tension in the air thick from their almost but not quite raised voices and trying to unravel the others thoughts.
‘Why are you making this complicated?’ Tsukishima said finally, looking to Yamaguchi.
‘Sorry Tsukki. Thank you for the hot chocolate.’
‘Are you finished?’ He asked, looking towards Yamaguchi’s empty cup and his half full one. ‘Let’s go home.’
‘You haven’t finished yet.’
‘It’s cold.’ He lied, standing up, the heat from Yamaguchi’s body pressed against his side gone and once again slipped their fingers together.
‘Don’t want you getting lost again.’ He supplied Yamaguchi with at his questioning look.
Yamaguchi didn’t protest as Tsukishima led them back to his house, rather than through the crowds to their team and was grateful for it as Tsukishima drew his curtains closed
and got a few extra blankets out of his cupboard.
‘You okay now?’ Tsukishima asked once he and Yamaguchi were snuggled under blankets on his bed, 3ds’s in hands and Animal Crossing on their screens.
‘Honestly, Tsukki, I’m fine!’
‘Okay, okay, you don’t need to hit me with a net!’
‘Sorry Tsukki, shall I go and get my axe instead?’ Yamaguchi giggled and Tsukishima whacked his arm.
‘You are a little devil I swear.’ Tsukishima said, laughing softly as Yamaguchi attacked his character with an axe, laughing wildly as it bounced off of his head with a comical popping sound.
‘No! You can’t hurt Biskit!’ Yamaguchi cried as Tsukishima got his shovel out and went to whack Yamaguchi’s favourite dog villager with it.
‘I take back my apologies from earlier! You are completely heartless! What did Biskit ever do to you?’
Tsukishima smirked at Yamaguchi, knocking his ds out of his hands and onto the bed.
‘You want a fight, Yamaguchi?’ He said teasingly, holding Yamaguchi’s wrists above his head.
Yamaguchi kneed Tsukishima lightly in the stomach.
‘Okay, okay, I’m done.’ He coughed, holding his stomach as if Yamaguchi had given him a fatal blow.
He waited until Yamaguchi was fully upright and playing again before pushing him over onto the bed completely.
‘Heartless I tell you!’ Yamaguchi giggled, trying to wriggle out of Tsukishima’s grip.
‘Is that really what you think of me, Tadashi?’ Tsukishima asked teasingly, his breath hot on Yamaguchi’s face.
‘Maybe I do.’ Yamaguchi said, slightly breathless from all the shoving and wriggling.
He hummed softly, dragging his finger tips up Yamaguchi’s sides and smirking as Yamaguchi’s eyes widened and he started to wriggle.
‘No! Tsukki! Don’t tickle me, please!’
‘Oh, but such a heartless person wouldn’t be swayed by such pleas, silly Tadashi.’
‘Tsukki!’ He laughed softly, squirming under his fingertips. ‘Please!’
‘Hm…’ He hummed thoughtfully, slowing his tickling and allowing Yamaguchi room to breathe.
He stayed idle for a second too long because Yamaguchi manage to write out from under him and grab a pillow, whacking it over Tsukishima’s head.
‘Oh that was a mistake, Tadashi.’ He said softly, removing his glasses to put them carefully on his bedside table and picked up another pillow, swatting it harshly at Yamaguchi.
They fought for a while, whacking each other viciously with the soft pillows until they both breathlessly collapsed on the bed.
‘Hey Tadashi…’
‘Yeah, Tsukki?’
‘Say my name again.’ He said softly and Yamaguchi gave him a curious look.
‘Kei.’
‘Again.’
‘Kei.’
Tsukishima let out a breath and got up to turn his bedroom light off, getting into bed and holding Yamaguchi tightly to him.
‘You’re acting really weird tonight, Tsukki.’
‘Am I?’ Tsukishima asked, feigning ignorance to the fact that he was softly dragging his fingers through Yamaguchi’s hair.
‘Yeah.’
‘Well maybe I decided I’d like to stop being quite so heartless.’
Yamaguchi snorted. ‘That would mean you’d have to be nice to Kageyama and the team.’
Tsukishima shrugged. ‘I don’t care about them.’
‘Then who do you care about?’
‘Who do you think?’ He asked, voice muffled by Yamaguchi’s shoulder.
‘Why?’
‘Why what?’
‘Why do you care about me?’ He asked softly, eyes wide and he frowned as Tsukishima rolled his eyes.
‘You ask me a question like that and we’ll be here all night and I’ll end up confessing my undying love for you.’ He laughed softly.
‘You love me?’
‘Of course. You’re my best friend, stupid Yamaguchi.’
They were silent for a while and Tsukishima was beginning to think that Yamaguchi had fallen asleep when he spoke, voice quiet.
‘Hey, Kei?’
‘Hm?’
‘I love you too.’
Tsukishima smiled softly and pressed his lips to Yamaguchi’s hair, holding him tight to his body as they drifted off to sleep.