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It was the snowy, freezing cold of early February in Japan. a kind of cold that snuck under layers of clothes with a gust of wind. every breath forming a cloud, quickly fading into the icy morning air. A chilling breeze carried the smell of snow and aroma of breakfast throughout the quiet streets.
Tsukishima had quite the habit of coming down with a fever every year around this time. like function setting, the chilly winter air would leave him overheated and a stuffy nose, and that annoying scratchy throat he hated the most.
and every single time he blamed it on allergies and the stress of upcoming tests. marking it as ‘nothing worth making a fuss over’ and just sniffling with a click of his tongue.
admitting he was sick. especially yamaguchi, to him he would rather go jumping into a pool of lava than ever admit a moment of weakness. His pride simply wouldn’t allow it in a million years.
So he'd continue showing up to practice and school, scarf pulled a little higher than usual, silently fighting the urge to lash out at anyone with his pounding headache and the ache in his legs. hed just walk around with hands shoved in his pockets and a scowl on his face.
"Tsuki!" Yamaguchi called, knocking a little louder this time. He shifted from foot to foot, twisting his fingers together as he waited for an answer.
the sound of shuffling behind the door makes yamaguchi perk up, waiting as the door creaks open
Tsukishima emerges in his karasuno sport jacket and pants. with a dark turquoise scarf around his neck adorned with his bag slung shoulder and headphones over his ears.
“Tsuki you look so cool!” Yamaguchi beams as he praises Tsukishima, earning a scoff from the blonde.
“Shut up Tadashi,” Tsukishima sighs, sounding slightly annoyed, “it's too early for this.”
he starts walking ahead without warning, his long legs striding quickly along the snow covered pavement.
Yamaguchi is quick to follow, his quicker pace eating up the distance between them.
“tsuki!” he squeaks “just wait a second!” Yamaguchi tugs on Tsukishima's arm which is shoved inside his pocket.
“get off..” Tsukishima puts on a scowl, putting on a mask of annoyance, stark to his true feelings as he tries in vain to shake Yamaguchi off.
with a sigh he pulls out his hand and interlaces his fingers with yamaguchis.
“Happy now?” he says, voice thick with sarcasm, as he side glances at yamaguchi.
—
The walk to school was a quiet one, their footsteps falling into a steady calm rhythm as they made their way toward the school gate.
students streamed through the gates ahead in scattered groups, their chatter blending into the quiet hum of another school day.
Yamaguchi walked beside Tsukishima, hands still interlocked, but his attention slowly drifted away from Tsukishima every few seconds.
He glanced toward the volleyball clubs gym when he heard the squeak of shoes on the polished gum floor, watched a flight of birds scatter in different directions from the roof top, then turned at the distant sound of someone behind them calling across the courtyard.
every tiny little distraction pulled his focus away from tsukishima for a moment before he remembered who he was walking with and scurried to keep his steps in pace, offering an awkward embarrassed smile in Tsukishima's direction.
and like always by luck? Tsukishima noticed, of course.
“you really can't focus on one thing for more than five seconds, can you?” he muttered, biting back a smirk with his hands tucked into his pockets.
Yamaguchi laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck in an attempt to subtly brush it off. “Sorry Tsuki! I promise I was listening…mostly…”
Tsukishima clicks his tongue with a quiet scoff under his breath before picking up his pace. As he walked ahead he reached back with no more than a second thought and caught Yamaguchi by the wrist, tugging him along.
“Just focus on me,” Tsukishima muttered hesitantly under his breath, his voice low enough that it almost disappeared beneath the chatter of passing early morning chatter.
The words hit home to Yamaguchi harder than they should have.
His eyes widened for just a split second before he suddenly found the snowy path beneath his feet very interesting, warmth blooming across his cheeks despite the bite of the frosty air.
He was suddenly extremely aware of the steady warmth of Tsukishima's hand wrapped around his wrist and the steady pull guiding him forward.
He opened his mouth to respond, but it just fell shut, no words came out. Instead he let tsukishima continue tugging him forward, silently hoping tsukishima wouldn’t notice the redness of the blushing spreading across his face.
By the time they reached the gym, the campus had begun to stir to life.
The sharp whistle from someone echoed across from the gym, cutting through the sleepy chatter of students filtering toward their classrooms and lockers. An icy breeze swept between the school buildings, carry with it the familiar scent of pine and the kind of fresh air that always seemed to linger around the gymnasium.
Tsukishima and Yamaguchi walked through the snowy grass toward the volleyball clubroom in comfortable silence.
Well, at least comfortable for tsukishima.
Yamaguchi, on the other hand? Oh dear. The poor boy couldn’t seem to get his head straight.
His wrist still tingled with the warmth of Tsukishima's palm.
It had been several minutes since Tsukishima had let go, yet he could almost swear he could feel the fuzzy warmth of those fingers wrapped around him, the casual tug that had sent his head straight shooting into an uneven rhythm of love sickness.
just focus on me.
The words replayed in his head for the last 10 minutes with maddening persistence.
Surely Tsukishima hadn't meant anything by it.
pfft…whatever.
He probably only said this because Yamaguchi had been staring at everything and everyone except on tsukishima and where they were supposed to be going. It was practical. Matter of fact. Entirely in character for him.
…Right?
Then why wouldn't his face cool down already?
Yamaguchi rubbed absentmindedly at the nape of his neck, stealing a glance at the tall lanky blond walking beside him.
Tsukishima looked exactly the same as always, hands buried deep inside his jacket pockets, scarf hanging loosely around his neck in contrast to how tight it was earlier that morning, expression unreadable beneath half-lidded eyes.
As if he hadn't just casually said something that had sent Yamaguchi into self destruction mode along with overthinking until he exploded.
“youve been awfully quiet.”
The sudden comment made Yamaguchi nearly trip over his own two feet.
“H-Huh?”
Tsukishima didn't bother turning his head to look at him.
“you usually have so much to say in the morning.”
“i do not”
“you do”
“i…” Yamaguchi faltered before laughing weakly; shaking it off. “Maybe I'm just still waking up.”
“Hm.”
That single hum carried enough skepticism to make Yamaguchi avert his eyes and curl his toes.
a faint smile tugged at the corner of Tsukishima's mouth.
Barely noticeable.
And then, gone. Almost as soon as it appeared.
Before Yamaguchi could decide whether he'd imagined it, an explosive yell shattered the quiet morning.
“OUTTA MY WAY!”
Both of them looked up.
A familiar blur of black and orange shot around the corner of the gym building.
“OI, BOKE!”
“I'm gonna beat you there!”
“you wish!”
Hinata and Kageyama tore across the courtyard at full speed, school bags bouncing wildly against their backs as they sprinted with all their might toward the clubroom like it was the final excruciating point of a championship match.
“I SAID DONT SHOVE ME STUPIDYAMA!”
“I'M NOT SHOVING YOU! YOU'RE JUST SLOW!”
“you literally elbowed me”
“you should've moved faster!”
The two collided shoulder first, nearly stumbling into a bench before recovering without breaking stride.
Students scattered out of their way with startled yelps and gasps.
One girl barely managed to save the stack of worksheets in her arms before the whirlwind blasted past.
“theyre going to break something before practice even starts,” Yamaguchi sighed, calmly watching the chaos unfold.
“they usually do.”
sure enough, hinata leaped toward the clubroom entrance just as kageyama lunged after him.
“I GOT HERE FIRST!”
“YOU CUT ME OFF!”
“I DID NOT!”
“yoy absolutely did!”
The door slammed open with enough force to rattle the frame as both of them disappeared inside, their argument continuing loud enough to echo into the cold air outside.
Silence settled over the courtyard once more.
Yamaguchi couldn’t help hims with laughing under his breath.
“Theyve got way too much energy this early.”
“Hm.”
Tsukishima sounded as annoyed and unimpressed as ever, though Yamaguchi caught the faint twitch at the corner of his lips.
for a brief moment, everything felt normal again.
Then Tsukishima started walking.
Without thinking, Yamaguchi fell into step beside him.
Their shoulders brushed.
just lightly.
an accident
probably.
still…
Neither of them moved away.
The distance between them remained impossibly small as they approached the clubroom, close enough for Yamaguchi to hear the quiet rustle of Tsukishima's jacket with every step, close enough to catch the faint scent of detergent mixed with the crisp winter air clinging to him.
Yamaguchi swallowed deeply.
His pulse refused to settle.
He told himself it was because of the cold.
Because of Hinata and Kageyama's ridiculous antics.
Because he was tired.
Anything except the truth he stubbornly refused to acknowledge.
Beside him, tsukishima said nothing, stay absolutely silent.
But when another group of students squeezed past them in the narrow corridor, he instinctively shifted just enough to keep Yamaguchi from being jostled, placing himself between Yamaguchi and the crowd before continuing forward as though it hadn’t happened at all.
It was such a small gesture.
so casual.
so effortlessly tsukishima.
Yet somehow, it made Yamaguchi's heart race even faster and harder than before.
Hinata and Kageyama's argument had escalated once again.
"You cheated!"
"I literally ran faster than you!"
"THAT'S THE SAME THING!"
The muffled shouting drew a few amused glances from students passing by, while sugawara from inside groaned, "Can you two not start this before practice?"
Yamaguchi let out a quiet laugh.
"They're never going to change."
"No," Tsukishima replied flatly. "They're not."
Neither of them made a move to open the clubroom door.
For a brief moment, they simply stood there, tucked into the quieter corner of the corridor. The sounds of the gym, the squeak of shoes, volleyballs striking the floor, coach ukai calling instructions, became little more than distant background noise.
Yamaguchi stole a glance at Tsukishima.
The blond was looking toward the window at the end of the hall, where pale winter sunlight spilled across the polished floor. His expression was as unreadable as ever, but there was something softer about the silence between them now. It wasn't awkward.
It was familiar.
Comfortable.
Yamaguchi rubbed the back of his neck.
"...About earlier."
"Hm?"
"When you..." He hesitated, searching for words. "You grabbed my wrist."
"I noticed."
"And then you told me to focus on you."
Tsukishima finally looked at him.
"So?"
"So..." Yamaguchi laughed under his breath, a little embarrassed. "You can't just say things like that."
"I already did."
"Tsuki."
"What?"
"You know what."
For a second, Tsukishima simply watched him.
Then, almost imperceptibly, the corner of his mouth lifted.
"You've been thinking about it this whole morning, hm?"
Yamaguchi's face immediately betrayed him.
"I-I haven't been-"
"You have."
"I wasn't-"
"You were."
"I hate how well you know me."
"I know."
The answer came so matter-of-factly that Yamaguchi couldn't help laughing again.
His shoulders relaxed.
"So..." he said quietly. "Did you mean it?"
Tsukishima didn't answer right away.
Instead, he looked past Yamaguchi toward the gym doors, making sure no one was coming down the hallway. The corridor remained empty, everyone already occupied with changing or preparing for practice.
Only then did he turn back.
"When have I ever said something I didn't mean?"
Yamaguchi blinked.
His heart gave one hard, unmistakable thud.
"...You meant it."
"I don't repeat myself."
For all his usual sarcasm, Tsukishima's voice had become surprisingly gentle.
Not overly sentimental.
Just honest.
Yamaguchi searched his face, looking for the teasing grin that would reveal it had all been another joke.
It never came.
Instead, Tsukishima stepped half a pace closer.
Not enough to crowd him.
Just enough that the space between them felt deliberate.
"You always notice everything," Tsukishima murmured. "Except when it comes to yourself."
"What do you mean?"
"You worry about everyone else."
"..."
"You've been worrying about me all week."
Yamaguchi looked down.
"I couldn't help it."
"I know."
"You always pretend you're fine."
"I know."
"You make it difficult."
"I know."
Yamaguchi sighed, shaking his head with a helpless smile.
"You really are impossible."
"So I've been told."
Another silence settled between them.
This one felt different.
It was full instead of empty, carrying everything neither of them had ever managed to say aloud.
Yamaguchi drew in a slow breath.
"I think..." he began, his voice barely above a whisper, "I've liked you for a long time."
The confession hung in the cold air.
He expected a sarcastic remark.
A deflection.
Maybe even a long pause.
Instead, Tsukishima answered almost immediately.
"I know."
Yamaguchi stared.
"...You knew?"
"You aren't exactly subtle."
"I thought I was hiding it."
"You weren't."
"Oh."
A beat passed.
"That's... a little embarrassing."
"It doesn't have to be."
Yamaguchi looked back up.
Tsukishima was already watching him.
There was no smugness in his expression now.
No teasing.
Just an unusual openness that Yamaguchi had only ever caught in fleeting moments over the years.
"I like you too," Tsukishima said quietly.
The words were simple.
No grand declaration.
No dramatic flourish.
Yet they landed with enough force to leave Yamaguchi momentarily speechless.
"You..."
"I know," Tsukishima interrupted dryly. "I'm terrible at saying these things."
Yamaguchi laughed, though it came out suspiciously close to a relieved exhale.
"You really are."
"Hm."
"But..."
His smile softened.
"I'm really glad you said them."
For the first time that morning, Tsukishima looked just the slightest bit uncertain.
He hesitated.
Only for a second.
Then he reached up and lightly brushed a stray lock of hair away from Yamaguchi's forehead.
The gesture was so gentle it caught Yamaguchi completely off guard.
"Can I?" Tsukishima asked.
Yamaguchi's answer came almost immediately.
"...Yeah."
Closing the small distance between them, Tsukishima leaned in slowly, giving Yamaguchi every chance to change his mind.
He didn't.
Their first kiss was brief and tentative, more of a quiet confirmation than a dramatic moment. When they pulled apart, they stayed close enough that neither quite knew what to say.
Yamaguchi's cheeks were pink again.
"...Hi," he said sheepishly.
Tsukishima let out a quiet, amused breath.
"Hi."
"You know..."
"What?"
"I was expecting something sarcastic after that."
"I considered it."
"And?"
"I decided against it."
"I feel honored."
"You shouldn't get used to it."
Yamaguchi laughed, the lingering nervousness dissolving into something warm and familiar.
From inside the clubroom came another yell.
"TSUKISHIMA! YAMAGUCHI! PRACTICE IS STARTING!"
A second voice followed immediately.
"WHERE'D THEY EVEN GO?"
Tsukishima sighed.
"They have terrible timing."
"They always have terrible timing."
"Unfortunately."
Yamaguchi smiled, then reached for the clubroom door before pausing.
His hand brushed lightly against Tsukishima's.
This time, neither of them pretended it was an accident.
Tsukishima intertwined their fingers for the briefest moment, a quiet squeeze hidden from anyone who might glance into the hallway.
It lasted only a heartbeat before they let go.
Just enough.
Just theirs.
When they stepped into the clubroom, Hinata was still arguing with Kageyama over who had won the race, Tanaka was loudly taking sides despite not having witnessed any of it, and Daichi looked like he was holding onto a fraying thread of patience before assigning laps to everyone.
Nothing about the morning seemed any different.
And yet, for the two of them, everything had changed.
Without another word, Tsukishima adjusts his glasses.
Yamaguchi took his place beside him.
As practice began, they exchanged one quick glance across the court.
A tiny smile.
A barely noticeable nod.
No one else seemed to catch it.
But they did.
For now, that was more than enough.