People always ask Tadashi about how the band stays together; he wonders why they only ask him (and he knows that they only ask him). Sure, Tsukishima and Kageyama are scary and Shouyou is always hopping from one place to another, too busy to sit down, but…Tadashi’s nothing special. He’s plain. Besides– Tadashi hasn’t been around long enough to know himself.
Tsukishima and Kageyama are constantly bickering; if it’s not Tsukishima and Kageyama, it’s Tsukishima and Hinata, or Kageyama and Hinata. The three are an odd group, and no matter how many times Tadashi plays peacekeeper, they still argue.
Looking back, Tadashi wonders how much trouble he’s really gotten himself into by joining Take Flight.
“Oi. Are you even paying attention?”
Tadashi’s eyes fall nervously on Kageyama, only to find the dark haired bassist wasn’t even talking to him but instead a dazed-looking Shouyou.
“You’ve missed your cue like ten times. I’m getting tired of playing the same riff over and over again. Get your head straight!”
Tsukishima, pianist, snickers at this, and Kageyama and Hinata glare at him.
“What’re you laughing at?!” Hinata all but yells into his mic, causing Tadashi to cringe and wave apologetically to the poor man in the sound booth.
“Nothing, nothing. It’s just that, Kageyama said to get your head straight, but I’m ninety percent sure that he’s the only straight one here.”
Cheeks tinging red, Tadashi decides to break it up before the yelling inevitably starts.
“Guys, we really should get out work done. Us taking forever to record this track isn’t just affecting us…” Tadashi nods to the man in the booth, and the group of people at the editing table behind him. “Shouyou, I’ll nod to you when you need to come in. I should have before, I’m sorry.”
“Oh, Yama-chan, you’re the best!” Shouyou flings himself at Tadashi, causing him to tumble and almost drop his electric guitar. “Let’s get to work!”
Recording is done soon enough, to Tadashi’s guilty delight, and he finds himself walking home from the studio where they’re recording their ep, Tsukishima Kei next to him. One hand is warm in his pocket and the other freezes in the cold of the winter weather; his guitar case dangles between popsicle fingers, and he finds his pace is slower than normal, despite the voice in the back of his head telling him to get home faster. Tsukishima, trailing behind him, listens to music quietly, and Tadashi thinks about how he met the pianist and got mixed in with all of this band stuff.
“Thank you all, uh– have a great night! I love you guys, you’re the best!”
People clap, and Tadashi – flushed pink – makes his way back behind the counter as Just a little Suga, the local coffee shop he works at. Open mic night has always been his favorite night. Sugawara, his manager, smiles at him, and hands him his apron. He’s just tying it around his waist when a redhead bounds up to him, pulling a (devastatingly beautiful) blond by the wrist.
“Hey! Freckles! Who just sang up there! We’re in a band!”
“A- Ah, really?..” Tadashi furrows his brows, not knowing how that applies to him. “Uh…–”
“We want you to join it! I need a backup singer-slash-someone to duet with! And your voice is soooo pretty!” The redhead is so loud, every eye in the cafe is on him now, and it’s somehow more terrifying than singing in front of them.
Not to mention the blond with him is so beautiful and he looks so uninterested and god, Tadashi is weak–
“Ok.”
“Great! Here’s my number, I’ll text you!”
Frick.
That was a year ago.
“Would you like to hang out, Tsukki?..” It’s a long shot– Tsukishima’s always been closed off. During rehearsals, Tsukishima grew close to Tadashi, but even then, they weren’t the best.
“Ah. You still want to, after that comment outing you to the entire band and crew?”
“Huh? Oh. I’m pretty open with my sexuality, so I don’t mind. Besides, I know you can’t go without making a joke at Tobio-kun’s expense.” Tadashi smiles, and shifts his guitar case, cringing when his cold fingers crack and stretch. He’s smiling at Tsukishima’s grunt in response when something suddenly hits him. “…Wait. You said Tobio was ‘the only straight one’ in the band…I didn’t know you weren’t straight…”
“Ah. I suppose you weren’t there when I came out…” Tsukishima rubs his neck, clearly nervous, and the flustered expression on his face is something new to Tadashi. “I’m, uh… Well, I’m uh– asexual. I don’t–”
“–feel sexual attraction. I know, silly. I’m on the spectrum.”
“Oh.” Tsukishima frowns. “I– I thought you…”
“I’m demi.”
“Ah. I see.”
“So,” Tadashi raises his voice slightly to change the topic. “How about it? Hang out?”
Tsukishima nods, slowly, and smiles softly. “…Sure. Alright.”
Tadashi grins. “Great!”
Hanging out with Tsukishima is always fun. The two usually just sit around in one of their apartments together and watch Netflix, maybe drink, but it always makes Tadashi happy. Today is Tadashi’s turn to bring Tsukishima to his apartment, and when he unlocks his front door, he’s lucky his roommate is out. Noya is sweet, but he…overwhelms Tsukishima.
Setting his guitar case down to slide off his coat, Tadashi shudders at the change of temperature. The hand that was gripping his guitar case burns with heat, and Tadashi mentally curses himself for not wearing gloves when he knew it was cold out today.
“Do you want a drink? I think I have some beer in the fridge.”
“No, not tonight.” Tsukishima straightens from sliding off his own shoes and Tadashi is suddenly reminded of how tall the blond is. “Can we make coffee, though? I’m freezing.”
“So the human heater is cold? It must be cold,” Tadashi chuckles at Tsukishima’s grumble in response; he’s always joked about Tsukishima being the human equivalent of a volcano. “I’ll make coffee, but Noya-san probably used the last of the creamer, with his habits.”
“Habits,” Tsukishima scoffs. “He drinks creamer with a dash of coffee. Literally. I’ve seen him make it.”
“Try living with him!” Tadashi laughs, lifts his guitar up once more to drop it in the living room where the majority of his and Noya’s instruments and equipment lay. He leads Tsukishima to the kitchen, and smiles softly when Tsukishima plops down on a chair in the dining room with a heavy sigh.
Tadashi shifts the coffee maker into the ‘on’ position and starts making the coffee; he notices for the first time how lucky he is that Tsukishima takes his coffee the same way as he does. Black (Tsukishima jokes that he likes it as dark as his soul) coffee has always been the best to him. Besides– if they were to use all of the sugar and creamer, Noya would be a walking zombie if they did.
“How’s your mom?”
“Good,” Tadashi smiles at Tsukishima as he settles down as well to wait for the coffee. “She just got out of the hospital last week, I think she’ll be back to normal in a few days.”
“That’s good. Any changes in her condition?”
Tadashi can tell the old med-school student in Tsukishima is interested, but he can also tell Tsukishima is genuinely concerned. His heart warms.
“The tumor is shrinking, but not by much…the pneumonia really set her healing process back a bit.”
“I see…” Tsukishima hums. “Well, I’ve only known her for a while, but she’s strong. She’ll get better.”
“Yeah.”
The coffee maker beeps signalling it’s finished making the coffee, and Tadashi jumps up, grabbing mugs and pouring their coffee. Tsukishima takes his thankfully, and immediately downs half of it. Tadashi just watches, smiling, as he takes a sip of his own. One thing he’s never understood about Tsukishima was how he could drink his coffee straight out of the coffee maker, boiling hot.
“How are Akiteru and Saeko?”
“Alright. I think Aki-nii is more nervous for the wedding than Saeko, when usually it’s the bride.”
Tadashi chuckles, and shakes his head. “I’ve gotten an invitation already, so at least he’s not paralyzed with nerves…”
“You have?” Tsukishima raises an eyebrow. “He knows your address?”
“A- Ah, he, uh…added me on Facebook back when we first met?..And we got talking, and I guess…He got my address somehow?..” Tadashi doesn’t want to question it– he’s just happy he got an invitation in the first place. “I don’t know…”
“Well, are you going, then?”
“Yeah, of course! I mean, I’ve never personally met Akiteru-kun, but I still want to congratulate him on his marriage!”
Kei’s cheeks tinge pink for some reason, and Tadashi is reminded of how aesthetically pleasing the blond is; with his long limbs, golden eyes, and the soft halo of yellow curls on his head. Tadashi would like to see him with winged eyeliner and maybe a nice pair of high waisted pants. Tsukishima has nice hips, and with his long legs…Tadashi would have to place a special order….
“Oi. You listening?”
“Huh? Oh, sorry, Tsukki! Just thinking! What?” Tadashi’s own cheeks heat up, and he bites his lip.
“I asked if you would like to be my plus one. I know you have your own invitation, but I don’t want my family asking if I’m dating…If I have a plus one, then they’ll assume I am. Either way, you’re going to the wedding, so I figured…”
“Sure! I’d love to!” Tadashi interrupts before Tsukishima can talk himself out of the invitation. “But aren’t you the best man?”
“Ah, Saeko doesn’t want to stick to tradition at their wedding, so Akiteru will have a best woman, and Saeko will have a bridesman. It’s…odd, but refreshing. I’m just glad I won’t be in the wedding.” Tsukishima looks happy, talking about the wedding.. Tadashi can see he really doesn’t care he wasn’t included in the wedding party. “Besides. Aki-nii says my resting bitch face would scare the poor people who made their way out to see the wedding.”
Tadashi can’t help it. He doesn’t want to, because he doesn’t want to make Tsukishima upset, but he laughs. Hard. So hard, in fact, tears spring in his eyes and he’s doubling over the table before he can stop himself. When he straightens up he expects to see Tsukishima’s pace pulled into a frown, but to his utter surprise, there’s a soft smile on the blond’s lips.
“He’s right, isn’t he?” Tsukishima says, chuckling to himself, and Tadashi watches him with wide eyes. Tsukishima Kei is smiling and laughing at his own expense.
A few more coffees later, Tadashi and Tsukishima are on the couch in the living room, Tsukishima falling asleep on Tadashi’s shoulder. A documentary plays in the background, but Tadashi is too focused on the light illuminating Tsukishima’s features. Looking at his friend, he can’t help but think how lucky he got in life.
He’s really starting to take flight; he’s glad Tsukishima is there to fly with him.