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Thunk!
Kei pauses, hand tightening around his pen. The classroom around him is still abuzz with conversation as they wait for hometown to start. His headphones are still secured around his neck, and the sound was too soft to be a fallen chair or desk. It sounded close, and a quick glance shows that his backpack was no longer on the desk behind him.
With a soft sigh, Kei abandons his morning doodles and goes about gathering his things. He checks to make sure everything is where it should be, but stares hard at an unfamiliar plastic bag covered by a heart shaped note. That wasn't there this morning. He cautiously picks up the note—and almost immediately crumples it. He'd know that handwriting anywhere.
~Happy Valentine's Day, little brother! I saw these at the store and thought you and your friends might like them. Love Akiteru~
Kei shoves the note deep into his pocket and examines the ‘gift’. The wrapping is simple; a clear plastic bag with a red ribbon keeping it closed. Inside are five lollipops, the good kind with gum in the center, ranging in five different flavors; sour apple, watermelon, cherry, strawberry and grape.
“I'm not ten anymore,” Kei grumbles aloud. Still, he takes the sour apple lollipop for himself. If his brother wanted to waste his money, far be it from him to stop him. Besides, there was no rule that said he had to share.
Maybe he'll keep them all for himself.
~*~
It became noticeable in December of their first year.
Kei had spent countless hours listening to Yamaguchi rave about how cute Yachi was. She was short and tiny and her hair looked soft and she had sweaters with thumb holes and her smile could revive a dead garden but destroyed his best friend’s poor, semi productive, bisexual heart.
As his best friend, it only made sense for Kei to know as much about this girl as possible. Yachi seemed nice, sure, but Yamaguchi was too soft sometimes. And it's not like Kei could fight her if she hurt his friend, so why be sorry when you can be safe?
By the time March rolled around, he and Yachi and Yamaguchi were hanging out together every other weekend, and Kei would conveniently leave them alone for some time so Yamaguchi could clumsily steal her heart. Like he had stolen Kei’s years ago.
His huge, disgusting, big as a national gymnasium crush became noticeable in December, but that's only because he stopped trying to hide it.
~*~
“Happy Valentine's Day, Tsukki!”
A handful of tiny pink and purple boxes land scattered on his desk, but Kei isn't looking at them. He's too busy pushing down his blush as Yamaguchi kisses him, on the mouth, in front of their entire class.
This wasn't a new development. Yamaguchi was a cuddle monster when you got him alone, and now that he had the permanent green light for PDA he took full advantage. Not that Kei minded, but he had a reputation to uphold. He couldn't throw out his cool and uncaring persona after building it for three years. That was just nonsense.
“Did you rob a group of middle schoolers on your way here?” Kei asks, eyeing the four boxes on his desk with mild curiosity. Then he tears off the tabs of one and pours about half of the tiny, sour-sweet candies into his mouth.
Yamaguchi falls into the desk beside his with a smug little grin. His hair is long now, reminiscent of Asahi-san’s. He tied it back during games, distracting quite a few people when he went up to pinch serve. Or just distracting them in general. He was taller, with filled out shoulders and toned muscles and even more freckles. He really was—
“Nerds for a nerd. Seems fitting to me.”
—a little shit.
But Kei already knew that.
“What're those, Tsukki?” Yamaguchi points to the bag of bribes on the corner of Kei’s desk.
Oh these? Nothing important. Just my brother’s flawed attempt at bonding. Which I've decided to keep all to myself to spite him.
“Can I have one?”
“Sure.”
So much for that idea.
Kei eyes the lollipops, wondering which flavor to hand over. Watermelon jumps out at him for some reason, but it only takes a moment to realize why. Watermelon meant summers at the pool and week long sleepovers, catching bugs in the rain and counting the stars in his backyard. All the things he missed, the fond memories he kept safety locked away, those were all with his best friend, his first boyfriend.
He hands over the watermelon flavored lollipop and tries to stop his hand from shaking. Yamaguchi let's their hands touch longer than necessary before accepting.
“Thanks, Tsukki!”
“You're welcome...Tadashi.”
~*~
There was one week in March where Kei almost died.
Suga, Daichi, Asahi and Kiyoko had just officially graduated, and on the night of their Congratulations But Please Don't Leave Us party, Kei was trying very hard not to pass out in his soup bowl. He had gotten sick, and instead of staying home like a sane person, he had gone out. Because maybe he liked his team just a little bit, and losing them to something stupid like graduation made him spiteful to the universe for trying to keep him in bed.
So he went out, and by the first hour he could barely keep his eyes open. He blacked out twenty minutes later, body burning and mouth dry like he had won a cracker eating contest.
He came back to hear yelling.
They were on a familiar road, near the park he passed by on his walks to and from school, though the view was different. It had taken him longer than it should have to realize he was being carried on someone’s back. Asahi’s soft voice rumbled comfortably in his chest, and Kei was so close to dozing off again when—
“Go fuck yourself!”
Yachi, in all of her four foot, ten inch glory, glared fiercely at a group of boys all dressed in (hideous) basketball shorts. She stood protectively in front of Kiyoko, whose expression showed her surprise. Everyone was surprised, and Kei heard Yamaguchi’s gasp somewhere to his left. It was hard to concentrate being both sick and weightless, but he watched their little manager tear apart each disaster of a human being until they looked ashamed of ever coming over, of ever being born.
To this day it remains the coolest thing he's ever seen.
~*~
It's always fun picking Yachi up from her class, mostly because people still don't expect it. With his bored expression and judging eyes, Kei doesn't exactly scream boyfriend material. But seeing Yachi surrounded by boys, each one brandishing their own little box of chocolates, glaring at each other like his manager was some attraction at a carnival that they've cut in line to see.. it didn't sit well with him.
Yachi wasn't some seductress! She wasn't a tempting, forbidden apple. She was kind and sweet, still a little awkward, but growing into herself, her confidence not only as a manager, but as a person. She deserves to be respected, not because she was female, but because she was a person. A very good person who put up with Kei’s bullshit far longer than he had expected her to.
“Hitoka.”
Kei stands tall over the wall of admirers, and he can't stop the smirk that tickles his lip as a few pigeons take a step back. Of course, there are a few little birdies who test their luck, and one even makes to touch Yachi’s shoulder.
Yeah, how about no?
Kei leans forward, placing his hand over Yachi’s as his lips find her cheek. He can feel the heat radiating from her face, and is pleased to find them pink when he pulls back. The cherry lollipop rests in between her fingers where her pen had just been, which Kei twirls as she stares down at the candy like it's a foreign object.
“It's our turn to buy juice for lunch,” Kei says casually, giving no indication of the small blob of jealousy lodged somewhere between his shoulder blades. He turns to leave the room without a word, and not a minute later he hears soft, quick footsteps chasing after him.
“Stop walking so fast! You know I can't keep up.”
Yachi clings to his arm as Kei lengthens his stride, and he considers picking her up just to hear her squeak of surprise. But then he remembers the last time he tried and shudders. His nose hurt just thinking about it.
“There's no need to be jealous, you know.” Kei glances down at her, sees her cute smile as she leans into him more. “I know who my real Valentine's are.”
Kei doesn't comment, but the tension in his shoulders melts away as they journey down the hall, hand in hand.
Jealousy was lame anyway.
~*~
His first kiss, the one that they had all decided to count as the first, was with Hinata.
Second year had just started, and even if nobody said it, they all felt a little lost without their former third year teammates. Over time the five of them would start staying later, or leaving as a group when it was someone else's turn to clean up the gym. Silent walks became small talk, which evolved into longer talks, which transformed into exchanging numbers and texting and group chats.
It was summer when it happened, two days before Hinata’s birthday. Both his mother and little sister were ill, and with his father taking care of them, they couldn't celebrate like they had initially planned. To no one’s surprise but Hinata’s, it was Kageyama’s idea to throw him a party at practice.
Kei didn't bring a gift. Not because he didn't want to...really! But Hinata was the easiest person to shop for, which meant everyone got him something sports related. Knee pads and a new volleyball, a group effort from the first years who all got him new gym shoes. All nice gifts, if you were a volleyball obsessed idiot, but none of them seemed all that...special.
So he kissed him.
After Hinata blew out the candles on his slightly lopsided cake, Kei approached him wearing a ridiculous party hat, grimacing for show. Well mostly for show. Hinata being Hinata laughed his little head off, bright beaming face turned upwards as he thanked Saltyshima for not pushing his face into the cake. Which prompted Kei to swipe a bit of frosting off with his finger and smear it all over Hinata’s mouth like a child.
Which prompted everyone else to laugh. That is, until Kei bent down and got his mouth messy with frosting, too.
~*~
“Why do you have so much chocolate?!”
Hinata is on him the second Kei enters the club room, arms loaded up with hearts and chocolate and love notes he has no intention of reading. He had avoided his eager female classmates as best he could, but a trip to the bathroom before class had left him vulnerable.
Kei dumps the boxes and cards in the corner next to his bag as he changes, aware of Hinata’s gaze on him the entire time. The rest of the team has grown used to this, and has since learned to keep comments to themselves. Or at least whisper about it when the third years are out of earshot.
“What's the matter? Upset you didn't get any confessions this year?” Second year Hinata had been a big hit with the incoming first years, though no one could understand why. Yachi said it was his confidence, Kageyama said it was a glitch in the system. Kei blamed the unfairly attractive undercut.
Hinata puffs his cheeks out, dark pink and getting more red by the minute. With his green beanie and new (adorable) freckles, he looks like a human strawberry.
“People are gonna think you're available if you accept their gifts.” Hinata starts changing now, angrily shimmying into his shorts and knee pads. If possible his hair gets even messier as he gets stuck in his sweater. Kei’s lips twitch into a smile.
“Am I not?” He teases, enjoying the shot of warmth that flows through him at Hinata’s indignant huff. It feels good, being wanted, being connected with others by choice rather than obligation or circumstance.
Without warning a tiny human attempts to murder him.
Hinata wraps his legs tight around Kei’s waist, locking his arms around his shoulders as he begins to slip. “Don't drop me!”
Kei staggers, hands gripping tight to toned thighs even as he glares at the supposedly older boy clinging to him like a sloth does a tree branch. “Let go, you idiot!”
“Not until you return the chocolate!”
“Shouyou!”
“Waaaah!”
They go down like a sack of volleyballs, right on top of Kei’s pile of gifts. Hinata tucks his head under his chin as he shakes with laughter, getting louder when he's shoved to the ground and abandoned as Kei hurries to leave.
“Problem solved, Shima-Shima! Now where's my gift?”
Kei throws the strawberry lollipop at his head.
~*~
Teasing Kageyama was a privilege.
Kei never realized how personal the name King was until he heard others using it. The singular use without ‘of the court’ coming after it made his jaw clench and his shoulders grow stiff. But why? He called the idiot genius King on a weekly–sometimes daily— basis! What did he care about others doing the same?
But he did. He cared a lot.
“If you're competent enough to recognize royalty when you see it, perhaps you should address my King with a bit more respect.”
It felt like the entire world stopped spinning. The two peasants from Seijou looked like dead fish, eyes wide and mouths gaping. Kei held their shocked gazes even as his brain did a flip into a woodchipper and exploded all over the inside of his head. It wasn't until he was halfway back to his team that Kei realized he was holding Kageyama’s hand.
Not his wrist, like he had dragged him along like a child, but his hand. A simple and easy palm cup, initiated too quickly to become linked fingers. But there he was, holding the King’s hand like he did it every day. And Kageyama hadn't stopped him.
They stood there outside the gym, hands clasped tight, eyes narrowed into slits. Who would make the first move? Who would pull away first? How long would Kei have to throw insults until his feelings were once again buried.
“If I’m the king, why do you get the harem?”
Kageyama peered down at their joined hands, expression almost curious. Kei.exe officially stopped working two minutes ago.
“Huh?”
They were still holding hands, goosebumps crawling up their arms while their palms got sweaty and clammy and gross. Kei didn't know whether to drop it and run or attempt metamorphoses and take shape of a bucket of water. Luckily he was saved from doing either.
Kageyama frowned, looking more like himself. “I'm not blind, Tsukishima. Yamaguchi wasn't really a surprise. And Yachi is nice and wasn't around for your total asshole phase. But when you went after Hinata, I figured out your pattern.”
“So why the fuck am I last?”
And before Kei could explain, or argue, or screech like a pterodactyl, Kageyama tightened his hold on his sweaty hand and yanked him down into the world’s awkwardest kiss. Kageyama’s mouth mashed against his, too hard and dry, missing his bottom lip completely. Kei held his breath while Kageyama breathed out too hard, and when they pulled away they both grimaced. But they were still holding hands.
And the rest is history.
~*~
Kageyama waits for him after practice, head down and arms crossed. They're the last ones in the gym, the sound of squeaky shoes and excited chatter fading as the others file outside to the clubroom. Kei waits until the door closes to approach him.
“Thanks,” Kageyama says, eyes trained on his shoes. “I got a seventy-five on the make-up test you helped me with.”
Pride zigzags across Kei’s chest even as he keeps his expression tame. They had spent three hours together trying not to kill each other while reviewing the math section Kageyama’s brain refused to take in the first time. Books were thrown, insults were flung, a stuffed bunny lost an ear. It was a traumatic time for all involved.
“Would you like a reward?” Kei asks, smirking at Kageyama’s annoyed glare. It was so much fun pushing his buttons, especially since he knew which ones did what now.
“Don't be an ass. I wanted to thank you and I did. Now I'm leaving.” Kageyama stomps out of the gym and heads towards the club room, Kei easily keeping pace. Their hands brush against each other three time before Kei sighs and laces their fingers together. They're still working on that.
Kei moves behind him when the first years rush past down the stairs, calling their goodbyes as they race each other to the gate. He tucks the last lollipop, the grape one, into the waistband of Kageyama’s shorts. The setter notices it immediately, looks at Kei over his shoulder as he holds it up, confused.
“Good job, Tobio,” Kei whispers in his ear, making sure his warm breath fans across his neck.
The elbow to his stomach is worth the deep blush on Kageyama’s face.
~*~
“Kei, you're home! How was school? Was practice alright? Did you get any chocolates or letters?”
Akiteru has gotten bolder over the years, refusing to back down to his little brother’s harsh glares or one-word answers. Now he just follows him upstairs, wedging his foot in the doorway when Kei tries to close him out of his room. Who knew twenty-four year olds were so immature.
Kei sighs, defeated. He doesn't have time to be brooding, not today, and especially not with only three hours to get ready.
“Fine, fine, ye—no.” He remembers the fifteen minutes after practice that were spent sorting through the edibles not crushed by two grown teenagers. Well, one and a half. He can still taste raspberry on the back of tongue.
“Did you share those lollipops with your friends?” Akiteru leans against the doorway like he owns it, like he's got nothing better to do, like Kei doesn't have to shower, wrap gifts, and spend at least twenty minutes deciding on an outfit.
“Kei?”
Yachi was wearing pink, Yamaguchi was wearing red. But if Kei wore red then only two of them would match. Hinata was a messy eater and wasn't allowed to wear light colors during semi-formal events so he'd most likely wear red, but not a deep red since that clashed with his hair. Or...shit. Was Hinata wearing pink instead?
“Kei.”
Wait! He remembers now. Yachi and Hinata were both wearing red, but not the same shade of red, Yamaguchi was wearing what he called ‘watermelon pink', and Kageyama had settled for purple. Which meant that—
“Kei!”
He's brought back to his room by a firm shake of the shoulders. Akiteru looks slightly concerned, which only fuels his irritation. He doesn't have time right now!
“Yes, they liked them. Now can you please get out? I'm busy.” All of his white shirts were wrinkled or dirty, and the last time he tried to iron something he set the kitchen counter on fire.
Kei doesn't notice the knowing look on his brother's face as he backs out of the room. “Alright, alright. I'll be downstairs if you need me.” He closes the door then leans back against it with a dreamy sigh.
His little brother had a date! And on Valentine's Day too. Akiteru grins, wondering if he should try and sneak a picture or two to show their moms later. Oh! Maybe if he made something, Kei would introduce him to his date. Akiteru pats himself on the back for his plan and heads to the kitchen to get to work.
“Finally,” Kei groans, tossing aside the roll of tape. It had taken him longer than expected to find his one pure white sweater. It was a little tight across the chest, but it fit well enough otherwise. He can handle it for just one night. Surprisingly, wrapping the gifts had been the most difficult obstacle. His moms were always in charge of birthdays and Christmas, so he had never really attempted to wrap something on his own. They looked awful, but his Valentine's were the sentimental type.
He gets a text just as the doorbell rings, and maybe runs downstairs before he can tell his legs otherwise. He pauses in front of the door, composing himself before opening it. Three enthusiastic smiles and one wobbly one greet him immediately, and Kei can't stop the answering tilt of his lips even if he wanted to.
“Is that your date, Kei? Invite them in! I made cookie!”
Kei slowly looks over his shoulder in the direction of the kitchen, eye twitching just a little. He steps back to allow the others inside, brain working a mile a minute.
“You told your brother about us?”
“No.”
“Then why..?”
He doesn't have an answer, but he might have a solution.
“Wait here,” he says without any other explanation. He goes back to his room, grabs his bag and the carefully wrapped gifts, then waits at the top of the stairs. Without a sport to keep him occupied, Akiteru has grown much more impatient. Any second now…
“Oh! Hey, guys. What are you all doing here?”
Now or never, Kei thinks, squaring his shoulders. It's actually easy to muster up a small smile. He doesn't think about why, but he does make his footsteps louder than necessary as he descends the stairs.
Akiteru looks ridiculously confused, holding a plate of cookies like some maid with an uncertain smile on his face. Hinata has two in each hand, not surprisingly, while Yamaguchi works on what has to be his fifth. Kei scoffs.
“You're gonna spoil your appetites eating sweets so close to dinner.” Kageyama’s worried eyes find Kei’s, and his tense shoulders slowly relax. He was still a little nervous around their families, even dorky older brothers.
Yamaguchi pointedly takes another cookie, a playful smile on his lips. “Are you my mom now, Tsukki?”
Still a little shit like always. Kei lifts his arms, showing off the red and pink wrapped bundles in his arms. “No, I'm your boyfriend.”
Akiteru makes a sound like a beached dolphin and tries to cover it up with a cough. Hinata frowns and takes the plate of cookies from his limp hands. “No, you're my boyfriend.”
“We are not doing this again,” Yachi says sternly. “We all know Kei-kun liked me first.”
Kageyama hums, and all eyes turn to him. He shrugs, staring at the ground, the tops of his cheeks a little pink. “Are we getting dinner or not?”
Kei bites the inside of his cheek. Akiteru is staring at him with wide eyes, looking back and forth between him and his four dates. Partners. Lovers? They really needed a name for this.
“I want my gift!” Hinata leaps at Kei, only to be grabbed round the waist by Kageyama. This is seemingly acceptable, since he does little more than pout and lean against him. Yamaguchi takes one more cookie then grabs Yachi’s hand, taking the lead and heading towards the door.
“We can exchange gifts after dinner. If we don't hurry we’ll be late for our reservation.” Yamaguchi smiles over his shoulder at a frozen Akiteru. “Thanks for the cookies, niisan!”
Kei is the last one to the door. He takes his time putting on his jacket, watching everyone else talk and laugh. They're all waiting on him, waiting for him, and he's never felt so appreciated before.
“Kei..?”
He turns slightly, eyebrow raised. His brother looks like an actor on a Kdrama who just witnessed his evil twin kissing his fiancé. It's enough to make him beam.
“I'll be home late. Tell mom and okaasan for me, alright?”
He leaves without waiting for a response, and as soon as he's outside, both of his hands are claimed. It's a little awkward navigating the sidewalk with such a large group. They scrunch in tight, stepping on feet and bumping shoulders, hissing and giggling and overflowing with happiness. Kei can't help but think about how crazy this is, how difficult it’ll be to stay together once they graduate. He thinks about long distance and fighting, missed calls and only getting to meet up on odd weekends. All the work that maintaining a relationship will be.
But then he thinks about breaking up, and watching four of his closest teammates, friends, finding a place in the world without him. He's selfish, no doubt about it, so maybe he can stick it out. Maybe they can make this work.
Maybe he'll keep them all for himself.
