Archive of Our Own

Oh God.

How Kei even agreed to this is beyond him. But here he is, being dragged by his roomates to one of their friend's apartment for a "games night". When he mentioned that he was a night person, he meant it in a “staying up late at home in his own company when no one can disturb him” way and definitely not in a “please get him out the house to somewhere loud and exciting” way.

It's a nice evening though, he must admit. The days of early May are a perfect temperature, not too hot or cold and accompanied by a light, cool breeze. Any and all green space hold a kaleidoscope of flowers, fully in bloom and rhythmically swaying in sync, as if performing dance to anyone who’s willing to watch. Trees frame the picture-perfect horizon, the last rays of sunlight are peeking over, the sky a beautiful ombre of warm tones with candyfloss clouds peacefully drifting.

He doesn't even realise that he's been standing still until one of his roommates turns to him.

"Tsukishima!" he calls, "Are you coming or not slowcoach?"

"I mean, if that's an invitation to go home Kuroo then I'm gladly taking i-"

He's interrupted by Bokuto bounding over to him and grabbing his wrist, "Nope! He was joking, you don't get a choice in this one Tsukki. We're literally the only reason you ever go out anywhere."

"For the last time stop calling me that stupid nickname. And I do get out! I go on a walk every day." Kei holds his and arms up defensively as he stumbles behind Bokuto. Seriously, how does this guy have so much energy?

Kuroo rolls his eyes with a scoff, "Your lonely ass walks don't count Tsukki."

Kei walks a few paces behind them, lazily kicking a rock as he takes heavy footsteps along the pavement. Ahead of him, Bokuto and Kuroo burst out laughing at what is almost surely one of the dumbest jokes he'll ever hear. However, although he will never admit it, Kei is grateful for them, really. He never had proper friends growing up, due to his cold and unbothered nature, so when he moved in to his collage dorm with two obnoxiouly loud people he was not particularly delighted. But he soon found out that they were honestly kind people, who seem to actually care about him, even if they express it in annoying ways.

His thoughts are rudely cut off by another fit of laughter from his roommates. Kei sighs and quickens his strides to catch up with them.

"Hey, Tsukki dude," Bokuto says through stifled giggles, "why wasn't the fungi let into the party?"

"Do you ever shut up?" is his reply.

Bokuto completely disregards him. "Because- pffft, because-"

This man genuinely has tears in his eyes.

"Because there wasn't mushroom!" he shrieked, doubling over with laughter while Kuroo threw his head back and cackled.

This is going to be a long evening. At least the new people he meets can't be more annoying than the idiots he's already stuck with.

"BOKUTOOOOO!"

"SHOYOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Oh boy was he wrong.

After following Kuroo, who claimed he knew the way but kept pulling out his phone for some mysterious reason, they finally reached the door. But before Bokuto could even lift his hand to knock, it swung open. Standing there was a short boy with flaming red hair and the biggest smile Kei had ever seen. He wasn't standing for long though. In less than a blink he has lifted off into the air, arms wide and legs apart.

"I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN FOREVER!"

"I KNOW SHOYO ITS BEEN WAY TOO LONG!"

“Didn't you two meet up last week?" A new voice pipes up from beside the small boy. He's very noticeably taller with straight, black hair and icy eyes.

"Well, yeah but you wouldn't understand because you have no friends Kageyama!"

"Dumbass!" the taller shouts back, before remembering they have guests and bringing his voice down to a mumble, "I- I do have friends..." He averts his eyes and stuffs his hands in the deep pockets of the pyjama pants he's wearing.

"Well," Kuroo beaks the silence," we have someone new today!" He sing-songs. 

“Tsukishima Kei," he introduces himself with a small nod.

‘Shoyo' cocks his head to the side and simply says, "He seems boring."

”Whatttt! He may seem cold but once you get to know him he's real fun," Kuroo throws his arm around Kei, "isn't that right Tsukki?"

"Get off me."

The boy flicks his eyes between the two. He grins, "Okay...well, I'm Hinata Shoyo! And this is-"

"Hey I can introduce myself you kno-"

“This is Kageyama Tobio!" Hinata continues with his face unfaltering, until Kageyama grabs a fistful of his hair and yanks his head back.

“Bakageyama! Ow- let me go!"

They bicker with eachother while the other three stand outside waiting. Kuroo clears his throat,

"Uh, sorry to stop you guys from," he gestures towards them, "this, but can we come in?" Hinata and Kageyama step away from eachother, still glaing as they move aside to let their guests in.

Their apartment is actually an impressive size and moderately decorated. Kei gets a quick tour of the place, their living room is sort of a mess, and their kitchen is crowded with unwashed dishes, he notes. Hinata's room is full of posters, concealing any trace of white wall that may have been there. Kageyama's room however is the complete opposite, with minimal... anything to be honest. There's a third room but the door is closed and Hinata takes them past it.

Curious, Kei questions, "What's in there?"

"Oh that's just Yamaguchi's room" Kageyama replies.

Yamaguchi?

Hinata looks around nervously and whispers, "He's sleeping though and Yamaguchi gets really cranky if we wake him up."

That was probably the worst attempt on being quiet Kei has ever heard and its clear that their friend, Yamaguchi, thinks so too because they hear a voice call from inside, "I can hear you, Hinata, I just woke up."

Hinata squeals and backs away from the door.

Kageyama scoffs at him, "I know you suck at everything Hinata but would it kill you to try and be quiet?"

He earns a smack on the arm for that and the two dissolve into squabbling.

Footsteps approach and the doorknob turns.

Kei’s breath catches in his throat.

It creaks open, revealing a tall figure with green-hued hair, slightly messed from his slumber, and a sheepish grin on his face. His dark blue jeans are loose fitted and ripped at the knee and he's wearing a cream shirt with the solar system on it. Piercings decorate his defined face, with some along his ear and a ring on the left side of his nose. Kei wasn’t religious but this man looked like he had been sculpted but the hand of god himself.

Holy shit.

This guy is beyond anyone he’d ever seen before.

As loud as two certain people are being in the moment, whatever they're saying is drowned out. All Kei can hear is the rush of blood pumping through his ears and the soft voice of what seems to be an angel in front of him.

"Sorry about that, I didn't realise you guys were already here."

Why would you ever need to apologize if you look...like that?

Yamaguchi's face was a galaxy of freckles, specs of hazel dotting his smooth, pale skin. His amber eyes are wide with worry, eyebrows slightly knitted. His gaze moves to Hinata and Kageyama who, to no one's surprise, are still quarreling. Yamaguchi shoots them one warning glance and immediately succeeds. Idiot one and two are dead silent. He smiles at the rest of them, as if apologising on their behalf. And his dimples, Kei might just implode before he gets a chance to learn his full name.

"Kuroo, Bokuto! It's been a while, huh?" He states, "And you brought your friend!"

He tuns to Kei and beams, taking his hand into a firm shake, "I'm Yamaguchi Tadashi, nice to meet you, and you are...?."

Kei short-circuits. He is currently holding hands with what is the most beautiful man he's ever seen (handshake, holding hands, it’s same thing right now). Are my palms sweaty? Is my grip too tight? Am I holding on for too long? Oh god I’m totally embarrassing myself right now.

“Tsu-“ he stammered. Of course his own body had to betray him at this very moment. Kei clears his throat and nods politely, “Tsukishima Kei.”

Yamaguchis face lights up, as if he’d finally finished a puzzle, “Oh! So you’re the one Kuroo talks about.”

Kei turns his glare towards the man, who is conveniently looking anywhere but him.

"Ah! I'm sorry!" his eyes flick between them, "It was nothing bad I swear."

”It’s fine.” Kei replies instantly, probably too quick, but his eyes are still locked onto Kuroo, and if looks could kill, the six foot two man beside him would now be six feet under.

Yamaguchi lets out an awkward chuckle and beckons them to follow him back into the living room.

Kei is trying really hard not to stare, but for the first time in his life he might actually be failing at something. Because he is undoubtedly staring. Inspection is what he tells himself, but ‘inspection’ doesn’t usually require someone to look for that long.

It's not just his looks though, as breathtaking as they may be, there's something else about him, a particular kind of ambiance that made others feel at ease around him. And, wow was he cool. Just with one glance and two minutes of talking, anyone could easily tell. Almost as if his thoughts had been read out loud, Yamaguchi turns his head to look at Kei. He raises one eyebrow and cocks his head a little. And Kei internally curses his cute expression, and opens his mouth to say something, anything will do, and tries seem as normal as possible. But, he can’t find the courage to talk to him and no words form. He closes it as his eyes dart to the carpet. He’s not usually a talkative person, but he wouldn’t consider himself awkward.

Okay, who’s he trying to fool. Kei is about as awkward as they get.

They all settled down around the coffee table, Hinata and Kageyama cross legged on the floor, because Yamaguchi insisted that their guests could not be there. Kei sat with Kuroo and Bokuto on a sapphire blue sofa, while Yamaguchi chose a light grey armchair which was decorated with metallic studs. Thankfully, Kei is fairly good at most games, when he played them with his brother he’d always win, to the point where certain ones were simply banned in the house. Tonight, the game his hosts have picked is scrabble. Hinata grabs it form the cupboard and proudly presents it.

Kuroo barks a laugh.

“Scrabble? So, not to sound rude Hinata, but I’ve known you for a while and you can’t spell for shit.”

”What! Hey wait, that’s so not true! C’mon Bokuto, back me up here.” Hinata folds his arms and pouts, motioning towards Bokuto, who is currently trying, and failing, to stifle a laugh.

”Sorry my guy but he’s not wrong, academics just aren’t your strong point! It’s nothing to be ashamed of!” He throws a double thumbs up at him.

“Yeah, Hinata,” Kageyama sneers, “we all know it anyway.”

Kuroo narrows his eyes at him, “Oho, I know the king is not talking about academics right now.”

Great. It’s confirmed. Kei is stuck with four dumbasses now. Well, he may as well join in on the teasing, he figures.

“Huh, somehow none of this information is surprising,” he states, placing a hand on his chin inquisitively, “I guess just assumed that upon first meeting you two.”

Kuroo and Bokuto “oooh” in unison, obviously enjoying the conversation. Kageyama looks as if he’s ready to fight to the death over that comment, while Hinata slams his hands down on the box and tries his best to glare.

“Shut up you- you beanpole! We’re gonna beat your ass at this, just you wait!”

Kei chuckles in his go-to way that pisses people off, “Wow, you sure talk big for someone so small.”

”Ouch Tsukki! You never know what might happen!” Kuroo sing songs with a smirk. Fucking hell he better not have something planned.

"I told you to stop calling me that." he mutters through gritted teeth.

Hinata is mumbling something to himself as he starts opening up the game.

"We have to be in teams by the way," Kageyama informs, "the game can only have up to four players so it makes sense if we all pair up."

Teamwork is one of the few words that isn't in Kei's vocabulary.

Hinata huffs, "I guess I'll go with Bakageyama then."

And then Kei spots something, the rest of them probably did too. Kageyama's pupils dialated slightly and the tips of his ears are a bright red. Kei can't believe he's only just noticed this. These idiots are pining over eachother and it's so obvious to everyone except them. Kei rolls his eyes, no matter how stupid they are, they'll figure it out in their own time (probably).

It’s not like he actually wants to, but for today he’ll just have to tolerate Kuroo. Kei looks to him and opens his mouth to start speaking, but just before he gets the chance, the sly bitch gets to it first.

”I’ll go with Bokuto!” He chirps, “Someone has to carry him through this game.”

Bokuto narrows his eyes at the last comment as Kuroo shrugs and glances for a split second at Kei.

Maybe he should be at least a little happy, he’s with the only sane person in the room right now and this honestly wouldn’t have been as big of a problem if Kuroo hadn’t gone out of his way to pair them together. The act itself is innocent enough but Kei can recognise the mischievious glint in his eye. He's clearly already noticed a difference in behavior. Is he really that obvious?

Yamaguchi sends Kei a soft smile and that's all it takes to make his heart rate spike. He always thought butterflies were such a cliché yet here he is, with their dainty wings flutturing around eachother in his stomach. He returns what he considers as a smile, one that others often mistake for his usual neutral expression. It might be wishful thinking, but by looking into his eyes, Kei swears that Yamaguchi understood that slight quirk in his lips.

Bokuto takes him out his moment by clapping his hands together and announcing, "Okay! Let's start then!"

The game goes as expected. Kei and Yamaguchi won by a landslide. Kuroo and Bokuto definitely could've got more points, if they weren't constantly trying to come up with the most inappropriate words possible. In fact, he suspects that Kuroo gave himself a couple extra along the way, since he was in charge of the scoring. As for the other two, they were a lost cause. Each time it was their turn, they'd argue how to spell a word and still manage to both get it wrong. This resulted in them only being able to create incredibly simple words. By the end it was too obvious who would win that they just let them do whatever. Kei had also made a discovery, it was so easy it was to make fun of the two and pretty entertaining too.

He stares at the finished board, a catastrophe of clever words (majority by his team), horrible words, words he'd rather not repeat and words he can barely decipher. Okay, maybe his friends had been right. He hates to admit it but he actually had fun. And meeting Yamaguchi was just the cherry on top.

"Good game, everyone," sighs Kuroo, leaning back onto the pillowy sofa.

Bokuto has his head in his hands, mock crying at his loss.

Kei smirks, "Aaaand looks like dumb and dumber come in dead last."

"What a surprise," Kuroo chuckles.

Hinata and Kageyama do not chuckle. They cross their arms in sync and turn away from Kei, too mad at eachother to be angry at him.

"All his fault..." Hinata mutters, his eyebrows furrowed.

"What was that? You were the one who made us do all those words!" Kageyama raises his voice and shoves Hinata a little.

Hinata whips his head around, wide eyes now narrow, "Well- well yeah! 'Cuz your only ideas were stupid three letter words that would have gotten us nowhere!"

"Some of them were at least four letters dumbass!" Kageyama grabs the hem of Hinata's t-shirt and pulls it towards him.

Kei can't tell if they're about to scrap or make out and he's sure no one else in the room can either. Kuroo whispers something into Bokutos ear. Kei was just in range and heard the words "sexual tension" so whatever it was, he was probably right.

However, the whole game Yamaguchi had barely said anything to him. Or at all honestly. Of course they'd discussed tactics and what words to make, but aside from that, he had been pretty silent altogether. Yamaguchi stands up with a stretch that lifts his shirt slightly to reveal a sliver of skin. Kei averts his gaze and prays no one sees his face burning.

"Alright," he says, interrupting whatever Kageyama and Hinata are busy doing, "I'm going to bed now, I'm exhausted."

He yawns as he begins to walk out the room. He turns back and gives a small wave accompanied by a genuine smile, "See you soon guys!"

Kei knows he directed it at all of them but part of him hopes that Yamaguchi was looking at him when he said it.

The rest of them sit around and talk for a bit longer. Kei zones out, not knowing nor wanting to know what they're discussing. It all feels too loud now that Yamaguchi's gone.

Do I really...have a crush?

How stupid.

Kei never understood why people had them. He'd always overhear boys ranting about whichever girl they liked or girls giggling over which boy was the hottest. He knew that he was gay since about the age of fourteen, it wasn't hard for him to accept but it was a while until he told his family, who turned out to have known well before. He knew how felt based on who he found attractive, whether it was popstars or actors or boys at his school. But actually having feelings for anyone? No way. There was no point. He was never going to follow through with it so admiring from afar was simply a waste of time.

But now, look where he is. Falling for a man he just met. One he barely knows. One who he's only said a few words to. One who might hate him.

Worry washes over Kei. What was he thinking? He basically spent the whole night making fun of Kageyama and Hinata, Yamaguchi's best friends. Of course it was light teasing but did he take it too far at any point? Wait. Is he the reason why Yamaguchi went to bed so soon? Oh god, he probably came off all stuck up and annoying. What a first impression.

Before he can spiral anymore, he feels a firm smack land on the back of his head. Bokuto really doesn't know his own strength sometimes.

"Hey, Tsukki did you hear that? We're leaving now."

"Oh- oh yeah," he says, rubbing the now aching area, "let's go."

He checks his watch, 10:45pm. Wow, how long was he stuck in his own thoughts for? Whatever, at least they're finally leaving. They all say their farewells to Hinata and Kageyama and head out.

Not even a second after the door shuts, Kuroo dramatically clears his throat.

"Soooo, Tsukishima, are we gonna talk about that?"

"About what?" He snaps back, the words coming out harsher than intended.

Bokuto plces a hand on his shoulder and looks directly into his eyes, "Come on, you know was we're talking about!"

Kei huffs and turns his head. His two friends are not letting this go.

"I assure you I don't," he insists, "just make sure I naver have to play a game with those losers ever again."

Kuroo rotates his head, eyebrows raised, "Oya? Are you sure they were all losers? Even a certain freckled person?"

Kei narrows his eyes and doesn't say a word. He's not giving in that easily.

Bokuto starts bounding up and down like an excited puppy, "See! Kuroo, do you see how red he is right now? We were right!"

Fuck. Kei swears he can usually control his emotions better than this.

"Obviously we're right bro! There was no platonic explanation for whatever Tsukki had going on back there."

This was going to be a long walk back.

"Will you guys just shut up?" He squeezes his eyes closed and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"No way! You've got a crush~" Bokuto singsongs, clasping his hands together and raising a leg.

"Stop." He repeats, but he can feel his face growing hotter.

Kuroo punches Kei lightly on the shoulder, "It nothing to be embarrassed about, aaaaaand...you have me!"

Silence.

"...Okay?"

Kuroo starts slapping his knees in an attempt to recreate a drum roll.

"Aka, the dating master!"

Well, that was anticlimactic.

Kei can't help but burst out laughing.

"Hey- what? I'm being serious here, Tsukki!" He stomps, causing Bokuto to join in, "Not you too bro! I thought you believed in me!"

"S-sorry! It's just- dating master? Are you serious?" Bokuto snickers.

"Yes, I'm serious! Does no one see the handsome face?" He cries, motioning around himself, "Trust me, I have loads of experience!"

This only fuels the others laughter and Kei doubles over in his fit of giggles.

"I don't think pining over your best friend for five years counts as 'dating experience' Kuroo."

Bokuto howls at this and goes to wipe a tear from his eye. Kuroo's eyebrows furrow further as he raises and accusing finger.

"You leave Kenma out of this!" He shouts, before bring his voice to a mumble, "I'm finding the right time, okay?"

He crosses his arms, "You guys can stop laughing now."

"Yeah, yeah sorry dude. You'll get there one day." Bokuto gives Kuroo a reassuring pat on the back.

"Okay! Back to what we were talking about-"

"No." Kei interrupts.

"Yes!"

"Whatever it is I'm not doing it."

Kuroo groans, "Come onnnn, you at least have to try something!"

"Hm, no, I don't think I do actually."

Bokuto sighs woefully and clutches the fabric over his chest, "So what, you're just gonna sit in silence forever? Actually, no, don't answer that."

Moments like this always reminds Kei why these two are his friends, and he knows they truly want to help him right now. There's no use in denying it either, he may as well just open up.

"What if he isn't even gay though?"

"Tsukishima Kei. Did that man look straight to you?"

"No, no, you're right. I don't know, it's just, well, I mean, did you see him? What was I even meant to say?"

"Well, that's also how I felt when I first saw Akaashi, I was all like-"

Kuroo slaps a hand over Bokuto's mouth, "We don't wanna hear your whole love story with Akaashi for the millionth time Bokuto.”

"I was trying to help!" Bokuto argues, his voice muffled.

Kei stares down at the path. Maybe he is going to have to actually do something about his feelings. That's a first.

For the next week, Kei barely sleeps a wink. When he shuts his eyes, all he can see is the annoyingly beautiful Yamaguchi Tadashi. He tries his best to plan something, even if it's barely an interaction. He sucks at small talk, so how's he ever going to get to know him in the first place? With his social skills deep in the negatives, he doesn't know how to get anywhere at all. But still, his feelings drive him on. Kei wants it. So bad. He wants the slightly awkward cafe dates. He wants the shared smiles. He wants the inside jokes that would make them seem crazy to anyone else. He wants the soft embrace of a kiss. He want the desparate makeouts. He wants the good, the bad and the in between. He wants him.

Kei is ready to do whatever it takes to get it.

Soon enough, his chance arrives.

Kei is sat on the sofa, scrolling on his phone when he should really be doing something productive. This proves his idea that crushes are nothing but trouble. He's been so distracted ever since he met Yamaguchi that he's barely kept up with his other duties. He decides to put his phone down, to just think (which is arguably not any better).

Kuroo waltzes into the living room, standing right in front of Kei, wearing a proud expression.

"So, tonight, there's an opportunity for us to go back to Yamaguchi's apartment-"

"Yes," Kei replies with no hesitation, "I want to go."

Kuroo claps his hands with a smirk and begins to head out the room, "Great! Make sure you dress appropriately."

Kei raises an eyebrow, "Appropriately for...?"

"The party!"

The what.

And that's how he ended up at a party on a starry Saturday night. He had taken back his immediate answer right away but after a bit of convincing from Kuroo and Bokuto, Kei gave in. The things he does for love. All this for someone he probably won't have the guts to speak to.

He spent so long contemplating ways to get out of it that he didn't have time to pick out an outfit. In the end he threw on a pair of black jeans and a smart, striped t-shirt (which definitely was not his favourite one that he saves for special occasions).

It's pretty embarrassing to admit but Kei has never actually been to a party before. He was never invited either (although he tells himself he would've declined any invitations anyway). He'd always thought of them as places full with bad decisions, he can't fathom how they're considered fun. Nonetheless, if it means a chance to see Yamaguchi, then he'll do it. Maybe he'll even have a good time.

Hinata greeted them by jumping up and clinging on to Bokuto, who spun him around. Kei was not prepared for this. Flashes of vibrant colour spilled out the door and music bled through their too-thin walls. As he walked in, the fresh air switched to being hot and sticky. People all around him danced to whatever shitty song was currently blasting, moving way too much for this time of night and being way to loud for any normal person. This was not his scene.

Kei wants to leaves right there and then but he stops himself, he has to at least try to look for Yamaguchi, although it seems impossible to do so in the crowd. Seriously, how did they manage to fit so many people in their apartment? He turns around to say something to Kuroo, who's now no longer there. What a surprise. He spots Bokuto by the drinks, throwing his head back with laughter and talking to someone who Kei doesn't recognise.

It's all so much. Kei scans the room, looking for any sign of a tall man with gorgeous green-hued hair. Nothing. He sees people chatting, dancing, grinding (ew) and even crying. He tries to shimmy through the people, mutturing apologies as he pushes through groups. One guy in particular with dyed blue hair and striking green eyes manages to spill his drink across Kei's shirt.

"Oh shit, sorry dude, I didn't see you there! Heyyy, you're pretty cute, wanna grab a drink with me?" His hand moves to slither around Kei's waist, "I can, uh, make up for any damage I've caused, right?"

The man then winks. He winks at Kei. Kei rolls his eyes and breaks free from his grasp, holding his hand up dismissively, "Not interested." He sends a cold glare and then adds as a second thought, "Sorry."

As if his first party experience wasn't already bad enough. Luckily, he knows where everything is here and walks to the bathroom to try and wash his shirt. The small corridor leading there is thankfully empty but the bathroom is currently occupied. Kei slumps against the wall and sinks to the floor. This sucks. His shirt is soaked, he can't find either of the two people he knows and worst of all, he hasn't even seen a glimpse of Yamaguchi. He sighs and turns to the bathroom door. He can't stand another minute of wet, sticky fabric clinging to his skin but whoever's in there sure is taking their sweet time.

Kei is so done with it all. His first and last party was a complete failure. He sits there and dwells in his own sadness for about fifteen minutes. Realising how long he's been waiting, he bangs on the door twice and shouts to the person (or people) inside, "Hey. Can you hurry up in there?"

No reply.

He huffs and stands up, now facing the door, "If you're making out or something just do it outside! Some of us need to go in th-"

The door swings open mid-sentece. And curse Kei's luck because the person standing directly in front of him is none other than Yamaguchi. He’s dressed in the same outfit as last time but his eyes are underlined with striking black pencil, making them stand out. He somehow managed to look even more breathtaking than when Kei first met him.

"Ah! Tsukishima, I-"

Kei cuts him off, "Y-Yamaguchi I'm so-"

He has just made a complete fool of himself in front of the one person he wanted to see tonight.

"Yamaguchi," Kei continues, "oh my god I'm so sorry! I-I had no idea you were in there."

"No, it fine," he smiles sheepishly, "it's not like I was doing anything anyway..."

There's an unsure pause between them.

"I was hiding. It's lame isn't it?" He let's out a breathy laugh.

Lame? Yamaguchi? Never.

"No, it's not lame, I get it to be honest."

They both sit down on the cold tiles, side by side but being sure not to touch.

Yamaguchi clears his throat, "So, you're not a fan of parties either?"

"Nope," he replies, popping the 'p', "this definitely want a great first impression."

Seeing Yamaguchi's face change into worry, he quickly continues, "I mean, not that your party was bad. It's just in general, with the- the lights and music and stuff..."

Yamaguchi breaks into a smile and nudges Kei lightly with his elbow. Kei feels as if that touch is burned into his skin.

"No need to look so worried Tsukishima! It's not my party anyway, it was all Hinata."

"No surprise there." Kei chuckles.

He’s trying hard to look like he’s not trying at all but is ultimately failing. His cheeks feel too warm, not just from all the people there. His soaked shirt is completely forgotten, he has bigger worries now. His hands fidget, picking at nothing in particular on his jeans and looking anywhere except Yamaguchi. Kei always forgets how bad his social skills are, even in desperate times he can’t think of a topic of small talk. He hopes the quietness between them feels comfortable rather than awkward.

“Uh, so,” Kei starts, at least he finally found something to say, “where is Hinata anyway? I haven’t seen him around yet.”

Yamaguchi snorts softly to himself, “Where isn’t Hinata to be honest.”

Kei’s mouth twists into a smile and he hums in agreement, it’s quiet but it’s just about all he can force out his constricted throat right now. The door is open but no one’s outside, it seems everyone else is so caught up in everything. It’s still crazy to him how these things are fun.

Yamaguchi nods, ”Yeah, definitely.”

He just said that out loud. He really is unfocused at the the moment. In his defence, Kei is currently sat next to someone who’s extremely cool and extremely hot and he is very extremely nervous. It’s not his fault he can’t think straight (literally) and anyway, it’s not the worst thought he could’ve accidentally voiced.

“It’s all so…much, you know?” Yamaguchi continues, “I try my best to stop them being hosted here but once in a while I give in.”

”I don’t blame you, this might be the first time I’ve been thankful for my tiny apartment.”

“Yeah? You should really invite me around one day.”

Kei’s brain short circuits.

You should really invite me.

Not Hinata, not Kageyama, not anyone else. Just him. Maybe Yamaguchi is more bold than he anticipated.

”Uh huh, oh yeah, uh of course, but it’s nothing impressive at all.” He stutters, still trying to keep cool.

Yamaguchi giggles and tilts his head to get a better look at Kei’s, who is looking down and is refusing to lift his eyes until this is over, “You look so cute when you blush, Tsukki, has anyone ever told you that?”

What.

The.

Fuck.

Kei? Cute? Stated by the Yamaguchi, who’s only the prettiest man alive? Kei can really feel the heat spread up from his collarbone, further invading his face. What’s he even meant to say back? No one has ever complemented Kei’s appearance apart from his own mother and he’s only ever seen Kuroo’s hopeless attempts at flirting.

Wait.

Tsukki?

He’s also being called by a nickname? Oh god, this is way too much for him to handle in one go. Forget being cool, he’s past the point of redemption now. He whips his head towards Yamaguchi as a reflex, and after realising this only gives his a clearer view of the crimson rising into his cheeks, promptly reverses this and stares out the doorway.

”I-“ he can barely form a sentence, “Shut up Yamaguchi.”

”Sorry Tsukki!” Yamaguchi replies through a stifled laugh, but nothing about the apology seems sincere.

And there it is again. That nickname. Kei hasn’t had a bite of food but he feels as if he could through up his guts all over the bathroom floor. He pushes his glasses up his nose slightly and gains the courage to look forward, still not at Yamaguchi. The music fills his ears as he tries to distract himself from the situation he’s in. Yamaguchi is flirting with him. Wait, this is what flirting is right? He’s not mistaking it for something else? No, there’s no way. He’s not getting his hopes up. This is real.

Kei balls his fists up and looks towards the corridor outside. His fingernails dig into his palms, leaving small dents that sting. The party is the same as it was ten minutes ago. Too crowded and too loud. He spots a figure with wild, orange tufts of hair. Despite the flustered state he’s in, Kei figures he may as well say something to redeem himself, to seem normal and nonchalant.

“Ah, w-well there’s Hinata, I guess.”

Yamaguchi says nothing for a second, clearly having been zoned out, “Huh?”

”Hinata,” Kei repeats, lifting his arm to point, “I found him.”

He sighs lightly and looks away. He’s thinking as hard as he can of something to say, scanning the room for a new topic of conversation.

Yamaguchi adjusts himself to see better, “Mhm, I see him. I knew he’d be here somewh- oh, oh shit!”

Kei cocks his head in confusion as Yamaguchi stands up to peer around the door. Kei follows, still not knowing what has him so shocked.

”What is it?”

Yamaguchi says nothing and only points in reply. Puzzled, Kei flicks his gaze from person to person until-

“Woah, Hinata’s can really pull.” Kei says, still not getting the big deal.

Hinata, who not even a 30 seconds ago was dancing along to the music is now pinned against the wall, his lips colliding with another man’s, their arms intertwined. Was this meant to be surprising? The other guy was tall with black hair, and sort of angry looking. It’s difficult to see anyone properly under the bright lights but Kei can just make out the who it is.

Oh.

That’s what Yamaguchi’s talking about.

”Holy fuck, is that Kageyama?” He cries out, much louder than he meant to.

It’s loud enough that the lovebirds pause in unison and pull apart by a few inches, their eyes darting around to see who shouted. Kei can’t afford to embarrass himself any more tonight and in a split-second decision, grabs Yamaguchi’s wrist to pull him back into the bathroom and out of Hinata and Kageyama’s view, shutting the door behind him.

As soon as they’re there, Yamaguchi erupted in laughter. The sound filled the room, beautifully bright, almost like a melody. And something about the sight of Yamaguchi with his mouth in a wide, unfiltered smile with his eyes squeezed shut made Kei’s heart flutter.

“It’s about time!” He beamed through uneven breaths, “Oh my god Tsukki, you don’t know how hard it’s been living with those two!”

Kei can’t help but join in with Yamaguchi, bringing a hand in front of his mouth to cover his own chuckling. He settles down for a second and then meets Yamaguchi’s eyes. They don’t say anything but instead burst back into cackles, doubling over in sync.

Kei leans back, snickering, “I don’t even want to imagine how bad that was, even being with them for that one evening I could practically smell the tension between those idiots.”

”I know right! If they took any longer I was considering locking the in the closet for a day.”

Kei goes back to giggling at this, to which Yamaguchi continues, “I’m serious! I actually pushed them into each other one time but that only ended with bruises and scratches…” He rubs the back of his neck, guiltily reminiscing of the time.

”Oh man, I owe Kuroo takeaway for a week now.”

”You really bet on them?”

”Well, yeah but I thought it would take the at least another month,” Kei whines, crossing his arms in annoyance, “I guess it’s my fault for underestimating them.”

After a couple of second their laughter dies down. Kei snaps back to reality as he notices how he’s staring into the other man’s eyes. Yamaguchi’s gaze flick down to Kei’s lips. It’s only for a slither of a second but Kei picks it up, instantly feeling his heart rate quicken. Yamaguchi’s pupils are as dilated as pupils can possibly get and he begins to lean forward. Oh my. If you’re up there lord, thank you. Thank you so much. This is his moment. His first kiss. He doesn’t even know what to do. Wiping is palms on his jeans, he attempts to mirror Yamaguchi, breathing heavier with each movement.

Bang.

A familiar figure exploded through the door, not acknowledging Kei and Yamaguchi nor noticing the moment they were having. Kei immediately recognised that stupid hair and questionable outfit, it’s the same guy who hit on him earlier. Before he could say anything, the man leaned over and retched violently, spilling all over the sink. Kei sees Yamaguchi shudder out of the corner of his eye. So much for that kiss.

The man stands up straight and breathes heavily. He swiftly turned to exit just as quickly as he came in. Upon (finally) seeing Kei and Yamaguchi he stepped back slightly.

”Heyyyy, I know you,” he slurred, “you’re the one from earlier right?”

Yamaguchi’s eyes flick between them, “You know this person?”

”Oh shit, listen man, I didn’t realise you had a boyfriend. That’s my bad.” He hiccuped the last few words as he stumbled backwards out the door, holding his hands up defensively.

”I- what? W-we’re not-!” Kei argues, but the man is already long gone and he feels the heat creeping up his neck. No one speaks for a minute or two and Kei wishes the ground would just swallow him whole.

“Um, sorry about that.” He eventually mutters.

Yamaguchi squints and raises an eyebrow suspiciously, “Could I get some context?”

”Right! Yes, uh, sorry,” Kei hates how he’s turned into a stuttering mess, “it’s nothing, that guy just asked if I wanted a drink at the start of the party.”

”Oh I see,” Yamaguchi says, stroking his chin, “I guess Tsukki is pretty popular, huh?”

He turns his head in embarrassment, ”Not really, it was just one guy…”

Yamaguchi slaps him firmly on the back, taking Kei by surprise and causing him to cough, “Don’t be so hard on yourself! I’m sure everyone finds someone as good looking as you attractive!"

Kei has to force the word out his throat, "Thanks."

Yamaguchi smiles in return as Kei goes back to staring into the distance. He really did put an effort in tonight, its not his fault that luck wasn't on his side. He doesn't even know the time or how long he's been there for, it feels like it could be anywhere between ten minutes and an eternity.

"Well, I should be going now."

Yamaguchi makes a small noise, "Already? It feels like you just got here."

Seeing those warm eyes stare up at him through thick lashes is almost enough to singlehandedly make Kei stay the whole night. Almost. Maybe he is just a coward.

"I'm pretty tired to be honest, sorry Yamaguchi."

"No, no its okay Tsukki! Let me walk you to the door."

Yamaguchi leads him through the swarm of people, murmuring small apologies to anyone who they bumped into. Once or twice, their fingertips brushed and Kei swears he could see sparks fly. When they reach the hallway to the door, the music is somewhat muffled. Yamaguchi swings the door open, allowing the cool breeze to fill the stuffy room. Scents of spring and sweat blend together. Kei does want to stay with him, he would stay forever if he could, but his own home is much more inviting and today he learnt that pretty much anywhere is better than a party. He tells himself he doesn't care, that he'll get another chance, which is true, but he doesn't know how long both him and Yamaguchi are willing to wait.

Kei steps outside, the wind ruffling his hair a little.

"Bye Tsukki, see you soon." Yamaguchi says quietly, lifting his hand to wave.

Kei nods towards him, "Goodbye."

He starts walking, seeing the lights from the inside of the apartment fading as the door begins to slowly shut. He sighs to himself and gets his phone out to send a quick note to Bokuto and Kuroo about where he is. Now that he's standing outside the idea of being alone doesn't sound as appealing, he misses the warmth of someone next to him. Just as the last colourful beam is disappearing, Kei's mouth moves much faster than his brain.

"Yamaguchi, wait."

Oh no what the hell is he doing.

The door opens back up with a creak, "Yes?"

Oh shit. Well he has to carry on now. Actually, yes. There's no point in hiding forever and if he doesn't do it now, he doesn't know if he ever will.

Kei's mouth is dry, his feet feel stuck to the ground but he manages to shuffle towards Yamaguchi and get his thoughts out, "Do you, uh," just spit it out Kei, "do you want to maybe come back to my place to hang out for a while. W-we could make dinner or something?"

Yamaguchi inhales sharply. He smirks and leans in a fraction of an inch, barely noticeable, "Are you asking me out?" He teases, his tone joking.

"Yes, I mean, or no. Depending on what you want, I really don't mind." Kei rambles.

Yamaguchi steps closer, way closer, closing any gap that was previously between them and gazing with half-lidded eyes into Kei's. Their noses are so close to brushing but neither of them dare to move.

"Hm? Which one is it Tsukki?"

Kei's brain is fuzzy and any thought formed is lost right away, he can barely process what's happening. "Yes," he chokes out, "yes I am-"

Yamaguchi cuts him off with one hand tugging his collar and the other grabbing his face bring their lips together. Kei pets his eyes shut as he melts into the sensation. Yamaguchi's touch ignites tingling that spread like wildfire across his face, sending jolts of shivers down his spine. Yamaguchi's lips were soft and he tasted of sweet, summer strawberries with hints of something fresh and minty. He chased after Kei's own, his actions full of hunger. Kei matched his enthusiasm as best as he could but was still definitely more unsure. The kiss deepens, Yamaguchi gently pushing his tongue into Kei's. The feeling is strange and new and addicting. Yamaguchi smiles against Kei's lips, taking it as a small sign to continue. Their tongues swirl around eachother, sometimes fighting for dominace other times retreating shyly. Kei's hand awkwardly sat on Yamaguchi's waist, lingering for what might be too long. Kei really has no idea what he's doing. All he can tell is that it feels amazing and of he had the choice, he would never stop. He doesn't know how long they've been like this but the pull back in unison, their breaths heavy and eyes wide, staring into eachother's. Neither of them speak for a bit, savouring the moment for as long as they can.

Kei breaks the eye contact, his heart is pounding in his ears and he furrows his eyebrows nervously, "I, uh, was that okay?"

Yamaguchi laughs at this, hushed but honest, "It was way more than okay. I already told you this, you should really stop worrying so much!"

"Sorry Yamaguchi,' he says breathily, "so, is that a yes? You'll come back to my apartment?"

Yamaguchi takes Kei's hand and intertwines their fingers, placing a soft kiss on his cheek, "Take a wild guess Tsukki."

Kei looks towards the sky. The stars glimmer, twinkling against the charcoal sky. Their arrangement is similar to Yamagichi's freckles, Kei thinks, except the stars haven't quite captured the full beauty of them yet. Not even close.