Chapter Text
Yamaguchi was finding it harder and harder to discover a single cafe that matched Tsukishima's tastes.
So far, all the coffee at various places had been too bland, bitter, or had grounds found at the bottom of his cup, etc.
Not that Yamaguchi minded, of course. He loved spending time with Tsukishima. But he also wondered what gave his friend the energy to complain so much.
"The coffee here's alright," Tsukishima said that morning, although he set his cup aside. "Although, I don't taste the caffeine. Not sure if this is even real coffee or just something parents order for their kids to get them to stop complaining."
Yamaguchi laughed. "I thought you hated the taste of caffeine anyways," he pointed out.
"Still," Tsukishima scoffed. "What's the point of coffee if it doesn't even do its job?"
"True," Yamaguchi mused, taking a sip of his latte (He was never a fan of caffeine. A normal amount even would usually make him shaky and restless.) "Still, I didn't know you were such a fan."
"It's for stress," Tsukishima said bitterly, gripping the handle of the mug. "My roommate keeps getting on my nerves."
Yamaguchi privately thought about how grateful he should be that he ended up with a more agreeable person to share a dorm with. "Coffee would just stress me out more, to be honest," he said admittedly.
"Well, it's a good thing you're not me."
They paid for their meal and headed out the door, meeting the crisp, autumn air. Yamaguchi blew out a breath, shivering. "Whew. It's pretty chilly today," he commented, although he smiled.
"Mhm," Tsukishima said, looking up. "I wonder if it'll snow soon."
"Hm, maybe," Yamaguchi mused. He loved winter. Sure, the nights got cold, and the freezing temperatures were enough to bite his nose off, but things just felt so much cozier indoors when the outside weather was harsh. He knew Tsukishima had a soft spot for winter as well. At least, more than he did summer.
Tsukishima glanced at him. "You don't sound too happy about that," he observed.
He was right, Yamaguchi realized. Without him knowing it, a sort of disappointment had entered his voice. "Remember the volleyball group I mentioned?" he asked.
His friend nodded. "The one with the freak duo," Tsukishima remembered.
Not very nice, Yamaguchi thought, but he supposed he wasn't wrong. "We're probably going to have to stop for the winter, soon," he sighed. Sure, they were all dedicated, especially Hinata and Kageyama, but he figured even they wouldn't have the desire to play a match in a five-inch layer of snow.
Tsukishima nodded as if this was obvious. "Most likely," he said. "It's not ideal."
The two walked down the street together, not saying much. Yamaguchi began pointing out the pretty lights some store owners were putting up outside their displays, joking about how early it was to start decorating for the season.
"We're barely halfway through November!" He said, laughing.
"Yamaguchi," Tsukishima said suddenly.
Yamaguchi stopped walking. "Hm?"
He was staring pointedly at him. "If you're that disappointed about volleyball being paused for the weather," he said, "why don't you search for indoor options?"
Yamaguchi blinked. While the idea had occurred to him before, it had never come to him in a way that seemed realistic. "I wouldn't know where to start looking," he pointed out.
"I might know some people."
Yamaguchi was surprised. He knew that Tsukishima was still playing volleyball, of course, but he didn't expect him to offer him something like that. "Really?" He asked excitedly.
Tsukishima shrugged. "I don't know for sure," he warned, "but I can ask around and see what I can find."
"Thanks, Tsukki!" Yamaguchi had shouted as they parted ways, him walking back to his dorm, and Tsukishima making his way to the Metro.
Tsukishima waved before turning away.
"I'm back!" Yamaguchi practically sang as he walked through the doorway, closing it shut behind him with his foot as he took off his jacket.
When he walked into the living room, he found that Kageyama had already returned, probably from his routine morning run. From the looks of it, he had also invited Hinata along with him, as he was now lying down in a t-shirt and comfortable-looking sweatpants in Hinata's arms on the couch.
When he noticed Yamaguchi standing in the frame of the hallway, he immediately jumped up and shoved Hinata away.
Yamaguchi huffed in amusement. "You know, you don't have to do that every time I walk in. It's fine, I already know." Hinata had been coming around more regularly as the season got colder. He'd been nice to Yamaguchi and seemed to make Kageyama happier (although Kageyama would never admit it) just by being around, so Yamaguchi didn't mind at all.
Kageyama, however, seemed to be adjusting to having his emotions on display in front of other people.
"Sorry," Kageyama said, easing up.
"Say sorry to me, jackass!" Hinata shouted, having fallen halfway off the couch. "That hurt."
"Sorry," Kageyama said again, sounding considerably less apologetic.
Hinata huffed and picked himself up from the ground, plopping down next to Kageyama. He looked at Yamaguchi, wide-eyed. "You seem happy for some reason," he commented.
Yamaguchi hadn't noticed he'd still been smiling from earlier. "Remember how we were talking about our seasonal predicament?" He launched into the explanation of what Tsukishima had suggested for them to do and the insight he could give.
By the end of his story, Hinata looked elated. Kageyama, however, looked skeptical.
"It doesn't sound like anything's confirmed at all," he observed. "I wouldn't get our hopes up."
"Think positive for once, Tobio!" Hinata shook him. "We could keep doing our weekend volleyball sessions in winter! Wouldn't that be fun? Oh-" He blinked as though he'd just realized he'd forgotten something. "That Glasses friend of yours. Tsukishima. He plays volleyball?"
Kageyama immediately caught on to what Hinata was implying and narrowed his eyes. "No," he said.
"Why?" Yamaguchi found himself blurting out before he could stop himself. Both pairs of eyes turned to him, putting him on the spot. "I mean... is there a reason why he can't join us?"
Kageyama averted his gaze. "Well, no," he admitted.
"I think we should," Hinata said thoughtfully. "He is the one offering us help to find an indoor space, after all. It's rude not to invite him, right? Plus, the more people we have, the more- No, don't give me that look." He flicked Kageyama across the forehead, forcing him to blink.
He had that pouty expression on his face he had whenever he was being forced to do something he didn't want to do. The look where his eyes went big and shiny, and would sway Hinata to comply with whatever he asked.
"It could help to have him whenever we're down a player," he suggested, trying to save the argument. They'd had to cancel quite a few times this past month due to spreading colds, and he knew that Kageyama had particularly been disappointed by this.
He still looked unconvinced by the idea but sighed in resignation. "Fine," he said, sounding as though getting that word out was like coughing up nails.
"Why don't you ask him?" Yamaguchi was startled by Hinata's question.
"Me?" He asked. Of course, it made sense why, but for some reason, it hadn't occurred to him that he'd be the one asking Tsukishima directly.
"Yeah," Hinata looked confused at Yamaguchi's reaction. "He's your friend, after all. And God knows Tobio won't be doing it."
"Hell no," Kageyama said, stressing each word.
Hinata shrugged and looked at Yamaguchi as if to say See?
Yamaguchi nodded. "I'll talk to him, then," he said. He wasn't sure why the prospect of inviting Tsukishima to their gatherings seemed like such an intimidating task for him to handle. Should be easy, right? If he said yes, then yes. And if he said no... well, then, that would just be it.
Hinata checked his phone, and his eyes went wide. "Shit!" He squawked, jumping up. "Noya-san left his keys inside our dorm. I gotta get back there and unlock the door for him," he groaned. He quickly picked up his coat from the kitchen, checking his pockets for his phone and his keys.
"Don't forget your bag again," Kageyama reminded him, holding it up by the shoulder strap.
Hinata practically vaulted himself over the partition counter to grab his shoulder bag. In the process, he swooped down to grab Kageyama by the shirt for a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Bye! Thanks for letting me stay!" He shouted, as usual, already halfway out the door before either of the dorm's residents could get another word in (again, as per usual).
By this point, Yamaguchi knows he should be used to it, but he still feels winded by the mini hurricane Hinata always tore while leaving their dorm.
In any case, he turned over to Kageyama who was still sitting half-frozen on the couch. He glowered at Yamaguchi when he noticed him staring. "Not a word."
Yamaguchi blinked. "But I didn't... say- anything?"
Kageyama was always snappy while defensive, so Yamaguchi knew better than to tease him at moments like this. He cleared his throat. "So... about dinner?"
They didn't talk much as they cycled into their evening routine of preparing dinner, other than Kageyama giving Yamaguchi a few instructions on what to take out of the fridge and what pans they should use.
"Were you and..." Kageyama's brow furrowed in concentration, never good with names.
"Tsukishima?" Yamaguchi asked.
"Yeah, him." He nodded. "Did you two play for the same team?"
Yamaguchi, pulling a pot out from one of the lower cupboards, paused. "Yeah. What made you ask?"
"He said you've known each other for a while." Kageyama shrugged. "I figured, since you both play, you would've been in the same club at some point."
Yamaguchi nodded thoughtfully as he set the pan down. "Yep," he said. "Well, you know. You find someone you like being around and you stick with them."
Kageyama made a face. "You actually like Tsukishima?"
It was a fairly normal question. From the few times he'd met Tsukishima, the two had hardly gotten along. But the phrasing of the question set off an unexpected alarm in the back of Yamaguchi's mind.
"What?" He yelped. "Of course I like him!" He paused at the words he'd blurted out. "Well, not exactly like that," he continued before he could stop himself. "I mean, you know, I like having him as a friend. He's a good friend to me!"
Kageyama looked slightly alarmed and extremely confused at his roommate's sudden outburst. "What other way would there be?" He asked, genuinely perplexed.
Yamaguchi mentally slapped himself for jumping to conclusions like that. He also physically slapped himself before he could start giving himself away further with a nervous ramble again.
Unfortunately, this just freaked his poor roommate out even more.
Kageyama stared worriedly. "Are you... okay?"
Yamaguchi brought his hand up to rub his temples. "I'm fine," he mumbled. "Let's just talk about something else."
As excited as he had been earlier at the prospect of bringing Tsukishima along for weekly volleyball, he now found himself hesitant to follow through and ask him about it.
It was just... well, he and Tsukishima were him and Tsukishima. And the volleyball group was their volleyball group. Two separate entities. Sure, the thought of combining his two worlds was nice, but in practice?
Yamaguchi remembered the first time Tsukishima had been introduced to Kageyama and Hinata, and how the three had discussed each other in private since then. To say the least, the pictures they painted of each participating party weren't exactly flattering.
He worried about having to choose between his two worlds if it came down to that.
And so, Yamaguchi found himself stalling on saying anything about the group invite to Tsukishima.
"Not that I'm begging him to come along," Kageyama began one day, a week later, walking back to their dorm together with him and Hinata. "But weren't you talking about inviting that weird, four-eyed friend of yours?"
"Tsukishima," Yamaguchi corrected him. "And... yeah, but-"
"What did he say?" Hinata interrupted him before he could explain.
"Nothing yet," Yamaguchi admitted. "I didn't ask."
"Oh?" Hinata frowned. "Why not? I thought you two hung out pretty often. Could you have messaged him, at least?"
Talking to Tsukishima wasn't the problem. Yamaguchi saw him a lot. Probably more than they'd exchanged texts. However, that was more likely because Tsukishima seemed to hate responding to any messages at all, unless important.
"I just thought," Yamaguchi started, emphasizing each word carefully. "Since we're still figuring out the details, I think we should wait until we hear more about actually finding an available court." He glanced between Kageyama and Hinata. "Right? I mean, it would be weird to invite him now, just for us not to play for a few months."
Hinata's brow, which had furrowed up in confusion, now relaxed. "I guess that makes sense. What do you think, Tobio?" He nudged Kageyama.
Kageyama lifted his shoulders in a 'whatever' kind of gesture. "Like I said," he grumbled. "I'm not begging him to show up."
Yamaguchi sighed quietly, relieved the two had gone with his weird logic. "I'll ask him once we get details about a court," he insisted. "Promise."
Hinata huffed. "You're the one who wants him to come along," he reminded him. "Not us. We're not forcing you to ask."
That was true.
So why did it feel like he had to?
"I think I found you a guy," Tsukishima said to Yamaguchi one day, startling him.
"Oh!" Yamaguchi blinked, surprised. He had expected to have been left waiting for much longer. Not that Tsukishima wasn't reliable, that wasn't it at all. He just expected to have more time to prepare. "I mean, great. That's great. Thank you."
Tsukishima nodded. "I only have his contact information," he told him. "One of my teammates gave me his number and email. Here, I can send you all his info."
A few minutes later, Yamaguchi received a ping! from his phone, letting him know he'd received Tsukishima's message. He pulled out his phone, reading the information enclosed. "Keishin Ukai?" He mumbled. "That's the guy?"
"Yes," Tsukishima said, in a voice that said, wasn't that obvious? "Like I said. I don't know anything about him. I'd be careful about his attitude."
Attitude? That was quite a bit, coming from Tsukishima, Yamaguchi thought. Then again, Tsukishima tended to have a general distaste for a lot of people.
"I'll set something up." Yamaguchi smiled, pocketing his phone. "And thanks. Again, I guess."
Tsukishima huffed. "Sure," he said plainly.
"Another thing," Tsukishima added to him as the subway pulled into the stop.
"Uh," Yamaguchi stuttered, watching the doors open. "Tsukki, your train."
Tsukishima barely bats an eye at this, turning sideways as everyone piled in. "Make sure to state your case to this Ukai person," he said. "And don't back down. You tend to back down from people who intimidate you."
This was true. Although Yamaguchi had certainly become much stronger in this regard over the past few years, intimidating people still... well, intimidated him.
In any case, it was a good reminder.
"Ok!" Yamaguchi called after him, watching as Tsukishima stepped into the subway car, just barely before the doors slid closed again. "Goodbye," he added, waving, although he knew there was no way Tsukishima could hear him from there.
And although he almost missed it, Yamaguchi could've sworn he saw Tsukishima waving back at him as the subway pulled out of the station.
Yamaguchi Tadashi: Hey, I'm on my way back. I can get dinner while I'm out.
Yamaguchi Tadashi: Also, Tsukki got us the info!
Kageyama Tobio: Ok
Kageyama Tobio: But why are you telling me this?
Kageyama Tobio: I mean me specifically.
Kageyama Tobio: We have a group chat.
Kageyama Tobio: Sorry for spamming; you must be walking right now. Respond when you can.
Yamaguchi Tadashi: No, no, it's fine. One second.
Yamaguchi Tadashi: (Reply: But why are you telling me this?) I thought you'd be excited.
Kageyama Tobio: I am. Sorry. That's great.
Kageyama Tobio: I'm just confused.
You usually are, Yamaguchi thought to himself as he stood in line to order his food. Then he felt a slight pang of guilt for thinking such a thing, as Kageyama had generally been pretty nice to him, although a bit blunt with his words.
Yamaguchi Tadashi: It's fine, don't apologize.
Yamaguchi Tadashi: I guess I'm not telling the group chat yet because, well, maybe it's too early.
Yamaguchi Tadashi: Tsukki said the guy might have an attitude, so I'm not a hundred percent sure he's going to get us a place that easily, let alone for free.
Kageyama Tobio: Attitude?
Kageyama Tobio: Sounds like Tsukishima.
Despite himself, Yamaguchi found himself unexpectedly barking out a laugh. He flushed furiously when everyone else in line turned to stare at him with odd looks. "Sorry," he mumbled, thoroughly embarrassed.
As much as he worried that Tsukishima would never get along with his roommate, at the very least, it was mildly entertaining to see the two verbally poke at each other. It was a weird kind of peace between them, but a sort of peace nonetheless.
Yamaguchi Tadashi: My point is that we should hold off on sharing until we work out all the details.
Yamaguchi Tadashi: I just don't want to work up everyone's hopes for nothing.
Kageyama Tobio is typing...
Yamaguchi found himself holding his breath while waiting for his roommate's response. Kageyama had always been a man of sound logic and reason. Well, his logic and reason, at least. In any case, if he noticed anything off, Yamaguchi was sure he wouldn't hesitate to start asking a few questions.
Questions that Yamaguchi either didn't want to answer or just didn't even want to think about.
Kageyama Tobio: That makes sense.
Yamaguchi breathed out a sigh of relief.
"Next in line, please!" The woman taking orders called out.
Yamaguchi started, realizing that there was no one left in front of him, and stepped forward. He recited his and Kageyama's orders like he'd had probably fifty times beforehand. Thankfully, both of them shared a common trait of consistency. Once they found something they liked, they usually stuck with it, so he generally had his roommate's orders memorized down to the last detail, and vice versa.
He felt his cell phone buzz a couple of times in his jacket pocket while waiting for their food, but didn't get the chance to open any of his new messages until he stepped outside with their takeout safely secured in a plastic bag hanging from his arm.
He opened it, curious what could've prompted Kageyama to suddenly message him so many times at once.
What surprised him was that not only had Kageyama been the one to text him, but Tsukishima had left a few words as well.
Tsukki: By the way, if you want to run down and meet with Ukai in person, I could probably swing by as well.
Tsukki: I looked him up. He's a walkable distance from my dorm.
Tsukki: But it's your thing. You should decide for yourself.
Tsukki: Don't bring your roommate though, he'll fly off the handle.
And, from Kageyama:
Kageyama Tobio: We can make a call to schedule a meeting with your contact when you get back. Or send an email.
Kageyama Tobio: I don't mean to rush you, but there's probably no point in stalling.
Kageyama Tobio: Sorry. I didn't mean that in a bad way. As I said, no rush. Shoyo has just been asking a lot.
Kageyama Tobio: It's getting on my nerves.
Kageyama Tobio: Thanks again for all this. But don't tell your friend of yours that I said that.
Yamaguchi formed two thoughts from both of those threads of texts.
One, he was sure Hinata hadn't been bothering Kageyama that much, or even as much as Kageyama liked to complain about it. Plus, Kageyama was probably just as, if not so even more eager, about the whole indoor court proposal idea.
Two, he was starting to wonder if Kageyama and Tsukishima shared a telepathic link that allowed them to subconsciously schedule an approximate time to throw shade at one another from afar.
"I'm back!" Yamaguchi called out, as per usual when he returned. "With food!"
At the mention of dinner, Kageyama practically whipped his head out from around the corner with rapt attention. "Welcome back," he said hastily, mostly concerned about the takeout Yamaguchi was carrying.
Yamaguchi slipped off his shoes, stepped onto the wooden floorboard, and glanced around their living room as he entered the heart of their dorm. "No Hinata today?" He commented.
"Nope." The corner of Kageyama's mouth twitched into a pout like he was upset about this fact but was unwilling to acknowledge that he cared. For a guy generally terrible with emotions and feelings, he was also pretty bad at hiding them. "He left earlier."
Yamaguchi wondered if Kageyama had quickly ushered him out once he'd gotten his message about heading home. He smiled. "You could invite him to stay over for dinner, sometime," he suggested. "Besides, I wouldn't mind an extra set of hands in the kitchen for some nights."
"You don't want him in there," Kageyama responded, completely serious. "I mean it. He'd make a bigger mess than it's worth." All the while, however, there was a look on his face that told Yamaguchi that he wasn't all that objected to the idea.
Yamaguchi began taking out the boxes of takeout food he had brought back for them while Kageyama started opening drawers to find plates and utensils for them.
"You called him 'Shoyo' earlier in one of your texts," Yamaguchi observed, sitting down and grabbing a pair of chopsticks. "You usually didn't do that before."
Kageyama froze, his hand halfway stretched out across the table to grab a soy sauce packet. His face twisted, as if about to snap back at him.
Yamaguchi instantly regretted his words, realizing that his roommate most likely took that the wrong way. He usually avoided saying anything that could come across as potential teasing.
But Kageyama's expression relaxed, and he let out a sigh. "Yeah," he said, short and sufficient as usual. "He likes it when I do that. And it's easier than remembering to switch back and forth all the time."
Yamaguchi always found it a little endearing every time his roommate softened up like this because of Hinata. Sickeningly sweet, sometimes, but he never objected to it.
Well, occasionally, a little twinge of envy slipped in, but only because who wouldn't want to find a lifelong relationship like that? He'd be lying if he said he hadn't thought longingly about that kind of future with someone every once in a while.
Never mind who, exactly, that someone was.
"Do you want to make the call?"
Yamaguchi snapped out of his thoughts. "Huh?"
Kageyama's plate had been cleared. Either he was a faster eater than Yamaguchi remembered, or Yamaguchi had just spaced out for so long he'd lost track of time. In any case, his roommate stared at him unblinkingly. Initially, this had always been super unnerving, but nowadays, Yamaguchi knew it was just his blank, questioning stare.
"The guy you got the information for," Kageyama clarified.
"Oh," Yamaguchi said blankly. Oh right. Yeah. "Sure. Just let me finish eating."
He quickly shoveled the rest of his plate into his mouth as Kageyama walked over to put his dish in the sink.
Once Yamaguchi had finished his dinner and done the same, he found Kageyama leaning back against the counter and observing him silently. That was never a good sign. Kageyama was usually quiet, sure, but he tended to be extra broody and quiet when piecing something about someone together.
"You're distracted, today," he commented out of the blue.
Yamaguchi turned on the sink, trying to distract himself from rambling again by doing a monotonous task. "Yeah?" He hummed, trying to appear unbothered.
"Actually," Kageyama continued. "You've been pretty distracted for a while."
"How so?"
"Like..." He frowned. "You zone out during practices. And group dinners. And when you're walking back to the dorm with us. I don't know. You never really did that before this whole thing started."
Yamaguchi spared a perplexed look at him. "Before what started?"
"Tsukishima's offer."
His hands stopped scrubbing at the plate, letting the cold water rinse the suds off of his hands.
"And," Kageyama began to add. "Since Shoyo asked you about inviting him."
The plate nearly slipped out of his hands. Yamaguchi caught it with a stronger grip before it could fall and crash to the bottom of the kitchen sink. "So?" He asked, maybe a bit defensively.
"Are you worried?"
Now he'd done it. Kageyama had surely figured it out. Yamaguchi sucked in his breath and prepared a confession.
"About being able to find us a court?"
His breath came out in a sigh of relief.
"Yes!" He cried, a little too enthusiastically, spinning around so quickly that it caught Kageyama off guard and made him jump. "That's it, yeah. I'm just..." he sighed. "You know, stressed about making sure this all goes right."
And Kageyama, bless his soul (Yamaguchi briefly considers redoing his entire count of Kageyama's true character to Tsukishima to clear the dirt off of his roommate's name), nods thoughtfully. "I can make that phone call if it's troubling you," he offered.
Yamaguchi nearly nodded in agreement, only, he suddenly remembered Tsukishima's comment about Kageyama flying off the handle. While he would trust his roommate with his life, he wasn't sure if he'd trust his roommate alone in a one-on-one conversation with a supposedly explosive character.
So he shook his head instead. "No worries," he reassured him. "It's all good. This isn't the part I'm worried about anyway."
Kageyama, despite the sincerity of his suggestion, relaxed at this. He didn't seem too keen on talking with a stranger on the phone either. "I'll leave you to it, then," he said, making his way back to his room.
Once Yamaguchi heard the door shut, he collapsed with his back against the fridge.
Bullet dodged. He lives to see another day.
"You made it."
Tsukishima looked up and pulled his headphones off, nodding as Yamaguchi walked out of the subway station. "You asked for me to be here," he said in his matter-of-fact voice. "So, here I am."
Something about those words gave Yamaguchi a warm feeling. He wasn't sure how to describe it.
(He wasn't sure if he wanted to describe it.)
"Well, thanks, either way," Yamaguchi said to him, smiling.
Tsukishima nodded. Then, he narrowed his eyes. "You didn't bring tall, dark, and stupid, did you?" He leaned to the side and peered behind Yamaguchi as if Kageyama's tall frame could've somehow hidden behind him.
"No, he's off with Hinata." Tsukishima's nose wrinkled with disgust. "As per usual."
"Gross," he commented. "Those two need to keep it to themselves."
"They are," Yamaguchi pointed out to him as they started walking. "That's why they're not with us."
"Yes, indeed. How unfortunate it is that I have to keep hearing about it anyway," Tsukishima drawled.
Yamaguchi smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Tsukki," he said, although he knew Tsukishima hadn't truly been annoyed by him. He just liked to complain. Honestly, it might've just been his personality quirk at this point.
A part of him started to wonder, maybe only just a bit, whether Tsukishima's distaste came from his general distaste for Kageyama and Hinata as people, or he was disgusted by the concept of that sort of nature in a relationship overall.
The other part of him thought that it seemed rather silly and unimportant to ponder that at all.
But then a third part of him joined in, saying, what if Tsukishima were ever a part of something like that? He thought of how distant and closed off Kageyama had seemed from the start until he got to know him and how it didn't seem likely for his roommate to be in such a relationship either.
Just as always, the concept of Yamaguchi's friends dating anyone always felt foreign to him.
He recalls a few moments back in high school when nearly all of his time with friends had just been with Tsukishima. That was certainly when things felt weird.
He vividly recalled a memory of a girl coming up to him, asking about Tsukishima, and the weird squirmy feeling he got in his stomach from that, like he'd eaten a fish alive and it was still flopping around down there.
(Albeit, a bit of an odd way to describe the experience, it was the first thing that came to mind.)
Since then, the idea of people close to him seeing other people romantically just felt odd. It wasn't possessiveness or anything, it was just a concept that never sat right with him.
Although... he never seemed to run into that issue with Kageyama. Neither Hinata, for that matter, although Yamaguchi figured that didn't count, as he was an extension of Kageyama in this example.
And back in high school, the fourth part of him reminded him, that it was mostly just Tsukishima whom he was close with, as in truly close with. He had other acquaintances, of course, ones he could technically call his friends. But how would he go about defining that, even?
The final part of him whispered in the back of his mind if it was ever really about all his friends at all, if maybe, just maybe, the core issue was-
"We're here."
Yamaguchi nearly rammed into the back of Tsukishima, having spaced out with his thoughts. He muttered an apology before backing up and squinting at the building's sign. "Sakanoshita Market?" He read aloud, confusion seeping into his tone.
"Yep."
"This isn't a gym."
"Nope."
Yamaguchi glanced quizzically at Tsukishima. "Should we...?"
Tsukishima merely gave him a half-shrug. "It's your thing," he repeated the phrase he'd used earlier. "Make your decision."
And so, puffing up his chest, Yamaguchi made his decision. He marched on into the shop, the market's bell jangling loudly as it announced his arrival.
"We've got a winter sale in the back corner," a bored-sounding voice echoed from the back. "Knock yourself out with some good deals while they're still around."
The shop was filled with the constant electrical hum from the lights, and the freezers lined up along the left wall. Yamaguchi weaved his way through the maze of shelved goods, craning his neck up over them to try and get a preemptive look at the man he was about to meet.
Sitting behind the cash register, leaning lazily against the counter, was a man with bleached hair and a newspaper opened before him, most likely used to pass the time. Yamaguchi found himself a little surprised. Surely this wasn't the man he'd contacted a few nights before... right?
Alas, the worker looked up. And when he looked up, his name tag was revealed to read: Ukai Keishin.
Ah.
Yamaguchi cleared his throat. "Excuse me," he began. "I'm-"
"Yamaguchi, was it?" Ukai yawned. "Yeah, yeah. I've been expecting you. Called a few nights ago, right? Welcome in."
He blinked slowly. "Yes," he said, as politely as he could. "Do you remember why I called?"
Ukai sighed. "What was it, indoor volleyball?" Yamaguchi nodded enthusiastically. "Sorry kid, can't help you."
Yamaguchi felt his heart drop to his stomach as Ukai pulled open his newspaper again with a flutter, shutting him out.
"If you grab something from the freezers, make sure it closes properly," Ukai said, not sparing him a second glance. "They get stuck. I don't want any problems with the electrical bill this month, you hear me?"
For a moment, Yamaguchi almost considered giving up. He saw himself going over to the freezers, grabbing an ice pop (yes, in the middle of winter), walking out of the store with the sad jingle of the doorbell, and going back to his dorm with his head hanging low.
Then he thought about breaking the news to Kageyama, who'd certainly ask about it as soon as he heard him coming back through the door, and the look of disappointment if he told him he hadn't been able to do it.
Or the look on Hinata's face once Kageyama passed the news along to him, his usually unbeatable enthusiasm stomped down upon.
Or, worst of all, walking out of the shop and giving up in front of Tsukishima, who was standing right outside that window and had given them this chance in the first place.
Right. It wasn't over yet. Not as long as Yamaguchi had something to say about it.
What was it that Tsukishima had told him earlier that week? State his case. Don't back down.
And so, Yamaguchi Tadashi, master of stating his case and self-proclaimed conqueror of intimidation, slammed his hands down onto the counter before the shopkeeper.
Ukai jumped, not expecting such a loud sound. Nearly as much as Yamaguchi had jumped himself, also not expecting to create such a loud sound.
"Listen, Mr. Ukai!" He shouted. "Look, me and my friends, we're a good group! They're hard-working, and we put a lot of effort into playing our sport. We have a good thing going and I'm not ready to let it go yet! So, please, if you could help us arrange an indoor court for our weekly plans!"
He gulped and stopped to breathe for a moment. Then, realizing he had been rather rude through all his aggressive shouting, calmed himself down and added: "Um, excuse me for yelling."
Ukai looked so taken aback that he just sat there, stunned and frozen in his seat. Against all expectations, it seemed as if he, now, had no idea how to proceed.
That's when he choked and doubled over. Yamaguchi yelped at the sudden movement, worried that he might've killed the old man.
(Well, truthfully, the man wasn't old at all. He might've been in his late twenties, at most. But he certainly looked and talked a lot older than Yamaguchi was.)
Ukai threw his head back, cackling. "Wasn't expecting that from you!" He wheezed. "Oh Lord..." He wiped a single tear that had fallen from his eye from laughing so hard. "That was the funniest shit I've seen all week."
Yamaguchi felt slightly embarrassed and mildly offended by this comment. "I'm... sorry?"
"No, no." Ukai sighed, sitting up in his seat to cross one leg over and rest it on his other knee. "You're alright, it's fine... It's just you were so timid on the phone, and then here, well..." He shook his head. "Alright, since you've insisted, I'll tell you what I can do."
Yamaguchi's heart picked itself up from the depths of his stomach and soared. "Thank you, sir!" He said excitedly.
Ukai held up a hand, stopping him. "Don't thank me yet," he said. "Let me talk first."
Ukai told him about his grandfather and the gym located nearby in this part of the city.
"He's practically in charge of the complex," Ukai explained. "Gramps can be a grump, sometimes, and strict. But he might soften up enough to pull some strings once he hears about your case. He was a volleyball player himself, you know. A good coach as well, from what I've heard."
Yamaguchi nodded through all of this, slowly catching up and processing all this information thrown at him. Ukai grabbed a pen from an empty cup and ripped off a piece of the newspaper he was reading from.
"Here," he said, handing both over to Yamaguchi. "Scribble down your number. I'll get in touch with my grandpa and pass your story along. On the chance that he gives you the go, I'll pass along any details about the hours and days, alright?"
Alright? More than alright. Yamaguchi wasn't about to head home empty-handed and defeated. He quickly scribbled down his number, also attaching his email for good measure. "Thank you so much," he said again, dipping his head.
Ukai shrugged, propping his feet back up onto the counter. "Whatever," he said. "You weren't gonna leave empty-handed."
Yamaguchi burst out of the shop into the cold, biting air, whooping in celebration.
Tsukishima looked up, startled. "I take it that it went well?" He guessed, observing Yamaguchi's excited expression.
"Yeah." Yamaguchi nodded. "Great. He wasn't nearly as bad as you made him out to be, Tsukki."
Tsukishima shrugged. "Maybe you just have a gift," he commented, putting his phone back into his winter jacket. "For turning unreasonable assholes into tolerable freaks."
Yamaguchi had a feeling this was yet another unwarranted jab at Kageyama (Back in their part of the city, somewhere, Kageyama sneezed harshly, to which Hinata responded by immediately dragging him into a nearby cafe to warm up, chiding him about dressing warmer).
"Anyways," Tsukishima sighed, turning to face down the street. "Shall we go, then?"
They started walking back to their station. Well, Yamaguchi's, at least. Tsukishima would be returning to his dorm, right after walking down to the subway with him.
Yamaguchi, again, felt that weirdly warm feeling that Tsukishima was walking with him all this way. He wasn't sure why. It wasn't as if Yamaguchi would get lost on his way there.
Maybe, Yamaguchi thought, Tsukishima might've wanted the company as much as he did.
Such a foolish thought, to which he pushed away immediately. Tsukishima didn't need him.
(Not in the same way, at least.)
"You did stand up to that shopkeeper, back there," Tsukishima spoke unexpectedly. "Didn't you?"
Yamaguchi blinked, surprised. "Were you watching?" He asked.
Tsukishima scowled. "I wouldn't do that," he said. "And I didn't have to. Your yelling was loud enough."
Yamaguchi flushed, both from the cold and the embarrassment. "Sorry," he mumbled.
Tsukishima ignored his apology. "I told you to stand up for yourself," he drawled.
Yamaguchi frowned. "I did."
His companion breathed exasperatedly. "I know," he said. "What I'm saying is that it was a good thing. Don't stop with it."
Oh.
Tsukishima never gave compliments. Not in the normal way, at least. That was ok, though. Yamaguchi always thought 'normal' was overrated anyway. And besides, it made his sincerity feel much more genuine.
Yamaguchi smiled. "Thank you." His smile faded, however, as he came to a full stop, looking up at the sky. "Oh."
Tsukishima looked up as well. "What is it?" He asked.
Yamaguchi was quiet for a moment before his smile from before returned, even brighter. "It's snowing," he breathed.
Shoyo: guys, ur not gonna believe this
Shoyo: @Noya @Tanaka @Ennoshtita Chikara @Yamaguchi Tadashi
Shoyo: bad news, everyone
Tanaka: uh oh...
Ennoshita Chikara: What's wrong?
Noya: DID SOMEBODY DIE??
Shoyo: WHAT
Shoyo: no, jesus, no.
Shoyo: but what did happen was...
Tanaka: SPIT IT OUT ALREADY
Shoyo: wait, pause for dramatic effect
Noya: we're dying to know
Shoyo: tobio sprained his ankle
Noya: WHAAAT
Ennoshita Chikara: Oh no!
Tanaka: is it ok if I laugh
Tanaka: @Kageyama Tobio are you conscious
Kageyama Tobio: It's not a big deal.
Shoyo: SHUT UP
Shoyo: I HAD TO TAKE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL
Kageyama Tobio: You took me to a clinic.
Kageyama Tobio: And cried while telling me not to die.
Kageyama Tobio: Or leave you.
Kageyama Tobio: And to hold your hand.
Noya: shoyo, lol
Shoyo: you slipped on ice, loser
Shoyo: tobio?
Shoyo: hello?
Shoyo: @Kageyama Tobio
Shoyo: oh, he's quiet now
Tanaka: (Reply: you slipped on ice, loser) WHAT
Tanaka: BAHAHAHAHA
Tanaka: I'm sorry I had to laugh
Tanaka: ok I'm not that sorry, but
Tanaka: @Kageyama Tobio, will you forgive me?
Kageyama Tobio: I hate all of you. Goodbye.
Shoyo: BUT YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T LEAVE ME.
Kageyama Tobio: Too bad.
Yamaguchi Tadashi: Oh my God, sorry everyone. I was busy with something. I missed all your messages.
Yamaguchi Tadashi: @Kageyama Tobio @Shoyo Do you guys need me to bring anything back? Sorry, Kageyama, about the ankle.
Kageyama Tobio: It's fine. Don't worry. We have everything covered.
Yamaguchi Tadashi: Ok! I'll be back soon. Take care until then, guys!
Kageyama Tobio: Safe travels.
Shoyo: I thought you were ignoring us.
Kageyama Tobio: No, just you.
Shoyo: that's it, I'm showing everyone a pic of u rn.
Kageyama Tobio: don
Kageyama Tobio: shdfjk
Kageyama Tobio: sdfghjytfvbsdrqg
Noya: what the hell
Ennoshita Chikara: Is everything ok over there??
Tanaka: blink twice if you need help
Shoyo: This is Kageyama. Shoyo stole my phone.
Tanaka: HUH
Shoyo: So I stole his.
Kageyama Tobio: GIVE IT BACK, THIEF
Shoyo: Give me mine, first.
Kageyama Tobio: hang on guys, I just took this really ugly photo
Kageyama Tobio: it's also really cute tho
Kageyama Tobio: tobio, I will send this
Shoyo: victory secured, hehe
Kageyama Tobio: This is the worst.
Tanaka: can we still see the picture?
Kageyama Tobio: Absolutely not.
Noya: BOOOOOOOOOOO
"I'm back!" Yamaguchi called cheerfully, taking his shoes off as he entered.
Kageyama did not poke his head out from the kitchen to greet him. Though, that was to be expected, with the ankle injury and all.
"Hi, Yamaguchi!" Hinata called cheerfully, lounging on their couch. He was sitting, also expectedly, with Kageyama held close to his chest, who looked absolutely miserable.
"Sorry," Yamaguchi said sheepishly to him, giving him a sympathetic look. "Again. About, you know, the injury."
Kageyama huffed. "It's fine," he mumbled, wearing an expression that clearly said that it was, in fact, not fine.
"It'll be okay, Tobio," Hinata sang cheerfully. "You'll have me to keep you company!"
"Stop that," Kageyama complained, although he did allow Hinata to embrace him tighter.
"I take it that you'll be hanging around more often, then?" Yamaguchi asked, looking at Hinata.
Hinata, for once, looked rather bashful for a moment. "I don't want to intrude," he protested. "I mean, it's not my dorm, after all."
Yamaguchi was shaking his head. "It's alright," he said. "You should keep Kageyama company. He'll probably need it."
Kageyama actually looked slightly wounded by that. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Hinata raised an eyebrow. "Are you whining?"
"No!"
Yamaguchi left them to bicker while pouring himself water.
He pulled out a chair at the kitchen table and watched from afar, sipping from his glass, the ice cubes clinking against the sides.
Kageyama stopped pulling at Hinata's hair for a moment to pause and look up at Yamaguchi. "Oh, that's right." He recomposed himself instantly. "I almost forgot. How was... that thing you went to go do?" He let out an oof as Hinata elbowed him one last time.
"Oh, right!" Hinata also realized, sitting up as well. He was also going back to cradling Kageyama to his chest again. These two were scarily efficient at flipping the switch on their arguments. "How's our search going?"
Yamaguchi, thankfully, did have good news to report that day. He grinned widely. "Great!" He said. "I met with the guy and he said he could try and convince his grandfather, who owns a gym, to let us have private hours on some of the indoor courts!"
Both Kageyama and Hinata shot up instantly, excited. Kageyama had almost forgotten about his sprained ankle until his brace hit the side of the couch, and he flinched.
"Awesome!" Hinata shouted, eyes shining. "Cool, so everything's set? As soon as you get the confirmation, we can finally let everyone else know?"
Yamaguchi gave him the thumbs up.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, yet," Kageyama warned him. "We're still waiting on a yes or a no."
Hinata scowled at him. "You're so negative all the time!"
Kageyama flicked him across the shoulder, to which Hinata responded by kneeing him.
"What the hell?! I'm injured!" Kageyama snapped.
"Doesn't make you any less of an ass!" Hinata shouted.
And within seconds, the two were at it with each other again.
Yamaguchi sighed and sank into his seat. If Hinata was going to be with Kageyama through all of this... well, it was about to be a long week for him.
Yamaguchi Tadashi: Hey everyone! Good news. We have our court!
Shoyo: WOOOOOO LET'S GOOOOOOOOOO
Noya: YEAH
Tanaka: YEAH
Shoyo: YEAH
Ennoshita Chikara: That's great! Thank you, Yamaguchi!
Yamaguchi Tadashi: Not at all. It was mostly my friend, Tsukishima, who helped me search.
Kageyama Tobio: Don't mention that name to me, please, or I might get sick.
Shoyo: aww, tobio, I'm sorry you can't join us yet :(
Kageyama Tobio: Shut up. Stop making fun of me.
Shoyo: I'M NOT MAKING FUN OF YOU, I'M TRYING TO BE SYMPATHETIC
Kageyama Tobio: Try harder, then.
Tanaka: this is sickening
Noya: yeah I really can't watch this anymore, can we talk about volleyball now?
Kageyama Tobio: Yes.
Shoyo: YES
Kageyama Tobio: Always.
Kageyama Tobio: Sorry for interrupting you, Yamaguchi, continue.
Shoyo: oh, so you'll apologize to HIM
Ennoshita Chikara: Shoyo, please, Yamaguchi is trying to talk.
Shoyo: sorry
Yamaguchi Tadashi: The good news is that we still get to keep our usual time slot. Sunday afternoons at 4 PM. Everyone is still cool with that, right?
Shoyo: yep!
Tanaka: yes sir
Ennoshita Chikara: Still works for me!
Yamaguchi Tadashi: Great! The only thing is that we should plan for a meeting spot since we have to take the subway there every week. It might be easier if we travel as a group. How does that sound?
Kageyama Tobio: Sure. As long as someone is leading with directions.
Shoyo: yeah, he really is hopeless, don't let him wander off anywhere unfamiliar alone
Kageyama Tobio: I thought I told you to stop making fun of me.
Shoyo: but I'm agreeing with you
Ennoshita Chikara: Guys.
Ennoshita Chikara: I think that's a great idea, Yamaguchi. How about we schedule to meet at the same subway station at around 3:40 PM? That'll give us time to organize and cut any late arrivals some slack.
Tanaka: I feel like this is directed at me.
Noya: if you feel like it's about you, then it's probably about you
Tanaka: thank you, noya-san.
Noya: of course, anytime, my friend
Tanaka: wait, I forgot
Tanaka: how long is kageyama gonna be injured for?
Kageyama Tobio: I'll be back in a week.
Shoyo: no you will NOT.
Yamaguchi Tadashi: He's right, Kageyama. Sorry. You should really try and stay off that ankle a little longer. It'll be bad if you injure it again.
Kageyama Tobio: You're right. Sorry.
Kageyama Tobio: Guess we're still down a player, then.
Ennoshita Chikara: It's ok, Kageyama, don't push yourself.
Shoyo: just so you guys know, he's positively fuming rn
Shoyo: it's kind of funny
Kageyama Tobio: Shut up.
Tanaka: you two are kinda insufferable
Tanaka: @Yamaguchi Tadashi we're so sorry for your loss and grateful for your sacrifice
Yamaguchi Tadashi: Thank you, Tanaka, I needed that.
Shoyo: HEY
Shoyo: wait, yamaguchi, I thought you had that friend who could join
Shoyo: tsukishima, the tall guy
Kageyama Tobio: He isn't that tall, you're just short.
Kageyama Tobio: Also, like I said, don't say that name. I might actually vomit.
Yamaguchi Tadashi: I can ask. I'm sure Tsukki won't mind filling for us, at least.
Kageyama Tobio: That's it, I'm vomiting.
Tanaka: SOMEBODY GET THIS BOY A BUCKET
"Hey," Kageyama asked him from the couch one day, bouncing a volleyball against the wall. Being injured had left him bored and restless. Honestly, Yamaguchi could sympathize. He could imagine he would hate being cooped up like that all day. At least when he was in his room, it was still his own free will. "Why haven't you asked that Tsukishima guy yet?"
Tsukki would always just be 'that Tsukishima guy' to Kageyama now, Yamaguchi supposed.
"I will," he insisted. "I just... haven't found the time yet."
Kageyama frowned. "Why not?" He asked. "Does he not respond to his messages?"
No, Tsukishima responds, Yamaguchi thought. It was just himself that was the problem, getting all worked up and nervous about asking for practically nothing. What, just to go and play volleyball with them for a few weeks? He felt like such a wimp.
"That's not it," he sighed, leaning over the counter with both hands. "It's not the time, maybe, I guess. I think it might be me."
"You?" Kageyama echoed, perplexed.
"I'm worried," Yamaguchi confessed, finally biting the bullet. "I don't know. You see how well he got along with you and Hinata. Or how well he didn't, I suppose. What if introducing him to this other side of my life is a mistake?"
Kageyama shifted on the couch, propping himself up. The volleyball he'd been using had stopped thudding against the wall and was now left rolling side to side on the hardwood floor. "Shoyo is a dumbass," he said automatically. "And me, well..." He shrugged. "But it's just volleyball. I don't see how it could go wrong."
Of course, Kageyama would take that view, Yamaguchi thought.
"It's not the volleyball part," Yamaguchi mumbled. "I'm worried about things getting mixed up and things changing. I guess I just liked things being just him and me, maybe."
Maybe, maybe maybe. That word danced around in his head like a broken record at the worst of times.
Kageyama was watching him carefully. "Maybe," he echoed, and it almost felt as though the universe was taunting Yamaguchi. "But bringing him to join our time isn't going to take him out of your other time that you have."
He had a point there.
"Besides," Kageyama added. "You can't stop change. It's a part of us. That's just the way it is. If you try to keep everything the same, you'll just drive yourself crazy."
Yamaguchi stared at Kageyama, shocked that his roommate had been able to drop such a nugget of wisdom on him. "Where'd you learn that?" He asked.
Kageyama shrugged. "Being injured gave me time to think," he said. Yamaguchi couldn't tell if he was joking or not.
"Maybe you should get injured more often then." The tease accidentally slipped out. He slapped his hand to his mouth, eyes widening at the terrible thing he had just said.
Kageyama was staring back at him.
After an awkward moment of silence, Kageyama huffed. A sure sign of his amusement.
Yamaguchi laughed in return.
In the end, he did take Kageyama's advice and asked Tsukishima the very next time he saw him.
"Our volleyball group needs one more person," Yamaguchi began. "And we thought, you know since you got us the place and everything..."
"I didn't get you anything," Tsukishima said like it was obvious. "You did the talking. All I did was provide a number."
Yamaguchi nodded. "Right," he said. "But what I'm trying to ask is... would you join us?"
Tsukishima looked rather surprised. Stunned, even. He didn't speak very much. "Pardon?"
Yamaguchi suddenly felt the rush of uncertainty returning to him. "I mean," he said quickly. "Only for a few weeks. Or as long as you want. Whatever is fine. I just thought I'd ask." The longer he rambled on, the quieter he got.
Tsukishima was still looking at him, perplexed. "I don't know any of those people," he commented. "What are they like?"
Loud, Yamaguchi thought. Full of energy. Can be obnoxious. He didn't think any of those traits were good selling points, however. "They're... passionate," he said. "They play the sport to win the sport, I guess, is how I'd describe them."
Tsukishima looked unconvinced.
"It's just that we're down a player, ever since Kageyama hurt his ankle, and-"
"Wait, hang on. Just a minute," Tsukishima interrupted, suddenly alert. "Did you say that tall, dark, and stupid is injured?"
Yamaguchi hesitated for a moment. "Yes?"
A malicious glint flashed through Tsukishima's eyes. "I'll be there," he answered immediately.
Yamaguchi sighed with relief. "Good," he said. "We meet at 4 PM on Sundays."
They walked out of the coffee shop. This one had been one of the few that Tsukishima didn't seem to find much to complain about. Although, he never found anything nice to say about them either. In any case, it was a good place for their regular get-togethers.
"Yamaguchi," Tsukishima asked all of a sudden as Yamaguchi walked along the sidewalk with him. "Why did you invite me to join?"
"Huh?" Yamaguchi blinked.
"Shrimpy probably has other friends," Tsukishima commented. "I'm assuming he wouldn't have asked you to tell me to come with."
He assumed correctly.
"That's because I wanted to invite you." The words slipped out of Yamaguchi's mouth before he could stop them. He should learn to stop doing that.
Tsukishima was giving him that stare again. The one that told a strange kind of uncertainty that Yamaguchi wasn't familiar with seeing in his friend's gaze.
"Did you want me to come with you?" Tsukishima asked. And for once, Yamaguchi felt as though he wasn't the one asking obvious questions, now.
"Yes," he said admittedly.
Tsukishima nodded thoughtfully.
Later, they parted ways to head back to their respective dorms.
"Hey," Tsukishima called out to Yamaguchi before they walked too far apart. Yamaguchi turned around.
Tsukishima had walked farther out than he'd expected. The crowd of people around them murmured as they passed, complaining about slowing down foot traffic.
"For what it's worth," Tsukishima began. "It's good that you'll be there too." Without another word, he turned away with a casual wave.
Yamaguchi waved back, but he didn't think he was really feeling it. It was like his body had started on autopilot and he couldn't turn back to manual.
Those words rattled around in his brain for the rest of the walk back to his dorm.
It had only set in fully as he searched for his keys, inserting them into the lock.
The warm feeling came back to him in a rush with full-on fury.
"Shit!" He exclaimed in the stairwell, his head slamming against his own door.