Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Holding back your feelings, will deprive you of feeling something real...”

Don’t show too much interest or pleasure or fear. Always holding back emotions, never showing what you truly feel, letting go, always controlled, never wavering. It’s a perfect way to protect and damage yourself all at once. Pressure building, no release. It is an effective method to get people triggered, to get people to slip up and fall, to take advantage of them. But at what cost? It has been his way for a long time now, although it wasn’t always like this nor was it consistently as bad. It’s just how some people are, right?

“Excuse me? Uhm… May I pass?” A female voice cut through his thoughts, looking down on a black haired woman, her face blushing and a nervous smile. The tight grip on her bag is either from stress or fear. With a step back, he lets her pass. His gaze goes over most people’s heads at the train station, and he sees the approaching train in the corner of his eye. He stands out and people stare at him. After all, he is very tall, slender and blond haired, yet thick thighs, large hands with long fingers and muscled arms. Or maybe it's the condescending and annoyed look on his face, that scares people.  

“Tch.” With a hand running through his fair hair, Tsukishima Kei clicks his tongue. He dislikes taking public transport and people, but seeing as his car is in the garage for some minor repairs and adjustments, he has no choice. The museum called him to fill in for a few days seeing as he had no training for volleyball at the moment, and he had said yes. Of course, now regretting it. He loves the museum, but hates this. Just a few more days, just a few more days. Luckily, he had bought a new apartment about a month ago, which was in the opposite direction of his last home and closer to the city center. Else, this would have been even more of a hell.

“What did you hear? She said that? No way! Hahaha” Gossip, complaints, laughter and mundane stories assault him as he steps into the train cart. Even when people were whispering, his ears got triggered by the sounds. It distracted and annoyed him. He positioned himself near the door, leaning against a pole as he rummaged in his backpack, pulling out a grayish black Somy headset. With a sigh of relief, he turned on some music and the world around him fell away. The golden brown eyes followed the landscape rapidly moving outside the train, and he almost missed his stop as he was zoned out. The October air was cool today, and it was a welcome surprise when he stepped outside. A large building loomed in the distance, and he started walking towards it at a brisk pace, away from the people. Just a few more days.

“Otsukaresama desu!” His coworker Iza Takahiro called as they closed the doors after the last visitors had left, it had been an exhausting few days with a lot of groups, talking and answering questions. They had a special exhibit which meant extended opening hours for a few weeks and thus extra help was needed. He had to admit, he really liked working here, but not on days like this. It was extremely draining.

“Yo, Kei-kun! Can you also cover tomorrow? I have a half day off, so you can leave earlier if you want to.” Takahiro begged as he bowed his head and put his hands together in a pleading manner. Tsukishima sighed and pushed his glasses a little higher up his nose. 

“I guess, it can’t be helped. Alright, Takahiro-san.” He finally agreed, and his coworker jumped up in gratitude. Takahiro reminded him of his old teammate Shoyo Hinata in some ways, just as energetic but less annoying and stupid. 

“Thank you, thank you!” Takahiro cheered and Tsukishima rolled his eyes. “As a thank you, I will set you up with my younger sister. Okay? She is about your age, right?” He winked, and Tsukishima stopped dead in his tracks. His face soured, and he looked up at the ceiling to think of an excuse, which may have looked like he was angry. “Oh no, don’t tell me you finally found a nice girl? I was too late!?” Takahiro fell to his knees, grabbing his head and mock crying. Tsukishima took advantage of the situation and quickly walked past him and towards the changing rooms so he could leave. Takahiro ran after him, babbling about some nonsense. The way back home was terrible, trains packed with drunk salarymen, people gawking at Tsukishima and even some loudmouth youths. Luckily, no one dares talk to him, so he could just ignore it all and continue on home. After stopping at the konbini, Tsukishima made it home and plopped down on his couch. Finally, some peace and quiet. 

“Ahh, sorry, please excuse me.” A high-pitched voice called out as he felt someone trying to push past him. Tsukishima sighed and stepped aside, letting the woman pass. She was clutching a child and avoiding eye contact as she thanked him while hurrying along. Again, it was a terrible day for public transport. It was one of the hottest October days in years, and the trains were packed. Tsukishima easily made his way inside the train as people cowered away from him, if looks could kill, he would be a mass murderer. At least it was a normal day at the museum, and it went by rather quickly. On his break, Tsukishima checked his phone to find a blessing waiting for him. His car was done! An hour before closing, Tsukishima bowed to his coworkers and left for the garage. The bus ride was bumpy and long, but the idea of getting his car back was enough to fuel him. Almost giddy, he walked towards the shop door, ducking slightly while stepping inside. A baldheaded man stepped forward and bowed.    

“Welcome, the gray Nissam Skyline Nismo is done. The back windows are now tinted as per request. New nav is installed and also two new front tires. Our sincerest apologies for the long wait, and thank you so much for choosing our garage!” The man gestures towards the car lot and Tsukishima follows, after ‘inspecting’ his car, he pays and gratefully hops in. After a horrible few weeks of intense training, discussions with coaches, passive-aggressive arguments with teammates and opponents, sleepless nights and lack of good food, he finally felt like he could relax. He sat in his car for over five minutes before starting it up and driving away. A slowed reverb remix of one of his favorite songs blasting from the Boze speakers, the cold aircon tussling his sweaty hair and the new tires gripping the hot asphalt as he glides around town. Tsukishima took the long way home, fully enjoying his me-time with his best friend on four wheels. 

“Oh, come on… the pedal is on the right.” Tsukishima grumbles as some senile old man pulls away at the lights with the speed of a dead snail. Apart from throwing around snarky comments and mischievous grins, he mostly holds his composure, never letting people believe they got the better of him. Even alone in his car, he held back, but here he could at least sometimes let go a little. With a grunt and a sharp yank of his steering wheel, Tsukishima throws his car on the other lane, the lane for opposite traffic, as he overtakes the slower car. 

“Lame.” He smirks as an upcoming car signals its lights in annoyance, but Tsukishima is back on his own lane without posing much danger to others. As if on beat with the music, he pushes the accelerator a little more than needed and speeds away from the other cars, leaving their lights in his rearview mirror. Feeling his car shoot forwards, being pushed into his seat, and seeing the odometer rapidly go up, is divine. Tsukishima turns up the music and watches the road through half lidded eyes as he fully embraces the ecstasy. However, it doesn’t last as long as he would have liked. The sound gets blurred by his music, but the flashing lights are clear as days. A police car follows him and signals to pull over. 

“Fuck me.” Tsukishima rubs his temple as he finds a safe spot, waiting anxiously for the officer to come to his open window. He just wants to go home, read a good book, take a long shower and order some food. It already felt like bad luck was following him around and now, he gets pulled over?! He should not have taken the long way home. It’s his own fault. Rooting around in his bag to find his driver license, he feels the imposing presence of the police officer.  

“Good evening sir. That was quite some reckless driving back there, do you know what the spee… Ohh, is that you? Tsukishima!” The police officer says and Tsukishima’s head shoots up, slowly he turns towards the window and the familiar voice. This cannot be happening.

“Ehh… D-Daichi-san.” Tsukishima looks up at his former Volleyball captain, Sawamura Daichi. A light blue uniform dress shirt with a dark blue vest over it and matching dark blue pants and police cap. The authoritarian yet affectionate eyes are focused on him, as if peering into his very soul. He is speechless and embarrassed. 

“Ne, Tsukishima, you are too smart to be driving this rash. I thought better of you.” The middle blocker swallows, unable to speak. “Are you okay? Did something happen?” Daichi leans on the side of his car, coming down a bit to keep their conversation private. There is a familiar concern in his eyes, just like they used to have in high school. He didn’t change much at all. Tsukishima finally recovers and shrugs. 

“No, I’m fine. Long day, stupid decision, it was my fault. I’m sorry, Daichi-san.” Tsukishima says as he looks away from the piercing eyes, he plays with the driver's license in his hand and he hears Daichi sigh. 

“I can understand that, but overtaking someone on the main road with upcoming traffic. That’s not a good way to deal with a rough day. You know what! A drink might help. That’s less dangerous.” Daichi smirks and Tsukishima looks back up with his eyebrow raised in question. “We haven’t talked in a while, and my shift is almost over. How about I let you off with a warning instead of a ticket, but you have to get a drink with me?” Daichi smiles in a way that makes Tsukishima feel like he is sixteen again, getting called out by his captain. He would rather pay the ticket and just go, but he has a feeling that won’t work. 

“Okay.” Tsukishima sighs and Daichi slaps the side of his car, clearly happy at his victory. 

“Meet me at Fuchi Izakaya at nine, and please, no more speeding on your way home.” Dachi holds the front of his cap as he nods, a sneaky grin on his face, and walks back towards his car. Tsukishima rolls his eyes and waits for the police car to drive away, then slowly follows. When Daichi goes right, Tsukishima opts for going straight, getting rid of his old captain. The drive home is speedy and annoying, instead of spending it in introvert Valhalla, he now has to go out again and drink. Whoever said life was fun, lied.

“Tsukishima!” Daichi calls out when he walks in, Tsukishima had been there first and chosen a closed off spot in the corner. Daichi was still in uniform, minus the vest, cap and weapons, while Tsukishima had changed into something more stylish. “Sorry, I was planning to go back home, but my shift ran late with some delayed paperwork. Oh, wow… you look good!” Daichi apologized as he held a hand on the back of his head, the younger volley baller was standing up in a sign of respect towards his senior, which showed off the chosen outfit. Daichi eyed him up and down, and it made Tsukishima’s stomach flutter slightly. He was wearing black slim-fit trousers with a dark gray shawl collar jumper over it. Perfect for cooler evenings without a coat. The weather had changed to a stormy wind instead of the hot humid hell it had been earlier in the day. Daichi sat down and quickly grabbed the tablet to order a drink. 

“I already ordered, hope you don’t mind.” Tsukishima said while holding up a mojito glass. Daichi smiled broadly and continued picking out things to order. 

“It’s my treat, get whatever you like.” The former captain said with a wide grin as he pushed the tablet towards Tsukishima. He almost choked on his drink at the large amount already ordered but nodded a thanks. The evening went pretty well, it was mostly Daichi talking and asking questions. Tsukishima also got the lowdown on other former members of multiple high school teams, which was actually kind of nice. Daichi drank a lot more than Tsukishima and seemed to be truly enjoying himself. The middle blocker had nothing planned the next day, so he could just relax and take his time this evening. It was already past midnight when they came to a natural stopping point.  

“You didn’t break any rules getting here, right?” Daichi joked as they walked towards the checkout. Tsukishima shrugged with a grin. 

“Even if I did, you got nothing on me.” He said with a gangsta-like voice, and Daichi laughed heartily. “But to set your mind at ease, I walked here.” The captain slapped him on the shoulder. Tsukishima coughed a little as the slap hurt. Daichi is a police officer and must remain in good condition because his was still really strong, almost slapping Tsukishima off his feet. 

“I left my car at the station, and I was planning to take the train home, guess I’m also walking.” Daichi rolled his eyes in mock defeat, and Tsukishima chuckled. Before he could think it through, his mouth was already moving, sharing an idea he wasn’t fully behind. 

“You can stay over at my place, I live nearby.” He said and Daichi looked at him with his mouth slightly open. It was very much unlike him to propose something like this, and he regretted it immediately. 

“That… might have been a slip of the tongue. Feel free to take it back because else I will take you up on that offer.” Daichi had some color on his cheeks and as a way of dealing with the panic he felt, Tsukishima just started walking. After a few steps, Daichi sprinted after him and silently walked beside him. Was he really doing this? About ten minutes later, they stood in front of Tsukishima’s apartment building, a light gray brick building of fifteen stories high. The younger man sighs before opening the gate and letting his captain in. He opened the communal door with a key fob, not bothering to check his mailbox. After two more doors, they stepped into the elevator, and he activated it with his key. 

“Wow. This all looks so… fancy.” Daichi said in awe as he looked around, suddenly his former teammate seemed very nervous and out of place. Tsukishima grinned to himself, he kind of liked this look on his senior. “You didn’t press any button? How does it know where to go?” Daichi asked as he glanced at the taller man next to him. Tsukishima looked down his nose, eyebrows drawn together as he clicked his tongue. How can someone be so strong and wise, yet be so innocent and cute. And why was he reacting to it?!  

“Because there is no one else on my floor.” He answered as the doors opened to the penthouse. Daichi turned around and his eyes grew even bigger. Tsukishima walked in first, slipping out of his black leather Oxford and putting them into the shoe cabinet, continuing on his socks. He didn’t like slippers, or socks for that matter, but he kept the latter on in case his former captain would take offense. Daichi almost stumbled as he tried to take off his work shoes. The alcohol was clearly having some effect. Tsukishima’s mouth was dry as he watched Daichi walk into his home…

---------------------------------
Thank you so much for reading, I really hope you enjoyed it :D 
My goal is to update another chapter next week (or maybe sooner)!
Please feel free to give kudos or comment if you have questions/tips.  

Chapter Text

“An app a day keeps the crazy away...”

“I got an extra room for you to sleep in. Follow me.” Tsukishima said, but Daichi didn’t follow. The kitchen, dinning room and living room were all joined in one big room, one side completely covered with windows and the other walls had decorations or tall cupboards. Daichi walked to the window where the curtains were open and looked out over the city, his hand absently leaning against the glass, leaving a print. 

“This looks amazing!” He exclaimed as Tsukishima joined him to watch. “Would you mind if I sat here for a bit?” Daichi asked as he sank down into a nearby chair. Tsukishima just nodded as he sat down on the couch. Daichi looked kind of lonely as he was gazing out the window and, in a way, even sad. “When I started this job, I had a lot of night shifts. As you might have guessed, that’s when a lot of the less decent people roam the streets, and for a long time I saw a side of this city I didn’t enjoy. A coworker of mine got transferred, and a spot opened up, I applied and got it. I’m driving or walking around so much, I sometimes forget to look around. It looks so beautiful from up here. I don’t have this view from my second floor apartment.” Daichi chuckled and finally tore his eyes away to look at Tsukishima. “Thanks for letting me stay the night, it saved me about a two-hour walk.” The taller man just nodded, and Daichi looked back outside. One of the reason Tsukishima wanted this apartment was for the view. He found himself looking more at Daichi than the actual outside view.   

“Ahh sorry, I don’t mean to keep you awake.” The former captain said after about ten minutes and shakily stood up. “Lead the way.” He smiled and Tsukishima gesturing for him to follow. They veered right, walking past the kitchen and the first door was a guest room. 

“My room is at the end, the bathroom the one before that, and the other two on the left are my training room slash office and storage.” Tsukishima said as he pointed to the doors, then turns towards his captain with a serious look, clearly feeling uncomfortable. “I will leave a towel and toothbrush for you in the bathroom. Sleep well.” Daichi still looked around a bit, but gratefully bowed as he wished Tsukishima good night. The middle blocker had showered earlier, so now he just washed his face, brushed his teeth and used the toilet before silently going into his own bedroom. His body felt itchy and his mind occupied. 

“Damn.” The blond haired man murmured as he turned around in his king-sized bed, sleep alluding him. It was strange to have someone else in his home. The only ones who had ever stayed over were Yamaguchi and his brother and, once, his mother when their family home had taken damage during a storm. Never longer than a few days. They all knew how he disliked the intrusion, and they made sure to adjust accordingly. Now, his former captain was down the hall. Tsukishima stiffened as he heard a door open and softly close. Footsteps through the hallway and the brush of fingers against the wall. Then a small grunt and another door opening, Tsukishima looked over his shoulder to see if his door was still closed. 

“Shower with separate bath, automatic lights, both washer and dryer? Oh, is that marble? Jeez, Tsukishima, having all these luxuries. Maybe I should have gone pro…” Daichi said to himself as he closed the door behind him to go wash up and get ready for bed. The blond smiled to himself, he was strangely giddy about Daichi being so impressed. He could hear Daichi brushing his teeth, peeing, flushing, washing his hands and returning to his temporary room. Tsukishima rolled to his back and watched the stream of moonlight on his ceiling that peeked through the slightly ajar curtains. His mind wandered back to when he was in high school. The training sessions with other schools, his bluntness and provoking whoever was in front of him, battling against stronger teams, figuring out strategies, hiding from his captain and letting Tanaka take the blame when they both decided to rile someone up. Tsukishima chuckled and turned to his side again. He didn’t think so then, he was too distracted with playing it cool, but now, he thought of those memories as good old times. Sleep didn’t come easy, but it eventually overtook him, and he gratefully accepted. His dreams filled with High School flashbacks, he only spent a year with Daichi as a team, but it was a good year!

“Tsukishima? Tsukishima?” He heard someone call his name faintly in the background, he turned around and pulled the covers over his head, blocking out sounds and the sunlight. Finally, he had fallen asleep, he didn’t want to wake up just yet. Luckily, he drifted off quite nicely after the interruption. A dreamless deep sleep.

“Ehh? Damn!” Tsukishima reaches for his phone, tapping the screen and in front of the background displaying a zoomed in headlight of a car, big white numbers appear. It was 10:37 in the morning, he had a couple of days off so it didn’t matter, but he just remembered the night before. Getting pulled over, almost getting a ticket, the drinking, the chatting... 

“Daichi-san?!” He shot up and jumped out of bed, only wearing his navy boxer shorts. “Daichi-san?” Tsukishima called down the hall, but no one answered. He walked towards the guest room, knocking on the door, and when no answer came, he opened it. The room was empty, the bed was made, and it looked like no one had used it. Daichi was gone. His bladder was about to explode so he went to the bathroom, a neatly folded towel on the hamper lid with a toothbrush wrapped in toilet paper on top of it. His hand brushed the towel, it didn’t feel damp. After using the toilet, he walked into the kitchen and to his surprise, he saw something on the counter. 

“Ara ara?” Tsukishima picked up the torn piece of paper, letting the pen roll to the side.  

Tsukishima,

Thank you for letting me stay at your place, even though it was my fault for not paying attention to the time and missing the last train.
I had to leave early to get changed at home and prepare for my double shift. Here is my number, app me. 070-XXXX-XXXX.

Your friend, 
Daichi. 

The handwriting was clear and bold, nothing like Tsukishima’s own graceful penmanship. A blush crept up to his cheeks, for some odd reason, this little note made him very happy. Walking back to his bedroom, Tsukishima fondled the corner of the note in thought. He entered the number into his phone and started deciding on a message. 

Tsukishima: Daichi-san. No problem, it was a logical solution. I hope you arrived at work well rested, good luck on the double shift. Tsukishima Kei. 

Tsukishima suddenly cringed at the use of his full name, but he had already pressed send. He nervously looked at his phone, but no reply came. He double-checked the number, it was correct but still, no response. After relaxing for a while, what didn’t work at all to distract him, he walked to the training room. His routine consisted of running exercises on the treadmill, then hopping on the home trainer while listening to music or watching volleyball on his phone, followed by strength training and some yoga. His heart was racing as he was preparing some shakes in the kitchen. With a towel hanging around his neck, the drink in his hand, he walked towards the window in his living room. The sunlight hit the little smudge Daichi had made, and Tsukishima stood watching it. With a sigh, he dragged his sweat drenched body to the bathroom and decided on a long bath. The hot water massages his muscles, and Tsukishima let his head roll around on the edge of the bathtub. His arms were hanging over the sides, his fingers fidgeting as he methodically moves them. He was feeling restless.

“I wonder…” Tsukishima whispers to himself as he closes his eyes. He replays the previous day in his mind, the car drive, Daichi stopping him, the look on the tanned face of his former captain. At first, he was embarrassed by his actions and getting caught, but thinking back on it now, he kind of finds it exhilarating. The way he gave himself over to the intrusive feeling of just doing whatever the hell he wanted. Even if it was for a very short time. 

“Idiot.” The middle blocker snorts at himself. But his mind wandered back again, a tickle in his brains. Daichi bending down at his window in his blue police uniform. The authoritarian eyes, the low strict voice he used to lecture his former teammate. Why was Tsukishima thinking about all this?! 

“What the…!” His phone chimes and Tsukishima bolts upright, water sloshing around and crashing over the side. With surprising speed he stands up and steps out of the bath, he dries his hands and grabs his glasses and phone. It’s a message. It took Daichi over three hours to reply.

Daichi: Thank you, it is going well so far. Your guest bed is more comfortable than my own bed! Haha ツ Are you having a good day? -D

Tsukishima raised his eyebrow at the ease in which Daichi communicated with him, so friendly and open. As if they never stopped talking in the first place. He dropped the towel on the hamper while he stepped back into the bathtub, ready to type a response. 

Tsukishima: That’s good to hear, I’m glad my guest bed is satisfactory and…  

Tsukishima sighed, it sounded so weird. What was he supposed to write back? Just tell him about his day? Did he need to ask Daichi about his day? But he already said his shift was going well. Tsukishima looked at the white ceiling, trying to collect his thoughts. Why was this so much harder than with Yamaguchi or Nii-chan?

Tsukishima: That’s good to hear, so no hangover? I have a day off, so mostly training and relaxing. -Tsukishima

He pressed send before he could change his mind. Shortly after, the phone buzzed again, Daichi must be on his break or something. He didn’t seem like the type to be looking at his phone during his shift. That is probably why he waited so long with his first reply. Tsukishima felt his stomach make some backflips.  

Daichi: I’m more resilient than I look, so I’m fine! Chief asked me to update the website and socials for the upcoming week, I have to say, computers are not my thing (¯▿¯)

Tsukishima smiled as he read the message. Even though they were only two year apart, he could see Daichi not being interested in or good with computers. He remembered them going to Tokyo for training, the captain had said they were simple country folk. ‘Every transmission tower looks like the Tokyo Tower to us.’ The memory made him chuckle, Tsukishima knew exactly what the Tokyo Tower looked like and had cringed when Daichi said it. Kuroo-san had teased him with it multiple times later on. 

Tsukishima: Ah so. And doesn’t the Sendai Chuo Station Police have their own IT-team? Why should you fix their problem?

His arm hanging over the side, he kept the phone in his right hand while he laid back in the water. Maybe he could order food today, he didn’t feel like cooking. Another beep.

Daichi: I wouldn’t say it’s a team, more of an IT-person. And he isn’t available so we all have to help out when needed. You know how it is. 

He wasn’t the least bit surprised to see Daichi being so reliable and a true team player. With a smile he leaned back but then Tsukishima almost dropped the phone as it started vibrating, the ringtone came to life and again the middle blocker jumped up. Was Daichi calling him?! No, he wasn’t. It was just the museum. Why was he disappointed? 

“Hai, moshi moshi, Tsukishima desu.” He carefully stepped out of the tub again and put a hand on his hip in slight annoyance. 

“Yo, Kei-kun! The boss asked me to call you, can you work next week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday? There is an important seminar on Thursday, so we need all hands on deck! More hours, more ka-ching!” Takahiro’s voice almost deafened Tsukishima, and he held the phone away from his ear. He could hear Daichi saying the words from his message, and he felt a sudden obligation. Besides, he could use the extra money, even though he hated working on special days, they always tested his limits. 

“I understand, I will be there to assist, Takahiro-san.” Tsukishima said calmly, and he heard the other man cheer loudly. 

“Yatta, I was hoping you would say ‘yes’, now I don’t have to call my enemy! Thank you, Kei-kun, thank you! Cya!” And with that, he hung up. Tsukishima sighed and pushed the button to drain the bath. After getting dried and dressed, he plopped on the couch. They had a colleague that they both didn’t like, but Takahiro truly hated him. Luckily, he wouldn’t be working those days because Takahiro had called him instead. Tsukishima smiled, it kind of did make him a little happy that he was top of the list to be called. 

Tsukishima: Yes, I know. Good luck.

Tsukishima texted back and set his phone aside, he put on a movie and later ordered some food. The day was relaxed and flew by. Unfortunately, so did the other days. He worked out, did his chores, went to volleyball, got some groceries, researched, watched movies, and then it was time to work again. 

---------------------------------
Thank you for reading, I really hope you enjoyed the new chapter :) 
I want to update once a week or every other week on Monday or Tuesday. 
Kudos and comments (tips/questions) are always welcome so feel free to leave some!

Chapter Text

“Maybe it won’t be so bad…”
- Famous last words

Tuesday was a rainy day, which suited him just fine, he loved the sound of falling water. When waiting for the light to turn green, Tsukishima’s eyes followed the moving wiper blades until something else caught his attention. On the pavement, a police officer was sheltering from the rain, talking to an elderly woman. He had a nice body with a handsome face, but it didn’t provoke the same feelings he had before. However, Tsukishima sat up a little straighter when his thoughts shifted to Daichi in a rain drenched uniform, his… Toot toot!

“Kuso!” Tsukishima cursed as someone honked at him, he was so lost in his fantasy, he had missed the light turning green. He clicked his tongue as he continued to drive. Flashes of lightning illuminated the rain covered streets, the thunder echoing through the dark skies. He parked his car near the entrance on a designated personnel spot and reached behind the seat for his folded umbrella. With a sigh, he quickly opened the door, jumping out and opening the umbrella while slamming the door shut to keep as much rain out of the car as possible. His matte black bluchers splashed in a few puddles before he finally reached the museum entrance, scanning his badge and shaking out his umbrella. The woman behind the counter gave him a wide smile, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear, and Tsukishima nodded politely, pushing his fogged up glasses a little higher. He was early so he first grabbed a cup of coffee before going to change. For some reason, he felt a pit in his stomach, but chose to ignore it for the moment. With an annoyed grunt, he threw away the coffee cup. On rainy days or in the humid summers, he always opted for getting dressed at work rather than at home. While changing into his museum attire, Takahiro walked in and slapped him on the back. 

“Daaaamn, buddy! I keep forgetting you are ripped under there, I’m so jealous!” Takahiro dramatically puts a hand to his forehead as he pretends to faint, and Tsukishima rolls his eyes. Although he didn’t mind the compliment, after all, he worked hard to get and keep this physique. When he played at Karasuno he got called ‘Tiredshima’ or ‘Wearyshima’, which annoyed him to no end. He secretly started training more and more to keep his stamina and strength up. Of course, he would never have the monster stamina of his former teammate Hinata or the raw power of their ace Asahi, but he was happy with what he had achieved. Tsukishima stepped in front of the mirror to adjust his tie and check if everything was in order. The museum uniform was fine, but he really disliked the gilet. With a displeased little tuck, he pulled it straight and closed the locker, putting his phone into his pocket. It was time to put on his game face and make some money.  

“Wow, he is really tall!” A plain looking woman whispered to her friend and they both giggled. Tsukishima was carrying a box with flyer refills and stopped at certain points to see if they had enough stocked. The two women kept whispering and following him around like puppies as he made his rounds. It bugged him, and when he stopped to refill, he looked over his shoulder, glaring at them. Both jumped up and turned around with amazing speed to hide themselves. He quickly rounded the corner, adjusting his route to lose them. Why were people always such a hassle? When he was done, the boss came running, which was never good news. Out of breath he explained he needed help with a display gone haywire. While following the short, chubby man to said screen, Tsukishima smiled as he thought back to Daichi struggling with computer related things. They had not talked since. If he was being honest with himself, he kind of liked their interactions, however short and simple they were. 

“Take as much time as you need, just please… Fix it!” The boss rubbed the back of his head and when the tall blocker nodded, he sped off. Tsukishima looked at the screen, immediately recognizing the problem. Luckily, this would be easy. Of course, nobody had to know that. His lazy, intrusive thoughts won, and he looked around to see if there were any coworkers around. Tsukishima only saw a couple of groups with external guides, which meant he had a little time to lounge around. Leaning against the wall, eyes closed, his ears focussing on the far away sound of the rain. Suddenly, another idea popped into his head and he grinned. Tsukishima pulled out his phone, snapping a picture of the glitching screen. 

Tsukishima: I’m currently fixing a bug. Guess I’m the IT-replacement as well. -Tsukishima

His finger hovered over the send button, if this had been Yamaguchi, he would have pressed send and put away his phone. However, this joke wasn’t meant for Yamaguchi, and he bit his lip in doubt. Would Daichi find it funny? Was he busy with a big case? Or out on the streets? Maybe giving someone a ticket? The smiled on his face was followed by a sigh. Probably best to delete it and not bother him...  

“Excuse me?” Tsukishima flinched, and his finger hit the button. Did he delete or send the picture?! With a shocked look, he slowly turned around to see an older woman standing behind him. Quickly, he put the phone back into his pocket, fully turning towards her. 

“How can I be of assistance?” He said a little snarky while looking down on her. She smiled nervously, rubbing her hands and visibly shrinking away. 

“Where is the restroom?” Her voice sounded small, almost a whisper. Tsukishima felt guilty for sounding so intimidating. With a big intake of breath, he put on his most charming smile, bending down. 

“I will guide you there, young lady . Please, follow me.” At his flattering joke, she perked up with a smile. Tsukishima gestured to the blushing woman and took her to the nearest restroom. With a giggle and bow, all happy, she disappeared behind the doors. A snort made Tsukishima straighten to his full height, and he turned to look at Takahiro, resting against a nearby wall, clipboard in hand.

“Ohh, you, charmer, you!” He did a kind of Marylin Monroe pose before quickly speed walking away as he saw the clouds forming over Tsukishima’s head. 

“Idiot.” He mumbled as he made his way back to the screen, it was a simple reset and done. The white text on a black background appeared, alternating with colorful pictures of animals and landscapes. Tsukishima nodded in satisfaction. But then his pants vibrated slightly. He had forgotten about the photo to Daichi! He jumped behind the panel, partially hiding while taking out his phone. 

Daichi: Well, from one IT-pro to another, I think that screen has died. I can recommend a hospital or a nice spot to hide the body. Good luck ツ

Tsukishima found himself sniggering at the silly message, and something deep down fluttered in excitement. He wanted to keep the messages going, but of course he couldn’t because of work. With a quick look around to see if the boss was around, he started typing. 

Tsukishima: Thank you for your willingness to commit a crime for me, but I saved the patient, he is currently working without complaints. 

He stared at the screen for a minute and then put his phone away with a smile, he still had a long list of chores to do, so better do as much as possible. The day ended later than expected, but Tsukishima had survived. It was dry when he walked to his car, the umbrella twirling in his hand. As he drove off, his stomach grumbled, and he made his way to the nearest konbini. Luckily, they still had his favorite curry, and he was in and out in no time. As he was waiting for the doors of the garage to open, he noticed a police officer walking down the street. Why was he suddenly seeing so many police around? And why was he disappointed it wasn’t Daichi… As he parked his car and got out, his fingers lightly tapped the hood of the Nissam. The plastic bag and his soft steps echoed through the empty parking garage. When he was inside, he immediately popped the curry in the microwave and while he was waiting, he looked at his phone. 

Daichi: A jack of all trades, like always, nicely done. How are you going to celebrate the life you snatched from the claws of death? Going for a drink?

Tsukishima looked at the curry container spinning around in the microwave and then back at his phone. With a shrug, he sent the message. 

Tsukishima: Just some konbini curry. 

He threw the phone on the couch as he went to the fridge for a drink. The microwave pinged, and he pulled out the container with an oven mitt. Tsukishima planted himself on the couch, turning on the TV and preparing to eat his food when his phone screen lit up again. With a quick side glance he looked, and his eyes grew larger, the spoon with curry stopped halfway to his mouth. 

Daichi: You have to eat healthier! Next time, I’ll come over and cook for you. Nothing beats homemade curry (´∀ `)

The phone went black, but Tsukishima was still staring at it. Did he read that correctly? Daichi wanted to come over and cook for him? The strange tingle in his stomach was back in full force, and Tsukishima just sat there, frozen. Last time the other man had come over, it didn’t exactly go all that smoothly. Did he truly want to invite him again? Was Daichi inviting himself over? What do I say?! He stared at the curry in his lap, trying to wrap his mind around it, but coming up empty. It would be even weirder if he didn’t respond at all, he needed to say something. Right? His fingers kept moving, furiously typing on the phone, only to delete everything a second later. He told himself to keep it simple and open, so he could spin it either way. Tsukishima frowned as he looked at the message.   

Tsukishima: Alright, I will let you know next time I save a life. 

Again, his finger was hovering over the send button. It was nice and general. He wasn’t inviting him over, but also not declining him. The line could even be seen as funny. Right? He pushed send and immediately threw his phone down. The curry had gotten cold and tasted bland as he munched on it. People on the TV screen were moving, but the words didn’t register. Tsukishima had recently started thinking about his life and what to do with it, suddenly everything felt like a battle. Even responding to a text, going to work at the museum or even meeting new people at the volleyball court. Things he used to love, even though he didn’t show it on the outside, gave less joy and felt like a burden. 

“Kuso.” When did everything start to feel so heavy, so unmanageable. He was making nice money, volleyball was going great, his health was good. He shouldn’t have any complaints or feel this… crappy. Yet, here we are. Tsukishima’s older brother already had a wife and even a kid. Which was nice, it took the pressure off him. But it also made him think. What did he want? Was there something else he needed in his life? Getting a girlfriend wasn’t impossible, enough women had shown interest, and he also had dated a few, sort of. It just felt like such a hassle, and he valued his privacy and personal space, they always took it the wrong way when he asked to be left alone. Guys weren’t any different in that regard. What was it that he wanted? Was there… Bzzt bzzt.

Daichi: Deal! I’m sure I will talk to you soon then, mister Hero. Have a good evening. -D 

A weird wave of relief washed over him. Tsukishima smiled, he suddenly felt more at ease. And even the curry tasted a little better somehow. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, he always enjoyed it when Yamaguchi and even some other friends or acquaintances came over, so why not Daichi. He had been spiraling in his own thoughts, which never ended that well. A nice long bath and a good book would probably make him feel better. Tomorrow was going to be another long day, so he needed to refuel. 

Tsukishima: Thank you, have a nice night. -T  

Tsukishima sent the message and finished the last of his curry. He turned off the TV and stood up. The phone buzzed and Tsukishima pulled it out of his pocket, only this time it wasn’t Daichi. It was someone he had not expected… 

---------------------------------
Yaay, I kept my self-appointed deadline :D  
I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter!
Thank you for reading, have a nice day <3

Chapter Text

“Don’t go provoking the police…”

Volleyball season had started again, and the days were now filled to the brim. It had been exhausting. Training was rough, practice matches were mostly far away, and shifts at the museum were becoming increasingly annoying. If anyone was wondering why his girlfriends kept breaking up with him, this was it. He hardly had any free time, and he wasn’t twenty anymore, it all started taking its toll. However, there was one positive thing that Tsukishima really enjoyed. Apart from the usual suspects that send him messages like Yamaguchi, Akiteru, Koganegawa and Takahiro and some other friends, Daichi was now also a regular. It had started a bit awkward, but as time went by, it became easier. Daichi actually liked his weird jokes and snarky comments, or at least, in his messages, he did. They send each other short updates, quotes, pictures, silly stickers and emotes. During the day, both of them were mostly busy, like everyone else, but when he got home, he almost immediately grabbed his phone. Tonight was no different. Wide eyed he stared at his screen.    

“Ahh! No! There is no way!” Tsukishima grinned as he looked at his phone, it was late at night, and he sat in the lone chair near the window in his apartment. Ever since Daichi had sat there, it had become a regular spot for him. Looking out over the twinkling lights in the city before him, tea with a snack and a book on the table, phone in hand. Daichi has sent a somewhat blurry picture of blue work pants with a massive tear in the fabric. Looking at the seam, it was indeed the butt part of his pants. Apparently he had heard a yell for help, a tourist had stolen from a store. Daichi had run after him, but as he jumped over a fence that was a little too high, he had ripped his pants on a sharp part of metal. Daichi had kept running and eventually caught the thief, dragging him back to the nearest police post. Unfortunately, his walk back to his own station had been an embarrassing one. Tsukishima couldn’t keep himself from laughing. He imagined the look on his old captain’s face. It was too good! Of course, he first asked if Daichi was okay and when confirmed that he was, the bad puns started to bubble up…

Tsukishima: Wow, Daichi-san, I can’t believe that happened. That was some sharp policing! Really on point!

Tsukishima laughed way too hard at his own jokes, and when he pressed send, he started Googling funny pictures of police officers gone wrong. He kept sending pictures and puns, while he could almost feel Daichi’s embarrassment through the phone. Tsukishima loved every second of it. 

Tsukishima: Good thing you caught the thief, sounds like it was a hot pursuit! 

Tsukishima: Let it rip, police coming through!

Daichi: Those are so bad! Actually, I was just hoping no one was running behind me… With every movement, I could feel the cold air on my butt. It was horrible! ( >﹏< )

Tsukishima pushed his fingers under his glasses to dry his eyes from laughter. He could imagine the whole thing in his mind. He would have paid good money to see this all play out.  

Tsukishima: Hopefully you didn’t get in trouble with the fashion police on the way back!  

Daichi: Please stop, you are truly terrible ( ˶ > ⤙ < ˶ )

With a snarky smile, he raised the phone in the air, pressing the button for it to switch to the front camera, so he could look down on himself. Tsukishima did a shrugging movement and put on his best sarcastic ‘I’m so very sorry’ face and made the picture. Only after he had sent it during his juvenile laughing fit, he realized what he had done. Their previous pictures had been mostly food, work related things or funny memes. This was the first real selfie he had sent to Daichi, and it had been a mocking one. Tsukishima might have pushed it too far this time, and he anxiously watched the chat between them. It took too long, the interaction had been fluent up until now. Did he overdo it? Was Daichi angry? Suddenly the apartment was too quiet, and the joy began to seep away. Until his phone chimed, breaking through the silence. 

“Ahh…” Tsukishima held his breath for a second. It was a selfie of Daichi, weirdly angled and again a little blurry. This guy really needed a new and better phone. The picture was of Daichi behind his desk, a grin on his face, eyes bright with mischief, and his hand was holding up a pair of handcuffs. The tanned thick fingers holding the metal in place with confidence, he had clearly used those handcuffs many times before. Tsukishima could hear himself swallow loudly, his eyes fixed on the picture with renewed intensity. Daichi wasn’t angry or annoyed. He looked… He looked…    

Daichi: Careful now, you might be taller, but I’m stronger! ( ¬`‸´¬ )

Only then did he read the message attached to it. Tsukishima remembered the muscled arms stretching the fabric of the police uniform. Yes, he was indeed stronger. That felt strangely exciting to him. Why? Another feeling crept up. An emotion of wanting something from Daichi, the need to prove him wrong, to overpower him, of sorts. Tsukishima felt his blood rush and he smirked. Such a good picture. He was so happy he had spontaneously sent the selfie. His hand moved without thinking.  

Tsukishima: Not bad, Captain. Will you be running after me with or without pants? 

His finger hovered over the button, but the heat in his face made him uncomfortable. And he quickly deleted everything. At the start of their interaction, he had often worried about annoying or upsetting Daichi, but his senpai had shown him a playful resilience. They weren’t in High School anymore, they were both adults. Still, Tsukishima felt cautious, he always did. Better play it safe for now, no need to ruin it. This could lead somewhere. Some place… nice.    

Tsukishima: Maybe, but I might outrun you. I will take a route with a lot of fences, they are, after all, your immortal enemies!

With a sigh, he pressed send. He had written the now deleted message in a daze, a weird feeling of hunger washing over him. Tsukishima looked at the picture again. The dark playful eyes, the sinful grin, the tint of his sun kissed skin and the broad jawline. He had always looked up to Daichi, how he kept everyone in check, leading them to victory and being reliable and trustworthy. Now, he saw his old captain in a different light. Much more human, approachable and… they didn’t differ in age that much. He was their senpai then, but now, he was just Daichi.  

Daichi: I’m faster than you think. Or is this a trick to get me out of my pants?!

Tsukishima felt another blush burn on his face. Was this a joke? Or was this a tad flirtatious? Or was he just seeing things. Things he wanted? Things, he now realized, he didn’t mind… His thoughts were racing and time dragged on as it didn’t care for his inner struggle. With confidence, he started typing.  

Tsukishima: Alright, I give up. I won’t run away if you try to cuff me. 

It felt a bit risky, but also exciting. He hadn’t felt like this in years. Sometimes, he was lucky and there was a one-night stand that left a lasting impression, something he could think about when the nights were long and lonely. A person he had just met and that had pushed all the right buttons and blown his mind in just a few hours of meaningless fun. This felt different, but in a way, exactly the same. A rush. Free and fun. He pushed send with a grin. The reply came fast. Maybe a little too fast. Was Daichi excited as well?

Daichi: Good to know. 

Tsukishima felt his heart skip a beat. It was a simple sentence, but it was riddled with potential. He never in a thousand years had thought he would be sending flirtatious messages to his old High School Volleyball captain. Of all the people from High School, he could have had this with, Daichi had not been on that list. He looked at the time, it was getting late. Tsukishima sighed, they had been chatting for a long while, and he had planned to be in bed on time. He had a long day ahead and if he didn’t watch out, he would slip up. 

Tsukishima: Indeed. Have a nice night shift, please beware of rogue fences on your way home. -T

Thanks to Daichi, he now also ended his messages with - and the initial. It had become a sort of signal for signing off to them. Tsukishima pushed himself out of the chair, he didn’t even bother with cleaning up his cup and book. With a tired yawn, he went into the bathroom to prepare for bed. Absently cleaning himself and brushing his teeth. When he plopped himself down on his bed, sleep didn’t come easy, and the events to come rushed by. Tomorrow was busy. He had to stop by the museum for four hours to cover for Takahiro, then go to volleyball practice and in the evening dinner with his brother. He had cancelled that one multiple times, but as they didn’t live near each other, it was rough to reschedule. Tsukishima sheepishly looked at his phone, permitting himself a small smile. 

Daichi: I will, don’t worry, I can handle them. Good night. -D 

The picture drifted before his eyes, Daichi’s eyes almost pulling him in. The image almost started coming to life, he could hear the other man breathe and laugh, smell his body odor mixed with the cheap cologne. Tsukishima drifted off, his mind ablaze with ideas. 

“Damn!” Tsukishima cursed as he rushed out of the entrance, with a quick nod to the receptionist he ran outside. Takahiro had been stuck in the train and was therefore late. Now, Tsukishima was late as well. He hopped into his car, throwing his bag on the seat next to him. Almost on autopilot, he pulled out of the parking lot and merged into traffic. The long fingers tapped the steering wheel impatiently at every red light, and he sighed deeply. Just today and tomorrow, then he finally had a day off. The Sendai Frogs parking lot came into view and with an annoyed click of his tongue, he parked and went inside.  

“Tsukki! Tsukki!” Koganegawa yelled as he jumped up in excitement. “I wanna test something, come and join us.” Tsukishima nodded and calmly walked over, as if being late didn’t bother him in the slightest. Before he knew it, Koganegawa had an arm around his neck and was adoringly dragging him along. They were the exact same height and Tsukishima was actually two months younger, but it was Koganegawa who looked more youthful and sometimes acted like a child. It was quite cute and Tsukishima didn’t mind at times, but Koganegawa was the only one who dared behave around him like this. Some players side eyed them and with a sigh he tried to pry himself free in order to save a little face. Unfortunately, the ninety kilo lump of muscle was hard to shake off. Kyōtani smirked at them as he prepared himself to do his jump serve. 

“I’m sure you can do it. It’s a variation of the cut shot and high jump. Wanna try?” Koganegawa looked at him with what could only be described as the puppiest of puppy dog eyes. With a nod Tsukishima agreed which resulted in hours of jumping, grueling angles and missing more than half his shots. His legs felt tired, and his arm was pretty much loose flesh. Luckily, Tsukishima could escape it all at 20.00 and join his brother for dinner. It was only a thirty-minute drive, but Tsukishima was a sapped bug when he walked into the restaurant. 

“Kei! Over here!” Akiteru opened his arms wide and stood up to greet his younger brother. He hugged him back a tad lackluster, but he was actually happy to see him. It was mostly his brother talking about his wife and kid, his work, and he threw in some bits about their mother and the good old neighbourhood. Tsukishima smiled and listened, waiting for the moment he would be asked to talk. When it arrived, he just said the usual things about the museum, volleyball and his new apartment. At some point, his phone chimed, and he looked down to see who it was while his brother kept talking. 

“So you know, I said…” His brother’s voice faded to the background as Tsukishima opened Daichi’s message. It was a picture with a short sentence.

Daichi: Another bites the dust ( ¯□¯ ) I’m hopeless…  

An unusually angled picture, this time of Daichi’s legs as he sits. His hand held the side of his pants to show off a huge stain on the upper leg. Tsukishima is momentarily flabbergasted and then starts chuckling, totally forgetting he is in a restaurant with his brother. His eyes scan every aspect of the picture. At first he tried to figure out the substance and the type of jokes he could make to embarrass his old captain. But then his eyes and brains start to focus on other aspects and Tsukishima suddenly thinks about how Daichi is really filling up those pants. With a tiny gasp he notices all the bulky parts in the picture, not just the thick tights. He feels a little warm, but decides to investigate, his fingers move and start to typing.  

“What the...? Kei?” His brother’s voice cuts through, pulling him from the trance, and Tsukishima’s head snaps up in shock. The blush creeps further onto his cheeks as he realises he has completely forgotten about his brother. He looks at Akiteru, trying to figure out what to do and say. “I hardly ever hear you laugh like that! What did you see? Wait… Who sent it?” Akiteru watches him piercingly and then slams his hand on the table with a knowing smile. “You got a girlfriend!” He practically shouts and Tsukishima tries to shrink away from the people staring, which is rough when you are over 195 centimeters. His brother is glowing, his grin wide and eyes hungry for information. How is he going to get himself out of this one… 

—--------------------------------------

Thank you for reading this chapter :D 
I really hope you enjoyed it! Have a nice day.

Chapter Text

“This city is not your private playground…”

“Kuso.” Tsukishima leaned back on his couch, plopping his feet unto the table with a bang. He had gotten into an argument with a teammate and his captain for taunting an opponent. The tall middle blocker was almost thirty, and yet he got called a childish four-eye. Tsukishima didn’t get called out often, and thus he felt rotten. When Tsukishima was washing his face in the bathroom, he had run into Hiroki. The arrogant twenty-something rookie had been quite annoying, trying to provoke him, but Tsukishima had kept his cool in the bathroom and even on the field, until he didn’t. It wasn’t even that bad, nothing new or special and yet, the guy had overreacted and thus ratted him out.  

“Little runt.” He mumbled as he stretched his back, pushing himself more into the couch as his mind wandered. The wing spiker was fast and strong, but not enough to give Tsukishima a run for his money. After yet another great block, Tsukishima had chuckled behind his hand, drawing his brows together and looking down on the shorter man. It was a simple snarky comment, one he had made a hundred times. Just a nice thank you for making it so easy for him to block. The pitiful spiker had stepped closer, reaching out to grab Tsukishima’s shirt, but his teammate stopped him. With a sharp slap, the captain of the Sendai Frogs had smacked Tsukishima on the back, scolding him. Tsukishima let his head hang on the couch, hearing it crack as the tension left. He was so prickly and down of late, not even a victory during a nice practice match could cheer him up. Of course, a hot bath and good food helped a little, and let’s not forget a long car ride with his favorite music. But, you cannot spend the entirety of your life driving around with food in your lap just because you feel unhappy. There was one more thing that cheered him up. Unfortunately, they had not talked in a few days. About eight out of ten times, it was the other starting the conversation instead of Tsukishima. Should he send something this time? What should he say?   

“Daichi.” Tsukishima whispered as he pulled out his phone, hoping for something fun to respond to. He had a new message, but it wasn’t from his former captain. 

Akiteru: Hey, I helped mom move some of your old stuff to the attic, be sure to pick it up sometime. She wants to make room for grandkids. Don’t go forgetting us now, there is a whole world besides your new cute little girlfriend!

“Tch.” Annoyed, he threw the phone on the couch, ignoring the message. A week ago, Tsukishima had been out to dinner with his brother and due to circumstances, Akiteru now thought he had a girlfriend. He had no idea how to cover it up, so he lied and said he met someone during workhours at the museum, but it wasn’t that serious. His brother had been ecstatic, and Tsukishima had made him swear he wouldn’t tell anyone. It annoyed him immensely, and he regretted lying to him. He shouldn’t have slipped up like that. Tsukishima got off the couch and decided to turn in early, it had been a rough few days and tomorrow it was work-at-the-museum-time again. 

—------------------------------

“Yatta, Kei-kun! Ahh, another shift with my favorite colleague!” Takahiro slapped him on his shoulder as he passed him in the break room. 

“Good morning, Takahiro-san.” Tsukishima said with a nod as he wiped the droplets of spilled coffee from his hand. 

“You are joining us tonight, right? I already told the others that you would. They are super excited about it!” Takahiro laughed and poured himself a cup of coffee. Tsukishima frowned. Tonight? “Don’t tell me you forgot our little after work party?!” Takahiro cried as he ran over. Tsukishima sighed, this was terrible timing, he was way too tired for this. Besides, the outfit in his locker was black suit trousers with a leather belt, a dark gray shirt with a high collar black cardigan, not really an outfit for clubbing or a party. So yes, he had totally forgotten, and he turned towards Takahiro to decline.  

“Ahh, gomen. I have pla…” Another slap on his shoulder, this time spilling much more coffee, and it splotched on the ground at his feet. Tsukishima looked down with a frown, only to look back up and be confronted by Takahiro moving his pointer finger from left to right, shaking his head in a fatherly manner. 

“No, no, no. You are not getting out of this one, my boy. You keep ditching these work events, you can’t do that. Like it or not, you need to bond and have fun with your colleagues. I know you cannot have this amazing love we share with every coworker, but you must try to get along. It will be fun, I promise! So, what do you say? Are you going?” Takahiro smiled his biggest smile and Tsukishima sighed. 

“What love do we share?” He finally answered and Takahiro rolled his eyes. 

“That’s your take from everything I said?! And of course, I mean our brotherly best friend love we nurtured for each other over the years!” Takahiro did a dramatic pirouette, and now it was Tsukishima who rolled his eyes. 

“That ‘love’ is purely one-sided.” Tsukishima threw away his empty coffee cup and started walking towards the door to start his shift. “Fine, I will join you for one drink.” He added as he closed the door behind him. He could hear Takahiro cheer through the closed door.

And so the evening came. Against his will, Tsukishima joined his coworkers for drinks and seeing as most of them were younger, he even got dragged to a café with music and dancing. The women he worked with kept looking at him, smiling and giggling. The older coworkers had left at this point, and Tsukishima wanted to leave as well. Of course, he got stopped by Takahiro and hauled to this place. He had to admit, he actually kind of liked the music as he stood near a table. His head started bopping and shortly after his hips moved to the beat. Slowly, he sipped his drink as he watched everyone have fun. Takahiro also didn’t go out to the dance floor and was trying his best to keep their conversation going over the loud tunes. The female coworkers kept looking over to see if their best dance moves were being noticed, and after a while, Tsukishima felt a little suffocated so he went outside for a breather. Leaning against the cold wall and breathing in the crispy air felt great. Until he got interrupted. He opened his eyes to look at the intrusion. 

“I was watching you inside, you are really tall. I like that.” A red-haired woman smiled up at him, tucking a loose strand behind her ear as she tried to look shyly. People who approached others so boldly without tripping over their words or breaking their stride, were everything but shy. He sighed, she was pretty though. 

“Is that so.” Tsukishima mocked and she giggled while stepping closer. In the corner of his eye, he saw a police car and a female police officer nodded to a civilian and guided him away. Probably a lost tourist. His mind wandered to Daichi, he wanted to take out his phone and see if he had a message, but the redhead stepped even closer to get his attention back. 

“We could go back inside and dance. Or go somewhere else.” She giggled as she tilted her head. “Are you as excited as I am?” She purred as she pushed her lush boobs against his arm, the smell of alcohol wafting over him. Tsukishima looked down on her, she was very short, especially next to him. She slightly pulled him down as she stood on her tippy-toes, softly kissing his neck. The only thing that seemed to be turning her on was his height. Well, it didn’t matter anyway. Having a little fun wouldn’t hurt. He needed the distraction. 

“Maybe.” Tsukishima whispered with a small smile, and her eyes shimmered in the night light. One large hand on her shoulder kept her in place as he let his fingers slide through her hair, it was soft and thick. She wiggled against him, touching him with her slender fingers. Her hair smelled nice, and he liked her dark brown eyes, it almost seemed like black holes sucking him in. Tsukishima felt a rush, maybe she could handle him and show him a good time. He needed to know what type she was before leaving with her, so he did a little test he always did. To see if they were compatible, so to speak. His hand tightened in her hair, grabbing it harshly and moving her head to the side. She yelped in surprise, and Tsukishima took that as an invitation. He bent down, pushing their lips together and letting his tongue go in without warning. The woman moaned loudly into the kiss as Tsukishima deepened it roughly. She was a very good kisser, and now he truly did get a little excited. The woman trembled, her hands gripped his arm and side tightly, as if letting go would mean she would fall to her death. He loved the desperation, maybe he could let go for this night, have fun and refresh. Their teeth clanked together for a bit as Tsukishima shifted their position, turning them around and pinning her to the wall, letting his tongue roam without a care. Apart from the intense taste of alcohol mixed with cigarettes, she was great, but it didn’t last. Unfortunately, she pushed back, urging him to let go, and so he did. 

“What?” He questioned, a bit annoyed as he broke their kiss, looking down his nose. She panted, her face a deep red and her eyes blurry. He took a deep intake of breath as he looked at her, she looked deliciously disheveled in his arms.  

“You are kind of hurting me. And please… watch my hair, I spend a lot of time making it look this good. You can be gentle, right?” She pouted as she complained. Some might find the cutesy act endearing, he did not. Tsukishima let his hand loosen and let go of her. He was a bit disappointed, he had hoped for a fun night of no restrictions, not a night of holding back. He respected her wishes, Tsukishima didn’t need gently right now, but she did so the test failed. In the corner of his eye, he saw movement. Takahiro was looking at them. The moment was over, and he was no longer interested in the woman.  

“I apologize, your hair does look great. Thank you and have a nice night, my friend is waiting.” He smiled down at her flabbergasted face and left her standing there. How much did Takahiro see? He thought, as he walked towards his coworker. Tsukishima suddenly felt a little dead inside and wordlessly joined his friend. Takahiro seemed to be cowering a little and was uncharacteristically quiet as they silently walked back inside. Only when they were back at their table, Takahiro looked at him, finally finding his words. 

“Guess you are one of those types. Don’t you have a girlfriend?” There was judgment in his voice, and Tsukishima cringed. His lie, well not really a lie, it was more of an assumption on Takahiro’s part that he himself did not correct, but nonetheless it was biting him in the ass. What should he do? He coldly side eyed his coworker and friend, watching him step back a little as if struck. There was a frown on his face, his eyes were set with a dark undertone and Tsukishima could see the disapproval. Takahiro was a happily married man who loved and respected his wife. At times, he couldn’t shut about how amazing she was. Did he keep the lie intact or set the record straight? For some reason, he didn’t want Takahiro to think less of him. He sighed. 

“I’m not.” Tsukishima said deeply, his voice laced with contempt for the current situation. ”We broke up.” He added softer, but Takahiro had heard it, relief visibly washing over him. Apparently, Tsukishima favored Takahiro’s respect over his own comfort. 

“Damn! Why didn’t you tell me earlier! I was shocked when I saw you kissing her. Kudos though, that was one hot babe. Wait… if you are single now, why did you come back inside with me? You could have had that smoldering piece of ass, she was hanging on you like a tick, dude! You are such a dog!” Takahiro laughed heartily as he slapped Tsukishima on his shoulder multiple times, rocking the tall man back and forth. Some coworkers came walking back towards them, needing replenishment from their dancing. Tsukishima pushed his glasses back up his nose, looking at Takahiro with a frown of his own. He could see the cogs turning in Takahiro’s head, and he didn’t want to be set up with a coworker or family.

“No matchmaking, I don’t want anything serious at the moment.” He almost hissed at him, and Takahiro put his hands up in surrender, nodding with a strange sense of compassion. In the background, he saw the redhead look at them. She truly was beautiful, but it strangely did nothing to him at this time.   

“Got it, boss, don’t worry.” Takahiro winked and turned towards their other coworkers. Tsukishima hardly engaged in any conversation for the remainder of their time and was the first to leave, Takahiro being unable to stop him. Unlike his coworkers, he had volleyball practice the next day instead of a free time. Tsukishima let the cold air wash over him on the way back to his car, which was about a fifteen-minute walk. The moon was on its halfway point and hardly any clouds, it looked beautiful and peaceful. He thought back to his kiss with the gorgeous redhead, and his fingers touched his own lips. She had been soft and wet, small and slender. With a sigh, he opened his car door and sat inside. The car roared to life, and he started driving, oblivious to the police car pulling up from behind. 

“Hmm?” At the red traffic light, he grabbed his phone from the center console as he saw the little notification light blink. He had a message. He quickly opened the app as he saw Daichi’s name. It had been sent about an hour ago.  

Daichi: Currently working a boring night shift. How about you?

Tsukishima smiled and started typing, completely ignoring his surroundings. The message looked a bit stand-offish. No greetings, no picture, no emotes. But nonetheless, it was a way to start a conversation, and he needed something fun right about now. He would be home shortly, and maybe some fun chatting would cheer him up. Their last conversations had been about ruined pants and a couple pictures of food.  

Tsukishima: Ahh, that sucks. How many hours do you have left? I’m not doing anything special tonight.      

With squeaking tires, the tall middle blocker accelerates as he almost missed the light turning green. Once home, he would make himself a cup of tea and eat the cheesecake he had gotten yesterday. No people, no annoying shit, just him with a snack and messaging Daichi. The right hand was steering the car, the left resting in his lap as he weaved through traffic, music loud, and finally he started to feel a little better. Small droplets of rain started to fall sporadically, meaning some heavy showers might be coming his way soon. Tsukishima overtook a car when he saw his phone glow in the corner of his eye. He read the message pop up.

Daichi: Really? That's a shame. 

That was… weird. He frowned. Shame? Tsukishima stepped on the gas a little more, he wanted to get home quickly, this day had been annoying enough. Then he saw the red lights flash in his mirrors. A quick glance at his speedometer told him everything he needed to know. 

“You have got to be fucking kidding me.” Many years of owning a car and a driver's license. He never got pulled over, and here he was again for the second stop in a few months time. Moving to this part of town had a negative side to it, it seemed, too much police. With a sigh, he pulled over into a free spot. He searched for his driver license and rolled down his window, the cold air assaulting his warm face. The dark figure of the police man walked over, the light jingle of his belt lined with equipment, he watched him approach in his mirror. One hand seemed to be holding something, while the other reached out, softly touching the backlight and side of the car with his fingers. Tsukishima fiddled with his license as he waited. 

“Speeding, texting while in a car and… do I smell alcohol?” The deep voice said as he stepped next to his car, not bending down just yet. The gloved hand gripped the unopened bundle is his hand tightly. Was he not going to write him a ticket?

“I apologize, I was going over the speed limit. But I wasn’t checking my phone while driving, nor am I drunk. I only had one drink, and it was hours ago.” It came out a lot snarkier than he wanted it to and Tsukishima frowned. He had volleyball tomorrow, and he only drank one specialty beer under pressure of Takahiro, and that’s it. Nothing illegal. There was no smell of alcohol, and he was not dressed as someone who went out for drinks or clubbing. Why did the officer conclude alcohol was in play? Tsukishima balled his empty fist and fixed his gaze upon the figure outside the window. The police officer bent down to look inside. Their eyes met.

“Eh?! Daichi-san!” Tsukishima almost tripped over his tongue, but instantly felt relieved. However, that feeling disappeared on closer inspection. His former captain looked uncharacteristically annoyed and unforgiving.

“That is not the proper tone someone of authority deserves, Tsukishima. This is the second time I have pulled you over for speeding. And no drinking? Shall we test your truth? If I find out you have been drinking and driving, you are in serious trouble. We have zero tolerance for such behavior.” Tsukishima felt his heart skip a beat. Daichi looked downright intimidating. “Step out of the car, please. Now.” He commanded and Tsukishima obeyed, his body moving instantly.

“Daichi-san, I’m not lying, I hav…” Daichi harshly grabbed his arm and pulled him unto the empty sidewalk. Tsukishima may have been taller, but he suddenly felt small. “I went out for drinks with my coworkers, I drank one beer and the rest of the night I have been drinking soda and water. I’m not lying. I would never drink and drive.” Tsukishima said softly, almost pleading. Daichi had his arms folded and dark eyes locked onto his own bright ones.

“Just like you would never speed past the limit or ‘check’ your phone while driving. I got your message, I know you were using your phone in your car.” Daichi countered with a frown. Tsukishima felt his cheeks burn in shame. Did Daichi know it was Tsukishima in front of him and was he testing him?! Also, he was the one sending him a message, nice double standard! Of course, he couldn’t say that…

“It was at a traffic light, not while driving. And I already apologized for the speeding.” Tsukishima hated how his voice sounded. But he hated the look Daichi was giving him even more.  

“Yes, that’s how policing works. Apologize and all is forgiven.” Daichi shook his head. “I already pulled you over for speeding once. As you might recall, quite recently. Apparently you haven’t learned your lesson.” The deep frown made Daichi’s eyes look even darker, and Tsukishima felt a shiver run up his spine. “It gets registered in our system when I take the breathalyzer from my trunk. If it turns out you have too much alcohol in your body, there is nothing I can do for you. Do you know how serious this is?” Tsukishima hunched slightly, he felt like a child being scolded. But what hurt the most, was Daichi not believing him and being so hostile. This truly must have been a terrible night shift for him to react like this. 

“I understand, and it’s fine if you have to do a test, I’m not lying .” The tall man said while looking fiercely at the police officer before him. “I just wanted to get home quickly.” He mumbled more to himself than Daichi, but he picked it up nonetheless. Frowning intensely. How did he even know about the alcohol, Tsukishima could only smell his own cologne with a hint of cigarettes from the café. They stood looking at each other like a couple of old school cowboys before Daichi finally nodded. Tsukishima raised an eyebrow in anticipation. 

“Alright, I believe you. Only because I’m convinced you are too smart to drink and drive. Never prove me wrong, Tsukishima. And also, no using your phone in the car even when standing still at a traffic light. Got it?” Daichi said with a sigh, he scratched the back of his neck, looking away from Tsukishima. “You are stupid enough to keep speeding though, how am I going to fix that.” Daichi added with a grunt. Did Tsukishima imagine the slight relieve he heard? “Ahh… I might have been a little hard on you.” His former captain murmured. 

“That’s okay, I can handle it.” Tsukishima countered as he pulled to his full height, looking down his nose at the police officer before him. “And I deserved it.” Daichi noticed the condescending tone and looked up. Their eyes met playfully this time. A small smile formed on his lip and Daichi snorted, mumbling the words ‘asshole’ under his breath. “I’m sorry for my speeding, but at least now, your night shift isn’t as boring anymore.” Tsukishima added as a joke, earning him another smile. Unfortunately, it quickly got replaced by a look Tsukishima couldn’t quite place. 

“That is certainly true. And anyone can see your night wasn’t boring either.” Daichi removed his glove and reached out, his finger brushing the tall blocker’s neck near his jawline, Tsukishima stood frozen at the touch. “Well, go on then, and don’t get distracted again. Go fantasize when you get home and not during the ride.” Daichi’s fingers came back lightly reddish, and Tsukishima reached up to touch his own neck. There was a small sticky patch of lipstick. He remembered the redhead kissing him there. Tsukishima looked at Daichi, but his senpai’s face was unreadable. More rain started to fall, the wetness interrupted the moment between them.  

“Get home safely. If I pull you over again, I will not be as lenient. This isn’t your private playground, Tsukishima, you have to adjust to the people around you and abide by the rules.” Daichi said strictly and then turned to walk back towards his police car. He got in and with one last look, he quickly drove off, leaving Tsukishima standing in the rain without having said another word. Now he knew, the cop car he had seen earlier at the café didn’t belong to the female police officer, it was Daichi patrolling. That’s how he guessed the alcohol without smelling it. But why did he look so… forlorn? And why did it bother Tsukishima so much. What had just happened? 

—----------------------------------

Thank you for reading this new chapter :D 
I really hope you enjoyed it and have a nice day!

Chapter Text

“The moon is your lonely friend up high…”

Tsukishima stared at the message on his screen, his bottom lip between his teeth as he was anxiously biting it. He had been home for about an hour now after being pulled over by Daichi, left standing in the rain and driving home in a daze. Once there, he had immediately showered, and he was now laying on the couch. A cup of tea going cold beside him on the table, an arm under his head and the other hand holding his phone while he was staring at it. 

Daichi: Really? That's a shame.

That was the last message. This had been such a weird evening, scratch that, day. Scratch that again, month or maybe even year. Tsukishima sighed, he felt like he was sinking deeper and deeper into the unknown. He needed to make this right, he wasn’t scared of losing Daichi as an acquaintance or friend, but he was afraid their frequent conversations would stop. While those were just what he needed to keep himself afloat, he had to do something. If only he knew what to say. Tsukishima started typing, but deleted everything. Starting over, remove. Again, cancel. It needed to be sincere enough to show his respect, but also funny to lighten the mood. Their conversation had been heavy and serious, Tsukishima felt he needed something to bring back the joy between them. He clearly wasn’t the only one having a rough time so he couldn’t let Daichi do all the work. This is what it meant to be friends, he needed to take it up a notch and fix this. He couldn’t just take, he had to give as well.   

Tsukishima: Daichi-san, I would hate to lose your respect over what happened tonight. Please believe and trust me when I say, I would never drink and drive. 

He sent the message and a few seconds after that, started typing again. Being sarcastic, sassy and snarky was totally his thing, always had been. Funny, on the other hand, was a bit more difficult. Tsukishima started typing nonetheless, hoping his instinct would guide him through. 

Tsukishima: Let me rephrase. I would not do that to my car, I love my car more than anything I own and would never endanger him. And secondly, I also don’t want to hurt other people or myself. Like you said, I’m not an idiot, I have some self-control you know.

With a curt nod, he pressed send and waited. No reply. Minutes suddenly felt like hours, and he moved around restlessly. With a sigh, he opened the app again and his fingers started moving. Hoping beyond hope. 

Tsukishima: My speeding habit on the other hand needs more work. I can’t fix everything overnight. Besides, it wasn’t that bad, just a few kilometers. And at night there are fewer people on the streets. I behave much better in the daylight. 

It sounded a little like Batman and even a bit like a taunt, but he pressed send anyway. Daichi wasn’t responding, so it was a loss either way. Maybe a bit of bad boy humor would be a good thing. Again he waited, watching the screen intently. No read notification. Until… there was.    

Daichi: Thank you for your honesty, I do believe you. Mostly due to the second message…

The reply sounded a tad unfriendly, but it was a message, so a win for Tsukishima. He smiled despite himself and sat up straight, he started typing back. However, before he could send it, another one came in. And Tsukishima’s eyebrow shot up at this one. A butt?

Daichi: It was almost fifteen kilometers over the speed limit in an urban area and there were plenty of people around, you didn’t even see the police car behind you. So you might have missed those people as you were racing past them. Cool your jets next time, or I’m coming to get you (  ㅅ  )

He ignored the important part of the message and just started laughing. Why in the world would Daichi send him a butt emoticon?! Did he mean he was going to find his ass? Or drag his ass back? Spank his ass? He cackled even louder now, and it took him effort to type a message back. 

Tsukishima: Daichi-san, why did you send me a butt? Are you going to kick my ass?! Or slap it?

He grabbed his stomach as he laughed, and for a second it felt like High School again. Laughing at Hinata for serving a ball into the back of Kageyama’s head, or the time when the simpletons of the team got the news of them actually having to study and pass the exams or else no volleyball camp! Once he found his breath, he looked back at his phone just long enough to shoot into another giggling fit. 

Daichi: A butt?! Slapping? Tempting, but what do you mean? I thought it looked like the sirens on my car! I meant I was going to pull you over again because you keep breaking the law while I’m watching! It’s my sirens! Sirens!┏(  >_< )┛

Now he was full-blown rolling on his couch with laughter. He loved this innocent and corky side of Daichi. To think they might have never met again, and he would not have known this clumsy version of Daichi. More importantly, he would never have had the chance to pester and annoy him with his funny flaws. He couldn’t wait to show Yamaguchi this conversation. Well, maybe leaving some parts out.  

Daichi: Just behave yourself, damn it! -D

“Ahh…” Tsukishima sighed with a smile as they ended their back and forth. Daichi had to go back to patrolling, but not before Tsukishima had sent an array of memes and what not to bother his former captain. Luckily, the shitty night had a nice ending. 

“Still.” Tsukishima whispered as he scrolled way back until he saw that message again. His brows drew together in thought. 

Daichi: Really? That's a shame.

He couldn’t put his finger on it, but it annoyed him. Something about this message wasn’t right. And the way Daichi had been so hostile from the start, how he reacted to the lipstick on his neck. His fingers absently reached towards where Daichi had touched him. Why did this bother him so much? He decided to leave it for the night and focus on something else. Tomorrow was another long day and he needed some sleep. Which, of course, did not come easy.

Unfortunately, the crappy things kept piling up. The next day, he got a call from his mother, her sobbing voice leaving him stunned. His favorite aunt, who lovingly supported both her nephews in their obsession for volleyball, had suddenly died due to a nasty lung virus. Tsukishima had to help his mother, who was devastated, take care of all the arrangements. A day after the funeral, the underground garage got flooded because of a busted pipe. Luckily, Tsukishima and his car had been at work and thus safe, but it took a long time to be fixed, which meant street parking. And of course, a lot of things in his storage box had been ruined. Then shortly followed by his parental house getting damaged by an earthquake, Tsukishima and Akiteru had been running themselves ragged helping out and fixing things up in between their jobs. Needless to say, the little things didn’t stop happening just because the big ones were screwing him over. Dropping his favorite bottle of Shochu, and it splattered literally every-damn-where! His fridge breaking during the workday so he got home to a smelly, sticky kitchen. A green colored shirt staining a bunch of his white dress shirts. A bird flying against his window so damn hard it killed itself and cracked the glass. And then the big day came, going away to another prefecture for matches.  

“Kuso.” Tsukishima said loudly, as he dropped into his seat, hardly any energy left. The words kuso, shit or damn, could now officially be found next to his name in the dictionary. Because he pretty much said it with every damn breath. Tsukishima had been grumpy and distracted at the museum and a wreck during training. Every combo his teammates tried had failed mainly because of him or, at least, it felt like that. Both the captain and coach were riding him like no tomorrow, with all the important matches coming up. They would be going away to another prefecture, so he needed to pull it together. Tsukishima did enjoy seeing certain friends again, but he didn’t like being away from home for long. With a sigh, he pushed himself out of the chair and did his rounds, checking if he packed everything and if all was well before leaving. 

The train ride had actually been rather nice. Tsukishima had been chatting with Yamaguchi, Akiteru and Daichi, eating surprisingly tasty bento boxes and even managed to read multiple chapters of the book he brought. The long days of training and matches, however, were brutal. Although his team did manage to win a lot. Especially Mad Dog was on fire, hitting spikes left and right like it was nothing. Which ended up in him being supremely happy and dragging some of his teammates, including Tsukishima, out for drinks. It was fun while it lasted, but of course, something bad had to happen on the last day. Maybe it was the drinks or the stress building up, or the fever he had since that morning, or just pure bad luck. 

The fifth set was harsh, after an especially long rally, the whole team was feeling beat down. When Tsukishima had jumped to successfully block an incoming spike, he has slipped on some sweat during his landing, crashing to the floor. The fall had left his wrist bruised, and it hurt like hell. He had to sit out the last of the match, but they won nonetheless. Yamaguchi and Daichi had expressed their worries about the injury, but he had brushed them off. He didn’t plan on mentioning it to them, but of course the damn sports news had shown his fall in the recap. Not his awesome blocks, jumps, feints or spikes. Nope, just him falling on his ass. Great. Tsukishima was advised to take it easy by the local doctor and thus, felt like a cripple to the team. Unlike his time at Karasuno, he was easily replaced by others. With the bandaged wrist, he kept practicing until their time was up, and they had to go back. Because luck was entirely NOT on his side, he had made another stupid mistake, which had resulted in him now also injuring a few of his fingers on the same hand. The captain found out on their way back and scolded him during the train ride. He had been cranky ever since. Pulling out his phone, he did perk up a little at his messages.  

Yamaguchi: Let me pick you up, you can take it easy and we can chat! I’ll be there around nine, so don’t go anywhere. 

Tsukishima: It’s okay, I can take care of myself. 

Yamaguchi: Yes, you are big and strong, we all know that. Besides, I didn’t say you couldn’t take care of yourself, I’m doing this for me. Okay? Good now?

Tsukishima: Shut up, Yamaguchi. Fine, see you at nine.   

Again, the only thing that wasn’t horrible, was the train ride. He pretty much listened to music the whole way or was reading his book. Tsukishima would never admit it, but he was kind of looking forward to seeing Yamaguchi again. It always gave him a sense of ease when his best friend was near. Too bad they didn’t live closer together. 

“Tsukki! Over here, Tsukki!” Yamaguchi called out loudly as he waved his arms in the air to get himself seen. Tsukishima clicked his tongue and walked over towards his friend as his scattering teammates side eyed him. Koganegawa, however, excitedly started yelling and waving as well. The cool dog Kyōtani simply nodded and left. 

“Calm down, Yamaguchi.” Tsukishima said as he rolled his suitcase in front of him to avoid it getting trampled by the people around them. Koganegawa high-fived Yamaguchi with a quick greeting as he passed them on his way out. Luckily, not lingering around. 

“Sorry, Tsukki. Let’s go, I’m parked right outside so you don’t have to walk so much.” Yamaguchi said with a big smile, obviously happy to see his buddy. It was surprisingly busy and everyone seemed to be in a hurry. Tsukishima truly hated public transport so he was happy that Yamaguchi picked him up. He just had to endure people staring at him for a few more minutes.    

“It’s only a small injury on my hand and wrist, I’m not a handicapped, I can walk just fine.” Tsukishima rolled his eyes, but nonetheless smiled. It was nice to see Yamaguchi, the always sweet and reliable try-hard. He started pulling his suitcase behind him, but people kept bumping into it.  

“I know. Come on, let me get your suitcase.” Yamaguchi grabbed his suitcase and started carrying it instead of rolling it around. Tsukishima just followed him in silence until they reached the car. 

“I think I could start my own taxi company, I keep picking everyone up!” Yamaguchi laughed as he started up the car. Tsukishima sitting next to him, watching out the window. He really wanted to get home.

“Just tell Hinata to ask someone else, he always asks you. Everyone always does.” Tsukishima said bluntly. Yamaguchi chuckled. He never asked him, though, Yamaguchi always offered to pick him up.  

“He isn’t so bad, he often brings me a gift. And, sometimes, for you as well. Not that you want them.” Yamaguchi side eyed him while laughing, but Tsukishima didn’t react to it. “Did you really throw everything away?” He added more softly. 

“Of course.” Tsukishima lied. The shitty and embarrassing gifts Hinata had gotten him were in his spare room, taking up space. He couldn’t stop a smile from forming as he remembered the pink Rio shirt. Horrible gift. And therefore, it was perfect. The ride was surprisingly relaxing, Yamaguchi’s chat-mode was on, which was fine with Tsukishima, it meant he had to talk less.

“So, we are meeting up on Friday, it has been such a long time. I really look forwards to it.” Yamaguchi smiled in a nostalgic manner and then suddenly whipped his head around. “Come drinking with us on Friday, it’s going to be fun! A little distraction never hurt anyone, and lord knows you can use it! And I promise, no dancing.” Yamaguchi grinned from ear to ear, and Tsukishima knew he couldn’t say no. Once Yamaguchi put the car in park, they looked at each other and he smiled. Who knows, it might be fun. 

After a few busy days, Friday evening was already around the corner. He wanted to go home, change and take the bus, but work didn’t permit such luxuries. Tsukishima quickly parked the car, luckily there was still a spot left, which meant he didn’t have to spend time driving around. He logged into the parking app and hopped out of the car. He really hated being late. With a jump, he cleared the small metal fence surrounding the car park and almost sprinted towards the bar. He bumped rather harshly into someone who had suddenly decided to move in front of him. By the looks of it, deliberately. The young woman yelped and dropped her bag, he looked at her fleetingly with annoyance. Did he know her? Ugh, who cares, he was late! 

“Sorry, but please watch it.” He said a bit cold-hearted and moved on. She started talking to him, but the words didn’t register. Only the last sentence reached his ears as she yelled them. ‘You asshole.’ Not the first nor the last person to call him that. He flicked his hand to the side as a motion to signal her of him not caring and continued on. Yamaguchi and Ennoshita were already seated in a nice secluded corner when Tsukishima walked in. 

“Work ran a little late, my apologies.” He said with a nod as he sat down next to Yamaguchi. Ennoshita smiled broadly. He still looked the same as always, and Tsukishima grinned back.  

“I know all about that, don’t worry.” Ennoshita waved his hand while rolling his eyes. 

“We ordered for you. Kahlua with milk to start, snacks are on the way!” Yamaguchi chuckled and excitedly started chatting. 

“Oh, I drove here.” Tsukishima interrupted with a tilt of the head. Ennoshita rubbed his chin, and Yamaguchi froze mid-sentence. 

“Did you park underground or at the East B12 car park?” Ennoshita asked and Tsukishima nodded. “Then you can just keep the car there, extend through the app, pay and pick it up tomorrow! We decided you aren’t driving home, let’s have some fun!” Tsukishima accepted his fate with a chuckle and let himself relax a little. It was surprisingly enjoyable until Ennoshita started asking about his injured hand and wrist. 

“Don’t worry about it, it’s nothing.” Tsukishima waved the bandaged hand in the air, but when he laid it back down on the table, Ennoshita carefully took it. Tenderly, he turned it a few times, pushing or pinching certain places, letting his expert eye inspect the hand and wrist. It hurt, but Tsukishima tried to keep his face neutral.

“It is worse than you think, you should really give it proper rest and care. If you want, you can come by the clinic, I’ll schedule you in.” Ennoshita said in a strict tone. Tsukishima felt unconformable and slipped into his default sarcasm mode. 

“Nice sales pitch, I almost fell for it. A doctor already looked at it, and I’m giving it rest. Please, don’t worry about it, Captain .” Tsukishima gave him a fake smile, but his old captain knew better than that. He suddenly realized he should have invited Daichi, then all his Karasuno’s captains would be with him at one table. 

“Alright. Just in case, here is my card.” Ennoshita rooted around in his bag and handed Tsukishima a business card with both hands. Of course, he took it with a thank-you. After that, Yamaguchi saved him by talking none stop. Tsukishima bought the second round as an apology for being late, and then Ennoshita got up to get more snacks. It was a relaxing evening so far, and he was getting caught up with what everyone had been doing over the years. But there was also a lot of reminiscing about High School. They laughed heartily about some missing pants incident, and Yamaguchi moved to get up. He took their order and walked towards the bar to refresh their drinks. As he wandered back with the three drinks balancing in his hands, someone bumped into him. The drunk asshole immediately started causing a ruckus. Seeing Yamaguchi’s distressed face, Tsukishima was on his feet before he knew it. 

“Problem?” He asked in a deep voice, forcing the drunkard to turn around and focus his attention on him, the blurred drunk eyes moving from his chest up to his face in shock. Tsukishima often used his height to intimidate or scare people off. It seemed to be working initially until the drunk dude got riled up by his friend. He quickly started cursing, grabbed Tsukishima’s collar and balled his hand as if to hit him. Yamaguchi looked on helplessly with the drinks in his hands. Ennoshita was also on his feet, making his way over to them. Tsukishima leaned in closer, his eyes dark and his voice low.  

“You think this is a smart move? I could have you picking up your own teeth in ten seconds flat. I’m giving you one chance to let go of my sweater, or I will make sure your own mother will not recognize your remains .” Tsukishima then pulled to his full height, forcing the drunkard holding his sweater to step closer, as he was much shorter. With a trembling hand, he quickly let go and stumbled backwards. 

“Just you… Yeah, you watch yourself! Bastards!” He yelled while pointing a fat finger between him and Yamaguchi. Tsukishima laughed smugly while shrugging his shoulders and stepping towards the drunkard while making a fist with his good hand.  

“Tsukki! Please, come on!” Yamaguchi placed himself between them, but Tsukishima was taller and looked over his head to the other man. He pressed his mouth into a thin line and let his eyes do the talking. Yamaguchi pressed his shoulder against Tsukishima’s chest and started pushing him backwards, as Ennoshita helped by pulling his arm. “It’s okay, let’s go Tsukki.” Yamaguchi pleaded and Tsukishima obeyed. When they sat back down, Yamaguchi was white as a sheet, mumbling sorry’s. Ennoshita managed to turn the mood back into something fun and shortly after, they were laughing again. But Tsukishima could feel the stares in his back and sometimes when he moved to look over his shoulder, a dark form would move from his sight. People could be such despicable creatures. 

“Tsukki recently moved, but I’m still in my old apartment. I don’t have any plans at the moment.” Yamaguchi said while scratching the back of his head. “You know, just trying to make ends meet. So, Chikara-san, are you going to ask her to marry you soon?” He asked to change the subject. Tsukishima wondered why Yamaguchi was feeling uncomfortable. Ennoshita chuckled shyly and nodded. 

“Yeah, we have been dating for over four years now. I think I will soon start planning it.” Ennoshita had a slight blush on his cheeks and Tsukishima smiled. They chatted about normal everyday stuff like dating, work, the ever rising bills to pay and such. Before they knew it, it was late. A little after two in the morning, they decided to call it a night. Luckily, all three had the next day off, so no work. After talking a bit more in the cold night air, they finally said their goodbyes. 

Tsukishima walked towards his car, grabbed his bag with keys and slung it over his shoulder. He looked up at the clear night sky, his breath leaving small puffs. Maybe he could just walk home, it was only about an hour. In the corner of his eye, he spotted Yamaguchi and Ennoshita leaning on each other and laughing as they stumbled into an Uberr. They lived in the same area and could easily share a ride. Tsukishima smiled, Yamaguchi had been right, this was fun and he really needed it. He took out his phone, snapping a picture of the moon with a few wisps of clouds surrounding it. 

Tsukishima: This look like a good night for a walk. 

He sent the picture to Daichi with a smile and decided to start walking. If the weather turned bad, or he got too tired to walk, he could always opt for getting a taxi or Uberr on the main streets.   

Daichi: You got your namesake watching over you. Over us! My night shift ends at eleven in the morning, luckily I can go on patrol around six. Much better than desk duty ( ⇀‸↼ )

Tsukishima: I will be home by then, no pulling me over. I might be drunk but don’t worry, my car is having a sleepover at the East B12.

Daichi: I’m not worried, I know you. Have fun walking!  

Tsukishima smiled at the sentence. They had been chatting almost daily now. It was nice. His footsteps echoed against the tall buildings as he made his way towards the main road. The streets were less crowded, this wasn’t a gigantic city like Tokyo that never seemed to sleep. Although, Tsukishima would fit nicely into that category. The bags under his eyes were getting darker due to the lack of rest. He started typing with one hand, while the bruised hand kept itself warm inside his pocket.   

Tsukishima: Thanks. I will pick up my car around ten tomorrow, don’t like leaving him out here alone. Maybe I will go for a nice long drive, finally got a day off. Also, it will be raining tomorrow, I love driving in the rain. 

He smiled as he pressed send. That did seem nice, maybe he could drive towards the mountains and find a nice spot to take some cool pictures. Some people had folders on their phone with pictures of their kids, others had pictures of their cats or dogs or other pets. Tsukishima had a nice, thick folder filled with pictures of his car. 

Daichi: Sounds like a great idea, don’t forget an umbrella! And remember. The speed limit is there for a reason ( ¬‿¬ )

Tsukishima: Sir, yes, sir!

Tsukishima chuckled as he put the phone back in his pocket and continued his way home. He was glad he came out tonight, it was great talking with Ennoshita again. Tsukishima figured he should do something nice for Yamaguchi for picking him up and inviting him for drinks. Maybe he would find a cool gift on his little road trip the next day. Finally, a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. Tsukishima smiled as he looked up at the moon.  

—----------------------------------

That’s it! A bit longer than usual, but hopefully still nice!
Thank you all for reading this chapter and/of kudos/comments :D 
I really hope you enjoyed it! Have a nice day.

Chapter Text

“Every action has a reaction...”

“Kuso.” Tsukishima dropped his arm, letting the umbrella fall. The wind swept it away instantly and the rain assaulted him. His first day off in weeks, and this was how he was going to spend it. His hands trembled, his mouth was dry and his vision blurred. “What the fuck…” He finally breathed out, the wet hair sticking to his forehead and his clothing completely drenched. Slowly he reached out, his long elegant fingers touching the lines of missing paint. Everything was just piling up, the pressure building, trying to get him to snap. The weeks on end of ten to fifteen-hour days filled with hard work, the physical exhaustion, the lack of sleep, the loneliness and the pull of time. Tsukishima didn’t see himself as a typical good person. He had his flaws, especially personality wise, but he was always there for his family and friends, even coworkers. While playing volleyball, he gave himself fully to the team. He was an upstanding member of society, always properly dressed, on time, polite and reliable. Surely, he did not deserve this. Even if he did occasionally let the inner bitch out of its cage. It was usually because people asked for it. Or, in this case, at the defense of his friend.    

Circumstances had pushed him to park here, but of course, it had been a choice he had made, just like so many. Now, there were multiple scratches from his front door all the way to his trunk and a partially smashed front window. All because he got into an argument with some asshole who bumped into Yamaguchi. There weren’t many things you could do to bother or hurt him. Whenever anyone got close enough to annoy him, a wall went straight up, a mask pulled over his face. Make noises during his serve, whatever. A rude customer at the museum, he kept his cool. Call him names, laugh at him or make his life harder, he could handle it. But this, to defile his precious car, was one of the things that could break him. 

Was it just property? Yes. Could it be fixed? Of course. That wasn’t the point. He spent so much time, effort and money into maintaining his car, keeping it shining and running perfectly. He loved it and wanted to protect it, be proud of it. Seeing it in this state, broke his heart. Tsukishima would rather be beaten to a pulp himself than see his car like this. The rain became louder around him. He had no idea where his umbrella went, nor did he care. With a blank stare, he kept his eyes on his car, looking at it in its beaten up state. The first feelings were of anger, wanting to hurt or even kill the person who did this, make them pay. But the sadness was stronger. He wanted to drive his baby home, put it in the usual safe place and clean him up. He had even slept nicely because he was looking forward to their little road trip together. The thought shattered him even more. No cool pictures, no cruising around listening to music.   

“...ma… shima… ukishima? Kei?” His head snapped up at the sound of his name, and he felt a hand on his back. There was an umbrella over his head held by someone at his right. His fingers slipped from the wet and damaged car, falling uselessly to his side as he turned. The figure next to him slowly came into view. Someone he recognized immediately. Why was he here?

“Daichi-san?” Tsukishima mumbled as he looked down on his friend, his eyes darting around in surprise. The look on Daichi’s face was intense, there was a mixture of hidden fury and sadness he had not seen before. He was wearing his police uniform and the police car was parked behind him. Tsukishima had completely failed to hear the car driving towards him, the door slamming shut, footsteps and his friend calling him. It took him everything he had to gather himself as he pulled to his full height, his face behind a tight mask.    

“I saw you walking and wanted to say ‘hi’. Uhm… I didn’t expect this. What happened?” Daichi said evenly, but Tsukishima could feel his frustration, for Daichi knew what this car meant to him. He snorted with a small smile, shrugging his shoulders and trying to play it off as nothing.  

“Got into an argument. Guess I lost.” Tsukishima said flatly, but Daichi wasn’t fooled. His eyes searched those of Tsukishima, but he could hide them behind the half foggy glasses as he turned away. He put a hand in his pocket and nervously played with the key fob. Why was Daichi here right now? This wasn’t a moment he wanted to share, not with anyone. He wanted to be alone. The fiddling intensified as his discomfort reached new heights.   

“You’ve had a rough time for a while now, just go home and I will take care of things here.” Daichi smiled at him reassuringly, slowly reaching into his pocket and taking the car keys. Tsukishima was too late to protest, as he was still figuring out why his friend was here in the first place. He felt ashamed. Exposed.  

“I’m fine, I will just clean this up and drive home.” Tsukishima said, but he could hear the despair in his own voice. Daichi put a hand on his hip as he waited, keys firmly in the palm. Who was he kidding, he couldn’t drive with a broken windshield. He looked to his side and could see little puddles forming on the dashboard, it felt like his heart was being squeezed. His old captain must have noticed, for his voice changed, pulling him once again from his destructive thoughts.  

“It’s okay not to be fine all the time, you can’t trick me, you don’t have to wear your usual mask. Go home. I can handle it here.” Daichi said a little more forceful but laced with care. He was still holding the umbrella over their heads as the rain kept pouring down. Tsukishima didn’t feel like arguing, but he would take care of this by himself, he didn’t want Daichi around to see him like this, to impose on him. He balled his fists, even his bruised hand, and turned towards Daichi to tell him off, but when he looked into his eyes, the anger bled away. The warm darkness of the deep brown eyes looking up at him, the friendly set of his eyebrows and a reassuring smile to match it. How could Tsukishima possibly win. His shoulders sagged and he nodded. Daichi put the key fob in his pocket and used his free hand to grab Tsukishima’s arm, the large, strong hand felt reassuringly. 

“Hey, listen to me.” Daichi said, struggling a little to find the right words. “In the heavier sets during our volleyball matches, wasn’t I always there to catch you when you got tired and pushed yourself too much?” Daichi inquired, and Tsukishima thought back to all the moments he had jumped to block, completely drained of energy but not wanting to give up. His mind sharp, but his body tired. Daichi had been there to support him, sometimes even physically grabbing hold of him. He nodded and his former captain smiled. “You can lean on me, Tsukishima, even without asking. Trust me, I will catch you.” Daichi said imploringly. Tsukishima did trust him and even though he felt embarrassed, it wasn’t as bad as with other people. He felt reassured to have Daichi help him. Tsukishima had been holding back and downplaying all the bad things that had happened, and now, it felt like the heaviest thing in the world. All his energy suddenly left him and he gave in. 

“Thank you.” Tsukishima muttered with a small nod and impulsive reached out to Daichi, hooking a hand behind his neck and pulling him forward. His fingers sliding into the soft black hair. He pushed their foreheads together. “Thank you.” He repeated with his eyes tightly closed. With Daichi, it didn’t feel so bad to ask for help. He reluctantly pushed himself away and turned to walk towards the street to get a taxi. As he looked over his shoulder, he saw Daichi standing there, hand clenched and face darkened by a blush. As Tsukishima saw the other man blush, he too felt the warmth creep unto his cheeks. His hands stopped trembling as he signaled a cab and got in. With one wave from Daichi, the cab pulled out of view and Tsukishima sank into the seat. He didn’t even apologize to the poor driver, who now had a soaked backseat. 

At home, he sat in the hot bathtub for over an hour, staring at the ceiling and contemplating his life and its decisions. Of course, it didn’t help shit. Only driving him deeper into whatever it was that kept pulling him down. With an angry huff, he pushed out of the tub and dried himself. He pulled on dark gray sweatpants and draped a towel around his neck to catch the water dripping from his hair. With a sigh, he pulled out his phone and called Takahiro. He picked up quickly and chipper as ever. 

“It’s Tsukishima. I’m calling in absent tomorrow, an emergency came up, will you please make sure the boss knows? Sorry for any inconvenience. Thank you, Takahiro-san.” With those words, he hung up. He didn’t wait for a response, nor did he pick up when Takahiro called him back a few times. His plan was to drink until he didn’t remember his own name. With effort, he chucked down as much Meijihatouka Shochu as he could, feeling it settle very poorly in his empty stomach. He threw his glasses on the table with a sigh. Without much thought, he turned on one of his playlists and laid down on the couch. The volume was way too loud, but if anyone disagreed, they could just piss off. When his bell rang about forty minutes later, he didn’t move. Twice. Three times. Four times. No movement. Probably some annoying neighbor to complain.  

“Fuck me.” Tsukishima whispered as there was minutes later, a knock on the door. He didn’t move, eyes staring at the ceiling, one arm leaning on his forehead and the other hanging beside the couch. His finger played with the fabric of the rug as he listened to the music, which did not fit his mood at all. He didn’t even notice his front door opening, as he had forgotten to lock it. 

“Tsukishima.” Daichi said, his face scrunched up due to the loud volume. “Tsukishima.” He said louder as he crouched down next to him, and the blond blocker merely looked at him, indifferently. Daichi searched around and when he found the remote, he turned down the volume with a sigh. 

“Well?” He asked plainly and Daichi shrugged. He was still wearing his wet uniform, which explained how he got into his apartment complex. Must have asked a neighbor and then taken the stairs to his floor. He should have checked who was calling. Tsukishima felt like an asshole.  

“We took pictures, towed your car to a garage and requested the video material from the security camera’s. Don’t worry, we will find whoever did this. Your car will be fixed and look brand new.” Daichi said while placing a hand on Tsukishima’s bare shoulder. He nodded, unable to find any more words. Brand new, my ass. Daichi frowned as he sniffed the air, when he looked at the dining table, he saw the open Shochu bottle. A fatherly look crawled unto his face, but he didn’t scold him. Not that Tsukishima cared at that moment.  

“My shift is over. I could… stay. If you want me too.” Daichi said carefully, his eyes searching Tsukishima’s face and finding nothing. In the corner of his eye, he did see Daichi looking him up and down, or at least he thought he did. Tsukishima was not really dressed for company, and he suddenly felt… a tad naked. Did he want Daichi here? Or did he want him to leave? The inability to make a choice pissed him off even more.   

“Do as you like.” He finally said after a minute of silence, and he rolled unto his side, showing his back to Daichi. His old captain stood up and for a second Tsukishima thought he was going to leave. If he was unable to make a decision, why did he feel disappointed? But then he could hear the rustle of his police jacket being taken off and hung up. Guess he was staying. Daichi moved around the room for a bit and came back with a blanket, throwing it over Tsukishima. He curled into a ball as much as the couch would allow him too. 

“You will catch a cold. Let me dry your hair.” Daichi said rather softly, a large hand squeezing his shoulder, and Tsukishima sat up straight without a word. The towel was still around his neck so Daichi grabbed it, pulling it over his head and slowly started tousling his hair in order to dry it. Tsukishima’s cheeks warmed up as he felt Daichi fingers going through his hair. He closed his eyes, hoping the other man wouldn’t notice. When he placed the towel around his neck again, Tsukishima laid back down, still his back towards Daichi. Only when he heard him walk away, did he open his eyes. 

“Kuso.” He cursed under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers. His headache and nerves were getting worse. Daichi made himself at home, making them both tea and looking around the kitchen for… something?

“This will work better than alcohol.” Daichi said as he placed the mug of tea on the table. He turned around on the couch, laying on his other side. 

“Highly doubt it.” Tsukishima countered, looking at the cup. Daichi stood on the other side of the table, his arms folded as he looked down on him. 

“Mind if I use your shower?” He finally asked, ignoring the snarky remark, and Tsukishima nodded. 

“Take whatever you need.” Was all he could manage, his eyes still looking at the cup instead of Daichi. Everything was blurry anyway, it didn’t matter where he looked without his glasses. 

“Very well. I will be right back.” Daichi said as he walked away, but ten seconds later he was standing there again. “Does that include dry clothing?” He said with a little chuckle, and Tsukishima sighed with a nod. After Daichi was done with showering and raiding his closet, he returned. 

“Come on, now. Drink your tea.” Daichi playfully hit Tsukishima on the back of his head and moved around him, grabbing his glasses and pushing them into his hand. With reluctance, he put them on, finally seeing everything clearly. Daichi was wearing black sweatpants, which looked much tighter on him than on Tsukishima. And a simple navy sweater, it was one of Tsukishima’s Sunday-at-home sweaters, which were oversized to create the nice and cozy feel. Meaning large and comfy. On Daichi however, they were not too big, but rather close-fitting. Tsukishima swallowed as he took in the image before him, and then absently grabbed the mug with tea. 

“I tried on a few other sweaters, they didn’t fit. As you might have guessed, we aren’t the same size.” Daichi must have noticed him staring as he scratched the back of his head. “Maybe I gained weight…” He mumbled more to himself than Tsukishima. Was his former captain an idiot? Daichi wasn’t getting fat, he was just shorter and more muscled than Tsukishima. He smiled. When they were in High School, every time someone said Daichi looked ‘big’, meaning his presence, he always assumed they meant ‘fat’. Maybe it was a not-so-hidden insecurity.   

“We do not have the same build. Shocker, right?” Tsukishima chuckled, and Daichi’s face lit up at his laugh. It looked... cute. 

“Don’t you want a sweater?” Daichi said with a lopsided grin and Tsukishima looked down, he had forgotten he was bare chested. 

“Good idea.” He said as he stood up, walking to his bedroom. While looking around in his closet, he snorted. It was obvious which sweaters Daichi had tried on because they were differently folded. Clumsy even. He quickly grabbed a matching gray sweater and pulled it on. As he returned, Daichi was refreshing their tea’s and nestled himself on the floor. It felt a bit strange, but also kind of nice. Daichi smiled at him as he walked over to the couch and a warm fuzzy feeling stirred in his stomach. That was either the alcohol or possibly a confused butterfly buzzing around. 

—----------------------------------

That’s it! Thank you for reading this chapter :D 
I really hope you enjoyed it! Have a nice day.

Chapter Text

“Who knew awkwardness could be a turn on...”

“... and that’s why I always wear gloves!” Daichi laughed after sharing a very unusual story about arresting a streaker. Tsukishima chuckled and shook his head in disbelief. Apparently cops can tell the craziest stories, he has been hearing a lot of them in the last few hours.  

“I can imagine. Poor guy.” He replied with a shrug. “Although, this profession does seem to suit you quite well.” Tsukishima said as a compliment, but Daichi looked somewhat downtrodden at his remark instead of proud. His finger pushed around the phone on the table as he absently looked out the window. Normally he would let it go, because emotional interactions were not really his thing, but today wasn’t a regular day.  

“What’s wrong?” Tsukishima questioned and Daichi looked at him. He gave him his best it’s-nothing-smile, waving his hands in the air as if to wave the question away physically. Now the blond blocker could play the same card as Daichi had earlier. “Yeah, that won’t work on me. It’s like the Teslo stocks. I’m not buying it.” Tsukishima folded his arms, very happy with his well-thought-out pun, and kept looking intently at his senpai. With a sigh, Daichi scratched his neck. 

“I love my job, I really do. I’m great at it, and it fulfills me.” He sighed as he looked down. “It’s just that my family is less happy with it. I’m the oldest of five, both my sisters are married, one has multiple kids and the other one is trying. One of my brothers is in a steady relationship, just moved in with his girlfriend. The other one is in college.” Daichi explained, and his eyes took on the same look he had when Tsukishima had first taken him to his apartment. Daichi had then looked out the window, admiring the city, and appeared just as lonely as he did now. “And then there is me. The single workaholic.” He added softly, almost a whisper. Even though Tsukishima felt that pressure a lot less from his own mother, it was still there. He always thought himself lucky that his older brother had a wife and kid, taking the spotlight off him. But Tsukishima was the younger brother as to where Daichi was the older one and apparently taking the full brunt of that burden. 

“Hmm, I see. There is nothing wrong with being single, though.” Tsukishima just murmured, looking at the empty tea mug in his hands. “But if they have partners and kids, doesn’t that take the pressure off you? And is your family putting that weight on your shoulders, or are you doing that to yourself?” Tsukishima said with one eyebrow raised in question. Stress is often a self-inflicted factor in these situations. 

“You would think so, but I don’t think so. Everyone always mentions it, asking about it. And they still look to me for so much, and I feel I can’t say no to any of it. Also, my mother keeps setting me up with all kinds of women…” Daichi’s voice trailed off, it looked to be a painful memory of sorts. 

“Ahh, I suddenly feel very lucky.” Tsukishima said with a sigh, looking up at the ceiling. “People often don’t like me or really pay attention to me, they find me intimidating. But you. You are a role model type, always have been to be honest. Not just to us first years, but also to the second years and your fellow third years. The strong yet cowardly lion, Azumane-san, the nurturing yet explosive supporter, Sugawara-san and then there is the understanding and reliable protector of the team, Daichi-san. We all looked to you. Guess you are that pillar to many people no matter where you are.” He sighed. “You are even a police officer.” He added, his golden-brown eyes fixing themselves on Daichi. His former captain had a blush on his cheeks, clearly feeling exposed. They had been sitting here for hours, first silently, and then they started talking a bit. This was the first serious topic. Daichi had been doing his utmost to keep Tsukishima distracted. As if he could forget about his beaten up car. The sight of it came back into his mind, and he squeezed the mug a little tighter. His lip trembled slightly at his suppressed anger. With a twitch of his eye, he looked away from Daichi. 

“Tsukishima.” Daichi whispered. “I… I uhm. I’m here to help you, not share my ridiculous problems. Sorry about that.” He said with a small chuckle. The blocker ignored him.  

“I think that your family just wants you to be happy and if you are happy alone, tell them so they can respect it. Also, if I can ask you for help, then you can ask me in return.” Tsukishima stated as he pushed himself off the couch, he looked down his nose at Daichi sitting on the ground before him. His mouth was slightly open, hair tussled, and his eyes looked sort of pleadingly as he stared up at him. There was a rush going through his body, unexpected and forcefully. What was this feeling? His mind tried to form thoughts as he took in the sight, saving the image on his hard drive. Daichi looked… good. So good. Tsukishima swallowed and turned to walk towards the kitchen, suddenly his heart was racing. He poured more water into the kettle and turned it on. Daichi had also gotten up now, standing a little behind the taller man. Could the other hear his heartbeat?! 

“Thank you.” Daichi said from behind. His voice sounded loaded, but grateful, it made his heart skip a beat.  

“No problem.” Tsukishima coolly responded, but he could feel his cheeks warming up. “You want some more tea?” He added, trying to change the subject. Why did he feel this way?! Daichi put down his mug and nodded. He silently made them both tea, and they walked back to where they had been sitting. The previously discussed subject might be better for some other time, when Tsukishima wasn’t feeling like a train had hit him. Now they both needed a distraction.   

“So. You wanna watch a movie and then order some food?” Tsukishima finally said, shaking himself and Daichi from their own minds.

“Huh? Ohh… sure!” Daichi smiled, instead of sitting on the floor, he moved to the other end of the couch. Without thinking, he pulled part of the blanket over his legs and Tsukishima tried to act natural, but he felt his stomach jump. How was Daichi making himself at home so easily?! They debated for a few minutes what to watch, Daichi won, and he started the movie. It felt kind of nice, just sitting there together.   

“I usually just watch what’s on. But this is great, maybe I should get Netflux as well…” Daichi absently mumbled. Tsukishima found himself sometimes watching Daichi from the corner of his eye. The way he laughed, how he held the mug and sipped his tea, the thick veins on his hands and the muscles in his neck. Tsukishima had no idea why, but he felt at ease as he watched him. He pulled his right leg up unto the couch, hugging it to his chest. The movie they were watching hardly registered. A lot had happened in the last eight months, and every time he tried to make sense of it, he only gave himself a headache. Tsukishima rested his chin on the pulled up knee, sighing a few times. It felt like he was making a mess of things, he had so carefully orchestrated his life. Always get good grades, get a nice job, join a pro volleyball team. He made sure to always do right by his family and kept up with socially related duties. Tsukishima bought an apartment on his own, had a nice car, money saved up in his account. Sounded good right? This was how it was supposed to be… right? Then why did he feel so empty lately? Why wasn’t he happy? It wasn’t because he was lonely. He had tried dating, it didn’t work and to be honest, he didn’t miss it because he was fine on his own. The women roaming around his house never felt quite right, he didn’t want it. But like everyone human being, he had needs. So if he wanted sex, he could fairly easily get it, and he did so, when needed. What else was there? Another sigh as he tilted his head slightly. The woman in the movie was complaining about her boss being mean.

“It will be fine. The hurt will get less, and we will get your baby fixed up again.” Daichi said caringly as he interrupted Tsukishima’s thoughts and reached out to him, a large hand brushing his hair. Petting him like an animal. Tsukishima pulled the blanket up a little more, hiding his face up to his glasses. He felt happy that Daichi had called his car ‘baby’. And did he just say ‘we’?  

“I’m okay.” He mumbled and Daichi chuckled. It was a deep and rich sound. He really liked it.  

“Sure you are.” And with a one last little pat, Daichi pulled his hand back, leaving somewhat of a void behind. Tsukishima didn’t mind the head rubs, he actually kind of enjoyed them. He suddenly remembered his own strange action when they were still at his car. Tsukishima had pulled their heads together, they had been close, Daichi must have thought it so weird. Now he wanted to hide for a whole nother reason!

“What do you want to eat?” Tsukishima murmured from behind the blanket, and Daichi looked at him instead of the movie. They were watching a trilogy of sorts and the second movie was now playing. 

“Something… bad for us. Something I usually don’t eat. Do you like pizza?” Daichi asked, and Tsukishima pulled his head from the blanket, his face a little scrunched up. Daichi never eats pizza? What the fuck?

“Sure. I love pizza.” He answered with his eyebrow raised. 

“Great, let’s order that. You decide which one!” Daichi looked positively giddy, a big goofy smile on his face and his eyes twinkling. He ordered them two large pizza, one with mushrooms and meat, the other with onions and tuna. Plus some hearty snacks. As the doorbell rang, Tsukishima got up and opened the door, with the pizza’s he walked back in. Opened his fridge, pulled out a six-pack of imported beer, he had gotten as a present. This seemed like as good a time as any to drink them. And settled back on the couch. 

“Damn, that looks great…” Daichi said in awe as he opened the meat pizza box and excitedly grabbed a slice. He had been trying way too hard to cheer up Tsukishima and the thing that made him happy the most, was seeing Daichi being excited. With a chuckle, he also grabbed a slice. 

“Seems like you are having a good time. I might put you on my list of suspects. Maybe this was your plan all along.” Tsukishima joked, and he marveled at himself for making one at the expense of his car this soon. Daichi full on laughed, almost dropping his pizza, and Tsukishima joined in. 

“If I wanted a dinner date with you, I would just ask.” He said, and then suddenly stopped, registering what he had just said. “Ohh, wait, I didn’t mean it like that. Just eh…” He quickly pushed the slice of pizza in his mouth. Tsukishima just let it linger, saying nothing. He was enjoying the uncomfortable and awkward Daichi.

“Is that so.” Tsukishima finally said as he reached towards another slice of pizza. The corners of his mouth curled up into a grin, and he side-eyed Daichi as he slowly let his teeth sink into the cheesy goodness. He kept his gaze while eating the pizza and Daichi's eye twitched, blush on his cheeks, appearing to be frozen in time. Was it always so easy to fluster him? And why was it so much fun to do. Tsukishima licked the sauce off his finger and finally broke their eye contact by looking at the TV screen. He could still see Daichi in the corner of his eye, visibly ruffled, and he was loving every second of it.  

“Eat whatever you desire.” The blond blocker said, intentionally putting emphasis on the desire part to provoke a reaction. Daichi however seemed to be scrambling. He had no idea what to do or say, clumsily leaning forward, almost tumbling off the couch. Nervous chuckling and his fingers fumbling with the slice of pizza. Tsukishima suddenly felt alive, as his heart was pounding, and his mind was racing with possibilities. This could be the start of something exciting!

—----------------------------------

And done! Thank you for reading this story and/or chapter :D I appreciate it.  
I hope you enjoyed it! Have a nice day and please give a kudo if you liked it :3