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"Tsukishima, let's stop this."
Kei looks at the younger beside him. They were in front of Coach Ukai's store, the summer before their third year. As usual, Kageyama was stuffing his face with meat buns while Kei was calmly sipping on his strawberry drink.
"Let's stop what, King?"
Kageyama glares at the nickname but eventually looks away. "That. I mean—the nicknames, the fights, and the insults."
Kei raises an eyebrow at him and glances at the store. He could see Hinata talking animatedly to Yamaguchi while Yachi was listening in to their conversation.
But the King was right. They should probably stop this. Especially when Kei had been elected as captain by Ennoshita and Kageyama was elected vice-captain by Tanaka.
"Okay."
Kageyama blinks at him. "What?"
Kei blinks back at him. "What?"
Kageyama still does not respond, until the other three exit the shop and stop in front of them.
"Woah?!" Hinata exclaims. "What's with this atmosphere, Bakageyama? Stingyshima?"
Kei rolls his eyes at him but answers anyway. "We decided to make a truce."
It was only a few words, that was said nonchalantly but it was enough for the three to fall into deathly silence. Kei watches them until—
"THAT'S AMAZING, TSUKKI!" Yamaguchi squeals excitedly as he shakes the blonde's arm. Kei scowls but does not remove Yamaguchi's hand.
Kei turns his head to the side and is mildly surprised and concerned to see Yachi crying her eyes out, her long blonde hair dramatically fluttering in the breeze.
"Ah, how have I waited for this moment to come. Thank you, Kamisama!" She then solemnly holds her hands together and raises it to the sky.
Right now, Tsukishima is absolutely bewildered at the events happening in front of him, especially with Hinata jumping on Kageyama's back, who in turn, had a small, genuine smile on his face and a light flush on his cheeks.
Kei felt his stomach do a fucking backflip, he couldn't take his eyes off the raven. Now that the tension is gone, why did he suddenly find the King....
Adorable.
"Tsukki?" Yamaguchi snaps him out of his reverie. "What's wrong?"
Kei looks away from the scene in front of them, and shakes his head. "Shut up, Yamaguchi."
"Sorry, Tsukki."
Yeah. He was definitely not sorry.
-----
"What are these?"
Kei freezes when he hears Kageyama ask as he asked him to check out an extra pen in his drawer since the idiot dropped his own pen on his way to Kei's house.
They were studying again today. These sessions had been frequent especially in the later part of their second year.
And today, something was definitely different.
He watches as Kageyama picks out the thing he saw deep inside Kei's drawer. The raven's eyes were wide with pleasant surprise and admiration.
In Kageyama's hands were the sketches Kei had been working on for a while. He never really focused on a specific topic. What comes to mind, he sketches.
Kei's cheeks were aflame as he quickly scrambled to where Kageyama was and snatches the sketches from his hands. He quickly hid it back in his drawer and schooled his expression before facing Kageyama.
"None of your business, king." He snaps then looks away. He picks a pen from the bedside table and roughly hands it to the other.
"I think they're beautiful." Kageyama shrugs, as he sits back down at his usual spot whenever he comes over to study.
Kei stops, and stares at the raven's head, whose back was facing back at him. Kageyama had said it so nonchalantly, it was infuriating. But Kei could feel he was being sincere about it.
The sketches were supposed to be a secret. His talent in art is supposed to be a secret. Yet Kei supposes it wouldn't hurt for Kageyama to learn about it.
"Do you want to see them?"
Kageyama whips his head back at Kei, expression of poorly concealed excitement. Kei fights back a smile. Yeah, it won't hurt.
"May I?"
Kei opens the drawer and grabs a handful of sketches he was confident enough to show and goes to sit in front of Kageyama.
He hands over the sketches.
He watches as Kageyama observe his works with awe, eyes sparkling as he realized the sketches were mostly composed of the gym, the school, and—the club members.
"I like this." Kageyama says as he stares at a sketch of everyone, including the managers, Coach Ukai and Takeda-sensei. It was an exact replica of a picture they took back when they were in their first year.
Kei stays silent, and so does Kageyama. He flips to the next page and continues to observe the works when—
"You can keep it."
Blue eyes travel from the papers to Kei's honey gold ones. They were sparkling, Kei noticed, and seemed precious. "Yeah?"
Kei nods, fighting a blush. "Yeah."
Kageyama grins, and it's not the usual creepy one. "Thanks, Tsukishima."
Kei does not deign that with the proper response, instead reminding Kageyama why he was in his house in the first place.
-----
The blow of the whistle signals the end of the practice match, with Karasuno dominating every set. Tsukishima wipes the sweat off his forehead as he turns to Kageyama.
Kageyama nods at him, and they make their way to their opponent's side. It was Jouzenji today, and they were playing as strong as they always had been.
Kei isn't really good with formalities or thank you's so he leaves the job to Kageyama, who does not mind one bit. So while Kageyama was busy entertaining their visitors, he takes his sweet time to stare at his vice-captain.
As usual, Kageyama's deep blue eyes fit perfectly with his pitch black hair. And the shape of his nose is one of the best Kei had ever seen as always. Porcelain skin was shiny under the gym's light.
In short, Kageyama Tobio is beautiful again today.
If this had happened 2 years ago, back in their first year, Kei might've hurled and jumped off the rooftop of the Karasuno school building. And now that he was over his gay crisis and existential crisis, everything was seemingly normal.
The formalities end with a promise of a next practice match and Kei and Kageyama make their way back to their team. Kageyama strays from Kei to chase Hinata around the gym after the latter makes up a creative insult for Kageyama.
Kei just rolls his eyes at them as he receives his water bottle from Yachi. He notices Yamaguchi approach him, and Yachi not leaving her spot in front of him.
"Nice game it was, right Tsukki?" Yamaguchi sing-songs, putting an arm over his shoulder. Ah, yes. After all, Kei and Tobio won't be the only ones who change.
Yamaguchi becomes bolder and had grown from his initial shyness, and settled for the ever friendly and supporting senpai, with the flowery smiles and wise advises.
"And wasn't it nice too, Tsukishima-kun, you know, your view of Kageyama-kun's ethereal visuals during formalities?" Yachi adds while wiggling her eyebrows.
Everyone changes, and that includes Yachi. She becomes cheekier, and more confident. Her hair is now longer and she had grown a few inches from her height when they were in first year, that made her the very definition of 'Kiddie Sized'.
Kei blushes as he huffs and looks away. "I don't what you're talking about, Hitoka." He says, then looks at Yamaguchi. "And shut up, Yamaguchi."
They both snicker, and Yamaguchi removes his arm. "Come on, Tsukki. You really think we wouldn't notice you always staring at Kageyama? Even the first years did! You think you're so sublte, huh? You not so little shit." Yamaguchi laughs and Yachi nods vigorously in agreement.
Kei raises his eyebrow at them. "I don't stare at Kageyama."
"You do~" They both insist, in a very obnoxious way.
Kei decides to outright ignore the both of them and turn his back at them. He can hear them snickering, but he doesn't care about that now.
Had he really been obvious? Because honestly, he thought he'd been subtle all this time.
Does he like Kageyama? Of course he does. Everyone likes him. Despite their rocky start during their first year.
Kei dreams of holding the younger's hands, cuddling when it wad cold, taking him out to dates, and just making him laugh. How long had he had these thoughts? How long...
To his horror, he realized he'd been this way before.
Back in their second year. Around the time Kageyama would go to his house without Hinata for study sessions. And it worsened when Kei gave him that sketch.
Well, shit.
Whatever was he gonna do now?