Chapter Text
"So this is your office, huh?" Tadashi asks, as he takes a full circle spin in place, eyes trailing over everything he can.
You chuckle, and take a seat on the edge of the sole glass desk in the room, "only temporarily."
Despite your revelation, the office teams of *you*. There's little technicolour dinosaur models on practically every surface (except the floor. That'd be sacrilegious); a vase of your favourite flowers stands proudly on your desk, amongst mountains and mountains of paperbacks; there's some printed out pictures of you and other unknown coworkers; a giant brontosaurus plush the size of a toddler lurks in the corner of the room.
Tadashi smiles; regardless of what you just said, seeing that you've personalised the office space makes him forget that this isn't your home...if only temporarily.
"Hey."
Your single greeting rings in his ears and causes him to stop ogling your space and to start staring at you with admiration in his eyes.
"Hi," he can't help the breathiness in his voice.
You tilt your head, all sultry yet demure. "Come here."
He walks up to you, he doesn't need to be asked twice. You open your legs a little on either side of him, then deftly you hook your knees around his hips and pull him against you. You can't help but revel in the way his breath hitches, the way his cheeks turn a pretty neonic pink, the softness in his eyes. All for you.
How could you ever give this up?
You can't help locking eyes with him, as he leans closer.... only to snatch something up from behind you.
One of your paperbacks.
He flicks through it, not taking in any of its words. His eyes glint, kinda mischievously. "Are you behind on your work?" He purrs out your name in question.
Damn, he shifts from sweet to sexy in an instant.
A shy laugh bubbles from within you, "uh, no. Those are just for personal reading."
Tadashi boops you sweetly on the nose with the book, "you're a huge dino geek, aren't you?"
You smirk at him and wrap your arms around his waist, pulling him closer. "The whole career in paleontology didn't clue you in on that?" You tilt your head a little, bumping noses with him. "Besides, don't act like you don't like it~"
Tadashi does....probably way too much.
"So what, you invited me to your office late at night, to be all alone with you, just so that you could flex off your geekiness to get me off?" He teases, settling the paperback down before gripping your thighs with each hand.
His hands make you feel so warm, the way his fingers nearly curl around you entirely has you feeling some kind of way.
"Puh-lease," I roll my eyes, "the only thing I need to do to get you off is exist...tell me I'm wrong."
He can tell you a lot of things, like how that statement alone morphs his legs to jelly. He opens his mouth, but whatever he says evaporates when another unfamiliar voice cuts in.
"You do know that the walls here are *glass*, right? See-through? Transparent?"
You laugh, coming to a stand in the space Tadashi provided the moment he jumped away in surprise. "Ah, sorry. I didn't think anyone else was still here."
A woman about a similar age to the two of you stands in the doorway. She's rather short, with a very youthful face and a very stylish wolfcut. She's holding up a clipboard.
"Well, you know me, I'm a alvarezsaurid Shuvuuia," she says with a triumphant flourish.
Tadashi blinks, "uh...what?"
"A type of nocturnal dinosaur," you shrug sheepishly.
Ahhh...right.
"Tadashi, this is Daiyu Huang. She's a good friend of mine. She's been with me for the past six leagues of my traveling," you smile brightly at the woman.
Who, in turn, smirks. "It's actually five leagues--"
"Wait, really?"
"Yup. Melbourne, Cape Town, Nice, Rio, Montreal," Daiyu lists the names off her fingers. "This is our sixth league." She snickers, "I know you love me but we haven't been together that long."
You grin and roll your eyes, "don't correct me in front of him. I'm trying to look cool."
"Please coolness will always allude you, because coolness has met you." You barely have enough time to gather up a response more then the surprised laugh that squeezes out from your lips, before she's already going: "so who's the boyfriend?"
You blink, "well, he's my boyfriend, Yamaguchi Tadashi."
A shy smile spreads across his face, "h-hello, nice to meet you, Huang."
"Daiyu is fine," she says.
He can't get a read on her. Her cool and nonchalant countenance is throwing him off completely.
The woman slinks over to you. She wordlessly hands you the clipboard, while she eyes down Tadashi...who can feel the sweat beading along his forehead. He'd never met any of your friends before, and he wonders how you coped so flawlessly with his. "Anyway, are you planning on bringing your normie boyfriend to the entomology exhibition?"
That mention immediately dusts off Tadashi's nerves as he turns to you. "Yeah, the entomology exhibit is in about a week from now...so what do you say? Wanna join me?" He chuckles, knowing the two of you had previously discussed this, "this is me officially asking." He can't see your face that is tilted to the contents of the clipboard, but the hesitation on your face is blatant enough for Tadashi to blurt out: "Tsukki is gonna be there too--"
Huh.
He hasn't used that line in a while. He remembers it a lot in college, a tactic to persuade his love interest to do something just because Tsukishima might be there too.
A small smile tugs at your lips. "I mean, yeah. I'd love to go. We've had it planned forever, right?And I would love to hang out with you and Tsukishima--"
"You think you'll be back in time for it?" Daiyu asks curiously.
That sobers Tadashi up quickly. He looks at you, and you smile awkwardly before handing the clipboard back.
A nervous laugh leaves you, "uh...hopefully. Yup."
"Cool," she winks before heading out. She pauses at the door and says over her shoulder: "remember, glass walls." Then she's gone.
Tadashi turns to you, "what did she mean by that?"
His heart is pounding in protest. Where are you going? And why haven't you said anything?
You clear your throat nervously, before you take his hands. "Well, uh...there's an excursion in Zimbabwe-- that's in Africa-- and they might need me on board. *Might*!" You stress out the last word upon seeing Tadashi's face crumple a little. "I'm kinda like the understudy paleontologist, so it's not certain that I'm going. That's why I didn't bring it up."
Your heart aches, his head is bowed so low now you can barely see his eyes. "I'm sorry, Yams. I know this sucks--"
A pained laugh leaves his lips, "it doesn't suck, it's just your job. And you love your job and I love your job too because it brought you to me. So, no, your job doesn't suck." He straightens up, and smiles a little, "besides like you said..you're the understudy."
"I'm the understudy," you repeat with a little smile too. "So, are we good?"
"We were never not--"
"Uh huh, your pouting puppy face didn't make it seem like that."
He pouts more, "I don't have a puppy face--"
"But you admit you were pouting?"
"I wasn't!"
You take his hand and draw it up, draping it over your shoulder. He allows his other arm to drape over your other shoulder and you wrap your arms around his waist.
"Yeah, okay, whatever you say." You nuzzle against his nose. Then you snicker. "You're pouting again, Dashi."
Silence.
"Okay, maybe now I am."
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*If you're jealous of someone, you're not jealous of your partner, you're jealous not to be picked by your rival. You want to be the object of affection of the rival, so you're jealous of not being a part of it as much as you're jealous of your partner being chosen.*
These words from some article that at the time didn't seem significant ring in Tsukishima's mind as he stares up at the ceiling of his bedroom. They ring and echo and bounce.
Is this his situation?
His head throbs with a dull pain, and his body feels unnecessarily cold. All alone in his bed. The woman he had called up last night seems to have stolen all the warmth from his bed, and dashed away before any chance of confrontation.
Not that Tsukishima minds.
He drags his hands over his face. This hollow void inside is exactly why he stopped sleeping around in college.
Not because there's anything inherently wrong with the lifestyle, but because none of the people he slept with had green hair...and were called Tadashi Yamaguchi.
Tsukishima had figured out a long time ago that being with other people was not a healthy way for him to deal with this weird....crush. So that pattern stopped rather quickly.
Who would've thought that his celebrity crush dating Tadashi would be the thing that causes him to relapse?
A loud groan leaves him. This pity party is becoming pathetic.
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"It's not pathetic, Tsukki!"
"Really? What else would you call going to work during my weekend?" Tsukishima barely looks up from his phone where he's trying to find the latest episode of his favourite dinosaur podcast.
This is one of the rare afternoons that Yamaguchi has come to see Tsukishima at his workplace in the university. It's about a thirty minute drive from the former's workplace to get here. So while Tsukishima was initially surprised, the surprise wasn't unwelcome, especially with how sightings of the once indigenous Tadashi are now hard to come by.
Yamaguchi leans over his friend's desk. "You wouldn't be working though... just coming to the entomology exhibit with us."
"Why?"
"Because...You're my best friend, Kei. And... I really want the two people I love most in the world to like each other."
"Love?"
It takes so much in the blond not to let his emotions show.
It truly is an art that he must write a book about, an art that must be studied, an art that must be preserved. The art of suppressing the volcano of emotions spilling from his core, allowing only the slightest of eyebrow raises is a pure gift.
Did Yamaguchi just say he loves him?
Did Yamaguchi just say he loves you?
"Yeah, I love you, what of it?" He's rather defensive when he says this, his cheeks a flared pink.
Tsukishima can feel his own cheeks flushing too, but he tries to cover it will a hard roll of his eyes, "I meant about her." He says your name, placing a distracting amount of distaste in how he says it. "It's only been about two weeks. Isn't that a little too soon?"
"Technically, it's been nearly a month! And...I haven't told her yet! And I won't, I just... I feel so strongly for her--" and in his eyes, Tsukishima can see a vast canvas of stars that burn only for you.
Wasn't this supposed to just be a casual thing?
How does Tadashi feel this strongly for you already? How Tsukishima wishes he could ask that question in earnest, but truth be told, he could see himself getting to that exact level of infatuation. Definitely so in the universe where he took up that stupid stupid head's offer, and in a universe different to that, and in a universe different to that too....and in this very universe.
And what about you?
Do you love Tadashi too?
It would be good if you did, it would help dissuade Tsukishima's rouge lovesick thoughts of his best friend. It would also make Tadashi happy, and of course he wants to see his best friend happy.
.....ignore the sound of Tsukishima's heart shattering in the background.
Yamaguchi raises his eyebrow as he watches Tsukishima stare out of the window, silent out of nowhere. He's frowning.
"Do you...have a problem with her or something?"
Tsukishima says your name in question, laced in disbelief, "no, of course I don't. "
Yamaguchi fiddles with his fingers, opens his mouth, frowns, then closes it again. He sucks down a breath and says: "She told me that the night when she met you outside of work you were acting kinda weird."
Shit.
She must mean about him saying their time is limited and walking away without a goodbye. At least Tsukishima guesses anyway, considering he had been cordial with her before hand, it was a bit of a stark contrast.
The green haired young man frowns, crossing his arms. "What is this about, Tsukki?"
"Nothing, I--" the tone Yamaguchi used catches up to Tsukishima's mind, and he frowns back. "What are you implying?"
"I'm not implying anything, alright? Just that you have been weird since you met her and found out who she is--"
A very dry laugh leaves Tsukishima's lips as he stands up, instantly rising above Yamaguchi, "you're suggesting I give a damn that you're dating my celebrity crush?"
"I never said that--"
"But you suggested it."
The air between them is fizzling, tipping right over the edge with too many emotions to pick one out. Tsukishima stares into Tadashi's eyes defiantly. The eyes of his best friend. The eyes he knew way before he even knew that you existed. The eyes of someone he--
He sighs, "I just think you're both moving too fast. And you're gonna get hurt after this."
Yamaguchi says nothing at first, he tears his eyes away. He knows, he understands that you're both moving so quickly and becoming absolutely enamoured on such a rocky foundation. No one knows that better than him, but he's not gonna hold back just because you're about to leave, that would feel more painful.
"We'll be fine."
No one would be convinced by his tone.
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That tone makes him nervous. Your greeting is definitely laced with guilt, Yamaguchi is sure it's not the phone signal.
He sits on the edge of his bed, nervously tapping out a beat on his knee.
"Uh, I have some bad news, Tadashi."
"This is about the excursion, isn't it?"
There's silence for a beat, then... "yes. Yeah, it is. It's...I swear to God, it'll be super quick, I promise."
"Oh...how long is super quick?" His voice doesn't even sound like his own anymore.
"About a month." You can feel the pregnant sad silence between the two of you, and that makes you nervous so you quickly blurt out: "it's only that, a new dino was just unearthed and they need me to formulate a quick case file; no one does it like I do, y'know? I'm so sorry I'm telling you this over the phone, it's just that I'm still at work right now and I couldn't put off telling you till tomorrow. Especially since I didn't wanna make you all sad when we meet up for our date."
More silence.
"Hello? Yams?" You glance down at the ticking timer on your phone screen. You sigh. It hurts you too. You don't have a lot of time in Japan and now your time with Tadashi is being chopped by a significant amount. "I'm sorry."
Yamaguchi doesn't mean to be like this, he understands this is your job, travelling the world and everything, but you are going to a different continent. For "About a month?" Whatever that means.
"Yeah," your voice sounds kinda downcast on the phone. "Two weeks approximately."
He nods, then upon realising you can't see him lets out a pained laugh. "Ah, right then. Well, I'm happy for you....I hope you'll have a good time. Have you been to Africa before?"
"I'm really sorry," you say again.
"You don't have to apologise," he plasters a smile onto his face. "This is just work, and that's what work is. After all, your work brought you to me."
You laugh a little, "yeah, and hopefully my work doesn't introduce me to another super cute man this time, huh?" You can't help but laugh a little more genuinely at Yamaguchi's silence. "Too soon?"
He laughs back a little lighter. "Too soon," he agrees.
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Yamaguchi and you just left the restaurant after saying your thank yous and are now under the glitter studded blanket of night. A takeaway bag in his left hand, his right in his coat pocket, while you held onto it with both your hands, tethering you closer to him. It's silent, the best kind of it. The most comfortable kind.
Being friends with Tsukishima had forces Yamaguchi to be used to silence, but it had come naturally with you, the comfort of it all.
So...what better an opportunity to bring up a topic you both had been avoiding all night.
"so...this new dinosaur--" Yamaguchi
sees you literally wilt. He chuckles out, "what?"
You peer up at him, "we don't have to talk about it, Yams."
Yamaguchi gasps playfully, "who are you, and what have you done to my girlfriend?"
You laugh a little and nudge his elbow, "I don't only talk about dinosaurs, okay? Shut up."
"You love talking about your new discoveries, I don't want you to feel bad about talking about it because you have to leave for a bit--" though it doesn't feel like a bit, but he digresses. Ultimately, he has been feeling rather dickish for raining on your parade.
You look at him longer, playfully squinting your eyes at him. "Really? You sure you wanna hear about it? Because I am like a proverbial Pandora's box, once you open my mouth, I will not shut it."
"I'm very sure. I love listening to you talk."
You can't help but smile as you glance away, "and that will always cement you as a weirdo in my books."
"Well, Tsukki likes to listen to you talk too." Crap. Crap! Why did he mention Tsukki?! He punches himself....and carefully watches your reaction.
Okay, good. No immediate reaction. Maybe a little frown.
"Probably because he likes dinosaurs too. But I dunno, I feel like he doesn't like me much."
Yamaguchi blinks, for some reason his heart drops, he wants the two of you to get along, "you shouldn't think that. I think he's just worried about how serious we're getting...he's just looking out for me."
"Yeah, I guess," you hum, before grinning up at him. "Or he's jealous of me."
He scoffs in disbelief, "I think you mean he's jealous of me, you are his celebrity crush after all."
"Wait, really?!"
Regret couldn't come fast enough for Yamaguchi. You're definitely having a reaction now; you're smiling. In disbelief, sure, but still smiling.
"Well, you seem pleased," he hopes his tone is playful.
You snort, "well, yeah. He obviously has good taste." Then you laugh upon seeing the pain in Yamaguchi's face, you squeeze his hand tightly. "Relax, babe. I'm kidding. I'm actually more surprised because I thought for damn sure he had a crush on you."
Blood rushes to Yamaguchi's face. "M-me?! P-please!" He can barely choke those words out.
You face him again and practically cackle.
"Don't l-laugh at me!" He turns his face away, though the smile on his face can be seen from miles away.
"Who's pleased now, Yams?" You stand in front of him, cupping his face. He naturally lets his forehead press against yours, though he doesn't look you in the eye. "Should I feel threatened by this guy, huh?" You can't help but tease. Yamaguchi whines out your name in embarrassed protest, you giggle in turn.
"I like you, and only you, that's all," Yamaguchi whispers to you.
"You like me, huh? What exactly do you like about me then?"
Yamaguchi snickers, all thoughts of Tsukishima gone. "Well, you're pretty cool, you know?"
You shrug casually, "I try." Your hands slide around his shoulders as you tilt your head. "You know, you're pretty cool yourself. You taken?"
"I actually have a girlfriend. She's a dinosaur person."
"Hmm, that's too bad. But she sounds pretty awesome. And grateful that you're in her life..." You press a chaste kiss to his nose. You both smile at each other when you pull away. "She's probably really hot too, and sexy. With a great ass and big t--"
Your masturbatory rant is cut off by Yamaguchi with a kiss, the two of you laugh into each other's mouths.
He would never be this affectionate in public...but with you...you make it so easy. You make him wanna show you off.
"Now tell me," he murmurs against your lips. "Tell me all about your trip, and the new dino and stuff."
You smile, very big and bright.
And as the two of you walk to your next destination, your words are heavy with excitement and eagerness and knowledge. It hurts Yamaguchi that he made you feel so guilty that you hid all this from him.
But it also hurts that this coming trip will be but a taste of the impeding doom that is the end of this relationship, and Yamaguchi already feels like he wants to die.