3

                                    

                                          
tw: explicit language, slight sexual innuendos.
                          
•
                          
the prelims flew by.  it wasn't long until karasuno receive their miyagi preliminary medals along with the trophy that was handed to sawamura.  the karasuno crows and the shiratorizawa white eagles exchange thanks to each other and to their fans before each team was sent out of the gym.  
                          
several members of the karasuno team were greeted with family, yamaguchi included.  his father was standing off to the side with his mother, both talking to tsukishima's mother and akiteru.  yamaguchi pulls his best friend over to their families, getting proud smiles from all four adults.  
                          
"your serves were great, honey," his mother cooes, giving yamaguchi a kiss on the cheek.  tsukishima's mother, on the other hand, gave her son a slap on the back with a proud laugh.  akiteru was still talking to yamaguchi's father, but both said congratulations and mr yamaguchi gave his son a large hug before going back to talking.  
                          
yamaguchi was practically vibrating with delayed excitement.  they won.  they really won against shiratorizawa!  they were heading to the nationals!
                          
"congrats, yams!" a voice broke the olive-haired boy from his excitement attack.  someone poked him in the back, but yamaguchi was already giving the bottle blond a big hug.  his parents were smiling at the now familiar to them second year; mrs tsukishima smiled as well at the new boy and akiteru waved.  
                          
tsukishima couldn't look more ticked off as his eye twitched.
                          
"did you see my serves?  i was so proud of them!" yamaguchi blurts out in innocent pridefulness, pulling away and giving the shorter a large smile.  the boy in yellow returns the smile at his younger but taller friend, reaching up and ruffling his olive hair kindly. 
                          
"sorry to interrupt, but you are..?" tsukishima's hand enters the situation, drawing the two boys from their engagement.  terushima shakes it after removing his hand from yamaguchi's hair, giving the natural blond his handsome, crooked grin.  
                          
"always a pleasure, man.  yuuji terushima, you're that tall middle blocker that i couldn't get any of my spikes past." 
                          
tsukishima's eyebrows furrow in confusion before he realizes who the other was.  "oh, johzenji's loud ass captain." 
                          
"tsuuki, don't be rude," yamaguchi frowns out of second-hand embarrassment.  tsukishima chooses for ignore his best friend, focusing on the person at hand who was still wearing his grin.
                          
"yep, that's me!  glad you remembered me, mr glasses, even though i'm too hot to forget," terushima smirks, wiggling his eyebrows teasingly.  tsukishima pulls his hand from the shake instantly, wiping it on his shorts in apparent disgust.  his face was emotionless, but yamaguchi couldn't be more embarrassed.
                          
tsukishima coughs into his hand, seeing their families exit the building.  "looks like everyone is leaving, so that means we have to go back to the hotel to collect our things.  it was.. nice to meet you," tsukishima forces out the last sentence with a fake smile.  the boy in yellow nods in agreement before turning to the flustered yamaguchi.  
                          
"call me later?  i wanna hear all about the game, i got to see the last two sets but i bet you have a lot to talk about from the first three!"
                          
"oh, sure, teru!- ahh, tsuuki, that hurts- bye teru!  i'll call you when we get home!" yamaguchi says hurriedly, tsukishima pulling him by the arm towards the exit where their team waited.  terushima waves wildly after the olive-haired boy, still smiling broadly.  yamaguchi smiles slightly before turning around, walking next to tsukishima.
                          
"you can let go of me now, tsuuki."
                          
•••
                          
tsukishima wore his headphones for the entire ride home.