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Chapter Text

“Fuck!” roared Tadashi as he entered the Seijoh common room.

Our story begins with a certain Yamaguchi Tadashi, who, with a bright red strawberry face, had to be on the receiving end of a very shameful news: he had been paired with Tsukishima from the Shiratorizawa house for their upcoming internship project this semester.

As a student of Japan's most prestigious cupid academy, Tadashi loved the idea of being paired. All the cupids were supposed to, right? But we must remember, like all of us, the cupids have their NOTP lists too. The greatest of all NOTP lists in the Sendai Cupid Academy, was the unofficial fact that one from the noble Seijoh house simply did not concern themselves with the scums of Shiratorizawa. That was an unchangeable truth of the world as universal as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. One’s sacred Seijoh name simply did not sit well alongside that no-good house.

Whatever the Principal of their academy had been thinking when she picked Tsukishima from Shiratorizawa to be Tadashi's partner, had not been sober thoughts — Tadashi can assure you that much.

In the Seijoh common room, Tadashi paced back and forth, like a tiger in captivity. “How does this happen?” he growled with his hands in his hair. “No one from Seijoh has ever been paired with a Shiratorizawa, right?”

“You do not pair a flower with an asshole, I thought that was a well-known fact,” Oikawa, the Seijoh house captain, grumbled. The usually-quiet Kyoutani muttered something angrily under his breath. Even their most laid-back housemate Kunimi clicked his tongue in solidarity. Everyone had been acting out of character ever since Tadashi brought back the unfortunate news.

He wanted to tear his hair out in his frustration, Tadashi really did, but their vice captain Iwaizumi caught his hand just in time.

“Stop it,” he said quietly and coaxed Tadashi's hands out of his hair. “Sit down,” Iwaizumi pushed him down on the couch, squeezing him in between Oikawa and Yahaba, who immediately made space for their darling kouhai. “Now, we should have a solid plan,” Iwaizumi said and put his hands on his waist, cutting a stern figure who likes to have everything under control. Everyone looked at Oikawa.

“For what?” Oikawa barked, slinging an arm around Tadashi's shoulders and pulling him closer to comfort him. “Seijoh should not have to pair up with Shiratorizawa!”

“Much less with Four-Eyes!” Tadashi rejoined. “Why, oh, why?” He was being a tad bit too dramatic but seeing as his world was falling apart at the moment, we can allow him that much.

Oikawa pressed down on the knots in Tadashi's shoulders, Yahaba laid his cool cheek against his arm while Hanamaki patted his head from the back of the couch. It felt nice. Almost nice enough to push out his wings from under his skin and relax on the cramped couch. He didn't, though. He wanted his senpais to continue showering him with love rather than take up all the space and drive them away like Shiratorizawa must do. The Tsukishima-shaped problem was fading away. Tadashi loved being in Seijoh.

“Ahem,” Kunimi cleared his throat. Always the one to make clever comments, everyone knew what he was going to say next. “We do have a four-eyes among us, Tadashi,” he said. “Save the hate for spectacles for when we first years are alone in our dorms.”

“Oh, please, Aki-kun,” Oikawa swatted in his direction and pushed the glasses up his nose. “We all know whom Tada-kun meant.”

Everyone knew indeed.

Oh no, it was back. The image of golden eyes sparkling with cunning stoicism behind black-rimmed glasses and that lopsided smirk dripping with marked superiority was imprinted in Tadashi's mind since the day he first met Tsukishima Kei.

***

Our Tadashi had been looking forward to this project since the beginning of the new term. According to the course guidelines, they'd be assigned human subjects who had signed up for the cupid council’s free help with their love life as a part of the internship program of the cupids under training. At the end of the term, the cupids were required to submit case study reports and the humans would provide feedback and rate their assistance. This would be their very first step into the dazzling world of cupidity. Hell, this was everything Tadashi had signed up for!

“We, at Seijoh, are all for love and peace, except towards Shiratorizawa. We hate Shiratorizawa. Repeat after me: Shiratorizawa bad.”

When he had first arrived at the cupid academy and got randomly sorted into the Seijoh house, he scoffed at Seijoh’s unanimous hatred of Shiratorizawa. Oikawa's bold announcement had left him bewildered and a little scared that he had accidentally become a part of a group of bullies. Especially when Oikawa distributed little pins of his own face saying, “Shiratorizawa bad!”

But the Seijoh senpais were too good to him and the other first years, even from Nekoma and Fukurodani. They helped them around the sprawling campus, introduced them to the who's who of the academy and all the physical affection that seemed pretentious at first turned out to be just the way they expressed themselves once they got comfortable. They were vastly different people with strong opinions, Kyoutani and Yahaba fought every hour, Hanamaki and Matsukawa took every opportunity to pull their captain's leg, Iwaizumi kept everyone in line and broke up fights, Watari loved decorating the common room with houseplants but kept forgetting to water them. Yet they were nice people and good friends. They even took turns watering the plants Watari had placed around.

Curiosity got the better of Tadashi when he noted that the Shiratorizawa guys did their best to avoid any eye contact with Seijoh people and did everything in their power to avoid them like the plague.

“Why do we hate Shiratorizawa so much?” Tadashi asked Oikawa one day.

“They smell bad,” the captain had answered airily.

“What?”

“They have chicken hair.”

“Oikawa-san, I'll follow you to the end of the world but you can't comment on their appearance like that.”

Swear to gods, Oikawa teared up at that. He expects either friendship or submission. But devotion? “Did you hear that, Iwa-chan? He's a real one!”

“I like him,” Iwaizumi said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “He will be good for us.”

Even though it sounded like a threat in Iwaizumi’s voice, Tadashi couldn't worry about it at the moment. He needed answers, not conspiracy theories that Kunimi made up. Speaking of whom, Kunimi had snuck up on them asking with Kindaichi by then, to hear whatever Seijoh had against Shiratorizawa.

“Well, Shiratorizawa hates us. So it's only fair we hate them back. They are awful to us, and only us,” Oikawa grunted. “They look at us with so much condescension and malice; I swear I'll punch Ushijima in the face if I hear him say “You should've come to Shiratorizawa” once again.”

“He really says that a lot,” Iwaizumi agreed with a tired sigh. “Third year running of Tooru being in Seijoh, yet every time Ushijima sees him, he ignores everyone around Tooru and says shit like that. Besides, Kawanishi made fun of me for my height, although he's my kouhai. No respect.”

Tadashi is observant, you know. He saw and identified the look of hurt in Iwaizumi’s eyes, and the way the vice captain called the captain by his first name. But Tadashi is also practical. He didn't want to rush his senpais through the multitude of emotions they were going through, yet he had to address the rest of the issue. “And what did he do to the others?” he asked, hoping it was just a personal vendetta against Oikawa that had been committed.

The door to the common room opened and Hanamaki popped his head in to say, “Are we shitting on Shiratorizawa? Tendou has chicken hair and lizard eyes,” Tadashi was about to protest when Hanamaki tutted with his tongue against his teeth and held up a finger, “Before you eat me alive for calling him a chicken and a lizard, you must know that, he called me strawberry cupcake. What do you say to that, huh?”

“That's not —”

Tadashi got cut off by Matsukawa who had slunk in behind Hanamaki. “I was a naive first year like you, Yamaguchi-kun. I was walking to class one morning when I heard that Semi, Semi Eita, play the guitar in an empty classroom. He was good. My senpais had warned me before but I didn't want to believe it. I wanted to know at least one cool person in the academy.” I know you're wondering if Matsukawa's friends looked at him funny for that. Yes, they did, but Matsukawa took no notice. He went on with his monologue, “When he finished his riff, I clapped and went in to introduce myself. But he just trudged past me with a look that said “Eat shit, idiot.” I never doubted my senpais about Shiratorizawa ever since.”

The second years had similar stories to share. Shirabu, Yamagata and Ohira have clashed with Yahaba, Kyoutani and even Watari. If Tadashi had to pick the one thing common about them, it was that none of them had confronted Shiratorizawa about it. Seijoh already had preconceived notions about the other and were only waiting for a drop of a hat to believe in the hatred they'd been passed on.

Surely, Shiratorizawa couldn't be all that bad! They had classes with Shiratorizawa the following week. Our protagonist thought he would be able to find some redeeming qualities in the newly arrived first years like himself, who could in no way imbibe all that was bad about Shiratorizawa in just a week.

Especially that tall blond boy with headphones he just saw walk into the Shiratorizawa common room. Blondie looked like he could be a cool person to hang out with, not uptight and anti-fun like the Ushijima-san Oikawa had described.

Trust me, if Tadashi let good looks cloud his judgment, it's on him entirely, he'd concede. But he had seen Tsukishima greet his peers from Nekoma and Fukurodani with polite little smiles all week long. He didn't seem to linger around for small talk, certainly — by the second day of knowing him, Tadashi was avoiding Lev too when the Nekoma first year yapped continuously like he was high on sugar — but on the way to classes, Tsukishima did seem to find Shibayama from Nekoma and Onaga from Fukurodani pleasant enough to smile at them and talk.

No, Tadashi hadn't been stalking him, he will swear on his word. He had just been, what was that word?

Observant, yeah.

Too observant, some may say.

But Tadashi needed to see for himself before he rashly decided to hate someone just for the house they got randomly sorted into. Isn't that how half the world's problems start? Seijoh first years didn't have common classes with Shiratorizawa that week; surely it's a matter of time before they get to meet and formally introduce themselves and become friends forever and resolve the Seijoh-Shiratorizawa tensions, right?

Tadashi fancied that Tsukishima would find him cool too. He is cool, yeah, Tadashi is so cool.

So Tadashi went to the class with Shiratorizawa, determined to like at least one of their first years by the end of the day. Preferably, the blond one with glasses and no headphones this time but diligently taking notes with his little tongue sticking out while Tadashi lets his mind wander, please and thank you!

Our Tadashi is ambitious. He thinks he can win the world over with love. It's what got him so far as the country's top cupid academy, honestly. But, don't let him fool you with his blinding smile in public. His nervous breakdowns are only one minor inconvenience away.

So, when they were called one by one to the front of the classroom by Mizoguchi sensei to display their skills, Tadashi’s focus turned razor sharp as the name “Tsukishima Kei” was called.

Tadashi gasped secretly when Tsukishima stood up from his seat and walked up to the front of the class. He was so tall! Tadashi was tall too, but Tsukishima was even taller. His fair skin glowed in the afternoon sunlight streaming in from the window. Yes, Tadashi was ready to be friends with that beautiful piece of —

Damn the male gaze.

With a gulp of air, Tadashi stilled his heart and watched as Mizoguchi sensei read aloud a situation from one of the scraps of paper he had in an envelope. A drunk boy trying to make angry calls to his ex but has dialed the cupid helpline instead, started off with a string of choice swear words (Mizoguchi sensei didn't mention which words exactly) and then the cupid helpline agent (Tsukishima) has clarified that it is not indeed his ex’s number.

“Oh, this is not the number I meant to call,” Mizoguchi sensei gave the opening line. “Sorry, I didn't mean to tell you all those things. I should give that bastard a call instead.” He made the motion of setting the phone down which meant that Tsukishima had to grab his attention quickly to make his point.

Tsukishima didn't disappoint. His voice took on a softer tone as he said, “That must have hurt you a lot, didn't it?”

Mizoguchi sensei made a nod of approval and brought the invisible phone closer to his ear again. But he didn't say anything. Instead, he turned around on his seat so that Tsukishima won't be able to look at his expressions anymore, just like a telephonic conversation.

“It really does hurt when our closest person hurts us the most,” Tsukishima continued. “How long had you been in the relationship?”

“Five years,” Mizoguchi sensei said.

“No wonder you got so attached. You must have loved them a lot,” Tsukishima said in a calm, soothing voice. “So many memories.”

Mizoguchi sensei didn't answer or give any reaction to indicate whether Tsukishima was steering the conversation in the right direction.

“Did you meet them five years ago or did you know them from before?”

“I met her at an art show five years ago.”

“Art show! So, the two of you bonded over art?”

“Yeah, we bonded over how bad the art was,” Mizoguchi sensei laughed audibly and so did Tsukishima.

“Was it really that bad?”

“Remember the banana duct-taped to the wall thing?” The whole class snickered at that. “Yeah, this was something as weird as that.”

Once the laughter died down, Tsukishima said, “You must have had so much fun together.”

“I was so happy. I thought we would make it till the end. I don't know what happened.”

“They didn't say anything? They didn't give you a reason?”

Mizoguchi sensei continued, “She said that I don't have time for her anymore. What kind of a stupid reason is that? I got a job, she should have been happy that I was doing something with my life. Unlike her, that idiot, sitting at home, doing nothing worthwhile. Painting and trying to set up her fucking small business.”

Tadashi could have gasped. Mizoguchi sensei would have been a great J-drama writer for all his use of tropes.

“Right, you met at an art show!” Tsukishima said, piecing together the information he was gaining. “She was a painter then. Were you also trying to be an artist?”

“Art doesn't bring food to the table, does it?”

“You were trying to make practical decisions for yourself.”

Mizoguchi sensei said, “Yes.”

“But taking up the challenge to follow through with your dreams and practical decisions, both take lots of guts, don't they?” Tsukishima pondered. “You were struggling with changing your decision to get a job, she was struggling with her decision to stay. It was hard for both of you.”

“We ended up fighting a lot for the last couple of months. It's not that I don't know how this happened. We wanted each other's support in our decisions but whenever I saw her, I was reminded of the life I had to leave behind.”

The whole class looked on, whipping their heads this way and that way as Tsukishima and Mizoguchi sensei took turns to speak.

“If you like your current job, I'm glad you realised early on and made the move,” Tsukishima said. “You must have loved her a lot. I just think it's a wonderful miracle for two people to come together and celebrate some of their time on earth with each other.”

“I still love her,” Mizoguchi sensei replied. “I wanted to tell her that but I got so angry… I don't want to swear at her.”

“I know. So, instead of doing this right now, you can give yourself some time and decide if you want to talk to her when you're more sober. How does that sound?”

“Hmm.”

“Do you have a safe ride home?”

“Yeah,” Mizoguchi sensei started to turn back around. The conversation was coming to an end.

“Well then, take care of yourself. Bye.”

“Thank you, bye.”

As soon as the exchange ended, Tadashi started clapping. We don't know if he did it spontaneously or if it was an unconscious attempt at a kind of attention seeking behavior (we see you, Tadashi). But scattered sounds of applause joined him from around the class and Tsukishima looked around, mildly surprised. Once it died down, Mizoguchi sensei gave his review which was mostly positive.

Tadashi beamed, hoping to catch his eye when Tsukishima walked past him, trying to get back to his seat. He thought Tsukishima saw him from the corner of his eyes but the latter showed no sign of it. Tadashi was deflated a bit, only slightly, which was dispelled once Mizoguchi sensei called him to the front of the class.

Mizoguchi sensei set out to describe the scene for him. This time it was a nervous teenager who had called the cupid helpline deliberately unlike Tsukishima’s drunk caller by mistake. As a former nervous teenager himself, Tadashi considered this category of humans quite his specialty.

“Hello?” Mizoguchi sensei tried a thinner voice for the caller which had the class in splits for the first few seconds. As a former nervous teenager, Tadashi felt his hands go only slightly cold at the sound. But as a current cupid academy undergrad, he had learned to block the unnecessary inputs.

“Hi, thank you for calling the cupid helpline. How may I help you today?” Tadashi tried to sound as chipper as possible.

“Uh, I don't need help. I just had a question.”

“I'll try my best to answer your questions! Let's hear it.”

“Can someone be in love with two people at once?”

Tadashi was caught off guard by the question. He had expected something along the lines of a crush, a confession, a high school drama — a stage he had not too long ago come past. Not something that could be as heavy and nuanced as this.

“Would you like to tell me what happened?’

“Can’t you just answer my question with a simple yes or no?” Mizoguchi sensei snapped back and turned around on his seat like he had done for Tsukishima and the others.

Tadashi took it as a sign to continue. When Mizoguchi sensei didn’t like openers, he simply sent the student back to their seat. If he was turning his back on Tadashi that must mean Tadashi still had hope to work through the conversation. “You’re talking about a person here. We have to know the context before we can pass judgment on anyone. You wouldn’t want to mistakenly hurt someone you love, would you?”

“You’re making this too complicated, man,” Mizoguchi sensei said but waited for Tadashi’s reply.

Tadashi took it as the typical teen defiance. The wish to be regarded as an adult but not knowing how to be an adult. Not that our Tadashi knew much about being an adult. He was only 20. But at 20 you know things the same 14 year old you would have no clue about. “Would you prefer to be transferred to another cupid agent?” Tadashi offered and followed it up with, “But I can assure you they will also ask the same questions.” Bullshit. Tadashi was only a week old in this business, he knew jackshit about how cupids worked for real. In spite of being in front of the class with so many eyes on him, Tadashi made a face at himself for lying through his teeth. He doubted if making up things would take him too far in the conversation. Any moment now Mizoguchi sensei would cut it short and send him back to his seat.

To his surprise, Mizoguchi sensei continued instead. “No, it’s fine,” he grumbled.

Tadashi had to take a moment to suppress his laughter. If this was truly how a teenager behaved, he was extremely sorry for his mother having to put up with this behaviour for the last couple of years. He would make sure to hug her tighter when he went back home next time. “Is it a family member?” Tadashi asked carefully. “Are you having trouble at home?”

“I think my mom is seeing someone,” the voice sounded defeated. “Last night, I put on a movie that we would often watch together with dad. Mom and I watched it together and well, she was crying. I asked her if she still loved dad. She said yes. Yet this morning I found one of her running buddies seeing her home. This guy has been eyeing mom for a while now. He even takes her to the movies every other Friday. They try to catch the first day first show of new releases. Who even watches random first day first shows anymore, dude?”

“Does it make you uncomfortable?”

“Yes! Of course! She’s my mom, for fuck’s sake!”

“Is she uncomfortable with the attention, too?”

There was a brief pause on Mizoguchi sensei’s end. With a sigh, the teacher continued, “She should be. That’s how my dad would look at her. Gross.”

“Where is your dad now?”

Another pause later Mizoguchi sensei said, “He passed away… three years ago.”

Tadashi sighed in relief, okay, so no infidelity involved. That would have been difficult to just explain away. “Does your mom seem uncomfortable with the attention?” he asked again.

“That’s the worst part! She likes it! She doesn’t say no, she dresses up and goes out with him!”

“Sounds like she is happy.”

“Then I guess I should be grateful that she hasn’t brought him home yet. Fucking red pill moment, man. Thanks for nothing.”

Tadashi’s eyebrows shot up. Now that was bordering on serious toxic territory and he should be treading carefully to not lose a young kid to the red pill agenda. “Why do you think that?”

“Why she didn’t bring him home yet? That’s simple, it’s because I’m still there, ain’t I? If I was out of the picture, she would be happy enough to have the whole house to herself.”

Questions, not statements, Tadashi reminded himself. “Has your mother hinted at taking you out of the picture or given you any signs that made you believe so?”

“I see a whole man in the flesh everyday in front of my apartment building. What more do you need?

“Anything other than that?”

“Well, no. She’s my mom. She won’t just up and leave. She won’t pack me off to some distant boarding school.” Mizoguchi sensei said in a small voice, “She won’t, will she?”

“She has brought you into this world with your father, she has brought you up by herself for the last three years. What do you think?”

“I sure hope not. But… they say women are fickle-minded. They can be easily manipulated by the wrong man.”

“How would you feel if someone said that about your mother? A fickle woman who can’t take care of herself but somehow managed to take care of you and your family just fine?” Tadashi felt bad to resort to invoking family ties to get someone to respect women and not fall into the trap of chauvinistic misogyny, but a moment of crisis called for it.

“My mom wasn’t fickle when my dad was here. All the guys she spoke to knew she was taken.”

“And now that he’s gone and she’s found someone to be happy again, you think it’s all because she has been fickle?”

“Stop saying that! She’s not, okay? She’s been a good mom to me. Everyone around me is constantly reminding me how much she has sacrificed just to take care of me. Believe me, I know.”

Tadashi softened a little and tried to console, “It’s okay to be confused when you think someone can change the relationship you have with your mom.”

“I’m not confused, I’m scared he will make my mom hate me. If they get married, they will probably have kids and won’t love me as much as they’ll love their own kids. I’ll be the bastard son nobody wants. I’ve already lost my dad, I’m afraid I’ll lose my mom too. Shit, you’re making me sound like a total bitch.”

“Wasn’t so bad getting it all out, was it?” Tadashi asked gently. “You don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, nor does your mom. But if she has any plans, I’m sure she’ll be more than happy to share those with you. Seems like you are long overdue for a talk with your mother. All these things you’re afraid of, you should ask her.”

“Yeah, and sound like a sniveling wuss in front of her.”

“She has been changing your diapers for how many years now? I’m sure she has seen worse.”

“You still didn’t answer my question. Can someone love two people at once?”

“In your mom’s case, I think her heart’s big enough to love you, your dad, your family and anyone else she chooses to. She has been loving more than one person for a while now. What do you think?”

“That’s all different kinds of love.”

“No two people are the same. No two relationships can be the same.”

“I guess she looks happy after a long time and I’m sad I couldn’t be the reason for that happiness. I’m probably a painful reminder of dad.”

“Give her some time and talk to her. It’ll be fine.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Mizoguchi sensei turned back around and a round of applause erupted around the class for Tadashi was only one of the two pupils who had managed to finish a conversation. The other being Tsukishima Kei, of course.

And now, not to be dramatic or anything, but Yamaguchi Tadashi, the most tender, most gentle, most sensitive of them all, committed the biggest mistake of his goddamn life. Flowing in the river of heady dopamine arising from a feeling of achievement, he had looked back at Tsukishima.

What was he hoping would happen?

Well, for one, Tadashi was hoping Tsukishima would smile at him. Like he had smiled when it was Tsukishima’s turn. Next, Tadashi was hoping Tsukishima would clap for him, like he had. Then, Tadashi was hoping Tsukishima would give him a standing ovation because honestly, dealing with teens was no joke, and getting a teen to finish a conversation was not any less of a feat, no matter whether the teen was a fully grown teacher in disguise. After this, Tadashi was hoping Tsukishima would be eager to get to know him just as Tadashi was. Following this, Tadashi was hoping Tsukishima and he would become best friends forever and end all the insane rivalries between Seijoh and Shiratorizawa once and for all.

Tadashi was hoping for one goddamn excuse to declare Tsukishima a good Shiratorizawa.

Tsuksihima gave him none.

As Tadashi looked on, he found Tsukishima clapping with a smile, but the claps were slow and deliberate, the smile was a smirk. He was looking straight at Tadashi over the top of his glasses, smirking and clapping slowly, cutting a picture of pure condescension, hoping…

What was Tsukishima hoping for?

Tsukishima was hoping to get a reaction out of him, Tadashi surmised.

He turned his face back to Mizoguchi sensei and tried to focus on the teacher’s words. If Tsukishima was hoping for a reaction, then the least Tadashi could do for his sake and for Seijoh’s sake, was to not give him one.

He vowed silence for the rest of the class hours and even Kindaichi’s meek attempts at making him laugh couldn’t crack him until it was time to meet back up with their housemates.

Tadashi had declared his unwavering hate for Shiratorizawa's Tsukishima very loudly and publicly that day. He had come back to the common room and walked straight up to Oikawa, the one he had been suspecting of foul play for so long. “I fucking hate Shiratorizawa,” he had thundered.

With a sad little smile Oikawa had drawn him between his arms, hugging him close to his chest, his enormous wings wrapping around him, creating a safe space for Tadashi. As Tadashi let himself be engulfed in his senpai’s warmth, Oikawa patted his head softly and said, “Welcome to the club, kiddo. Now you're a true Seijoh.”

***

Chapter Text

“Tadashi!” Oikawa waved to catch his attention across the corridor. Tadashi excused himself from his Nekoma friend Shibayama and made his way to where his Seijoh senpais had gathered. They were on their way to a grueling double period and Tadashi knew he wouldn't be seeing them until later that day. Oikawa placed a hand on his shoulder and peered down at him over his glasses. He asked, “When is your briefing session with you-know-who today?”

Tadashi sighed, “In another half an hour. I'm supposed to meet Nekomata sensei with him.”

“Good,” Oikawa shook him gently by the shoulder. “Chin up, Tada-kun. We're in this together. If he makes one peep, you're coming straight back to us and we're reporting the shit out of Shiratorizawa. Okay?”

In another context, Iwaizumi would have sounded sinister but to Tadashi now, he sounded reassuring when he said, “We'll take care of you.”

“Seijoh doesn't get scared, we scare others, grrrr,” said Hanamaki with a little growl that managed to make them the center of attention for a split second in the corridor.

Matsukawa slapped Hanamaki's back with a sleazy grin, “Yeah, what my tiger here said.” Hanamaki shrugged and one of his wings flicked Matsukawa’s nose with the tip.

Tadashi hoped his senpais would get it together and confess soon. Else, cupids in a situationship sounded like an oxymoron.

“Thanks, guys. I just want to get it over with as quickly as possible.”

“No, no, that’s a mistake. Don’t let him sweet talk you into anything just because you hastily want to get it done with.”

“Make him suffer.”

“Yeah, let him stew in his own shit. Slow and deliberate.”

“Repeat after me: Shiratorizawa bad.”

“Shiratorizawa bad.”

“Aren’t you guys getting late for your class?” Tadashi asked, amused with their antics.

“Pssh, who cares about old Washijo sensei’s class when our darling kouhai is in distress?”

“What distress? Who’s dying?” a grave voice came from behind them. Tadashi wished he had the ability to slink away undetected when he saw the tiny form of Washijo sensei emerge from the back of the corridor with a formidable air.

Oikawa and the others stood up straighter at the sight of the teacher and Tadashi followed suit. “No one, sensei. Sorry about the noise,” Iwaizumi said and hung his head like the rest of them.

“Hm, good. There’s one minute until the bell. If you four want passing grades in old Washijo sensei’s class, then I will find you in your seats by the time I enter the classroom. But who cares, right?”

Various iterations of “no, sir”, “sorry, sir” were heard and soon enough the Seijoh upperclassmen had cleared out of the corridor with a secret parting wink at Tadashi (from Oikawa).

Tadashi didn’t look up until Washijo said, “What’s your name, young man?”

“Yamaguchi Tadashi, sir.”

“Ah, the one who requested for his internship partner to be changed. And what became of that?”

Tadashi gulped nervously. This was a senior faculty member and he took classes of the third year students only. If he knew Tadashi’s name in the first year itself, then that seemed to be very bad news or very good news.

Given the context, Tadashi had no problem guessing it was the former.

“My application got rejected, sir,” Tadashi replied.

“Hm, on one hand I’m glad you tried to take action for something you didn’t like but on the other hand, because of that application, which is, frankly, a stupid plea, you got marked out in the teachers’ rosters for being a potential troublemaker. What do you think of that?”

Yeah, very bad news. Tadashi’s knees threatened to give out under him from how anxious it made him but he managed to say, “I still would have regretted not taking a chance on it, sir.”

Washijo sensei gave him a long and hard look before turning around. “I’ll see you in your third year, Yamaguchi Tadashi,” he said and disappeared round the corner.

With a loud resounding sigh, Tadashi turned around and oh, the horror of horrors, he found the corridor empty except for Tsukishima who had been standing and staring at him for who knew how long. Tsukishima’s big round golden eyes seemed… hurt.

For the first time in a very long time, Tadashi felt genuinely bad for Tsukishima.

“What are you doing here?” Tadashi found himself barking.

Tsukishima’s face morphed into the same cold, smirking face Tadashi had come to hate. “Oh, just sightseeing,” Tsukishima drawled.

Tadashi moved closer so he wouldn’t have to raise his voice, not because he wanted to see those golden eyes sparkle again from up close, “Well, you should be happy now that Washijo sensei has singled me out because of you.”

A handful of students trickled back into the corridor one by one. Instead of widening his eyes and giving Tadashi a much desired glimpse into the sparkling gold, Tsukishima narrowed his eyes and somehow his smirk became a cruel grin. “Oh yes, very happy,” he hissed under his breath. “When a Seijoh is in trouble, Shiratorizawa gets very happy.”

“I hope you're not going to ruin this for me,” Tadashi said guiltily because it's exactly what he planned to do to Tsukishima.

“Scared of me, are you?”

“Scared of me, are you?” Tadashi pulled a face and mocked Tsukishima’s way of speaking. “Spoken like a true scaredy cat. Ooh, who's a good kitty? Not you, because you're insufferable.”

There it was. Tsukishima’s eyes widened suddenly and Tadashi watched the golden spark shimmer in his eyes for just a moment. He realised Tsukishima had been ogling the top of his head for more than just a moment now and asked, while frantically patting down his hair, “What? What is it?”

“Nekomata sensei is here,” Tsukishima said and Tadashi turned around slowly, afraid of having made a fool of himself for the third time this day.

Nekomata sensei was only climbing the stairs at the far end of the corridor and Tadashi stood waiting beside Tsukishima in front of the room where they were supposed to meet the teacher with the rest of the first years in the corridor. “Next time just say that instead of staring off into the distance, you fool.”

“Next time do a better job of being aware of your surroundings, you fool,” Tsukishima shot back. Tadashi couldn’t exactly counter him on that, so he let Tsukishima have the last word for now and made himself believe that he fell silent for the sake of Nekomata sensei’s approaching figure.

“I wonder why he still climbs stairs with his feet rather than just using his wings to fly up the stairs,” Kindaichi made him jump with a whisper. He was with his partner intern Onaga from Fukurodani.

“Maybe his wing bones are weaker than his legs,” Kunimi said from his other side. He was here too with his partner intern Lev from Nekoma. Shibayama was around with his partner, Goshiki from Shiratorizawa. Of course they were, all the first years were supposed to be here.

Tadashi should really quit living in his own world and be more aware of his surroundings.

Nekomata sensei put up a list of student pairs on the classroom door and instructed them to come inside accordingly. The first years filed themselves into a double line and Tadashi and Tsukishima seemed to be the fifth pair in the order, followed by Kunimi and Lev.

“Hey, Tadashi, looking good,” Lev began, once the first pair of students had disappeared into the classroom.

“Hi, thanks, Lev,” Tadashi smiled politely, although wondering what he had done differently today that made Lev compliment him. He had judged this talkative Nekoma too hastily at the beginning of the year, but Lev had become a dear friend soon enough.

With a sly grin that Tadashi had come to be fond of, Lev turned to Tsukishima and said, “You too, Kei, the matching red ears look really cute on the two of you. Partners, for real.”

Tadashi would like to take it back. Lev was a menace to society and should be eliminated swiftly. Kunimi made a disgusted face at him. Kindaichi appeared to be still processing the comment with Onaga pressing his palms down on Kindaichi’s ears to keep him from hearing anything further. Goshiki growled from the end of the line. Shibayama looked at them apologetically beside him, struggling to hold him back.

Kunimi caught Lev by the scruff of his collar and pulled him aside. “Please call us once Tadashi and… him — once they go inside. We’ll be in the empty classroom next door,” he told the next pair who had been standing behind them with alarmed eyes. The pair agreed readily, glad to be rid of the Lev-shaped problem in front of them. The entire school was aware of their beef and wanted no part of it.

Tadashi fell into awkward silence beside Tsukishima, as the other first years around them resumed their small talk. It was not long before the fourth pair of students got their assignments and went out of the classroom, that Tadashi and Tsukishima walked into the classroom and sat down in the twin chairs placed before Nekomata sensei’s desk.

“Ah, Yamaguchi and Tsukishima. Sorry your request didn’t go through, Yamaguchi, looks like the two of you are stuck with each other. Might as well make the best of it, yeah?”

Tadashi made a small nod, hoping to quickly get out of situations where the teachers knew his name for all the wrong reasons.

“Well, at least you don’t have to share accommodations for the summer like most of your classmates have to, since your assigned humans have been gracious enough to agree to putting up one cupid in each of their rooms. That’s the maximum alteration anyone has been able to joust out of the teachers’ council, so be sure to count your lucky stars tonight, yeah?”

Finally, a genuinely good news, thought Tadashi. Tsukishima was also nodding vigorously beside him. Seeing his neck bob up and down like that, Tadashi had the sudden urge to snap it like a twig. Then he remembered the golden spark in Tsukishima’s eyes and decided against acting on his intrusive thoughts. The least Tsukishima could do for Tadashi was to sit there and look good instead of being dead and useless, so Tadashi let him be.

Now, now. Remember, it’s not just Tadashi, but beings of thoughts and feelings in general, that tend to forget their principles in heated moments of passion. Our darling Tadashi has always been regarded as a forward thinking individual. But there are things that test the limits of even the most forward thinking individuals and Tsukishima happened to be just the thing for Tadashi. We will let him off the hook for this one time, yeah?

Nekomata sensei was talking about their assigned humans. A certain Hinata Shouyou had requested the cupids’ help to confess to his crush and a similar request had been filed by a Kageyama Tobio. As fate would have it, it was clear from their applications that they had mutual crushes on each other but the cupid agency’s confidentiality clause prevents them from divulging the information beforehand. So Tadashi was supposed to take up either Hinata or Kageyama’s case while Tsukishima took up the other, working together to make it seem like an organic confession between Hinata and Kageyama.

Sensei then read out Hinata and Kageyama’s character profiles. The former was outgoing, friendly and had an overall cheerful disposition while the latter was far more reserved, determined and somewhat of a perfectionist.

It dawned on Tadashi that this Hinata’s character would be better balanced by Tsukishima holding him back from being too forthcoming and this Kageyama’s character by Tadashi urging him on to make a move.

Naturally, Tadashi said before Tsukishima could come to the same conclusions himself, “I pick Hinata-san.”

“Are you sure?” Nekomata sensei looked up at him and Tadashi nodded quickly. He then asked Tsukishima, “We’ll put you with Kageyama-san, then?”

Tsukishima was frowning. With one fleeting look at Tadashi, a sinister smile spread on his face that sent goosebumps down Tadashi’s arms. “Yes, sensei,” said Tsukishima and looked Tadashi square in the eyes.

He had figured it out, Tadashi realised. Tsukishima was planning to beat him at his own game and Tadashi wasn’t going to have any of it.

“That’s all, then,” Nekomata sensei said. “Send in the next pair, please.”

The two of them bowed and opened the classroom door. Lev and Kunimi were back but they stormed off past them in opposite directions. Out of the corner of his eye, Tadashi could see Lev cackling and Kunimi dragging him inside the classroom, but he was too busy showing off his long strides to Tsukishima should the blond be looking at him. 

He hoped he was looking, this Tsukishima. Tadashi hoped he was looking and regretting making an enemy out of him when Tsukishima could have had a piece of this.

***

Now that Tadashi has come to terms with being paired with Tsukishima Kei from Shiratorizawa, he had to chalk out exactly how Tsukishima was going to fail this project. Oh, he was going to drown Tsukishima so bad. Shiratorizawa will score absolutely the lowest of the low and Tadashi will feel satisfaction wash over his skin. He was willing to perform a sacred ablution at the River of Love if he saw shame written on Tsukishima’s face.

“Is it okay if I suck at the internship project?” Tadashi asked his second year senpai, trusting him to be the least biased of the lot.

“Is this because of your unfortunate pairing with Tsukishima?” Watari raised an eyebrow.

“Sort of,” Tadashi said. “I want to make him suck at it so bad that Shiratorizawa can’t look us in the eye for the next couple of years. But I’m afraid, since this is a paired project, if I make him suffer then I’m going to suffer too. That means our points will go down as a house. I know Oikawa-san will not mind, none of the others will. I’m just here to make —”

“Are you sounding out your conscience with me, Yamaguchi-kun?” Watari smiled kindly down at him. God, Tadashi will do anything for each and every member of this house. “Glad you think of me as the most ethical guy around here. I’ll be glad to let Oikawa-san know that too,” Watari winked. Tadashi wanted to roll his eyes but he held back — Watari wasn’t entirely wrong. The second year laughed and said, “I’m kidding. I guess if that’s what you want to do, go wild. You’re still in your first year, this is the time to fuck shit up. Once you go up the classes, it’ll leave a worse impact on your degree.”

“But,” Tadashi looked down at his feet. He wasn’t really worried about fucking up his degree. In his hands lay the fates of two others beside Tsukishima. That’s what worried him the most. “Will it be fair to the assigned humans who are seeking our help and trusting us?”

Watari smiled even wider. “No wonder Oikawa-san liked you from the first day itself. You’re going to be a fine young man someday, Yamaguchi-kun. I can’t wait to see you then,” and in a surprising turn of events, Watari patted his shoulders and left without answering his questions.

Tadashi stared at Watari’s receding back, unable to figure out the meaning of his words. He grasped at the surface and knew that whatever it was, it made him feel sad. Sad that he was going to jeopardize the lives of two innocent people who had sought his help. Sad that he wasn’t going to do something diligently, the very thing he has wanted to do for so long. His thoughts weighed him down as he set down to pack his bags for the summer he had promised to spend with a Hinata Shouyou.

***

Chapter Text

“Heya!”

Tadashi only caught a glimpse of a fiery streak of orange before it headbutted him square in the chest. With a resounding “Oof!” Tadashi found a head of orange hair and two strong arms squeezing his middle.

“You’re here finally! I have been waiting for you since the dawn of time,” Hinata finally extracted himself off of Tadashi, who had to squint twice before he could make direct eye contact with the sunny kid. Too bright, but not something Tadashi minded.

He felt himself smile involuntarily at the warm greeting. “Hi there,” he said, “Hinata Shouyou?”

“Right here in the flesh, Yamaguchi-san!” Hinata ushered him inside. “Come, have a seat. Well, you can sit on your bed or on your chair, not too many options in a dorm room.”

“So this is how human dorm rooms are!” Tadashi found himself looking around in wonder at the quaint little room packed to the brim with Hinata’s belongings.

Hinata laughed sheepishly. “Yeah, must be such a let down.”

“You fit so many things in this tiny space, that’s incredible!” Tadashi was surprised to find Hinata had left some empty space for him in the closet too.

“Sorry,” Hinata was saying, “I tried to clean as much as I could. Is it too cramped? I can maybe shift some things to Yachi’s room. Or the Miya-sans’ room.”

“No!” Tadashi plopped down on the bed and tested its springiness. “This is so fun.”

Hinata grinned, “I bet.”

Tadashi reclined on the bed with a content smile, relaxing his aching shoulders against the soft mattress. He had been hiding his wings under his back skin for so long on the road and now he was finally here, at his first assignment as a professional cupid.

“Yamaguchi-san?” Hinata asked in a softer voice.

“Yes, Hinata-san?”

“I — I don’t know how to say this but —”

“What is it?” Tadashi propped himself up on his elbows to look at his client. His client. Before whom he had laid down on the bed in the most juvenile manner. Tadashi sat up straighter.

“So, there’s this boy called Kageyama…”

In the next few hours, Hinata and he had dropped the honorifics and behaved as if they’d been buddies and roommates forever, it was that easy to be with him. Tadashi opened his bags, put away his things in their designated spots in the room and took a shower in the common bathroom stalls to freshen up. They were supposed to have lunch together in the canteen hall and take a walk around the campus afterwards.

“Are you ready, are you ready?” Hinata sat like a frog on his bed, ready to jump out of it at the slightest sign from Tadashi.

“Nearly there,” Tadashi mumbled with his face in the pillow across the width of the narrow bed. He laid on his stomach with his bottom half draped on the floor. His large white wings were sprawled across the length of the bed, he was trying to get them as dry as quickly as possible after the shower so he could pull them in under his skin for lunch.

His wings were going to give him back pain during his stay here, Tadashi could already see that.

Tadashi had thought they’d be able to talk more about Kageyama over lunch but as it turned out, Hinata had a bunch of friends and lunch was basically an excuse for him to introduce Tadashi to his group.

“This is Yamaguchi,” Hinata introduced him to a crowd of five — four boys around his age and a girl who looked like she was forced to be here, “the exchange student I was telling you guys about!”

“Ooh, you aren’t as tall as our Aone here!” a short white-haired guy spoke animatedly referring to the other taller white-haired guy among them. The taller guy stood impassively, while the shorter one pointed at Hinata, “You lied, you said he was tall!”

“Well, at least he’s taller than you!” Hinata stuck out his tongue and although Tadashi didn’t know what their beef was with his height, he was suddenly reminded of his Seijoh housemates.

“He is tall enough,” the guy with bleached hair put his weight on an elbow, resting it on Tadashi’s shoulder casually and said, “for me to use as an armrest, see? Hoshiumi can’t even make a good armrest for me.”

“Oh, please, Miya-san, you use the top of my head as an armrest, you can make do with anyone,” Hinata huffed.

Aone, the taller white-haired guy, wordlessly pulled Miya’s arm off his shoulder and nodded apologetically. “Aw, come on, Aone-kun,” Miya said, “I’m sure Yamaguchi doesn’t mind!”

Tadashi only grinned. He didn’t really mind the friendliness after being spoiled with it from Seijoh, but this was a different species, and even though they were related, Tadashi believed in exercising caution.

Another shorter guy with black hair and a blonde streak in the middle, who stood with his arms folded across his chest, turned out to be the only one who felt it necessary to inform Tadashi what they were talking about. “We are just looking forward to our second growth spurt. None of them have hit it, and it has become a concern for Hinata and Hoshiumi.”

“Noya-san, you are one to say,” Hinata narrowed his eyes. “Until last week you were with the two of us. Then we got our heights measured and you suddenly got all high and mighty because you’ve grown two centimeters since last measuring. Two centimeters.”

“I’ve embarked on my journey of the second growth spurt,” Noya closed his eyes and smiled calmly. “I’ve attained zen,” he said like he was in the middle of meditation, “Peace out, bitches.”

Meanwhile, Miya and Aone had a brief conversation with their eyes and defeated, Miya changed the topic of conversation. “Yamaguchi-kun, which school did you say you are from?”

Hinata looked at him, panicking, but Tadashi had his cover story ready. Sendai Cupid Academy taught them to be meticulous about these things. They spoke briefly about his supposed school, his made-up major and his imaginary thrust area while making a beeline for the canteen food. Tadashi would have dropped his serving of pork curry if not for Hinata’s grabby hands when he heard a soft but deep voice behind him, saying, “I hope you have a great summer here, Yamaguchi-kun.”

Poor Tadashi was not ready for Aone to use his voice and his new friends had a good laugh out of it.

They occupied an empty table and Tadashi found himself sitting between Hinata and the quiet girl who had not interacted with them at all for the whole time. She had blonde hair in a ponytail that came down to her shoulders, held back with an elastic with blue stars on it and a cute fringe in the front.

“Yeah, I’m not sure why I hang out with them either,” the girl said and Tadashi suddenly realized he’d been staring for too long.

“Oh’ I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to —”

The girl shook her head and gave him a nervous laugh. “Don’t mind, I was just trying an icebreaker. Nice to have you with us, Yamaguchi-kun. And yes, they’re silly but I do like them.”

Tadashi grinned and several voices cooed around him. The boys had heard her and except Aone, they were feigning various degrees of heartfelt affection.

“Aw, Yacchan loves us,” Miya sang.

“I didn’t say I “love” you,” Yachi was pink in the ears from all the attention.

“We were in the same high school,” Noya said, reminiscing for Tadashi. “If not for Yacchan, I wouldn’t have passed the finals in a single attempt. She was my junior, could you believe that?”

Hoshiumi cocked his head to the side, “This is the eighth time I’m hearing this story, Noya-san. Shouldn’t you be, like, ashamed of it?”

“Everyone has different learning curves. Noya-san is at the top of his tourism management classes now,” Aone said solemnly and Hoshiumi rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, Noya-san is cool and all, I guess.”

“Listen to that, Yacchan, listen to that! All thanks to you,” Noya waved his chopsticks in the air and folded his hands in Yachi's direction.

Hinata smiled through a mouthful of rice and vegetables. “I knew Yachi always had a soft corner for us. She taught me English, you know, Yamaguchi? I could barely string a sentence together in English but Yacchan caught me by the ear and made me practice my “the weather is lovely tonight”s and “how much are these carrots for?”s.”

“So you asked a shopkeeper who only sold bottle gourds the price of carrots because you hadn’t gone through the list of English words for vegetables I gave you,” Yachi struck her forehead.

“Well, I panicked! And I did return home with a nice bottle gourd, didn’t I? My message got through all the same.”

“Oi, Shouyou, look. There goes Kageyama,” Miya said suggestively. “Why don’t you tell Yamaguchi about the boy for whom you learned a special English sentence from Yacchan?”

All six other pairs of eyes turned to look in the direction Miya was pointing. Hinata grew red in the cheeks and locked eyes with Tadashi for a split second, who averted his eyes, not letting on the fact in front of Hinata’s friends that he was here because of “the boy” in the first place. Instead, Tadashi stole glances at Kageyama like the not-meaning-to-pry but appropriately curious new member of a friends’ group.

“Shut up, Miya-san,” Hinata said with no real bite to his words, like he didn’t actually want him to shut up.

“Yeah, shut up, Miya, like Kageyama would ever like him back,” Hoshiumi went back to slurping his soup noisily and Tadashi noticed the slight deflation in Hinata’s eyes.

“I’m telling you, Hinata,” Noya elbowed him in the ribs, “We should ask him to sit with us during lunch. The upperclassmen coddled him so much last year, he didn’t get a chance to befriend anyone else his age. Ever since they passed out, he’s been sitting all by himself. Oof, looking at him makes me miss Asahi-san. Dude designed our current soccer and volleyball jerseys, did you know that, Yamaguchi?”

Hinata mumbled out, “He always looks very content by himself.” Noya and the others didn’t push after that.

Hinata had so many friends. Yet he had chosen to bypass them all and enlist Tadashi’s help, essentially, a stranger’s help with his crush. Tadashi let his eyes sweep around the table, taking in the others’ reaction to Hinata and Kageyama. Miya looked amused but didn’t have any words of encouragement for Hinata. Aone was observing Kageyama’s movements with his regular impassive expression that rarely betrayed any emotion except a patient nonchalance. Yachi looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here. Noya was grinning openly and Hoshiumi was doing everything to be as annoying as possible. There was something amiss in this group of friends and Tadashi needed to be that missing link in order to help Hinata with his crush.

Hoping to resolve that issue at some later point, Tadashi took the opportunity to look at Kageyama. Now, Kageyama was supposed to be every bit as different from Hinata as possible, according to the brief Tadashi had received. The boy was tall with short black hair, and a resting pout on his face as opposed to Hinata’s ever-smiling one. He looked shiftily about him, got his food and a box of milk, and sat down from across them at a lonely table, and never looked up again.

He was alone.

The thought struck Tadashi with a skipped heartbeat, and that was one more than what he would have liked. No golden glow was around Kageyama to outshine his inky demeanour. Tadashi couldn’t help but wonder why. A series of whys plagued his mind one by one.

Why was Kageyama eating alone?

Why hadn’t Tsukishima arrived yet?

Why did Tsukishima get late?

Why didn’t Tsukishima inform him that he might be late?

Why should Tsukishima inform him?

Why was he hoping Tsukishima would inform him?

Why was he thinking about Tsukishima?

Tadashi was grinding down on his food in silence with a hundred frustrating thoughts racing through his mind when a change in his field of vision brought him back to the present. His mind had started wandering while he was still looking at Kageyama, so when Kageyama looked up, the movement interrupted Tadashi’s internal monologue. He was almost afraid that Kageyama would lock eyes with him and start suspecting something. Instead, the black-haired boy’s yearning eyes were fixed on the back of Hinata’s head, giving Tadashi a reason to smile to himself secretly.

Tadashi whipped out his phone to text someone Kageyama reminded him of, albeit different personalities, but the same yearning.

Matsukawa-san, I love being a cupid.

***

“He is scary,” Hinata said and patted down his hair, put on a pout and narrowed his eyes to show Tadashi how Kageyama was. “And he speaks like this: you dumbass, how did you not know this?”

Tadashi roared with laughter.

“And he is all in your face like BARK BARK… Wait, why am I barking?”

Tadashi held on to his stomach. Trying to stop himself from letting out uncouth snorts, he said, “I don’t know, Hinata, I really don’t know.”

“But when it comes to his work and classes, he is so dedicated,” Hinata gushed. “You know, we had a pop quiz last month, he took three sets of extra blank sheets for his calculations! Three sets! That’s like twelve sides. Twelve extra pages for a pop quiz, Yamaguchi, can you believe that?”

Tadashi stopped laughing at that. His eyes grew wide. “What are you saying?” he asked. “Is he a class topper? Are you a class topper, too? Am I going to orchestrate a romance between class toppers and father collective geniuses?”

Hinata could barely contain his ugly cackle. “He failed the quiz, Yamaguchi.”

“WHAT!” Tadashi didn’t want to laugh but looking at Hinata, it was difficult to take him or the quiz seriously.

“I don’t know what to tell you but I failed it too.”

“No, you didn’t!” Tadashi howled.

“I did!” Hinata screeched equally loudly, bending over in another peal of laughter. “It’s okay, though, it doesn’t count in the final evaluations. I just didn’t write twelve extra pages of answers to fail,” tears streaked Hinata’s cheeks.

Tadashi joined him. Hinata was a riot and Tadashi was having trouble not to think of him as a friend.

“I’m sorry you wouldn’t be fathering collective geniuses. But hey, you could be engineering the romance between two average guys, have you thought about it?”

With a grin, Tadashi circled back to what they were talking about. “Tell me more about Kageyama,” he urged Hinata to continue to gauge the sort of relationship Hinata was looking forward to.

“He is adorable.”

“I’m sure,” Tadashi snickered behind his palm.

“And he loves his milk.”

“His milk? His own milk?” Tadashi made a face. He really doubted he could have one serious conversation with Hinata ever again.

“Yamaguchi!” Hinata’s cheeks matched his flaming hair but he was grinning stupidly. “I can’t believe you make such dirty jokes! I thought cupids were supposed to be all pure and innocent. All white and fair and golden, you know?”

An image of a pale boy with golden eyes and golden hair appeared before his eyes but Tadashi swatted at it like he was warding off a mosquito. “Are you making fun of my appearance?” he jested humorously.

“Oh, no, no! You are very pretty. I’m just saying, you are far better than what I thought cupids could be. Almost like a friend.”

Satisfied with the status, Tadashi grinned happily. “What about him gave you butterflies for the first time?”

Hinata tried to think. “Not a single particular moment, really. Sometimes we would just sit together in the classes — I have only two classes with Yachi and the rest of my friends are all my senpai — I mostly sit wherever in the classroom. I’m on good terms with everyone, so there’s never an empty seat by my side!” He realized he had been speaking on a different topic but no information was useless information in Tadashi’s book. Of course he needed to know their class and friendship dynamics. But he didn’t stop Hinata from backtracking. “He absolutely decimated my team in the first volleyball class, we started volleyball pretty late in the year, after covering soccer and hockey. I was out of practice by then. As I was leaving after the match, he came outside and called me by my name, not dumbass or idiot, but my name, mind you. He called me closer and pointed at a cat sitting on the wall, handed me a cat treat and asked if I could feed it.”

“Aww,” Tadashi cooed.

“If you think that’s aww, get this: turns out he loves animals but has no tact approaching them. He had been trying to feed the cat for some time but it always skitters away when he comes near it,” Hinata pouted on behalf of his crush. “He watched us as the cat finished the treat right off my hand! That made me realize, god, he’s so adorable! He can destroy me on the court but just wants to pet animals once he is out of it. He makes me want to convince all the animals on the planet to let him pat them and feed them.”

“Sounds like a very serious case of love,” Tadashi smiled.

Hinata nodded sagely. “Has to be, since I enjoy beating him and hate getting beaten by him in sports but still would like to smooch the pout off his face.”

Tadashi grabbed Hinata’s phone and his finger, unlocked the screen, and got to work.

“I see you’ve already established a texting relationship with him.” He scrolled up to scan through the previous chats quickly. Hinata didn’t stop him and within reason, because they really didn’t talk about anything except practice sessions, sharing notes, missed lectures, exam schedules and the like. At most, they had shared social media clips of games they liked. “So when can we meet your adorable Kageyama-san?” Tadashi tapped on the text box, ready to type out an invitation to an informal date.

“We often use the courts in the evenings for our practice! I was helping out at the children’s sports centre of the school until last week so I didn’t get much time but I know Kageyama swings by the volleyball court regularly.” 

“What are you suggesting?” Tadashi prompted him.

“I mean,” Hinata fumbled slightly. “I could ask him to meet up now for some practice.”

“Good idea,” Tadashi began typing right away. “Hey. Are you free? Up for vb practice now?” he recited. “Is this okay?”

Hinata nodded excitedly, grinning with his bottom lip between his teeth.

“Okay, sent,” Tadashi sat up but immediately bent over the phone again with the sound of an incoming message. “Woah, he’s fast. He said yes!” Tadashi showed the screen to Hinata in joy.

Hinata cheered but fell silent as the phone vibrated again. “Woah,” he echoed Tadashi.

“What is it?” Tadashi continued to hold the phone so the screen would be visible to Hinata only.

“He’s saying he will bring a friend and I should bring you so we can play 2 on 2. Maybe he saw you at the canteen with me, huh? Do you play?”

“Been a while,” Tadashi admitted.

“We could play together if you want. It will be fun, I promise!”

Tadashi mulled on it for ten seconds before nodding a yes, making Hinata cheer even louder. He began to type out an affirmative response quickly but Kageyama’s last text looked fishy. A familiar spirit of competitiveness rose in him; if it was who he guessed it was, then Tadashi would definitely have to be on the winning side of the volleyball pair today.

“Didn’t Noya-san say Kageyama barely has any friends now that the upperclassmen left?”

“Ooh,” Hinata started following his train of thought. “Ask him who this friend is! Have I got competition now?” he started gnawing on his fingernail.

Tadashi sent the follow-up question and showed him the response. “An exchange student. Tsukishima Kei,” the message read.

“So we got exchange students for real, huh?” Hinata put his finger down. “Who knew?”

Tadashi didn’t reply to that. Indeed, who knew that Tsukishima would agree to play volleyball with him?

He wore his best shorts and tshirt, made sure his wings were tucked in nice and snug, and with a rapidly beating heart, set out to conquer the volleyball court with Hinata.

“I’m not that good at it,” Tadashi was rethinking his choices at the doors of the gymnasium.

Hinata looked up at him with huge puppy eyes.

Tadashi bit his lip. He really didn’t want to let down Hinata but he also didn’t want to be another disappointment for Tsukishima to smirk at. With a deep inhale, Tadashi steeled himself. “Fine, let’s go in.” He had summoned all his determination to fling open the doors of the gym and stepped in. For Hinata and Kageyama, he will play average volleyball and embarrass himself in front of Tsukishima.

Hinata walked up to where Kageyama was stretching on the floor. Shyly, he bent down and waved at Kageyama, “Hello, there.”

With a little frown, Kageyama’s head dipped between his knees, allowing Hinata to shamelessly stare at his back and Tadashi to observe this. “Get on with your warm up already,” Kageyama snapped from his position. “We have the gym only for the next two hours.”

Hinata didn’t need to be told twice to join him. He fell in place right beside Kageyama and started off with neck exercises. “This is Yamaguchi Tadashi, the exchange student assigned to my room,” he introduced Tadashi. Kageyama greeted him with a bow and got right back to his stretching before Tadashi could return the greeting. “Where is your friend?” Hinata asked. Tadashi couldn’t say he wasn’t interested in the answer as well.

Now Kageyama sat up and blinked like it had just occurred to him. “I left him at the lockers. He was taking too damn long to change with me in there. Come to think of it, I never heard him out here.”

“Did you just forget your friend at the lockers, Kageyama?” Hinata teased.

“Shut up, dumbass! He probably forgot to come out!”

Hinata grinned. His eyes quickly flitted at Tadashi, who knew exactly what the situation called for before Hinata even knew it himself. “I’ll go see if I can find him,” Tadashi offered and watched with satisfaction as Kageyama looked simply grateful for not having to interrupt his stretching time. Hinata’s mouth formed a small ‘o’ upon realization that Tadashi was letting them spend some time together.

Leaving him to show off his stretches beside Kageyama, Tadashi made his way to the lockers. He didn’t want to think about what he was going to tell Tsukishima when he found him but what he certainly wasn’t expecting was finding his foe fast asleep.

The angelic face was devoid of any malicious intent as Tsukishima slept soundly, his form reclining against one of the lockers. Tadashi had half a mind to leave him be, let him sleep in peace, and another half wanted to watch him sleep. His lips were parted slightly. Tadashi briefly imagined himself swimming in the dip between his collarbones before his eyes swept over Tsukishima’s clothed torso and stopped on his stomach. Tsukishima’s hands were on his stomach, which rose and fell with his peaceful breaths. Tadashi watched them, mesmerized by the way the long arms draped over each other, the sinewy outlines visible over the skin, the joints in the fingers, the twitch of a fingertip…

Tadashi’s eyes darted to meet Tsukishima’s sleepy yet scrutinizing glare. Alas! The enemy was awake.

“What are you doing staring at me?” Tadashi lashed out first before Tsukishima could gather his wits. “Get up. We’ve got a job to do.”

Tsukishima groaned and rubbed his eyes. Tadashi could have melted on the spot but he chose not to by turning away from the sight. Tsukishima wordlessly sidestepped Tadashi and walked into the gym court with Tadashi hot on his heels.

“There you are,” Kageyama wheeled in a cart of volleyballs from the storage closet. “Tsukishima, meet my friend Hinata and his roommate, Yamaguchi.”

Hinata was beaming ear to ear at ‘friend’. He waved excitedly, “Hi, Tsukishima!”

Tsukishima’s nose twitched and for a moment Tadashi was afraid he would snap at Hinata but Tsukishima soon schooled his features into civil ones and bowed to greet them both. In spite of all their differences, Tadashi bowed back.

The game progressed smoothly. They were playing 2-on-2 with Kageyama shouting suggestions and instructions at them both while Hinata shouted words of encouragement. Even though Hinata and Kageyama had figured out their inexpressible feelings for each other, Tadashi recognized the furious competitive spirit the two of them shared. Their personalities might be completely different but they shared the same values and priorities.

This was going to be a good, lasting relationship, Tadashi found himself smiling. He was off in his little bubble. He will admit he had spaced out imagining Hinata and Kageyama laughing and running off into the sunset together.

And gods be good, Tsukishima’s spike landed the ball straight at his chest. He saw Tsukishima’s eyes blow up in alarm but Yamaguchi stumbled back only to catch his balance just in time. The ball bounced back to Hinata following a suitable trajectory and the two of them even scored a point off the rally. As soon as the adrenaline from winning the rally subsided, Tadashi actually felt the wind get knocked out of his chest and sat down in the middle of the court, clutching the front of his shirt.

“Shit, did you break anything?” Tsukishima was the first one to dash over and hold his arm. “Are you okay? You’ve got to be more careful, shit.”

Tadashi wanted to curse him. Something at the back of his mind told him that Tsukishima had not intentionally spiked the ball at his chest but a phantom vision of Tsukishima in Shiratorizawa colors clouded his judgment.

Of course, it was just like a Shiratorizawa scumbag to hurt an unsuspecting Seijoh. Yamaguchi needed to be more careful, indeed. Oh, these fake sympathies!

Kageyama too had come running, instead of chasing after the ball that rolled away from the court. Yamaguchi thought that counted for something, judging by what Hinata told him about Kageyama’s obsessive passion for the game. He pulled up Yamaguchi’s shirt unceremoniously to inspect the impact, while Hinata rushed in to hold down the back of his shirt, remembering the stubs of his wings. Tadashi was eternally grateful, although he could possibly die from the way he was under clinical observation from a pair of golden eyes he would rather have on him for other purposes than this.

For recognizing his good work, that is, Tadashi corrected his running thoughts but felt himself grow warm in the face all the same.

“I don’t think he has broken anything,” Kageyama prodded the spot where an angry red splotch was beginning to form. “He wouldn’t have been so quiet if he had.” He told Tadashi, “You’re going to have a nasty bruise, though. Wait, I’ll get the spray. The gym’s first-aid kit should have it.”

“I’m fine, guys,” Tadashi said but Kageyama sprinted off to find the first-aid kit without even stopping to hear him out. Tadashi stood up and gestured towards the gym doors, “I just need to catch some air, please. You all continue.”

“I’ll come with you,” Hinata declared. Tadashi was about to protest but Kageyama had come back with the spray and spoke up before he could.

“Okay,” the black-haired boy nodded and handed the spray to Hinata. “Can you take him to the infirmary and get him checked out just in case? I’ll close up here with Tsukishima and meet you guys.”

“You don’t have to stop playing,” even Tadashi felt bad dragging Hinata and Kageyama out of the court on his account. This was the first time he had been able to get them together like this since Tsukishima and he had arrived. He hated being the reason behind their time being cut short.

His empathy wavered slightly when Kageyama blinked at him like he was stupid or something. “It’s the end of our slot,” he pointed at the clock mounted on the far wall of the gym. “We’ll have to close up anyway.”

The infirmary was close by, very conveniently placed between the gymnasium and the sports field, for the greater number of injuries must come in from these two sites. The nurse did some preliminary checks and handed him an ice pack and plastic bowl for the water when it melted, warning him to not catch a cold off it, before sending them off on their way.

“I’m sorry,” Tadashi mumbled once they were out again in the evening air.

Hinata led him to one of the benches at the edge of the sports field. “For what?”

Tadashi thought Hinata was trying to sound cheerful for his sake. He wanted to admit his fault in private to Hinata, no matter how much he would have liked to blame it on Tsukishima. “I wasn’t paying attention to the game. And this,” Tadashi pointed at his chest, “cut your time short with Kageyama.”

“Our slot was ending, you heard the man,” Hinata sat him down on the bench.

“Well, you sound awfully happy about it,” Tadashi laughed but winced immediately.

Hinata plopped down beside him with a grin. “You’re the cupid between us, Yamaguchi!” He reminded him in an urgent whisper. “Think of it this way. If you hadn’t got hurt, Kageyama wouldn’t have a reason to meet up with us after the game, you know? I doubt we would’ve found a more suitable excuse than this.”

Tadashi playfully hit Hinata on the arm. “You little devil! I know now, you were wishing for some divine intervention and Tsukishima just delivered with the Hand of God.”

“A soccer reference for volleyball, you’re jumping genres, Yamaguchi,” Hinata giggled.

“Wait, do they know where to come?”

“Preferably not inside without protection,” Hinata said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

“Oh my God, Hinata!” Tadashi wanted to cackle but settled for a broad smile instead. “Shut up!”

“I texted Kageyama,” Hinata stomped excitedly on the grass. “Another reason to text him!”

Tadashi leant back with a happy sigh. “I’m glad my injury has benefited you.”

Hinata stuck out his tongue and grew serious once again. “Are you going to ice your chest or dunk yourself in the water once it has melted?”

“It’s too cold to put it on my chest directly,” Tadashi held up the ice pack with precipitation already dripping down its side.

“We usually take off our shirts, wrap it up and press it down. But your wings…”

Hinata and Tadashi thought of the same thing at the same time. You could see it on their faces — the absolutely matching shit-eating grins being mirrored as Hinata stood up quietly.

“Well, I wouldn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable in any way, Hinata-san,” Tadashi was saying as he thrust his hand into his pocket, hoping he had brought everything.

“You would be doing me a favour, Yamaguchi-san. All I need is an excuse,” Hinata said and began to take off his shirt.

Tadashi got out a roll of papers and looked for the right one. He handed it to Hinata in exchange for his shirt, “Okay, just give this a quick read and sign at the bottom.” When Hinata frowned, Tadashi said apologetically, “I know we’re friends and we just talked about it. But I’m still someone you hired for a service. We have consent forms for all these things. Just cupid formalities for everyone to feel safe no matter what.”

Hinata smiled and nodded. “That makes sense. Love that you carry them around on you all the time.” He scanned the paper quickly and signed at the bottom. “Will you get Kageyama to sign something since he’ll be seeing me half naked and all?”

With an impish grin, Tadashi put the paper back in his pocket. “No, that’s on you. You just signed that you discarded your garment on your volition and will handle any and all repercussions.”

“Yeah, I can read,” Hinata handed him his jersey for the ice pack. “I’m impressed, you guys are really thorough.”

Tadashi shrugged, “When you’re meddling with people’s love lives professionally, you have to be.”

Tadashi wrapped the jersey around the ice pack, pushed it under his t-shirt and pressed it down on his chest. The throbbing had dulled by the time Tsukishima turned up with Kageyama, though there was still half the ice to go, much to Hinata’s relief.

“What are you doing, idiot?” Kageyama’s voice could be heard from the gym doors itself as he speed-walked towards him with Tsukishima in tow. “Why don’t you have a shirt on?”

Hinata shared a quick look of mischief with Tadashi and stood up. He hollered back, “Yamaguchi’s ice was too cold.”

In the evening light, Kageyama appeared with the characteristic pout on his face, and Tsukishima followed him silently. Both of them lugged two gym bags each. Tadashi saw Kageyama had picked up Hinata’s. The fanfare of the matchmaker’s joy erupted in his right brain but his left brain rained on his parade by deducing that Tsukishima had his bag.

“Oh, you got the ice. Good, it will help with the swelling.” Kageyama finished his pleasantries with Yamaguchi and turned to Hinata. Tadashi was sure both of these idiots were blushing and were thankful for the darkness all around them. “Are you sure you aren’t cold?”

“I’m a strong man, Kageyama. Don’t worry about me.” Hinata flexed his bicep muscles for no apparent reason and Tadashi would have facepalmed if he could do so inconspicuously.

Kageyama set down his bags and rummaged through the one that looked like his, as he said, “Strong men should take extra good care of themselves so that they can stay strong for long. Here, wear this for now.” He handed Hinata a spare shirt.

Hinata, embarrassingly, took a long sniff of the garment and exclaimed, “It smells so good!”

“It’s just detergent,” Kageyama said with a laugh and sat down on the grass near Tadashi’s feet.

Hinata pulled on the shirt over his head and sat down beside him. “Detergent? I love detergent. Which one do you use?”

Tadashi secretly shook his head and left them to themselves. Hinata would be able to make conversations by himself, he believed, the boy just needed to be set up and he could take it from there.

In his peripheral vision, he saw Tsukishima sit down beside him on the bench. He tore his gaze off Hinata and Kageyama and looked out in the distance. Students were strolling about the pathway around the field. The blades of grass shone in the first moonlight of the evening. A dog was chasing fireflies in the field. Tall black trees stood guard farther away. There was no stupid rivalry between school houses here. Shiratorizawa and Seijoh seemed like a different universe. Of course, it was a different universe. They were in the human world which had its human problems; they were only visiting for a short while. Once they were back in their cupid world, they would invariably go back to their squabbles and fights. This evening would seem like a long dream. A long dream he would have trouble waking up from for the first few days. Then it'll slowly ebb away from his memories. He will replace the emptiness with something else — another internship, another assignment, another partner…

Tadashi became aware of the heaviness in his heart.

“They will be fine.”

It occurred to him that it was the first time Tsukishima was speaking to him since they had come to the human world. Tadashi wished he could lock away the memory of this sweet velveteen voice in a small time capsule as a reminder of the one time Tsukishima and he weren’t shouting at each other.

“Yes,” Tadashi savoured the presence at his side for the time being. “They will be fine.”

There was some comfort in the silence — the acknowledgement he had craved from Tsukishima once, the need for it was back. But Tadashi knew better now. So he folded it gently like a bed sheet and placed it deep back into his heart and locked it in.

He gazed at the moon and felt Tsukishima by his side do the same.

At night, Tadashi tossed and turned in his bed. He picked up his phone and texted Hanamaki.

Makki-san, I saw the moon today. It was beautiful.

***

Chapter Text

“Okay, so here’s how it will go…”

Tadashi had figured out how best to get Hinata and Kageyama close to each other naturally. The solution lay in getting them together in physical proximity and then leaving it on Hinata to take it from there. It would have been even better to get Tsukishima on board to coordinate the exact timings and locations. Tadashi had his contact too, but he couldn’t bring himself to be the first to text. So beating around the bush until they hit the bird will have to do.

“Are you sure they’ll pass from here?” Tadashi whispered as he hid behind the wall in the west wing of the school building.

“Like I said, ninety-eight percent,” Hinata whispered back, hiding beside him.

“Where did the other two percent go?”

“Well, there’s a fifty percent chance they might have the class with this other professor, whose classroom is in the east wing.”

Tadashi gave Hinata a look. “That’s not how percentage works.”

“I don’t care how it works!”

“You probably should, you need to pass on your next exams! It’s not that hard, look —”

“There’s Kageyama! What do we do, Yamaguchi, what do we do?”

“Oh, well,” Tadashi straightened up and ignored the curious looks they were getting. “Pretend like you’ve been meaning to walk down this corridor. Like you have a class to get to,” he took a few steps back. “And keep your eyes on me, okay? Don’t look until I give a cue.”

“What do I talk about?”

“Anything you like.”

“I don’t remember what I like.”

“Figure it out!” Tadashi shouted in a whisper and schooled his features into a less anxious and more polite one. “Here we go, you ready?”

Hinata gulped and nodded, “Yeah.”

With long strides, they marched off. Hinata babbled beside him as Tadashi peered from the corner of his eyes to see if either Kageyama or Tsukishima had noticed them. Once he had caught Tsukishima’s eye, Tadashi knew he had set the plan in motion to unfold by itself so he could turn his attention fully towards Hinata to make it seem more believable.

“I mean, I know seventy-five percent means one-third of the whole but that doesn’t mean —”

Tadashi wished he hadn’t paid attention.

“What do you mean seventy-five percent is — what!” he got too invested in the string of words he heard from Hinata’s mouth, so much so that he forgot to give Hinata his cue. 

They had almost passed Kageyama when Tsukishima took it upon himself to fix the debacle. “Oh, hello, Yamaguchi-kun, Hinata-kun,” Tsukishima bowed slightly in passing. Hearing him, Kageyama looked up and so did Hinata get his cue.

He stood in the middle of the corridor mid-stride, “Hello, Tsukishima-kun! Oh, hi Kageyama! Your class this way?”

“Yeah,” Kageyama scrunched up his eyebrows as he looked back over his shoulders. “Aren’t you getting late for class? Why are you here? You should be in the east wing!”

“Oh, we’re just passing by,” Hinata waved and resumed his brisk walk. “Good to see you, bye!”

“Bye,” Tadashi said as well and fell in beside his human.

“Whew,” Hinata held on to his chest and exhaled. “How was my acting, Yamaguchi? Wasn’t it good, huh?”

“Yeah — did you just say seventy-five percent means one-third of the whole?”

“I was panicking, Yamaguchi!” Hinata grabbed his hand and started running across the field to the east wing. “We’re really going to be late if you’re going to be up in my ass about seventy-five percent.”

Tadashi huffed as he was forced to run along. He wished he didn’t have to hide his wings at times like this. “But tell me how much is seventy-five percent in fractions!”

“I can’t believe you’re trying to teach me something even Yacchan couldn’t,” Hinata grunted.

“How did you pass high school maths?”

“I don’t know, oh, hi Miya-san!” Hinata called as they passed Atsumu, who looked amused to see them struggling to get to class on time while he waited for his gym class to start.

As soon as they entered the classroom, the teacher looked up at them with a stack of papers in his hand. Shit, Tadashi thought, they were late and screwed.

“Sorry, sensei,” they bowed apologetically.

“Corrupting the new kid already? Lucky for the two of you, I haven’t distributed the quiz sheets yet,” Takeda sensei, their Japanese literature teacher, said.

Hinata sighed, “Pop quiz? Again?”

“I know you love it,” Takeda sensei said with a hearty laugh. “Take your seats.”

Yachi hissed at them from the side, “Where have you two been all this time? I’ve been calling your phone, Hinata!”

“Sorry,” Hinata slipped into his seat without another word and Tadashi followed.

By the end of the class, Hinata was slumped over his quiz, Tadashi was mulling over two answers he wasn’t certain of, Yachi was done with hers and looking at them with an exhausted expression.

The bell rang soon and they had to hand in their papers. Before they could leave the classroom, Takeda sensei told Hinata, “Ukai-san wants to see you in his office quickly before you go for lunch.”

The walk was brisk and short. Students milled toward the opposite direction, heading to the canteen for lunch. The stink of the general dampness of the shirts of summer rose in the corridors. Tadashi could only smell cleaner air once the corridors were empty again.

Yachi and Tadashi waited outside the office as Hinata spoke to Ukai-san. Tadashi took this chance to pry in the friends’ circle.

“Noya-san said he went to the same high school as you,” he opened the discussion.

“Yeah,” Yachi looked startled for a moment but slowly grew into the conversation. “Hinata, Noya-san and I went to the same high school as some of our senpais who have passed out.”

There was that senpai business again.

“You are the only friend Hinata has in his year,” he said.

“Good observation,” Yachi smiled sadly. “I don’t think he has noticed that yet.”

“You’ll have each other,” Tadashi promised. “Both of you are popular among your classmates, who knows, you might even grow closer to them!”

“Yeah, no, that didn’t happen when the senpais left last year, it’s not going to happen now either.”

“Oh yeah, I remember Miya-san saying something about Kageyama and the senpais,” he gently nudged Yachi in the direction of conversation he was interested in. “Or was it Noya-san?”

“Noya-san, yes,” Yachi rolled and unrolled the hanging bit of the adjustable shoulder strap of her backpack. “Miya-san doesn’t like to talk about it.”

Tadashi stayed silent, it seemed like a personal territory for these friends. He wanted to know what had happened with the senpais but he didn’t want to ask about it and make Yachi uncomfortable. If she wanted him to know, she would share with him, he believed.

True to his hunches, Yachi resumed speaking. “You probably don’t know this. Our senpais were very nice to us. We were very close. Suga-san and Daichi-san treated Kageyama like a little brother, Noya-san was in love with Asahi-san, Atsumu-san was even in a relationship with Kita-san,” she said bitterly. “I mean, I guess they still are, but it’s not the same really. Kita-san went back to his family home, which is like a couple hundred kilometers away. But Noya-san never got to confess and Atsumu-san can’t cope with not being around Kita-san twenty-four hours a day. There was Aran-san, too; he, the Miya twins, Kita-san and Suna-san were inseparable. Atsumu-san still has his friends and his twin on campus, but he’s never really been the same. Poor thing.”

“That’s rough,” was all he could say. This was not the way he was expecting to learn of Atsumu Miya having a twin on campus. Yet Tadashi marched on. “What about Hoshiumi-san and Aone-san?”

Yachi sighed, “Hoshiumi-san is a mess. He doesn’t look like it, I know, but he is. He has this huge crush on his classmate, Hirugami-san, you know? But he won’t act on it seeing what happened to Noya-san and Atsumu-san. He won’t let Hinata act on Kageyama either. And Aone-san has something going on with Futakuchi-san from his class but you know the guy, he won’t tell us anything about it.”

Slowly, all the pieces were falling in their place. “And you?”

“Me?” Yachi looked away, the tip of her ears a glaring red. “I’m good, I stay away from all this mess.”

“If you say so.” Yamaguchi wished he could hug Yachi but they were right in front of a teacher’s office and their friendship hadn’t been to the physically affectionate territory yet.

“Look, I want to help Hinata and Kageyama, I really do,” Yachi said once she regained her composure. “But I don't know how.”

Tadashi rested his head against the wall. “You can see the connection between them, right? They'll be fine. You're a good friend, Yacchan, all your friends will be fine.”

Yachi smiled. “Yeah, I hope so. They make me laugh.”

Tadashi spoke before he could stop himself, “Even when it feels like there is little to no reason left to do so?”

Yachi turned to meet his eyes. Tadashi noted the sadness in her dewy eyes. This girl had loved and lost, his instincts screamed. Slowly, Yachi nodded.

They stood in silence until they heard shuffling inside and out came Hinata.

“All good?” Tadashi asked when Hinata looked confused at their sight.

“Yeah, but why are the two of you still here? Dude, have you seen the time? Lunch will be over in five minutes!”

“Oh, shit!” Yachi took off before Hinata and Tadashi did. “I completely forgot about lunch. There won’t be anything left in the canteen this late!” 

“Yeah, I thought I would grab something from your plates. Looks like all three of us are going hungry at this point.”

They rushed inside the canteen hall and made a dash for the plates and the food stands. The lone server waved them to the soup and rice counters.

“Sorry, guys,” she said as she ladled miso soup into their bowls, “This is all we’ve got left. Got held up in class?”

“Yeah, woah, you had fried chicken today?” Hinata pouted as he scooped rice onto his plate and looked at the labels in front of the other counters.

The server nodded. “Don’t be late for dinner, there’ll be kakiage tonight!”

“Okay!” Hinata beamed in front of the server but as they walked away from the stands towards their seats in the empty hall, he whispered, “Bless her heart, she wants to make up for chicken with kakiage vegetables.”

Yachi snickered, “She doesn’t know that you worship the meat-god.”

“Oh, dear god of meat, please grant me one piece of free meat today, please.”

“Hey, Hinata! Yachi-san! Yamaguchi-san!”

“Woah, am I hearing things or does the god of meat have Kageyama’s voice?”

Yachi bumped Hinata's shoulder with hers. “Look, it is Kageyama.”

Kageyama scooted to the end of the bench he was sitting at and patted the space beside. Tsukishima, sitting on the opposite bench facing him, did the same. Tadashi bit the inside of his cheek because who gave Tsukishima the permission to look so cute with his mouth full on one side?

“Oh my god, holy shit, so it is!” Hinata swore under his breath. “This is divine ordinance.”

It really did feel like one when Hinata and Yachi slid comfortably next to Kageyama and the only space left for Tadashi was beside Tsukishima.

“Is that all that was left for you?” Tsukishima eyed his plate.

“Yeah, she said we could have more rice and soup if we wanted,” Tadashi replied without looking at him.

“Here,” a portion of chicken landed on his plate from the side.

“What — why? What are you doing? Eat your own chicken, damn it!”

Tsukishima shrugged, “I’ve got enough.” He shoved a helping of rice in his mouth and mumbled in a low voice, “Don’t create a scene here.”

On the other side of the table, Hinata was squealing with joy. “My prayers have been answered,” he punched the air and that extracted a little laugh out of Kageyama even. Both Tsukishima and Kageyama contributed to Yachi’s plate and together they had divided two portions of chicken into five for everyone at the table.

The chicken went into Tadashi’s mouth all the same but he crushed and ground the meat to mush between his teeth before swallowing. Our sweet Tadashi was blaming himself for not being able to come up with the idea of a shared lunch. He couldn’t believe he just served up the idea to Tsukishima in silverware with how easy it must have been for the blond cupid to come up with it once he saw Tadashi and Yachi arriving late with Hinata. Tadashi should have been the first to suggest it. He shouldn’t have let a Shiratorizawa take credit for a coincidence he made happen.

Tadashi was fuming by the time Tsukishima spoke again.

“How’s your chest?” he asked good-naturedly.

“Is fine,” Tadashi mumbled.

“Good. It would’ve been weird to have you die from a volleyball spike to the chest.”

“Volleyball is a relatively safe sport,” Kageyama added helpfully. “But I guess people could really die if their opponents tried hard enough.”

“Seems like you weren’t trying hard enough, Tsukishima,” Tadashi said through a tight smile.

A glint shone in Tsukishima’s golden eyes. “I could give it a try tomorrow, what do you say?”

“Bring it on,” said Tadashi.

“Do you play too, Yachi-san?” Tsukishima asked.

“Haha, no,” Yachi waved him off. “I have work to catch up to rather than watch you idiots jump around a ball. No offence, Tsukishima-san.”

“The cart we use for practice has many balls,” Kageyama said with a straight face.

Yachi laughed, “I’d prefer to watch no balls, Kageyama, thank you.”

Hinata stomped and threw up his hands between them, laughing as well. “Some of us are still eating, you guys are so gross!”

By the moment the next evening rolled in, Tadashi was up and ready at the gym, practicing his receives with Hinata.

“What has got into you?” Hinata asked between pants.

“Nothing,” Tadashi huffed. “I don’t want to take another ball to the chest.”

“Yeah,” Hinata rolled his eyes. “More like, you took the last one to heart.”

Tadashi only grunted in reply. If only they were allowed to fly during volleyball, he would’ve shown Tsukishima who’s the boss.

Think of the devil and Tsukishima entered the gym with Kageyama in tow and stared directly at Tadashi. A sinister smile spread across his face and Tadashi gulped, wondering how someone could look so evil and hot in the same breath.

“Ooh, they’re practising so hard, look, King, I’m so scared,” Tsukishima said and for a moment, Tadashi was caught off-guard.

Kageyama barked back immediately, “Don’t call me that, Stingyshima!”

As much as jealousy burned his insides, because let’s be clear, Tadashi likes nicknames too, okay? Now, as much as jealousy burned his insides, Tadashi caught the glimpse of a silver lining and latched onto it.

“Trouble in paradise?” It was his turn to smirk. His initial idea of their personalities clashing so much that they fail as a unit seemed to be finding shape.

“You wish,” Tsukishima brushed past him and followed Kageyama to the lockers, leaving them alone for the time being.

Hinata’s eyes were as wide as saucers. “What is going on between you and him?” he said with emphasis. “I can feel the heat from here!”

“It’s all good. All going according to plan.”

“And how is that? How is you fighting with Kageyama’s roommate going to help me win Kageyama over?”

“Just need to settle a score with him,” Tadashi bounced on the balls of his feet and hyped up himself. “You with me or nah?”

“Petty revenge,” grinned Hinata. “I love it, hell yeah!”

Maybe this was why Hinata needed help with romance. Anyone with a sense of self preservation would have stopped Tadashi, but Hinata, like a true bro, offered to charge headfirst into his friend’s battle.

Kageyama and Tsukishima returned and together, the four of them began the warm-up exercises.

“What’s the point of you doing warm-ups now?” Tsukishima teased.

“Yeah, Hinata looked warm enough when we entered,” Kageyama carried on with his stretches nonchalantly.

Hinata did look warm enough now. “Y-yeah,” he stammered. “Better stay on guard, Bakageyama. I might burn you!”

“Shut up, boke.”

Great, now everyone had nicknames for everyone and Tadashi was just a big old loser.

So, Tadashi naturally called them, “Okay, losers, let’s get the ball rolling.”

Once the match began, Tadashi took deep breaths. He was unnaturally revved up, Hinata was right, and he knew Tsukishima would exploit it. The blond would get on his nerves even more until Tadashi was an angry puddle of useless lava in his hands.

There was no going back. Tadashi was going to tear him apart. Verbally and physically. Okay, not as much physically as possible — then Tadashi would feel really bad. Okay, nothing too provocative or personal verbally, either. That would be low.

It was so hard to be a bad person. What a buzzkill!

Tadashi just settled for a booming shout when he scored off his surprise float serve and screamed, “Take that!” at Tsukishima’s pretty face.

Pretty? Well, objectively, a pretty face. Tadashi had decided he was mature enough to appreciate beauty for beauty’s sake. Go, Oscar Wilde!

The game proceeded well enough, and even though Tadashi and Hinata won the first game, Tadashi was not letting loose. Hinata was having too much fun egging him on and Kageyama communicated lesser than ever with Tsukishima.

Chink in the armour found.

But what they lacked in communication, Kageyama and Tsukishima made up for it in height and technique. And what Hinata and Tadashi lacked there, they made up for it with stealth and speed.

“What are you doing, Stingyshima?” Kageyama got frustrated on the court. “I set that ball well within your reach. Why didn’t you jump higher?”

“No way we’re winning from here, King. What’s the use?”

“Giving it our best is the use!” Kageyama stomped. “It’s like you’re handing the points to Yamaguchi because he is angry at you. Wait, is that your way of pacifying him after teasing him yesterday?”

Tsukishima looked away and Tadashi’s chest suddenly felt very empty. It was as if all the mass there had shrunk into a ball and rolled away, leaving behind just a husk of skin.

What was that supposed to mean?

Sharp pulses flew straight from the hollow of his chest to his brain.

“You’re a fucking idiot, Tsukishima,” Kageyama continued to pelt him with words. “You thought he’d be happy winning a game off you like that? It’s like you’re undermining their abilities as a team.”

Only, his words were capable of cutting Tadashi deeper than they could cut Tsukishima.

“I’m not, okay?” Tsukishima threaded his fingers together and cracked the joints nervously. “I just, you — you are being insufferable, you know? All this high and mighty behavior. You set the ball high because you seem to know how far I’ll be able to reach. Why? I might not be feeling up to it today. Have you ever thought of it that way?”

It was strange. Tsukishima accused Kageyama as if they had been playing together for a long time and Kageyama was still studying him wrong. Kageyama called out Tsukishima’s behavior like he had known the blond to act up like this. The prompt identification of each other’s problems would have appeared out of place to Tadashi if he had not been so busy brooding over that one part where Kageyama said Tsukishima was taking it easy on him to let him win.

“Okay, then maybe we should change teams and you should be with Yamaguchi since you are so eager to help him win,” Kageyama was saying.

Tadashi snapped back to reality and found three pairs of eyes on him. “I’d really hate that.”

“Then I’d rather not play anymore today,” Kageyama picked up the ball and began to walk away.

Hinata looked around cluelessly, crestfallen that their volleyball time with Kageyama had been cut short by this ugly fight. Tadashi felt bad for himself as well as his friend, who had been so hopeful on the arrival of a cupid. Hinata had trusted him with this one job. Hinata had called him a friend. Hinata had jumped in because Tadashi had a bone to pick with Tsukishima. Tadashi might be petty but he was not a deserter.

“Fine,” he called after Kageyama, who stopped in his tracks immediately. “I’ll team up with Tsukishima. Don’t go off like that.”

Hinata looked even more confused than before. “Yamaguchi, you don’t have to. Guys, we can meet up some other day after we’ve all taken some rest and cleared our minds.”

Tsukishima, meanwhile, had already circled around the net and crossed over to Tadashi’s side. Kageyama too came back readily and tugged at Hinata’s sleeve with a cute little pout.

Tadashi melted just a bit inside and tried to be the bigger person, for Hinata’s sake. “It’s fine,” he scoffed and glared at the cupid who had every reason to be glared at.

Hinata couldn’t turn down Kageyama’s puppy eyes anymore and reluctantly went over to the other side of the court.

“Thank you,” Tsukishima whispered while Kageyama discussed strategies with Hinata.

“The nerve you’ve got — wait, eh?”

Tsukishima blinked innocently. “I thought you saw through our plan and relented.”

Tadashi could only gawk at him, speechless.

“Seriously? You really just forgave me and agreed to this without knowing anything?”

“What the fuck am I supposed to know? This is the first time you’re talking to me about any plan!”

“Kageyama and I set that up!” Tsukishima said, urgently, eyeing Hinata and Kageyama on the other side. “To get them to play together!”

“What?” Tadashi was relieved and angry at the same time. “Couldn’t you have done it like a normal person? Just ask to change teams, oh my fucking god, you fucking blond idiot.”

Tsukishima chuckled at that. “That’s a new one,” he said. “Well, we weren’t exactly on talking terms and Kageyama doesn’t know about you. Would’ve been weird to just ask you to switch with Kageyama.”

Tadashi wanted to laugh and punch him at the same time. “I’m sure there is a nicer way to do this than what you just did to me. It really did hurt in the moment, you know? I know I’m a weak player, you didn’t have to rub it in my face like that.”

“You’re not a weak player, don’t say that. And I’m sorry. I really am. I’ll make it up to you, I promise,” Tsukishima really did sound apologetic. Hinata and Kageyama were done with their discussions too, it seemed, so Tadashi let it be for the time being.

With much of the burden relieved, Tadashi’s anger slowly evaporated and he was laughing and smiling around no matter how many points they scored or lost. He was playing with Tsukishima now, not against him — the thought made him feel a special kind of stupid infatuation growing inside. He couldn’t completely believe the explanation Tsukishima had given him yet, but it had made it easier to be around him. Tadashi, in the deepest core of his heart, had never really wanted to believe that Tsukishima could bear all the evil Shiratorizawa qualities. Now he was once again warming up to that idea.

His growing easiness reflected in Hinata too. He had still been on the fence about continuing the game at first but when he saw Tadashi’s good-humored demeanor, Hinata was having the time of his life, too, teaming up with Kageyama, plotting against Tadashi and Tsukishima and scoring off of Kageyama’s perfect sets.

Especially when after the game Kageyama apologized to him and repeated the same explanation Tsukishima had given him once Hinata was out of earshot, Tadashi was over the moon with joy. Secretly. He couldn’t let Tsukishima know that yet but he was willing to be more open-minded about him.

As they returned to the dorm building, Tsukishima fell in step beside him with his hands in his pockets and a pair of headphones around his neck. Hinata and Kageyama were walking together a few paces ahead of them. “Look,” Tsukishima said in a low voice. “I know we started out on the wrong foot but would it be so bad to work together?”

Tadashi’s ears grew warm in the cool air of the evening and he hoped it was dark enough for Tsukishima to not notice them going red. “I don’t know, you tell me,” he said non-committedly. “What you did today was bad enough, in my opinion.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t thinking much. If you’d only talk to me properly when we see each other so people don’t automatically assume us strangers even after being here for so long.”

“Ridiculous,” Tadashi rolled his eyes and moved towards the edge of the path, putting more space between them. To think he had almost believed the good-natured front Tsukishima was putting up. No way Tsukishima was making it out to be his fault alone —

“Yes, yes, it is my fault, I agree,” Tsukishima sighed and looked up at the evening sky. “These two obviously like each other. This project doesn’t have to be hard, Yamaguchi. The rivalry between our houses is getting between them.”

When Tadashi didn’t reply, Tsukishima mumbled, “At least, let me text or call you in advance if I have planned something for Kageyama?”

Tadashi shrugged. “You had my number from the project brief all along. You could’ve made contact if you really wanted to.”

“I could have. So could you.” Tsukishima turned his head away from the stars above to look Tadashi in the eye. “I’m sorry, I was mad at you. For provoking me and getting provoked so easily. I was unreasonably mad at you and I also couldn’t accept the fact that if I had asked you to be on my team for the game, you might have turned me down. I didn’t want to be the one to text first and then get humiliated.”

Tadashi was taken aback at how heartfelt he sounded. Was this what they called gaslighting behavior? Shiratorizawa manipulation tactics to confuse him?

For better or for worse, Tadashi blurted out, “You really are a blond idiot.”

Tsukishima took a hand out of his pocket and hid his mouth with it to laugh. Tadashi could only see the sides of his closed eyes crinkled, his nose scrunched up, his forehead smooth and plain and a clear sound of laughter ringing through the evening. He imagined removing Tsukishima’s hand to look at his mouth. Tadashi thought it would be surreal to watch Tsukishima laugh uninhibited some day. Some day, for sure.

“And you’re —” Tsukishima began and then paused to look at Tadashi’s hair, “What color is your hair? It’s brownish now but I swear I have seen it reflect green in the morning light at times.”

Tsukishima had taken notice of his hair, not on one singular occasion but on multiple occasions by the sound of it. Tadashi found his heart racing.

“It is both, I guess. Sort of olive, maybe?”

Tsukishima nodded diligently. “Olive is correct. You are then, an olive idiot.”

It caught Tadashi so off-guard, he cackled a very loud cackle that made Hinata and Kageyama stop and turn around at the entrance of the dorm building. Tadashi tried to school his features back to normal but a small smile kept hanging off the corner of his lips and he had given up trying to wipe it off. His first nickname here. Olive idiot. He turned and twirled it around in his head as they walked the rest of the way in silence. It was endearing, especially the way Tsukishima had peered down at his hair to check the color for himself. Cute.

As Tadashi and Tsukishima neared, Kageyama gave them an amused look.

“Have you two made up already?” Hinata asked excitedly.

“Have we?” Tsukishima asked Tadashi.

“We are getting there,” Tadashi nodded.

“We are getting there,” Tsukishima parroted back to Hinata, who found it hilarious. They began to climb the stairs up to their respective dorm rooms.

“Well then,” Kageyama stopped before Hinata’s dorm room door. “We’ll see you guys around.”

Hinata swung back and forth on the balls of his feet. “Yeah,” he mumbled miserably.

Kageyama looked in the distance where Tsukishima had already reached the end of the long hallway where Kageyama’s room was. He was waiting for Kageyama to come and unlock the door to let them in. Kageyama looked like he was about to suggest something but then he thought better of it and settled for a “hmph”. With a small wave of his hand, he walked away.

Tadashi glowered at Hinata meaningfully and it was a solid second before the puzzle clicked in his dear friend’s mind.

“Oi Kageyama,” Hinata hollered. “When are you two coming down to the canteen hall for dinner?”

Tadashi heaved a sigh of relief. Yeah, Hinata will do just fine.

What won't do fine is the way he wished Tsukishima would talk to him at dinner and when he did, Tadashi jumped into it, like an eager little puppy.

That night as he lay on his stomach with his wings spread across the width of the narrow bed, he thought over the events of the evening and shot one of his Seijoh senpais a short text.

Iwaizumi-san, people at Seijoh still love me, right?

***

Chapter Text

Kageyama and Tsukishima had finally met all of Hinata’s very large group of friends and now that Tadashi looked around himself at the lunch table, there were eight people talking over each other on at least four different topics of conversation.

No, Tadashi got that wrong. Seven people around him were squawking like unruly chickens while Aone sat in their midst, grunting and huffing occasionally.

Yachi, always the perceptive one, leant in and whispered, “This is just one brawl away from becoming a fish market.”

Tsukishima leant in from his other side and added his two cents, “I think it has already become one, Yachi-san.” He pointed with his fork at the way Kageyama and Atsumu were arguing over setting techniques. “How long will it take before they get physical?”

“They won’t,” Tadashi wasn’t very convinced of his opinion that they won’t, but he trusted Aone to have everything under control when it came to his friends.

“Aw, look at you being all aware of our dynamics, Yamaguchi,” Noya butted in, having overheard their conversation. “Aren’t you lucky to be part of the popular group at your exchange school?”

“People outside the travel and sports circles barely know your name. People in my graphic designing classes don’t know you,” Yachi checked him. “You’re not in high school anymore.”

“Ah,” Noya sighed dreamily. “High school was fun. Remember how you used to get scared around big guys like Aone and Tsukishima here? Huh? Good old Noya-san came to your rescue then.”

Yachi snorted, “Yeah, I was scared of Asahi-san, then Asahi-san was scared of scaring me, and it was a never-ending cycle.”

Noya wilted a little and looked at his spoon intently. “I spoke to Asahi-san the other day.”

“Yeah? How is he doing?” Yachi treaded carefully, suddenly aware that it was she who brought him up.

“Fine, he’s doing quite fine.” He circled the edge of his plate with his spoon. “Told him I was going on a trip to Okinawa next weekend, he didn’t say anything about meeting up or something.”

“He’s in Okinawa now?”

Noya nodded and dropped his spoon back on his plate with a clatter. He rose from his seat and waved around the table, “Okay, guys, I’ve got a report to submit now. See you later.”

“Asking Asahi-san to come meet him over the weekend would’ve solved a lot of his problems,” Tadashi wondered.

Yachi grinned apologetically and got her phone out of her pocket. “I might have had something to do with Asahi-san’s silence.” She pulled up a chat and held her phone in front of Tadashi, “Look. Asahi-san is planning a surprise for him!”

Tadashi gasped behind his hand. Yachi had literally bullied Asahi over text into making a move when Asahi had come moping to her about his supposedly unrequited crush on Noya.

“I know right?” Yachi locked her screen and put it back. “I got inspired by you,” she said in a small, shy voice. “I saw a chance and took it.”

“Good job, I’m so proud of you,” Tadashi shared a secret high five with her under the table. “Now just gotta wait until the weekend and let Asahi-san’s plan unfold without any hitches.”

“Manifesting.” Yachi crossed her fingers. “I hope Noya-san doesn’t do anything stupid by then, like, you know, canceling the trip or something.”

“Is he prone to do it?” Tadashi frowned.

“Not that I know of,” Yachi shrugged. “I hope I didn’t jinx it by saying it out loud.”

Jinxed it was what Yachi did, she believed it firmly, when Noya came up to her on the following Friday night during dinner and announced that he was thinking of dropping his name from the Okinawa group conducting a walking tour of the island for tourists.

“Noya-san, please,” she begged in front of all their friends. “I swear you’ll have fun on this trip.”

“I have fun on all the trips, Yacchan, it’s nothing new. I’m thinking of chilling in my dorm room this weekend.”

“But won’t you get course credits for going on this trip?”

Noya dismissed the thought, “I will make up for it somehow.”

“What if they don’t let you?”

“I’ll think of it as a mental health day and try not to think of it.”

“And that would defeat the purpose of a mental health day,” Atsumu said while stuffing his face with his share of the onigiri his twin brother had made for his friends. Osamu, his brother, and Suna, his other friend, never sat with them; they had their own little group of friends they hung out with but time and again, Osamu dropped by to say hi, he made a new flavour of onigiri today that he’d like them to taste.

Being a perennially hungry bunch of people, they really liked Osamu.

“Like you know about being mentally healthy,” Hoshiumi shot back.

“Well,” Atsumu gulped down his food and licked his fingers. “My brother makes good food and I try the binge-eating method.”

“You should go to Okinawa regardless,” Tsukishima said and everybody turned to look at him. It wasn’t very usual for Tsukishima to say something for everyone’s hearing, so when he did, everyone paid attention. “People you are upset with can be anywhere in the world, Noya-san. But that doesn’t mean you should start avoiding entire cities and countries out of the fear of coming across them. That would be a really cowardly act.”

“What did you just say?” Noya sat up.

Tadashi nudged Tsukishima with his knee under the table, hoping Tsukishima would quit provoking him. Everyone knew Noya’s obsession with being a “manly man”, prodding him there would be akin to gambling with your life.

Tsukishima reassured him with a pat on his knee. Tadashi’s feet curled inside his shoe but let us focus on the events above the table. “Asahi-san might be in Okinawa today, but tomorrow he might be back in Tokyo. What will you do then? I heard he designed the jerseys for the school’s sports teams. What if the school calls him in to design, I don’t know, school merch that you will have to distribute among the tourists you look after. What will you do then?”

“You’ve got some nerve,” Noya sighed and slumped back into his seat again. “Manly men need some chances to wuss out too, you know?”

“That is correct,” Aone spoke and Tadashi jumped at the sound of his voice like he always did. “You will get your chance to wuss out at times, Nishinoya. We just don’t think this is the chance you should take.”

Noya looked around the table to study the rest of their expressions. “I hate you guys,” he said after a while. “Guess I’ll go throw in a pair of shorts or two. I didn’t even pack.”

“Pack some nice shirts too, you’ll want to take pictures,” Yachi called from behind.

Noya flipped her off.

“Too much?” Yachi asked Tadashi.

“Too much,” Tadashi agreed. “You almost gave yourself away.”

Hinata’s phone rang early in the morning. Tadashi didn’t even bother to open his eyes and just turned the other way as Hinata blearily looked at his phone and accepted the call.

“Hi, Noya-san. What’s up?”

“It’s a video call, Hinata, stop showing me your damn ear,” Noya’s voice crackled from the phone speaker. Confused, Hinata moved the phone away from his ear and Tadashi sat up on his bed immediately, with his mouth half open, his hair a crow’s nest, his wings askew.

“There, better. Is Yamaguchi awake too? Wake him up while I add the others to the call.”

“Yeah, I’ll get him,” Hinata quickly tapped to switch off the camera and muted the mic. “Hurry up,” he hissed at Tadashi.

Tadashi groaned and cracked his joints as he began to pull his wings under.

“Okay, that’s everyone, I’m guessing,” Noya’s voice returned. “Turn your camera on, Hinata.”

“Come on,” Hinata patted his bed. Tadashi padded over, trusting the camera wouldn’t catch the tufts of wings that were still sticking out of his back. “Here we are!” Hinata turned on the camera.

“Well. I hate ALL of you!” Noya yelled at them. And then he moved to let the camera capture the big looming guy behind him. “You knew about this and none of you thought of telling me a word,” Noya was smiling so wide, it was hard to believe he was upset about it.

Tadashi’s eyes went to the small tile on the phone that showed the screen Kageyama and Tsukishima were sharing. So that’s how Tsukishima looks in bed, he kept the thought to himself.

The big guy with his hair in a bun waved at them with a shy smile. Yachi was the first to greet him. “Hi, Asahi-san, I hope you’re happy watching us get screwed over like this for you.”

“Thanks for all the help, Yachi. And you guys, too. Thank you,” Asahi told them in a small voice.

“We made new friends, Asahi! Look, that’s Yamaguchi with Hinata and that's Tsukishima with Kageyama. They’re this year’s exchange students.”

“We get exchange students?” Asahi frowned at that and Tadashi could feel himself sweating. But Asahi dismissed the thought as none of his business and greeted them, “Hi guys, hope everyone is taking good care of you two.”

Hinata slung an arm around Tadashi’s neck and pulled him closer, essentially in a chokehold, “We are!”

Kageyama looked at Tsukishima, confused if he should do the same as Hinata. Tsukishima moved away with a disgusted look on his face and only his voice could be heard, threatening Kageyama off screen, “I’ll chop off your hands if you even try.”

“Gnarly,” said Atsumu as the rest of them laughed. Osamu’s sleepy face popped up behind him, gave a small wave and disappeared once again. “Oh, look, Hoshiumi has already gone back to sleep,” he laughed while Tadashi yearned for sleep even more after seeing Hoshiumi snore on the call. His head had been on Hinata’s shoulder since the chokehold and now he was even finding it comfortable enough.

“Oh shit, it really is too early for you guys.”

Randomly, Tadashi thought he would be a very willing hostage. He might even have Stockholm syndrome and grow to be friends with his kidnapper.

“Yeah, they do not roam the halls in the wee hours of the morning, pretending to be the ghost of a kid,” Asahi quipped.

Tadashi only bristled a little when he dimly heard Aone speak. “Have fun with Asahi-san, Nishinoya.”

“Yes, I have an hour before I need to meet my school group and get the tourists.” He grabbed Asahi's bicep and poked it. “Let me catch up with this guy meanwhile.”

“Okay, Noya-san, I should go too,” Hinata turned the camera on Tadashi. “Yamaguchi is kinda heavy, he's sleeping on my shoulder, isn't he?”

“‘M ‘wake,” Tadashi mumbled without opening his eyes.

The others laughed. Noya peered into the screen, “What is he smiling about?”

 “What are you smiling about?” Hinata asked him.

Tadashi mumbled something again and he didn’t even register the words coming out of his mouth. Everything grew very cozily quiet around him. Satisfied with the silent ambience, he went out like a light.

When he awoke again, he found himself stretched haphazardly in his own bed rather than in Hinata’s where he had fallen asleep. Hinata was already dressed for breakfast and their first round of classes. He gazed after Tadashi warily as he flitted about his morning activities. Tadashi didn’t pay him attention at first, but the lack of the regular optimistic cheerful aura that Hinata usually emitted freaked him out slowly.

“Is something wrong?” Tadashi asked as they neared the canteen hall.

Hinata continued to look at his shoes. “I’m not sure.”

“What do you mean you’re not sure?” So long Tadashi had been suspecting that he had pissed off Hinata in some way. Now Tadashi’s brain was coming up with the deathly silence from the morning video call and he was starting to freak out for a completely different reason.

“I don’t know what to say, Yamaguchi!” Hinata held the door open for him as they entered the canteen.

“I fucked up something, didn’t I?” Tadashi picked up a plate and gingerly took a banana and two slices of bread. “I remember I was completely out of it towards the end of the call. Oh shit, did I say something to Tsukishima in front of everyone?” he wondered aloud.

Hinata scowled, “Why is that your first thought?” He led them to the table where Yachi, Kageyama and Tsukishima were sitting. “Tsukishima wasn’t even in the call any more than Osamu-san was.”

Tadashi could care less about it at the moment “So?” he demanded but was interrupted by the rest of their friends who had spotted them.

“There you are,” Kageyama scooted aside once they were in clear view. “Atsumu-san and Aone-san just left.” Kageyama and Tsukishima were sitting together so there was space for only one person to sit comfortably beside them. Tadashi left it for Hinata and took the seat next to Yachi.

“Is Hinata giving you shit already?” Yachi asked sympathetically.

“He doesn’t remember what he did, can you believe that?”

Tsukishima nodded. “I doubt he would’ve said such a thing if he was in his senses.”

“Tell me! What did I do?” Tadashi cried. His heart was beating wildly in his chest by now.

“You told Noya-san, “Love looks good on you.” Very poetic for a sleepyhead.” Tsukishima stated flatly.

Tadashi blinked. “I said what?” Tsukishima was about to repeat himself but Tadashi waved him off, “That was a rhetorical question. Are you guys sure I said that to Noya-san particularly? Could've been anybody else, you know? Maybe I said that to Hoshiumi-san for his love of sleep. Could be the lyrics of the most obscure song you've never heard of. None of you could come up with an excuse?”

“You very specifically said, “Love looks good on you, Noya-san,” and very conveniently you conked out right after,” Yachi reiterated their point. “So no, you didn’t leave any room for excuses.”

For the rest of the day, Tadashi was left to stew in the mess of his own making. With the number of times he slumped over his desk throughout the day, Hinata had to put a hand under his forehead so he wouldn't hit it too hard against the desk.

The one good thing about his day was when Tsukishima messaged him to discuss seating plans for the next class they had together. They agreed that Tsukishima and Kageyama should keep the seats next to them and it was time for Hinata to sit beside Kageyama and to know that Kageyama had been the one to reserve the seat for him, it was no accident.

“You okay?” Tsukishima’s next message asked.

“I've been better.”

“Wait until we hear from Noya-san again, your plan might have just worked. If it backfires, then you can beat yourself up.”

“Way to make me feel better about it.”

“The powers of Shiratorizawa.”

For the first time in his life, Tadashi laughed at the mention of Shiratorizawa. Though he wrote, “Manifesting that it won't work on a Seijoh,” Tadashi would like to admit secretly that even if nothing did, Tsukishima’s charm would never fail to work on him.

Just as they were entering the classroom, Tadashi saw Tsukishima snatch something away from Kageyama’s hands, a paper, and shove it inside his pocket. It was a consent form, similar to the one he had made Hinata fill up. It probably stated that Tsukishima wasn't forcing Kageyama to share his space with Hinata and that he was doing it consciously and consensually of his own volition. Good for Tsukishima, Tadashi was yet to break the news to Hinata.

“Oh, look!” Tadashi pretended as if he didn't know anything. “Kageyama has kept a seat, the seat right next to him!”

Hinata nudged him conspiratorily, “Looks like Tsukishima has done the same for you, huh?”

“Maybe he wants to give me another bruise,” Tadashi wished he could voluntarily stop red blood cells from holding a conference in his face.

“Maybe around the neck this time,” Hinata stuck his tongue out.

“Death by strangulation!” Tadashi exclaimed. “I thought we were friends, Hinata!”

Hinata barked out a laugh in reply, “Oh my god, Yamaguchi, I was talking about love bites!”

“Why are you talking about love bites with Yamaguchi when I kept the window seat for you?” 

Tadashi couldn’t believe his ears. He halted in the middle of the aisle between the pairs of seats and judging by the lack of movement in his peripheral vision, Hinata too had a similar reaction. Kageyama rose from his seat and stood aside for Hinata to sidle in. He looked brazenly proud of himself, like, if Tadashi had a measuring tape and could measure the width of Kageyama’s chest without coming off as a creep before and after Kageyama decided to rizz up Hinata, Tadashi was sure there’d be a noticeable difference.

“Whatever the fuck just happened?” Hinata was undeniably happy about it.

“I believe we’ve now entered the rizz-off phase, Hinata. Get in and don’t talk to me until you’ve come up with a line like that.”

Hinata didn’t need to be told twice. He took his seat and as soon as Kageyama was seated beside him, he began an animated conversation and Kageyama looked more than happy to listen to him.

“Sorry, no window seat for you,” Tsukishima pointed at the bare wall beside him.

“It’s alright,” Tadashi laughed. “Who needs a window when I have you for the view?”

Tsukishima raised his eyebrows and Tadashi scratched the back of his itchy ear. “I should put that down somewhere,” he tried to cover it up. “Hinata might be able to use it in the future.”

“Yeah, you should do that.”

There was a hint of a smile on Tsukishima’s lips but Tadashi didn’t want to get ahead of himself.

“I’m so proud of him,” Tsukishima said quietly as Tadashi sat down beside him. “I don’t want to be, but I am.”

Tadashi said begrudgingly, “You’ve taught him well.”

“All I’ve taught him is, “No, King, you can’t propose marriage to Hinata right away”,” Tsukishima chuckled behind his palm. “Guess you chose our assigned humans correctly after all. Kageyama knows what he wants, but he is hasty, he thinks people around him will also be on the same level. I did my best to hold him back and make him slow down with the approach.”

“And Hinata is eager but also a worrywart. I gave him the push he needs.”

Tsukishima nodded. “I remember you being the encouraging sort from Mizoguchi-sensei’s class. It all worked out.”

Mizoguchi-sensei’s class, the one where Tadashi had first felt slighted by Tsukishima. Anger began to bubble under his skin. How dare Tsukishima bring it up now! Now when Tadashi thought they had put aside their differences from the cupid academy and had silently agreed to work together for Hinata and Kageyama’s sakes?

This is why he never completely fell for Tsukishima’s front. Shiratorizawa was a vile house that spawned the vilest of cupids, Tadashi agreed.

Before he could say anything however, the teacher entered. All through the class, with a Shiratorizawa sitting beside him, Tadashi simmered. He smiled through their post-class pleasantries, pretended like nothing had happened, hung about Hinata and went to bed with a silent promise to avenge himself.

Kunimi, Tadashi had texted before letting sleep dull his anger, Seijoh was right about Shiratorizawa.

***

The morning brought Noya back from Okinawa who found it in himself to come straight to Hinata and Tadashi’s room and bang on their door.

“Shit, Noya-san is back,” Hinata jumped out of his bed and shook Tadashi by the shoulders. “Are you awake enough?”

Tadashi didn’t need to be reminded of the last day’s blunder. He had already begun to draw in his wings quickly, steeling himself for the storm that was about to come.

“Hinata, wake up! Yamaguchi!”

“Coming! Done yet?” Hinata ran up to the door.

Tadashi pressed himself flat against the headboard and gave him the green light. The feathers of his wings were still pricking his back but he was fine. This was fine.

“Noya-san!” Hinata opened the door and smiled brightly.

“Morning!” Noya burst into their room. “Guess what happened.”

“What?” Tadashi asked with a tremor in his voice.

“So after you said The Thing…” Noya turned to Tadashi who had drawn the sheets up to his chin like Noya really was the kid ghost Asahi had been speaking of.

“The Thing,” Hinata echoed.

“I'm really sorry about that, Noya-san.”

“You should be. Because when you said it,” Noya paused for dramatic effect. “Asahi wasn't even listening, so you're good.”

“And you didn't feel like telling me about it over the two days I've been worrying myself to death?” Tadashi sat up and pulled down the covers.

“Nope.”

“Okay, I did deserve that.”

“Anyway, so you got me thinking about how I really, really wanted him to hear you say that. You know, I really wanted him to have a hint of how much I love him.”

“And?” Tadashi finally got out of bed.

“So…” Noya craned his neck.

“So?” Hinata mimicked him.

“So?” Tadashi joined in just for the heck of it.

“I TOLD HIM!”

“YOU DID WHAT?” Tadashi was too excited to stop himself even though he had heard Noya the first time.

“I TOLD HIM!”

“YOU DID WHAAAAT?” Hinata sang to match Tadashi.

“I TOLD HIM!”

Kageyama barged into the room and Tadashi just realised they hadn't locked the door. “What is wrong with you guys early in the fuck o'clock?” Kageyama growled but Noya yelled louder.

“I TOLD HIM, KAGEYAMA!”

“One more time and I'm calling the Dean,” someone yelled and banged the wall they shared with one of the rooms on the floor.

“Sorry, guys!” Noya yelled back. “My crush just told me he likes me back!”

Another round of cheers erupted inside the room. Hinata and Tadashi hugged Noya and jumped around the room in circles while Kageyama laughed at the sight of them. “Yeah, we're done, I swear,” Noya said again.

“Whatever. Congratulations. Now pipe down,” the voice replied.

Tsukishima finally entered the room and closed the door behind himself. He was cleaning his glasses with the end of his t-shirt and if Tadashi looked closely, he could see twin tents under the hunched over back of the t-shirt Tsukishima was wearing.

“Give us the deets,” Hinata patted his bed for Noya to sit and pointed at Tadashi's bed and the chair for the rest of them. Nobody really followed his latter directions and that was how they found out that Hinata’s bed could actually support the weight and breadth of five grown men sitting in it.

As it turned out, after the awkward call was over, and Noya saw that Asahi hadn’t heard anything when he did want Asahi to overhear, Noya told Asahi point blank that he had liked him for a long time. He told him how he had been scared to come to terms with his feelings as he didn’t want to stand in the way of either of their careers nor set himself up for a rough heartbreak. But keeping it inside was more difficult.

Surprisingly (only surprising for Noya, however), Asahi confessed too. He wasn’t scared like Noya was, though. He had been planning to take out Noya for breakfast and confess then but seeing as that part was over, they ordered in instead in Asahi's hotel room to talk it out between themselves. They cuddled and kissed and had a brief date night in Okinawa the next day when Noya was off the clock. Noya hadn't been off his screen since he left Okinawa; they'd been texting continuously and agreed to go on another date once Asahi was back in Tokyo. Noya was already fantasizing about taking Asahi to visit the top destinations on his list. Tadashi suspected he had a detailed plan of a honeymoon he wasn’t telling them about.

“Woah, Noya-san,” Hinata laid his head on Noya’s shoulder and said dreamily, “You’re officially dating now!”

“I am, ain’t I?” Noya laid his cheek against Hinata’s head. “I am dating Asahi. Unbelievable.”

Seeing them like that tugged at Tadashi’s heart. He missed Seijoh and the academy. He missed the way Oikawa and Hanamaki would be affectionate with him, the way Iwaizumi and Matsukawa would muss up his hair, the way Watari’s company would calm him down, the way Kyoutani and Yahaba’s fights would keep them entertained, the way Kunimi and Kindaichi would back him up during his fights with Tsukishima.

If only Hinata and Kageyama knew how evil Tsukishima was. The tall, lanky, pale guy sitting amongst them, pretending he was interested in the goodness of people.

Maybe they were better off not knowing.

Getting them together was Tadashi’s main objective now. He would cooperate with Tsukishima to that end. But outside of that, Tadashi couldn’t promise anything.

Kyoutani-san, why does it feel so heavy?

***

Chapter Text

The summer festival of the university was near. Each of the years of each department had to do something or the other. Some would put up stalls, some would organise day-long programmes, some would run contests, some would attend the dignitaries.

Much to Tadashi’s delight, Hinata’s motion for the first years to run a butler café had been approved by the majority of the sports management class who were all too eager to compete over how many customers they could draw in with their toned figures in butler uniforms. He was particularly proud of planting the idea in Hinata’s head, filling it with images of Kageyama in crisp white shirt, long black tail coat and a black tie. Hinata was specifically hung up on the black tie. When they went to shop for their wardrobes, he insisted Kageyama should wear the ribbon tie — Tadashi had filed this little information for Kageyama’s future reference. Even Yachi was looking forward to dressing up in her all-black butler suit for the day.

“You won’t need the whole class to sign consent forms for making them wear butler suits, right?” Tsukishima checked with Tadashi as they sat together in Kageyama’s room to finish their paperwork for the internship quickly before Hinata and Kageyama returned from the festival preparations. They were away from the preparations under the guise of getting the suits and clothes to their rooms from the place where they were being rented from. Tadashi had gone to fetch the butler suits while Tsukishima got the matching shirts with puffy sleeves and pants with billowy legs they had decided to wear to help the butlers in the café. The task was done pretty early in the morning with the discreet use of their wings that just made everything faster. Against Tadashi’s will, he needed to sit with Tsukishima and get through their paperwork, making sure their details tally with each other when they finally had to submit them once they got back.

Tsukishima was sitting in what Tadashi assumed was his bed and Tadashi was sitting in the chair adjacent to the other empty bed, presumably Kageyama’s. Their room had an austere quality about it compared to Hinata and Tadashi’s chaotic tidiness, he noticed. It was very much what he had imagined Tsukishima’s living space would be in tune to his white and golden aura, but also not, because Tsukishima was evil and his room should be dripping in shades of green and purple. 

Tadashi was civil about it. “No,” he replied. “Hinata pitched it. Who told you it was my idea?”

Well, as civil as he could be given the circumstances.

Tsukishima only raised an eyebrow and went back to his documents. Once he had gone through all of his share, “Here, give me some of yours. I’m done with mine.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m perfectly capable of finishing my documentation, thank you.”

“I know that,” Tsukishima rose from the bed and walked over to where Tadashi sat watching him from the corner of his eyes and sweating under his tshirt. Tsukishima grasped his hand gently with his incredibly long fingers and made him stop his scribbling. “Hinata and Kageyama will be done any minute now. That’s why I just want to help and get this over with quickly.”

Tadashi swatted his hand away. “You don’t have to worry about it.”

“Why are you behaving —” Tsukishima was interrupted by the ringtone of his phone. Making an annoyed tut between his tongue and teeth, he made his way across the room to where his phone lay. “Yeah?” he answered the call.

“Okay, we’ll be there in ten?” he looked at Tadashi for confirmation who had the grace of rolling his eyes and going back to his work. “Yeah, ten minutes or so. No, we’re nearly there at the dorms, just gonna drop off your suits and leave.” He ended the call.

Tadashi didn’t give him the pleasure of his presence being acknowledged. He thought Tsukishima would again try to strike up a conversation with him, maybe he even hoped, but Tsukishima busied himself with arranging his finished documents back into their places inside the several folders and binders he possessed. Tadashi shook his head to stop noting details of Tsukishima’s private life and focused on the last leg of his work. Tsukishima put on his headphones and scrolled on his phone probably to listen to degenerate music. Not the cool kind of degenerate, the bad kind. Yeah, Tsukishima listens to AI music, Tadashi decided.

Done with his paperwork, Tadashi arranged them into a neat stack and rose to wordlessly open the door of Kageyama’s room and headed to Hinata’s. He stuffed them into the one fat folder he used for his documents and put it back inside his luggage where he kept his seldom-used belongings, which slotted neatly underneath his bed. As he stood up, he found Tsukishima lurking at the door with his phone in hand that Tadashi had left in Kageyama’s room.

Finding no other stern alternative to saying a “Thank you,” Tadashi accepted the phone. Tsukishima gave him a single nod and made for the stairs. Tadashi locked the room behind them and followed.

The silence that hung over them was awkward tonight.

None of them made an effort to break it either. A small voice gnawed at the back of Tadashi’s head — it told him that he was always looking for the worst in Tsukishima. But he silenced that voice with the memory of Mizoguchi-sensei’s first class, of the humiliation on the volleyball court, of the numerous spats back at the academy. Just because Tsukishima spoke to him normally after coming to help Kageyama and Hinata, it didn’t negate the fact that his speech and actions had hurt Tadashi.

In turn, Tadashi had also hurt him.

The thought made Tadashi sad over dinner. The dinner table was quieter than usual — guys from the other years were busy with their peers, Yachi was still designing the poster on her phone with one hand and eating with the other, Hinata and Kageyama were hungry and tired from lugging around chairs and tables and putting up decorations all day. Tsukishima didn’t take off his headphones.

If they were kids, they would have had several physical altercations by now and would have steered clear of each other if not become friends once it was out of their system. But they were adults and most of the adult fights were fought in their minds.

Once in their room, Hinata closed the door behind them and grabbed Tadashi by the shoulders. “What happened?” he looked Tadashi straight in the eye.

“What?” Tadashi blinked, feigning confusion. “Nothing. What are you going on about?”

“Don’t try to fool me,” Hinata narrowed his eyes. “I know The Big Sad when I see it. Hell, I’ve got friends with The Big Sad, remember?”

Tadashi rolled his eyes. “I’m not pining after anyone.”

“I’m not talking about just anyone. I know for a fact that you’re not pining after Aone-san. You jump every time he speaks.”

Tadashi pursed his lips to stop himself from laughing at the memories. “He’s a very good man.”

“He’s my friend, of course he’s a very good man. All my friends are very good men.”

“Even Yachi?”

“She is an honorary good man. A very good woman, okay?” he shook Tadashi by the shoulders. “You’re trying to distract me, ugh! You need to admit to yourself that you’re pining after —” Hinata trailed off.

“After?” The sadness had turned to bitterness.

Hinata looked somewhat sheepish. “I mean I know he kinda insulted you on the court that day. But it feels like he did that to be close to you? Look, I’m confused, okay? I was ready to hate him with you after that day but then I saw you get closer to him. Now you’re pissed off all over again. I don’t understand. Do we hate him or not?”

“I don’t know!” Tadashi cried. “I hate him for making me feel this way.”

“Say his name.”

“No!” Tadashi stomped his feet like a child.

“Say his name, Yamaguchi.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Say his fucking name!’

Tadashi was taken aback by the event of Hinata swearing at him. “Tsukishima Kei,” he mumbled.

“Good,” Hinata steered him to his bed and sat him down. “Now tell me what you’re feeling about him.”

“He’s infuriating.” Tadashi let out his wings and laid down on his bed. “He’s a jerk.”

“So we hate him?” Hinata prompted.

“He apologized for the thing at the court.” Tadashi tried not to give false impressions and yet maintain Tsukishima’s cover in front of Hinata. “He noticed I was trying to get you and Kageyama together so that was his ploy to get the two of you to play on the same team.”

Hinata looked surprised and pleased. “Well, that’s a weird way of going about it but I’m touched. Not for you. I’m angry for you. So, why are you confused?”

Tadashi picked at his feathers. “We fight at times. But then he tries to be nice to me. That pisses me off.”

“Again, weird logic, but okay. You’re tired of getting mixed signals from him. What else? I mean, that is enough to throw anyone for a loop. Anything else on your mind?”

Tadashi thought about how Seijoh would react if they ever got to know that he had even considered Tsukishima as a potential crush. The thought made him shudder. Seijoh was like his family, he loved his family and it would suck big time to let them down. And over what? A brilliant blond cupid with long legs and golden eyes and an attitude problem specifically towards Tadashi?

So Tadashi closed his eyes, turned on his side and said, “No, that’s all.”

“Well, then. Just talk to him.”

“What?”

Hinata sighed and struck his forehead. “Can’t believe I’m telling the cupid to communicate.”

When Tadashi didn't reply, Hinata rose and made his way to his own bed. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Hinata fluff up his pillow, straighten the sheets, get into his bed and switch off the lights with his bedside switch.

Tadashi laid there like he had been lying so far. When you see phantom images of golden eyes fluttering about you like a hundred fireflies, wilful movement becomes truly difficult, I suppose. Our Tadashi laid in the pool of his thoughts, submerged and wondering off-handedly if drowning will solve his problems.

“I thought Kageyama was an idiot bully at first,” Hinata said in the dark. “He scowls and shouts way too loud for anyone to take him seriously.”

Tadashi’s feathers rustled against the sheets as he turned and twisted to align better with the length of the bed. He listened as Hinata went on.

“Then I saw the softer sides of him. I saw how he was when he was with the people close to him. I mean Daichi-san and Suga-san were sensible people, you know? Why would they dote on a bully without any redeeming qualities?”

Why did Tsukishima not get into serious trouble with anyone from Nekoma or Fukurodani or even a hothead like Kageyama?

“And Kageyama began to ease up too when I started talking to him. And well, call me biased, but his burning passion for volleyball and his cute polite demeanor when you actually talk to him instead of trying to pick a fight was, well, attractive.”

He would miss Tsukishima. That night at the bench near the sports field — those days sharing the same seats in class and in the canteen.

Long cool fingers touched Tadashi on the knee. His hand shot out to make a grab for it but all he could touch was emptiness. The emptiness he was going to feel either way if he had to make a difficult choice.

“I knew I liked him. Remember the cat feeding thing I told you about? When he trusted me with the treat, I wished he would do the same over and over again. I wished cats would never like him so he would always come to me for help. It is twisted to wish someone you love to be dependent on you, I know that. But for me, I want to be the person he can depend on.”

Tadashi let that sit on his mind.

“I'll tell you what,” Tadashi finally spoke. “If you confess to Kageyama tomorrow, I'll talk to Tsukishima.”

Hinata laughed. Then he went quiet when Tadashi didn't join in. “Oh, you mean it.”

“That's right.”

“Is this a trade off? I thought you were better than this, Yamaguchi. A professional cupid.”

There was no real bite to his words — Tadashi could hear the bashful smile in Hinata's voice. “What better occasion than wearing butler suits and showing off those calf muscles when you confess, hm?”

“Brr,” Hinata blew raspberries. “You mean to say that I'm going to look so unattractive when I'm confessing that Kageyama will look at my calf muscles instead?”

“If you want my advice, you should stick your head between your legs and confess so Kageyama can look at your calf muscles and your face — both at the same time. Very attractive.”

“I get it, you're sleepy, Yamaguchi. Just sleep then, don't conjure up these horror images,” Hinata’s bedsheets rustled as he turned away from Tadashi with a slight chuckle.

Our darling protagonist too settled in for the night. His heart was beating wildly in his chest. He could hear the sound reverberating in his ears. He doubted if he would be able to catch a wink of sleep all night.

Just the thought of talking to Tsukishima scared him. What if Tsukishima had had enough of it and flat out refused to listen to him? What if he had already hurt Tsukishima so bad that everything between them was beyond repair? What if Tsukishima was setting him up for a prank, a ploy to make a Seijoh fall in love with a Shiratorizawa and then have a good laugh over it?

Tadashi fished out his phone from under his pillow. He typed, Kindaichi, I wish this internship would get over already. I miss you all at Seijoh.

***

Chapter Text

Contrary to his belief from last night, Tadashi did fall asleep. He only woke up when Hinata shouted the lyrics of the first One Piece opening in his ears.

Tadashi had the good luck of waking up to “We are, we are on a cruise!” Hinata winked at the word “cruise” and a freshly awake Tadashi needed more than a minute to get the joke.

“Look at you,” Tadashi hyped him up. “All ready to go cruising for the best fish out there!”

Hinata tutted. “No cruising, not anymore. I have sighted my catch, Yamaguchi. What a catch, the Kageyama-fish! I'll rest only when I've asked the fish to be my catch.”

“His given name means to fly, right? Oh my god, Hinata, you've got a flying fish to catch!”

“Tobio, my flying fish,” Hinata exhaled. “Get ready then, Yamaguchi, we've got a flying fish and a firefly to catch.”

“Firefly… pfft,” Tadashi snorted. “He has to be a Hotaru to be a firefly,” he said, but he remembered the list where he had seen Tsukishima’s full name beside his. He did use the kanji for fireflies to write his given name.

“Oh, he can surely be a little flexible about it. Flying fish and fireflies forever!” Hinata proclaimed.

Tadashi had rolled his eyes and left for the showers but his flushed face was very telling.

In no time, the two of them were in the butler café with Yachi and the rest of their year. Hinata was to serve the tables while Tadashi would help Yachi if he wanted to. As exchange students, they were not really required to run the café with the rest of their friends but they were more than welcome to help.

“Where is Tsukishima?” Hinata asked Kageyama when he walked in.

“Taking a shower,” Kageyama lied through his teeth. Tadashi had seen Tsukishima enter the shower stalls right after he had left. It had been more than thirty minutes since. Tsukishima never took that long in the showers.

Tadashi should stop thinking about Tsukishima’s bathroom routine.

He was probably drying out his wings.

Tadashi wished a very wet wing on him.

The café slowly got so busy, Tadashi forgot about everything else and had to help Yachi manage the counter while Hinata and Kageyama served the customers who complimented their outfits. Some of these were their senpais from other departments, some were the parents and relatives of their classmates, some were acquaintances from other universities in the area dropping by for the festivities.

A lean grey-haired man accompanied by a muscular brown-haired man creaked open the door and peeked in. Tadashi sat up and caught Hinata's eye to lead his attention towards the door. Hinata made his way over but as soon as saw who they were, he became excited.

“Ohh—” Hinata fell short on his words as the grey-haired man walked in quickly and clamped a hand around his mouth.

“Hi Hinata, so good to see you,” he whispered and released him shortly after. The brown-haired man with him waved.

“Suga-san! Daichi-san!” Hinata jumped and whispered too. Then it occurred to him, “Why are we whispering?”

Suga, the grey-haired man, pointed to Kageyama’s back where he was serving a table. “Shh, we're going to surprise him. Asahi went to Noya’s class and Aran and Kita went to visit the Miyas. Ooh, who's your friend?” Suga turned his attention to Tadashi.

“This is Yamaguchi, my uh… partner from the exchange program. Yamaguchi, meet Suga-san and Daichi-san I was telling you about.”

“Daichi, we're famous! Hinata’s been talking about us!”

“Don't shout. You'll give yourself away, idiot,” Daichi chided him and turned to Tadashi. “Hope you're having a good time at our school, Yamaguchi-kun.”

“Yes, Hinata has been very kind to me,” Tadashi bowed.

“Have you met Kageyama?” Suga asked him with a sparkle in his eyes. “He's a darling, you'll love him.”

“Yes yes, Kageyama is your son and you love him, everyone knows this. Excuse him, Yamaguchi-kun. He left his manners at home.”

“Not what you were saying last night —”

“Okay, that's enough,” Daichi pulled him aside and excused themselves. “I'm sorry, he will not shut up until he has met Kageyama. We'll catch up later!”

“Have fun, Daichi-san!” Hinata whispered back and let them approach Kageyama.

“Oh my! Daichi, have you seen this handsome butler here?”

Kageyama turned on his heels so swiftly, it gave Tadashi a minor whiplash. Hinata cooed beside him and took out his phone to record the exchange.

Kageyama smiled such a dazzling smile on seeing his senpais that Tadashi feared he got blinded for a second there.

“Note to self: bring Suga-san to bribe Kageyama if needed,” Hinata said into the video.

“Did you grow taller since last year?” Suga tried to compare an approximate measure of their heads with his hands. “My, my! You have indeed!”

Suga slung an arm around Kageyama’s neck and pulled him to ruffle his hair and Daichi looked on with indulgence. Kageyama’s face bore an expression of childlike bliss, he was happy and content to be among them.

“Excuse me.”

Tadashi and Hinata scrambled to make way. They’d been blocking the entrance.

“Oh, it’s you!” Hinata smiled excitedly. “Welcome to our butler café!”

A beautiful black-haired woman emerged from behind them. Tadashi could swear she was looking at them but wasn’t really seeing them.

“Hinata-kun,” the woman smiled back. “Do you know where Hitoka is?”

Hinata gestured to the counter and the woman made a beeline for Yachi where she stood behind the counter managing the orders.

“Hi, Hitoka,” the woman beamed. The only person she truly saw in that entire room was Yachi.

“Who's that?” Tadashi asked Hinata but his friend just shushed him up and rightly so, otherwise Tadashi would have missed the way Yachi jumped back and grew pink in every visible surface of her skin.

“There,” Hinata sighed happily. “Did Yachi never tell you about Shimizu-senpai? Her Kiyoko-san.”

Right on cue, Yachi made a cute noise in the back of her throat, dropped the notepad she was holding and stammered out in a shrill voice, “H-hello, Kiyoko-san!”

“Love that every time it happens,” Hinata said. “If you stand close enough to her, you can see the hairs at the back of her neck and on her arms standing up in attention every time Shimizu-senpai speaks to her.” Hinata turned to face Tadashi and chuckled at his open-mouthed wonder. “What? It wasn't just Kageyama, Atsumu-san and Noya-san who were affected by the senpais graduating and leaving the campus.”

Kiyoko reached out and tucked a stray lock behind Yachi’s ear, traced a finger along her bow tie and brushed her hand along the shoulder of Yachi's coat. “You look good, Hitoka.”

If Yachi could combust voluntarily, she looked like she would have by now. “Kiyoko-san!” she cried again. Something visibly snapped in her, and she threw her arms around the woman, burying her head in Kiyoko's shoulder. Kiyoko hugged her back.

“My heart can take only so much yearning,” Hinata clutched at his chest. “Kageyama looks so cute with Daichi-san and Suga-san, Yachi is thrilled to meet Shimizu-senpai, Asahi-san and Kita-san went to meet Atsumu-san and Noya-san. Why is it the fucking Valentine's Day in summer?”

Tadashi didn't reply. He stood transfixed at the sight around him, mulling over the things Hinata mentioned. He watched as the sides of Yachi's tired eyes crinkled with laughter. It was amazing how much these humans could hold everything inside, never speaking a word of their innermost feelings to the person who needs to hear them the most. Maybe none of these relationships will last forever. Maybe they will fight, grow toxic, grow apart, lose touch, break up, realise they were better as friends. Maybe they will wish they hadn’t done something, maybe they will wish they had done something. There will be endless possibilities of regrets without an ounce of satisfaction.

Despite that, there was love in every corner of the room Tadashi stood in.

The door to the butler café opened again and the sound interrupted Tadashi’s train of thoughts. His eyes fell on Tsukishima who stood bewildered at the sight of the crowded interior.

Would love ever be enough?

Tadashi took one step towards him, put one foot in front of the other, and another in front of that. He could feel Tsukishima eyeing him warily, probably bracing himself from another fight he feared Tadashi was going to pick.

“What—” he began but Tadashi grabbed his hand and pulled him away, down the corridor, through the crowds milling before the classrooms and down the stairs.

Away from all the madness of the world where there was no Seijoh, no Shiratorizawa, no academy, no Hinata, no Kageyama. Only Tadashi and Kei.

Kei.

Kei.

Tadashi tried sounding out Tsukishima’s given name in his mind. A firefly. A beacon of light in the darkness. A warm, pale yellow glow that Tadashi held in his hand right now.

Tsukishima Kei.

The moon in his hand.

Something inside Tadashi made him strengthen his grip around Tsukishima’s wrist.

He led them out the campus gates and onto the streets of Tokyo city centre which was as busy as the school festival, if not more. He dragged them to the bus stop, boarded a bus bound to the city outskirts, paid the fare and pulled them into the empty double seat. He took the window seat while Tsukishima sat beside him quietly, probably still reeling from what just happened.

Tokyo moved past them. Tadashi wasn’t really registering the sights zooming past him but the wind in his face felt nice. Now that he wasn’t rushing anymore, he could smell Tsukishima’s shampoo in the air beside him. A sweet smell that told him not to let go of Tsukishima’s hand yet. The cool fingers in his grasp were sweating, he could feel that without looking. Tadashi slotted his fingers between Tsukishima’s. The wind would cool them down in a minute. He let his other senses take over and closed his eyes.

Tsukishima was probably going to want to know where they were going. Tadashi had no idea. He just knew the bus route ended at the beach nearby and he was going to let it take them all the way.

A comfortable weight rested on his shoulder. The sweet smell of the shampoo was stronger around him, engulfing him in a cozy cocoon. Eyes shut, he smiled. Tsukishima’s head on his shoulder. He was going to let himself enjoy this for as long as this was true.

The bus finally pulled over at the beach. That was crowded too but at least it was more spread out than the campus or the city centre. Besides, not many people found it viable to come to the beach on a weekday morning. And most importantly, it was away from the people they knew.

Tadashi walked towards the sand from the concrete and the breeze from the ocean caught his hair. With the gust of the wind came the stench of fish, swirling thickly in the air. The closer they got to the sea, the stronger the wind was, especially towards the less crowded parts of the beach. Tadashi let go of Tsukishima’s hand and bent over to pull his pant legs up, let them bunch above his calf muscles and took off his shoes. Tsukishima followed him wordlessly to do the same.

Once he stood up, Tadashi extended his arm, his palm wide open to let Tsukishima take it if he wanted to. Tadashi figured there was not much of a choice left for him now that Tadashi had dragged him out of school and down to the beach, but Tsukishima took his hand with a smile and that was all he needed to break into a grin himself.

He bounded into the waves which licked the soles of their feet first and then lapped gently at the ankles.

“It’s cold!” Tadashi jumped. “The wind makes it even cooler once the wave ebbs away.”

“Feels nice after the hot bus ride,” Tsukishima began to pull his sleeves up with his teeth.

“Sorry about that,” Tadashi let go of his hand but Tsukishima refused to. “You know you can let go of my hand for a while. I am not running away anymore.”

Tsukishima caught the extra fabric in his elbow. He looked directly into Tadashi’s eyes, probably to weigh the truth in the claim. A devilish smile spread across his lips. “You just ran away from the university, Yamaguchi. And you made me an accomplice.”

Tadashi snorted out a laugh. “As if you wouldn’t have wrenched yourself free of my clutches if you didn’t really want to.”

“I can never say no to you,” Tsukishima shrugged as if confessing something like that was an everyday occurrence for him. He bent down and ran his free arm in the next wave that came tickling their shins, “And besides, I wouldn’t have been able to do this if I didn’t come.” He stood up so quickly that Tadashi didn’t realize what was going to happen before it happened.

Splash, hit the water in Tadashi’s face.

Salty, sandy, grainy water got into his mouth, seeped into his eyes, dripped down his chin into his shirt. “You little shit,” Tadashi screamed in glee. He pulled them deeper, the waves came up to their calves and maybe Tadashi’s pants caught the waves slightly when they came. But when they did, Tadashi splashed an armful of water in Tsukishima’s direction who tried to get out of his grasp and run back to the shore.

“Oi, you got me more wet than I did!” Tsukishima barked, taking off his glasses to remove the droplets that clung on to it. 

“You don’t say!” Tadashi howled.

The sun was beating down on them as they splashed around in the cooler water. They ran to catch the waves, ran away from the waves, dragged each other deeper, laughing and screaming the whole time.

“Okay, let’s get you inside, under some shade,” Tadashi tugged on Tsukishima’s shirt. The pale boy had turned a bright shade of red under the sun and it was beginning to scare Tadashi.

“Why?” Tsukishima pouted and Tadashi swore under his breath silently how unfair it was. “I love water.”

“Yeah,” Tadashi held his hand and started walking towards the pushing against the relentless waves. “I heard about your mermaid tendencies from Kageyama in the morning.”

“Fuck off,” Tsukishima scoffed but let himself be pulled along all the same. “I’m more of a fairy, I was drying my wings, you should know that of all people.”

Tadashi chuckled.

“But I’d make a very hot mermaid since you insist.”

“I agree,” Tadashi blushed but said all the same. “It’s getting too hot here.”

“Yeah, it tends to do that wherever I am,” Tsukishima winked.

Tadashi almost clutched his chest. His heart did a backflip. “I’m hungry,” he said but he probably meant his heart rather than his stomach. “How about some hot food for my stomach, then?” Tadashi mentioned it for his own sake.

Tsukishima smirked at him. “Yeah, I’ll allow it.”

They picked up their shoes from the shore and entered a seafood restaurant nearby. They decided to order for lunch and until the food came, they made fun of cupid academy graduates who joined human conglomerates to give them insider inputs and infamously became corporate cupids who worked for humans rather than with them.

“Do you have a back-up plan?” Tsukishima asked him.

“Are you saying that I’m such a bad cupid that I’ll not graduate and need to have a fall back option?”

“Tch,” Tsukishima rolled his eyes. “You’re good at this. You’re not gonna have to drop out either unless you set your eyes on something else.”

“Well, you’re good too. So much competition,” Tadashi huffed a teasing laugh.

Tsukishima smirked again. The guy was fond of smirking, Tadashi surmised, not that he was complaining. “Oh? So I'm no longer the dirt under your feet you don't even acknowledge just because I'm from Shiratorizawa?”

Tadashi was affronted. “What are you talking about? You were the one treating me like that because I'm from Seijoh!”

“Oh, please. You literally spewed venom against me and Shiratorizawa wherever you went,” Tsukishima crossed his arms across his chest and sat back with a pout.

“As if you loved being in my vicinity or near any Seijoh people! The audacity! We were the unworthy cupids in your eyes.”

“Not my fault you gave me a look of disgust when I smiled at you in Mizoguchi-sensei’s first class.”

“What!” Tadashi was taken aback. That day was the root of all his trouble with Tsukishima. And now this… “Smile? You call that a smile?” Tadashi whisper-shouted to avoid causing a scene in public although the restaurant was practically empty save the one couple at the back.

“I was trying! The senpais had warned me about Seijoh but I still wanted to be your friend! I was nervous. You looked out of my league!”

“Me? Out of your league? Are you kidding yourself? You’re out of my league, you fucking brilliant and beautiful piece of shit.”

Tsukishima stared at him. Tadashi slapped a hand over his own mouth out of panic but took it off the next moment. “Well, I’m not taking it back.”

“I didn’t fucking ask you to, you hardworking and pretty as fuck overthinker.”

Tadashi felt himself grow warm all over again. As if right on cue, the server brought out their food and placed it on the table between them. With the chaos of bowls, plates and other cutleries alongside the scrumptious food before them, Tadashi and Tsukishima fell quiet, eager to fill their bellies without another argument in their hands.

Tadashi replayed the conversation they had just had, over and over in his head. He couldn't believe he had called Tsukishima brilliant and beautiful to his face. Where was his Seijoh pride?

Once Tadashi had satisfied his ravenous hunger, he wiped his mouth and watched Tsukishima eat instead.

“What are you looking at?”

“Your cute little face, stupid.” There it was again.

Tsukishima sighed. “Okay, take your big doey eyes off of me, you goof. They make me feel giddy.”

“Is this how you're going to confess?” Tadashi asked but Tsukishima continued to eat. If it did occur to him that he was accusing Tsukishima of a crime he too had committed, Tadashi refrained from showing it.

“Tsukkiiii,” Tadashi whined and saw the way Tsukishima sat up and pressed his knees together. “Oh, do you like it? Tsukki, Tsukki, Tsukki,” he sang.

“Shut up,” Tsukishima mumbled and finished eating with a fiery red face.

They paid for the food and exited the restaurant. As they walked along the shore, Tsukishima eyed an ice cream cart in the distance, Tadashi noticed. He intentionally spoke nonsense to steer their apparently aimless walk towards this cart.

The genius ingenuity! Tadashi would've clapped for himself if he was in the gallery watching himself court Tsukishima after a disastrous confession.

“Oh my god, Tsukki, just say you want an ice cream! What will you have?”

The difference between his mind and his mouth was astounding. Tadashi would've ordered himself to hang to death had he been watching this shit.

Tsukishima looked at him — flabbergasted, affronted, offended. Tadashi held up a hand and bowed as far down as possible in his full stomach. He peered up and through his bangs, saw Tsukishima press a hand against his mouth to stop himself from laughing as Tadashi most sincerely begged for his forgiveness.

Looking at him, Tadashi would say, Tsukishima just sort of gave in.

“I'll get the tutti-frutti one. Which one do you want?”

“Mango!”

With their ice creams, they decided to sit in the sand near the ocean and enjoy them. The sun grew softer overhead and the wind made everything sticky yet cool at the same time. Tsukishima’s skin didn't seem to burn anymore either.

“Wait, you've got some on your…” Tadashi pointed at his own right cheek so Tsukishima would follow. But of course, Tsukishima mirrored him and touched his left cheek.

“What?”

It didn't help that Tsukishima looked adorable with his mouth full on one side. Tadashi had to keep the smile off his face and feign annoyance. “Not that, the other one. Your right cheek, dude.”

Tsukishima grunted and rubbed intently this time. Yet how he missed that exact spot was beyond Tadashi's comprehension, he would have you know. “God, you're so clueless,” Tadashi leant over without thinking. He picked the crumb of food off of Tsukishima’s cheek and looked closely at it. “Oh, look, it's a green tutti frutti!” and Tadashi, oh beloved innocent Tadashi, under the sun's all-seeing eye, tossed the candied fruit into his mouth.

Only when he had chewed down the tutti-frutti to a pesky little mush between his teeth, did it occur to Tadashi what he had done. He gulped it down quickly and from the corner of his eye saw Tsukishima trying to fight a fond smile.

Tadashi was happy. Happier than he had been, trying to jeopardize Tsukishima’s assignment. Happier than he had been, trying to extricate himself out of Tsukishima’s orbit of attraction. Now he was in it, voluntarily spinning closer and closer until they collided and exploded again.

Was that going to be their fate if Tadashi wanted to pursue what he thought he could have with Tsukishima?

The thought made him sad.

If he was going to start something with Tsukishima, he would have to do everything in his power to make it a healthy one that would last. He had seen how Tsukishima had tried to mend their relationship as soon as they arrived at the Tokyo campus. Tadashi needed to do the same to meet him halfway.

He wanted this bad enough to go against the principles of Seijoh. He wanted this bad enough to make it last.

“So, I kind of brought you here impulsively without really caring if you wanted to come with me,” Tadashi played with a lock of his hair absently. “I’m sorry I didn’t ask or tell you first but I don’t regret bringing you here,” he twiddled his fingers.

“I’m here though, willingly, am I not?” Tsukishima rested his chin on his knees. “I do wonder why you wanted to come here today of all days. You were excited about the butler café thing. We all were.”

Tadashi hummed. “Yeah, I don’t know about that either. Maybe it had something to do about the people I met there.”

“Oh yeah, there were a lot of people there when I came in. I mean I know Hinata was popular but I had no idea he was that popular.”

Tadashi shook his head. “He was with me the whole time. None of them were there for him, really.” Tadashi stared off into the distance. He said as he recalled, “Suga and Daichi came for Kageyama, Kiyoko came for Yachi.”

“Who is Kiyoko?”

“Right?” Tadashi broke his gaze. “I can’t believe Yachi could hide the entire thing from us. She probably had her reasons. But when she saw Kiyoko, Tsukki, I’ve never seen someone look so happy and heartbroken at the same time. It was devastating.”

Tsukishima tilted his head, urging him to continue.

“It made me think of you and — and I’m not going to lie, I like you, Tsukki, I like you so much. But I haven’t been kind to you at all from the time we’ve known each other.” Tadashi looked down at his palms. “You’ve been trying to make amends once we got here, but I’ve been too caught up in our petty fights from the academy to actually listen to you.”

Tsukishima didn't say anything in reply. It made Tadashi nervous. He was so close to getting what he wanted. But this time, he was powerless. He wasn't putting ideas in willing minds, coaxing confessions out of eager mouths, or planning incidents precisely to make them look like accidental divine interventions. He really was leaving them up to Tsukishima, his fate, whether he liked it or not.

Tadashi was willing to be a cupid stripped of his cupidity for Tsukishima.

“I’m sorry, I let everything get to my head and almost ruined this internship for us,” Tadashi said as he observed the crisscross of lines on his palms. Did his love line look like it had branched off and disappeared down the middle of his palm? “I even thought if I should ruin it for Hinata and Kageyama before I came here. I was ready to ruin something I loved doing so that I wouldn't have to cooperate with you.”

Tsukishima’s smell surrounded him once again. Tadashi could feel the fabric of his shirt pressing up against his arm. He wished he could put his face against Tsukishima’s chest, breathe in his smell and listen to his heartbeat.

Did his heart beat as fast as Tadashi’s?

“But you didn't ruin it, did you?” Tsukishima ran his fingers through Tadashi's hair. “You did everything you could have done to help them and now arranged for them to take the first big steps. Yeah, Hinata texted me late last night. I gave him the go ahead. If it gets derailed for some reason, it wouldn't be our fault, you know?”

“Yeah,” Tadashi leaned into the touch and sighed. “I didn't ruin it but I could have.”

“I've had similar thoughts. And what are you talking about hurting me? I hurt you too. We both have a mean streak in us and we both know it. I don't think it can get better than this.”

It all happened in slow motion. Tadashi will have you know that he was aware of the minutest of details when Tsukishima, no, wait, Kei— when Kei pulled him closer and Tadashi leaned in. When Kei closed his eyes in anticipation and parted his pink lips. When Tadashi tried to drink it all and close the gap between them at the same time.

With the setting sun, the roaring ocean, the mad wind and the soft sand as witness, Tadashi kissed Kei.

Kei's long fingers moved over his eyes, shutting out the light outside and Tadashi finally gave in. He closed his eyes and let himself be immersed in the nectar Kei was offering. He stopped being so hyperaware and relaxed into Kei's touch — around the back of his head and neck, on his lips and under his palms the give of Kei's waist.

Tadashi kissed him like there was no tomorrow. There really might not be. This sweet taste of ice cream with a touch of the ocean's salt. Tadashi circled his arms around Kei, with a silent promise on his lips to never let go.

***

Chapter Text

Kei’s glasses had dug into their faces and none of them cared about it then. But now they were sporting mirroring lines on their cheeks and a shy smile each on their lips, so drawing a conclusion wouldn't be so difficult.

Tadashi threaded his fingers between Kei's and refused to let go like Kei had been during the day. The sun had given way to the moon, Tadashi had noted with glee that it was a full moon night.

“Should we head back?” Kei asked.

“Let me live a little longer,” Tadashi said, snaking his arms around the entire length of Kei's arm that he had been holding. Little by little he was beginning to stake his claim on Kei's body and soul and little by little Kei was giving it all up.

Kei laughed. Tadashi would give anything to spend all his waking hours listening to him laugh. “Okay, you're not going to die if we go back.”

“You say so,” Tadashi hummed. “Hinata will want to share their details and get ours in return.”

“Hinata knows? You told Hinata before you told me that you like me?”

“Now, listen here —”

“Kageyama knows too. Idiot was all up in my face about why am I not confessing before it's too late.”

“Oh?” Tadashi smiled fondly. “Kageyama really is a go-getter, huh? They really believed we don't know each other outside of school and the only exchange students ever just happened to be in their dorm rooms.”

“Don’t jinx it,” Kei squeezed his hand. “I really think we should head back now.”

Tadashi raised his free hand up in the sky. “The wind is blowing towards the city centre, no?”

“You wanna fly back?”

“Do you?”

“Yeah,” Kei said. How could he say no to that face!

Tadashi’s eyes shone bright at the prospect of flying with Kei. Just the two of them for a bit longer. “Are you tired?”

Kei shook his head and led them to a secluded part of the beach. “Does this look good to take off from?”

“Hoo boy, if I didn't know ya, I'd think you brought me here to take advantage of poor me!” Tadashi joked looking around at the spot they were in.

Kei bit the inside of his cheek to fight back a smile. “Sounds like you’re asking for it.”

Tadashi dug his nails in Kei's arm and quickened his pace, “Come on, old man. Let's catch the wind when it's strong!”

“I'm literally two months older than you,” Kei broke into a jog, pulled on by his magnetism.

“Ooh, stalker!” he joked.

“If knowing your birthday is stalking you, are you sure there is no case of Stockholm syndrome involved from your side?”

Tadashi let himself laugh. Let himself relax. Let himself feel light. Let himself unfurl his wings and lift.

He felt Kei lift as well, his hand held tightly in Tadashi’s. Soon, the air Kei's wings displaced beside him was the only sound Tadashi could hear. He looked down. They had left behind the night lights of the beach, the twinkling fairy lights shone like a string of fluorescent pearls adorning the neck of the ocean. If Kei was a mermaid, he might have risen to the surface wearing the pearl necklace around his neck.

Kei was real. Kei really was holding his hand and flying with him tonight. Tadashi rubbed his thumb on Kei's hand in circles. It was real.

Tadashi looked up. Once more, just to make sure Kei wasn't a figment of his imagination.

What he saw only felt more surreal than whatever he had been trying to think of as reality.

Kei glowed in the moonlight.

The sweet air of the night brought Tadashi peace at last. Whatever happened, he would be fine as long as he had Kei by his side.

Kei halted suddenly in mid-air. He had caught something in his hands and wanted Tadashi to guess what it was.

“A bug?” Tadashi guessed wildly, wanting nothing more than Kei's hand free enough to hold his hand.

“Nah-uh,” Kei smiled. “Guess again!”

“A really small bird?” Tadashi squinted.

“Wrong! Third time's the charm. Look closer.”

Tadashi flew close and tried to peer into his fist. Kei shook his fist and let his fingers dance on top and Tadashi will admit he got so enchanted by the dancing fingers that he didn't register when Kei's hands flew apart and caught Tadashi’s face between them.

Tadashi's mouth had fallen open. With his cheeks smooshed, he could feel them grow red hot when he realized Kei had conned him.

Kei drew him close. With an inch of gap between their faces, “Here's what I found,” said Kei, “a star.”

Drenched in the pale white light, Tadashi kissed his moon.

***

“When were you planning to tell us?”

In hindsight, not calling Hinata had been a voluntary oversight on Tadashi’s part. But now, he half-wished he had.

Tadashi had seldom seen Hinata with his hands on hips demanding a reply from him, but those rare occasions had been pretty hard on him and it didn't get any better over time.

Now that Hinata with his hands on hips was accompanied by a frowning Kageyama at the bottom of the stairs, Tadashi guessed all had gone well between them and they were happy to act as a unit.

“Right when we got back,” Tadashi held his hand clasping Kei's high up in the air as they climbed down the stairs of the dormitory rooftop. “Which is now,” he said.

They had landed on the dormitory rooftop just a few moments ago. They had hoped to slip inside the building without anybody noticing on a festival night when they were as far away from the dormitories as possible.

But Hinata and Kageyama were just returning to the dormitories. They had heard the rustle upstairs and came up to see what it was.

“Not about that!” Hinata levelled him with a piercing gaze.

Tadashi was confused. He had expected more of an enthusiastic reaction from Hinata, at least. Maybe it was valid when he hadn't asked about them first. Maybe Hinata was hurt because he hadn't asked about him and Kageyama, yeah. “So all went well, I hope?” Tadashi tried again. “Seeing as how you have a certain someone's arm around your shoulders?”

“Ugh,” Hinata groaned. “We both know we would’ve bagged these boys if we just told them our feelings. No offence, Tobio.”

“None taken,” Kageyama shrugged with a silly smile. “I love being bagged by you.”

“Is nobody going to ask me?” Kei jested.

“Not when you've been doodling Yamaguchi’s name all over your notebooks like a 12-year-old for the last few weeks,” Kageyama replied.

“Fair enough,” Kei pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose and looked away from Tadashi who found the fact infinitely amusing.

“Well?” Hinata demanded.

“What else?”

“This bitch —” Hinata jumped at Tadashi but Kageyama caught him before he could hang off Tadashi’s shoulders like an undesirable goblin.

“Okay, that's enough,” Kageyama held him back and looked like he was doing this more out of his own pleasure than for Tadashi’s safety. “So Hinata asked me out today,” he began with a shit-eating grin.

“I'm happy for your loss,” Tadashi stuck his tongue out at Hinata who hissed back at him. Kei clapped a hand over his mouth and Tadashi, quite happily, licked the palm.

More importantly, as he noted, Kei let him. Kei just stood there with a dopey smile on his face.

“I said yes, of course,” Kageyama continued and dragged Hinata towards the room he shared with Tadashi. “We went out of the café and shot some balloons, threw some rings, caught some fish and let them back into the water…”

“Yeah, tell them all about when you went to pee and what you had for lunch and how Yachi came out red-faced with Kiyoko-san from the girls’ toilet. Give them all the details,” Hinata grunted and rolled his eyes as he fished out his keys and opened the door, letting them all inside.

Kei did a double take. “Wait, Yachi did what?”

“Not important,” Kageyama waved him off and took off his shoes. “Then we were talking. This is the important part.”

“Ah, shit,” Kei said and dropped his hand from Tadashi’s mouth so Tadashi could echo him.

“Yes, shit, indeed,” Kageyama agreed with them.

“You both were cupids!” Hinata yelled, half out of excitement and half out of frustration. “And both of you have been fucked up for so long? How?”

They were cupids, they were supposed to decode feelings in a flash. It took humans years and decades to understand why they were feeling what they were feeling but it took cupids some mere seconds or minutes at the best to do the same.

That didn’t mean they were supposed to self-diagnose, Tadashi reasoned humorously in his mind.

Kageyama prompted, “And Hinata is mad because —”

“It took me so long to figure it out,” Hinata sighed defeatedly and sat down on his bed. Kageyama climbed wordlessly beside him. “I know you guys are not supposed to tell us who else is a cupid and who's not. But still! It was so terribly hidden, yet I didn't suspect anything for a moment! I was so invested in our romance and Tobio’s lips.”

Kageyama grinned and shrugged. “You two really suck at hiding anything, don’t you? First you can’t hide your feelings and bully each other for it. Then you can’t hide the fact that you’re both cupids from the same damn class,” he chuckled. “Losers.”

“Yeah, losers,” Hinata blew raspberries at them.

Kei sat down in Tadashi’s bed and moved to rest his back against the headboard. He patted the space between his legs. Tadashi climbed in and let himself be cocooned by Kei's long arms and long legs and his smell once again. The strawberry smell of the soap did not linger anymore by the end of the day, but it was a very specific smell. A smell that was just Kei — still citrusy and sweet and warm — just Kei.

“These losers just got back from a first date at the beach,” Tadashi sank into the warmth of Kei's body. “What did you losers do?”

“We had our first date at the festival here. Food and games and fireworks in the evening,” Hinata said and pulled Kageyama’s head in his lap and let him lay on his bed. “It was very pretty,” he said as he ran his fingers through Kageyama’s silky black hair.

“Tell me about this whole Yachi-Kiyoko business,” Kei piped up from the other side.

Tadashi snorted out a laugh. “Someone catch him up before he dies on me out of curiosity.”

As they sat up chatting through the night, Tadashi took out his phone hesitantly and tapped on a chat.

Watari-san, I fear Oikawa-san will disown me for what I’m about to do.

***

Chapter Text

Tadashi was fine. He was fine and not shaking at all as he stood beside Kei before the gates of the Sendai Cupid Academy.

“It will be okay.”

“Kei, have you heard of honor killing?”

“I don't think even the worst Seijoh-Shiratorizawa rivals are capable of that.”

“Are you sure?”

When Kei didn't answer, Tadashi shook the hand he was holding. “What the hell, Kei? Tell me you're sure.”

“You didn't want to hear it when I was sure. Now I'm not so sure anymore, okay?” Kei said through gritted teeth.

They stood in silence. The gates of the academy were open but they didn't feel so welcoming as Tadashi had found them to be when he first arrived with his dreams. To help love and to nurture love. All he had learnt was to spew hatred toward a certain group.

A small part of his brain at the back of Tadashi’s head said what if having a common enemy in Shiratorizawa had brought Seijohs so close to each other? Neither Nekoma nor Fukurodani members were as close-knit and intimate as Seijoh. Maybe that was the goal all along and Tadashi was going to disrupt that balance by fraternizing with a Shiratorizawa.

No, he shook his head. That was no excuse for giving up on something so meaningful in his life. Nekoma and Fukurodani were probably close enough and Tadashi just didn’t see it.

“Can I just say, if I die in there, I shall die with no regrets.”

Kei's eyes widened upon realization. “Aha, that's why you crammed in so many dates and hang-outs and stay-ins and movie-nights before we had to come back here!”

Tadashi nodded without any hesitation. “And jumping your bones daily.”

“Yeah, that.”

“Did you hate it? I mean I don't want to come off as an addict, I just like —”

“No, I loved it, I love being jumped by you. Please be addicted.”

“Yeah?” Tadashi asked with a small smile without turning.

Kei squeezed his hand. “Yeah. I would appreciate it if it goes on for longer than this summer.”

“Hm, me too.”

“Are you two going to stand there forever or move and let us through?”

“Goshiki,” Kei bristled beside Tadashi.

“Yeah, I'm not talking to you or your little sidekick, step aside,” Goshiki huffed and looked away.

Shibayama rolled his eyes. “Goshiki, I'm going to tell Koganegawa you were mean to Tsukishima and Yamaguchi.”

“Shut up!” Goshiki stomped his foot like a petulant child.

“Sounds like someone got a beau over summer!” Kei sang with a smirk on his lips and Tadashi could tell he was going to make some sassy remark to get on Goshiki's nerves.

“At least mine isn't from godforsaken Seijoh!”

“It's a human, you're a cupid who fell in love with a human,” Shibayama reminded him. “The human is the child of our clients. You're treading a dangerous line yourself, Goshiki.”

“Still legal,” Goshiki smiled through tight thin lips. “Ushijima-san will be proud of me given this hot mess.”

Kei's lopsided smile grew wider and morphed into a genuine one. “Oh shit, you're actually scared about your Kanagawa.”

“It's Koganegawa!” Goshiki shoved Kei aside and stormed in.

“Don't worry, Goshiki, everything will be fine,” Kei called from behind and received a middle finger raised in the air in response.

“It really was an eventful summer, huh,” Tadashi mused. “I wonder what this Koganegawa is like for Goshiki to go against the code of conduct.”

Kei shrugged. “He will blabber as soon as this blows over.”

“I can’t wait.”

“For what? This to blow over or Goshiki's gossip?” Kei joked.

“Hilarious,” Tadashi said flatly.

In the distance, Kunimi appeared with Lev following him down the entrance hall. With a little squeal, Tadashi began to run towards him. Kei followed.

“I did not consent to my chat being used like a personal notes app. Did I?” Kunimi’s words and gestures didn’t match as he opened his arms for Tadashi to crash into.

“I missed you too,” Tadashi hugged him and patted his back.

Lev loomed largely behind Kunimi and grinned like a Cheshire cat. “Kei! Tadashi! I hear congratulations are in order for little old me!”

Tadashi grew cold and Kunimi winced on his behalf. “Seriously, Tadashi, you couldn’t find someone else to love?” Kunimi held him by the shoulders. “You are going to be in deep shit.”

“I'm waiting,” Lev tapped his feet, the sinister smile still in place.

“Congratulations, Lev. You were right. Kei and I got together over the summer, alright?”

“Ooh,” a sickly sweet voice cooed from the other end of the hall. “Is that so, Tada-kun?”

The hair at the back of Tadashi’s neck rose. Panic set in in his chest. With his feet rigidly stuck in their place, he felt colder by the second.

“Oikawa-san,” he gulped as he turned to face his once beloved senpai.

If Lev’s smile was sinister, Oikawa’s was meant to kill. Tadashi was so dead.

His hand slipped out of Kei’s grasp.

Oikawa raised an eyebrow. “I asked you a question, Tada-kun. Is that true?”

Tadashi could feel a dozen pairs of eyes on them around the hall, but the most unnerving was the way Kei’s gaze was fixed on him. Like he was trying to figure out how best to measure Tadashi’s cowardliness in front of Oikawa.

There he was, going off with the baseless assumptions again. Tadashi was angry at himself. He needed to stop and think before he assumed the worst of people around him just because Seijoh said so. He needed to be selfish so Seijoh could stop nurturing the hurt they’d passed down year after year.

He gently picked up Kei’s hand once again, brought it to his mouth and kissed the top of his knuckles. He looked Kei in the eye, the same golden eyes now burning with passion, fear and a steadiness Tadashi had only seen over the last few weeks they were together. “I have a silly family to explain some things to. They can hardly seem to wait,” Tadashi nodded at Oikawa. “I’ll meet you later in the day, okay? I love you.”

Kei nodded quietly, his eyes as big and round as a twin pair of suns. Tadashi placed a quick peck on his cheek and let go of his hand. He was going to hold that hand again, for life, hopefully, just after a small break as he made sure Seijoh had no ill feelings toward Kei either.

Tadashi made his way to where Oikawa was standing. Not just standing, he was practically seething in anger, you know how that looks.

“Come, Oikawa-san,” Tadashi pulled him in the direction of the Seijoh common room. “Let’s have a chat.”

***

“Oh, look, who’s back!” Hanamaki flew at him as soon as the door swung open. His smile dropped as soon as he saw Oikawa behind Tadashi. “Oh, the sourpuss got to you first I see.”

“Shut up, Makki,” Oikawa grumbled as Tadashi dragged him inside and shut the door behind them.

Tadashi looked around. Nearly all of Seijoh was here, even Kindaichi and Kunimi had returned and were clearly expecting Tadashi to beg for forgiveness or have a defence attorney ready at hand. Except one cupid.

“Where is Iwaizumi-san?”

“Hovering around the other entrance to catch you if Oikawa didn’t,” Matsukawa said from the couch where he was flanked by Yahaba and Watari. Kyoutani was draped along the armrest at Yahaba’s side and looking at Tadashi like he was ready to pounce on him and shred him to bits. “Let me text him that you’re here.”

“No need,” Iwaizumi flew in through the open window. “Oikawa texted me as soon as he spotted Tadashi,” he perched on the window sill. “So, when are we ganging up on him?”

“You’re such a better friend than Makki, Iwa-chan!” Oikawa whined and went up to Iwaizumi to stroke his feathers. “He was trying to make Tadashi feel welcome!”

“We used to fight Goshiki for you, Tadashi,” hurt laced Kindaichi’s voice but he puffed out his chest and screwed his eyebrows and tried his best to convey his manly anger instead. “Because Tsukishima had wronged you!”

“And I know all of you will always have my back. You are my family and you will always stand by my side.”

“Yes, and now tell everyone how it had been a trap for the whole damn Shiratorizawa house,” Hanamaki said excitedly. “Tadashi has honey trapped Kei and now we’ve got a spy in Shiratorizawa’s activities, right, Tadashi?”

Watari was the only one to still keep his head. “Just tell them the truth, Tadashi. We’ll all be a little disappointed in you, but you’re family. And families forgive each other.”

Watari meant well but was misguided.

Tadashi threw his hands up in the air and surrendered. “Okay, you guys, story time.”

“Yes!” Hanamaki was still hopeful.

“Makki-san, sorry to disappoint you,” Tadashi said. “Not a spy. I have no intention of spying on them and reporting it back to you when you don’t need it,” he enunciated the last three words. “They are not your enemies, guys.”

“Told ya,” Matsukawa looked at Hanamaki. “Your theory was too good to be true.”

“Matsukawa-san, remember how you told me about watching Semi Eita play the guitar and trying to compliment him?”

“Who can forget that?” Matsukawa rolled his eyes.

“Semi-san did walk out on you. He thought you were making fun of him, being from Seijoh and all that. He got angry and he had spent all his waking hours thinking of how to get back at you for weeks afterward.”

Matsukawa crossed his arms over his chest. “Everyone in the Shiratorizawa house knows they don’t deserve any compliments from us, huh?”

“It’s not just that. Don’t you see how we all get so defensive whenever we think it is Seijoh versus Shiratorizawa? I doubt if Semi-san would’ve reacted that way had it been someone from Nekoma or Fukurodani instead of you. I wouldn’t have mistaken a smile for a challenging smirk had it been Lev or Onaga and not Kei.”

“Kei,” Hanamaki gagged. “Who the fuck is Kei? Brainwashed you enough to address him by his given name even when he isn’t around?”

Tadashi ignored his jibe but focused on his rivalry with Shiratorizawa. “Makki-san, looks like you can’t take a compliment from Shiratorizawa either. Tendou-san, I hear, had been trying to befriend you that day. You were the one who saw one of your senpais and to gain their approval, you called Tendou-san chicken-haired in front of them because he was complimenting your strawberry hair color. He was happy that he found someone else in his year with a different hair color but you ruined it.”

Tadashi went after each of his housemates one by one. “Yahaba-san, Shirabu-san saw you with Oikawa-san in the morning before you went to introduce yourself in your first year. He automatically assumed you were there to do Oikawa-san’s bidding because that’s what he had been told by his senpais, so he became defensive and lashed out at you. Watari-san, Kawanishi-san thought you were super cool but you shunned him and Reon-san like the plague because you were afraid of them. And frankly, everyone at Shiratorizawa is afraid of Kyoutani-san’s temper.”

“As they should be,” Oikawa nodded sagely.

“Ushijima-san doesn’t mean anything anymore now when he says you should’ve gone to Shiratorizawa. Earlier, he only wanted to rack in more house points and seeing your work he thought you could’ve helped them to win the house competitions by securing more points. But now he says that just to tease Iwaizumi-san.”

“What?” Iwaizumi barked from his perch at the window.

“Take that as you will,” Tadashi shrugged. “That’s what Kei and I figured out about all this stupid house rivalries between you guys.”

“Well obviously, you both needed some kind of excuse to pursue the relationship in the first place. You convinced yourself that you will come here and resolve all the issues between our houses and earn my love or whatever,” Oikawa pouted.

Tadashi’s heart fell. All that he had feared was coming true. “I thought I had already earned your love, Oikawa-san. I thought Seijoh would love me anyway.”

“Well, you took that love for granted!” Oikawa yelled and Iwaizumi had to hold him back by the scruff of his collar from trying to launch himself at Tadashi.

Tadashi stumbled backward, more from shock than anything else.

“Okay, Oikawa-san,” Watari rose from his seat and tried to mediate. “Tone it down.” He turned to Tadashi and said, “He is throwing a tantrum because you texted all of us over the summer and not him.”

Oikawa hid his face in Iwaizumi’s chest and flipped off a middle finger in Tadashi’s direction.

“Yeah, as you can see, he’s really butthurt over it,” Matsukawa added.

Not knowing what else to do, Tadashi shuffled closer. “I’m sorry, Oikawa-san,” he mumbled. “I didn’t know what to say or how to face you.”

“I tried to be mean to Kei, I really did, Oikawa-san. I hurt him, he hurt me too. And then we didn’t want to hurt anymore, so we came clean. I wish I could have come clean to you earlier, Oikawa-san. But I didn’t know what would happen. I suspected Kei of playing foul and I stayed on my watch. I couldn’t tell you anything until I was sure he really liked me and wasn’t just playing with my feelings, like you would have me do, Makki-san. I just had to be sure.” A single drop of tear escaped Tadashi’s eye. He wiped it with the back of his hand. “All these secrets and lies and rivalries, I can’t deal with them anymore. I wanted to be a cupid to spread love, not get sucked into cycles of hate.”

A figure loomed above Tadashi but he dared not look up. “I don’t want to keep hating Shiratorizawa anymore to earn the love of Seijoh. I am greedy and I want both,” he said and was immediately pulled into a warm hug. Rough hands patted his back and Tadashi finally felt like he could breathe. At least someone in Seijoh had his back. Be that —

“Kyoutani-san?” he whispered once he felt the cropped hair brushing at his arms around his neck. Tadashi sniffed curiously. “Did you use Yahaba-san’s shampoo?”

“Do you think he has noticed?” Kyoutani whispered back.

“I… didn’t really get the chance to check if he has,” Tadashi said.

“Okay, good talk,” Kyoutani let go of him. “Don’t be sad. I still think you’re cool.”

“Thanks,” Tadashi could barely say before several pairs of arms flung themselves around him.

A clamor of “No, don’t cry!” and “We still love you!” and “No, we’re sorry you hurt so much because of us!” rose from every side and Tadashi felt all the weight of the world lift from his shoulders. He revelled in their croonings, his Seijoh, his housemates, his senpais, his friends, his family. 

Tadashi could single out each of them in glimpses. Oikawa was at the heart of the group, smiling and crying at the same time, Hanamaki was right by his side, grinning from ear to ear, Matsukawa and Iwaizumi mussed up his hair, Yahaba, Watari, Kunimi and Kindaichi were at his back, all of them showering him with love and warmth.

It finally felt like homecoming.

The moment was broken by his phone ringing in his pocket. One by one, his friends let go of him and he fished out his phone. Kei was calling.

“Hey,” Tadashi began in a chippy voice. “How did it go on your —”

“Cut the crap, Yamaguchi.” Someone other than Kei spoke, “Put the phone on speaker.”

“I’m sorry? Who’s this?”

“Learn to obey your senpai. Put the phone on the damn speaker.”

“What the fuck —” Tadashi turned the speaker on nonetheless. “What do you want?”

“This is the man you’re in love with, Kei?” The voice asked at a distance. “Has no respect for his seniors, this is the way you ruin our reputation?”

“Okay, Shirabu, shut your trap,” Yahaba took over from Tadashi. “What do you want?”

“Aha, there we go. Hello, Seijoh,” even Tadashi knew Tendou’s signature drawl. “Since your Tadashi,” he said his name with dripping sarcasm, “has clearly been successful in brainwashing our sweet Kei, why don’t we have a little chat together, huh? Meet us in the dining hall in ten. See ya!”

The call disconnected and Tadashi stared blankly at his senpais. Everyone in the room took a moment to digest the fact that Shiratorizawa just made an open threat to Seijoh, something that hadn't happened in a long, long time.

Yahaba returned his phone and swore, “At least now we can say we are definitely better people than Shiratorizawa. Assholes.”

“Do we really have to fight Shiratorizawa for Four-Eyes? Is he worth it?” Hanamaki slumped back down on the couch, snuggling up to Matsukawa.

“At least now we have a reason to,” Iwaizumi grinned and rolled up his sleeves. “Look at Oikawa,” he nudged his best friend's shoulder. “Looks like he's been waiting all his life for this.”

Oikawa puffed up his chest and blew out through his mouth. “I was born for this.” He thumped Tadashi on the back and in a call for arms, said, “Let's go get Tada-kun's boyfriend!”

***

Chapter Text

Seijoh marched into the dining hall like the vengeful forest that had come for Macbeth, I imagine.

Shiratorizawa was already there, so were friends and fellows from Nekoma and Fukurodani. Tadashi wouldn’t be surprised if he found a teacher in their midst. Seijoh vs. Shiratorizawa was like a match between two prized racehorses, the stakes ran high.

“Tadashiiiiiii,” Tendou drawled as soon as he spotted him among his housemates flanking him on all sides. “Tadashi, sweetheart, you should have just come to Shiratorizawa if you loved our Kei so much. We would have let you in if you asked nicely.”

“Why don’t you come with us, Tsukishima?” Hanamaki matched Tendou's offer and asked the blond instead.

Kei rolled his eyes. “I might just join Fukurodani at this rate.”

“Ooh, if only someone wanted you,” Yahaba said but even before Tadashi could protest, Kyoutani clasped Yahaba’s shoulder and gave a firm shake of his head. 

“Too far?” Yahaba asked. 

“Too far,” Kyoutani grunted.

“Well, Tadashi still wants you. Good for you, I guess,” Yahaba judged that would salvage his earlier remark.

Kyoutani sighed in despair.

Kei smacked his lips irritably and turned to Tendou. “Can you hurry it up? Whatever you're planning to do, just do it and let me go. I have things to do.”

“Yeah, like Yamaguchi,” Lev winked from the side.

Tadashi showed him the middle finger.

“Yeah, that too,” Lev reassured him. It took Kuroo and Yaku, their Nekoma senpais, to pin down Lev and subdue his aggressive shipping of Kei and Tadashi.

It was endearing, to say the least. Tadashi looked around himself. He was surrounded by people who were ready to fight each other because they got together and then there was Lev, who cared for none and yet somehow seemed to root for them in the oddest ways possible.

“Fight me.” Ushijima stepped out from the Shiratorizawa huddle with his head held high and for a moment, Tadashi’s blood ran cold.

“What?” Tadashi nervously rubbed his hands together.

“I proposed a truce and Tendou wanted a fight. So fight me and we'll call it a truce.”

Tadashi wished cupids had superfast healing powers instead of wings, barely useful in such cases except for fleeing. “Can’t we just talk like sane people?”

“You know what they say about me, Tadashiiii,” Tendou smirked. “If it's sane, it ain’t me.” He rested his chin on his palms, while standing, and Tadashi could see why just the sight of Tendou threw people off. Who rests their chin on their palms while they're standing? “Why? You're afraid your dear Iwa-san will break his noodle arms in an arm-wrestling match with our Wakatoshi?”

“Wait, what! Akaashi, why did he bring up Iwaizumi? I thought Yamaguchi was the one who messed with Tsukishima!” Bokuto from Fukurodani voiced Tadashi's thoughts.

There was a lot going on. It took Tadashi a moment to understand that what Ushijima had referred to as a fight was actually an arm-wrestling match which he wasn’t even expected to participate in. Akaashi probably explained that part to Bokuto because by then a low murmur had risen up in the dining hall and Tadashi could no longer pick out the voices.

“Very interesting,” Lev was audibly loud, squirming under Yaku's grip which only earned him a slap on his butt. Oddly, he seemed to enjoy that.

Tadashi glanced at his senpais. Oikawa and Iwaizumi were sharing matching devilish grins and Kyoutani was pumped up, already declaring, "I'm going to be his second. Iwaizumi-san's second.”

“Whatever,” Tendou threw his hands up in the air. “Fight, Wakatoshi-kun, fight!”

The two groups started milling in towards the table in between. They eyed each other, sized them up, and put intimidation tactics into use.

Kei was the first one to pad his way across the no-man’s land. He pulled Tadashi away from the chaos that had erupted before them and stood to the side where Lev was still lying on the ground with Yaku sitting atop him.

“What is even going on?” Tadashi asked out of genuine confusion.

“We figured he just wanted to see Ushijima-san’s bicep. So I agreed,” Kei said with a snort. “Look, your Oikawa-san has similar thoughts. He's way too eager to get Iwaizumi-san out of his shirt.”

“This day keeps getting better,” Lev quipped, which earned him a hard pinch on his butt from Yaku.

Tadashi, unfortunately, was the sole witness to the way red bloomed across Lev's cheeks. He stared back at Tadashi with panicked eyes. Tadashi frowned at first but realized what had happened when he thought back on Lev's earlier reaction at Yaku's infliction. His mouth fell open and he mouthed, “Really?” to Lev.

Lev gave him a painful smile and slumped back down on his belly on the floor while Yaku sat on his Lev-throne, unaware of the kind of notoriety his seat was up to.

Or maybe he did, Tadashi thought and immediately regretted it. Yaku might have known all along and was pulling some kind of exhibitionist stunt. Lev was known among his peers to have a raging crush on Yaku. If word had traveled to Yaku over the summer, then Lev was in deep shit. He wouldn’t even have to invite trouble to get tackled down by Yaku — just his mere presence will earn him Yaku's manhandling — much to Lev’s delight.

“Disgusting,” Tadashi mouthed back.

Lev only perked up his back and wiggled it in response.

“‘Dashi,” Kei tugged at his hand and drew his attention back to the arm wrestling. “It's starting.”

And sure enough, it was. Oikawa and Kyoutani were standing closest to Iwaizumi while Tendou and Shirabu hovered around Ushijima. The two representatives sat on opposite sides of a narrow table. Ushijima's face was impassive as usual, but Iwaizumi’s expression was chock full of concentration.

Tadashi slotted his fingers between Kei's.

‘Dashi.

Tsukki.

Nicknames.

“So Shiratorizawa guys are actually okay with it?” Tadashi asked Kei just to confirm.

“About us? Yeah, they created a whole scene, crying, hissing, saying how much they love me no matter what I do… fact of the matter remains, they'll be fine with us.” Kei squeezed his hand.

“Yeah, same hue and cry on our end,” Kunimi had joined them. Kindaichi was very much inside the Seijoh squad cheering for Iwaizumi. Kunimi pushed back his bangs and clutched at the roots of his hair, “The drama never ends with these two houses.”

“You were hugging me too I recall,” Tadashi rubbed his shoulder against Kunimi's.

“I like group huddles,” Kunimi said defensively and pushed Tadashi back towards Kei.

Kei caught Tadashi around the waist and let his arm rest there. In a hall full of fellow cupids, Kei rested his chin on Tadashi’s shoulder. The all-too-familiar citrusy smell coiled itself around Tadashi, bringing sweet memories back with it. Their days in Tokyo, their kiss, their embrace, all theirs.

Tadashi leaned back in his hold. Lev let out a low whistle, Kunimi rolled his eyes, Shibayama smiled away.

“Akaashi, the dorms are empty now, right? Everyone else is here. Let's go.”

Tadashi’s focus wavered to the conversation.

“You don't want to watch the arm-wrestling match between Shiratorizawa and Seijoh, Bokuto-san?”

“Do you want to, Akaashi? I'll stay if you want.”

“No, I can think of some better things to watch.”

“Yes, like me, right? Naked —”

“Okay, enough. Let's go.”

A little laugh shook Tadashi’s body. He tried to suppress it to not shock Tsukishima out of watching Iwaizumi and Ushijima slot their hands in each other's firm grips. But only a second later, Kei joined in with small chuckle of his own and tightened his hold around Tadashi.

They'd been overhearing the same conversation unknowingly, the thought soothed Tadashi more than their tastes in fashion or food or dates. Two different people with their different preferences and opinions could still agree upon how they loved love.

“Ready… Go!” Having already assumed the role of the referee, Kuroo lifted his hand off the competitors’ grips and gave the signal.

Iwaizumi gritted his teeth and pushed. Ushijima narrowed his eyes and pushed back. Every time an arm tilted to the side even a little, a loud roar rose from the crowd that surrounded the two of them. Iwaizumi's elbow slid back across the table. Tadashi realized he was pulling Ushijima's arm towards himself so he could put his weight on it. And the more he pulled, the more his biceps curled —

Tadashi could see why Oikawa was eager to get Iwaizumi out of his shirt.

Ushijima realized it almost simultaneously. He hooked his wrist to block Iwaizumi and leant back instead to get their arms back to his advantage. A drop of sweat rolled across the width of his bicep, catching the sunlight just right before it plopped on the table.

Tadashi could see why Tendou was eager to have Ushijima in an arm-wrestling match.

None of the two would simply give up. The tug and push went on for a whole minute before Iwaizumi flicked his wrist out in what looked like a roll and leant down towards his free hand that gripped the table. He put all his weight on his shoulder to push down Ushijima’s arm.

The strategy showed promise for a couple of seconds there. It broke Ushijima’s composure for the first time. His wrist bent inside and the veins on his forearm popped out angrily. He bared his teeth and scowled from the effort he had to put in to not let his wrist give out. 

“Well, no matter how hard Ushijima-san tries, we're winning this fair and square,” Tadashi said, knocking his head against Kei's shoulder without taking his eyes off the competitors.

“Sure,” Kei scoffed but kept his hold around Tadashi. “In your dreams.”

“And in your reality. Iwaizumi-san will destroy Ushijima-san. Destroy. Mark my words. He’ll be destroyed.”

“Keep fantasizing. I'll be right here when you wake up to reality. Look at how he's gaining the upper hand now. Not a one-time fluke like your Iwaizumi-san.”

“How dare you…” 

Sweat beaded on Iwaizumi’s forehead. He struggled to maintain the pressure he had put on before. Ushijima was now leaning in, he had brought their arms past the midpoint, more towards his winning side. Just another well-timed adrenaline-driven push would have Iwaizumi’s arm completely on the table.

“Shiratorizawa never loses. Much less to Seijoh.”

Tadashi couldn’t believe his ears. He extracted himself off of Kei's hold and looked at him incredulously, “Seijoh has literally never lost to Shiratorizawa.”

“Yeah, we all know what sore losers you guys are. We let you win.” Kei stared him down.

“Sounds like what you would say to convince yourselves. Be my fucking guest.”

Kei’s lips curled into a one-sided smile, “Oh, I'd rather be your host.” He put his arms back around Tadashi, this time around his shoulders and pulled him closer. “You know, the bed and breakfast kind. Bed and lunch, bed and work, bed and dinner, bed and shower.”

“Mmhm, sounds like I won,” Tadashi put his ear on Kei’s chest.

“You must be wrong, since I feel like I won.”

“This is what I'll have to put up with for the rest of the course,” Kunimi grumbled.

“Maybe you'll learn something and use it on Kindaichi,” Kei shot back immediately.

Kunimi grunted, crossed his arms on his chest and looked away, possibly towards Kindaichi, who was busy whooping and cheering on his senpai.

All the clamour seemed to do Iwaizumi good. He tucked his knees to balance himself and pushed up his fighting arm.

“Go, Iwaizumi-san, go, go!” Tadashi found himself joining in the cheers from the sidelines.

“There should be a world record for the longest arm-wrestling match somewhere,” they heard Kuroo say. “Hey, Kenma are you recording this —”

“Live-streaming since y'all started this shit,” Kenma was saying.

Iwaizumi had brought their arms back to the midpoint once again. Both of them were shaking all over now. Veins had popped, long and green. Ushijima carefully shifted and put his weight on his fighting arm. But Iwaizumi didn't budge. He growled and held on and put all of his core strength into —

“Cut it out!”

Tadashi straightened up and stepped away from Kei at the thunderous voice. Yaku stood up and coaxed Lev back up on his feet. Even Ushijima and Iwaizumi slowly let go of each other. Ushijima stumbled a little — Tendou caught him around the shoulders to steady him. Oikawa wordlessly brandished a towel for Iwaizumi out of thin air. Iwaizumi held out his limp arms which made Oikawa take pity on him and wrap the towel around his neck himself. The jeering crowd stilled into little murmurs as everyone jostled to get back in their politest countenances.

Nekomata sensei stood at the entrance with a big scowl on his face.

“Good,” he said. “Just because you kids don't have classes today, don't think you can get away with this kind of chaos. I'm sure you have reports to submit and lessons to catch up on. Get to it.”

All of them made a beeline back to the entrance, visibly still reeling from the hype that the arm-wrestling match had created.

“Or you could take it to your common rooms, I honestly don't care. Just not in the dining hall, you fools,” Nekomata sensei sighed and moved to the side to let the students pass.

The cupids cheered as they trooped out.

“Yamaguchi, wasn't it?” Nekomata sensei said right as Tadashi and Kei tried to get past him unnoticed. “Tsukishima too, hm.”

What could they do except step out of the group and greet the teacher?

“Good morning, sensei,” they bowed together.

“Getting along just fine, I see.” Nekomata sensei fixed his gaze on them. “I hear all this raucous is because of the two of you?”

Tadashi and Kei looked at each other through the corner of their eyes and gave in. “We're very sorry, sensei,” Tadashi said. “We didn't mean to cause trouble.”

“No, I meant to congratulate the two of you,” Nekomata sensei said proudly. “I don't want to know how but the fact that the two of you could bring your houses to see eye to eye is cool.”

Tadashi’s eyes widened. He was only thinking about it, but Kei blurted it out, ““Cool?””

Nekomata chose to ignore it. Instead, he gave them each a pat on their shoulders, said, “Okay, see you at class tomorrow,” and disappeared round the corner.

“That's one way to start a school year, I guess,” Kei started laughing.

Tadashi smiled. Yeah, an entire school year to look forward to with Kei by his side. New memories to create, new stories to laugh at together, new kids to induct into the houses.

“Would be weird to not tell the new kids of the legendary Seijoh-Shiratorizawa rivalry in the coming term, no?” Tadashi wondered as he took off in a low flight and pulled Kei up beside him.

Kei beat his wings haphazardly at first and then fell into rhythm. “Yeah, you want to arm-wrestle me and get into another fight you can tell them about?”

Tadashi looked down at his own moderately endowed arms and then at Kei's. None of them were jacked like Iwaizumi and Ushijima. It wouldn't make for a very good story. He absently wondered if Kei liked muscular bodies and if he should hit the gym more to gain some mass.

Kei poked his bicep with a long finger. “I like it better this way. Soft enough to bite.”

Tadashi threw back his head in laughter. “Sound logic, can't argue with that.”

“Like this,” Kei nipped at his forearm. “Like this,” he nipped at his elbow, “and like this,” he nipped at his shoulder.

Tadashi giggled and swatted at him playfully.

“Hey, ’Dashi,” Kei held both his hands. “Did you mean it when you said it earlier?”

“What did I say?” Tadashi found it hard to concentrate with the pools of gold gazing so lovingly at him.

“Oh, you don't remember,” Kei's ears turned red but he tried to play it cool. “Let it be.”

“Whatever I tell you, I will always mean it, though. No matter if I remember it later or not.”

Kei mumbled something unintelligibly.

Tadashi tugged at his sleeve. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Kei nodded. Tadashi asked him again. “What was it?”

“I love you.”

“Oh —”

“I mean that's what you said. It was probably a slip of tongue.”

“I guess so.”

“Yeah?”

“But I did mean it,” Tadashi pulled him close. “I didn't mean to say it so unceremoniously that I don't even remember when I said it. But I meant it then. And I mean it now.”

“Yeah?” Kei smiled, warmth radiating from his entire being.

“I love you, Tsukkii.” Tadashi felt the need to unburden himself and reiterate his point. “I know the last few months have been a whirlwind of emotions and we've been moving at a breakneck speed, which is, probably, you know, by all the theories we learn here at school, not healthy. But you make me feel like if I don't tell you now, I'll be wasting precious moments of my life by not telling you how much I love you. Every waking moment I spend, I want to spend it with you and even if we can't, I want you to know that I want to. I love you so much, Kei, I don't know how I've been ignorant of this for so long. And uh, no pressure, this is just how I feel,” Tadashi pulled back, trying to give Kei space just in case. “I promise I'll take it slow —”

Kei would have none of it. He chased Tadashi’s lips, found them and devoured them until Tadashi’s head felt smooth and white without a wrinkle of anxiety.

“I love you too,” Kei kissed the corner of his lips and Tadashi melted. Again. “I’ve been wondering why I have to clutch at my heart painfully every time I think of you. Took me a while to figure out it’s because I love you so much and you don’t know that yet.”

“Shut up, Tsukki,” Tadashi broke into a fit of giggles.

“Make me,” Kei said defiantly. “You know, since we won’t be legendary arm-wrestlers like Ushijima-san and Iwaizumi-san, we could have a different kind of fight.” Kei rubbed the side of Tadashi’s cheek, tracing his freckles with an evil glint in his eyes.

“Oh? And what is that?” Tadashi decided to play along.

“We could kiss and keep kissing to see who can kiss the longest without having to pull apart.”

Tadashi will probably never stop giggling at this rate. “You know, most of the time I think you’re a genius cupid but then these are the times when I question my choice.”

“So what I’m hearing is hi, I’m from Seijoh and I’m a loser.”

“You’re so silly!”

“I love my loser boyfriend.”

“You better be ready because me going out of breath isn’t gonna make me stop kissing you. I plan to go out this way, thank you.”

“You talk too much for someone who’s going to lose.”

“You brat.” Tadashi pulled Kei closer by the hips and kissed him on the lips. His lips slotted perfectly between Kei’s soft, pink ones, like they were meant to. He squeezed Kei’s waist through the shirt and wrapped his arms around. He flicked his tongue and sucked on Kei’s lips, Kei threaded his fingers in his long hair and pulled lightly. A small groan escaped Tadashi’s lips.

They landed slowly on the terrace of their dormitories. Being in a tangle of limbs, they stumbled at first but Tadashi quickly found the attic wall behind him and steadied them. Kei led him to the attic door. Tadashi fished around blindly for the doorknob and once he had found it, he smiled into the kiss and pulled Kei with him inside the attic, shutting the door behind themselves.

So, that’s how the first commandment in the Seijoh-Shiratorizawa conduct book by Yamaguchi sensei and Tsukishima sensei came to be. 

Rule #1

If you have a rival, ask them if they want a kiss. More often than not, they do.

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