𝐇𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐒, tsukishima kei

02

     kei stood in front of the vending machine, watching as a small carton of plain milk dropped to the bottom. he carefully reached his hand inside and grabbed it. kei would never think to buy plain milk (he was more of a strawberry milk enjoyer himself), but he had lost a bet.

    "kei!"

he startled as a voice called out his name from behind him. he knew the voice well. it belonged to his best friend's stupidly attractive brother.

     kei didn't turn around. he didn't want to look at [name] right now, still hung up on the fact that he couldn't even talk to him on the walk home yesterday. he had never been that much of a coward before. it was embarrassing.

     "are you avoiding me?" [name] asked, and kei rolled his eyes, because of course [name] would ask a stupid question like that. the only thing more annoying is that he had placed a hand on his shoulder.

     kei turned to face the other boy. he didn't know what to say, so he did the one thing he was good at; say something mean.

     "how'd you figure that out captain obvious?"

     [name] faltered at kei's tone, shoving his hands into his pockets and sighing. "what did i do? you've been avoiding me since this morning and you're not even gonna tell me why?"

     if there was one thing kei liked about [name], it was that he never raised his voice, not even when he was angry. the blond could always tell when he frustrated by the way he balled his hands into fists and how he pressed his lips into a tight line. kei could read him like an open book.

     "you're the one who left for six months, i don't think i owe you an explication." kei was much better at hiding his emotions that [name] was. he kept his expression blank and pretended as if he didn't care. he cared a lot more than he would let on.

     he let out a sigh and crossed his arms, the plain milk in his hand making his fingers cold. he looked [name] up and down. kei was taller than him now, though still a lot lankier. [name] has always had more natural muscle since they were kids, but when he got into working out his first year of high school, it was surely something kei hadn't gotten used too yet.

[name] furrowed his brows. kei assumed he was annoyed.

"is that what this is about?" his voice was softer than kei had expected.

maybe he wasn't annoyed then. was he confused? concerned?

     when kei didn't respond, [name] exhaled the breath that he had been holding in.

"i don't want to have another fight about this, please." he had never heard [name] sound so desperate before. kei hadn't bothered to think about how he felt about the subject, too engrossed in his own anger to care. he realized now that [name] was just as hurt by it as he was.

     "i'm sorry."

     kei knew it would be stupid to take those words to heart, but he always ended up doing stupid things when he was with [name].

     a sigh pushed it's way past his lips. he didn't forgive him. kei never forgave anyone for anything, and the yamaguchi brothers were not an exception.

     "you have to mean it." kei stepped forward, his face so close to [name]'s that he could feel his breath on his skin. there was something so familiar about their closeness, and kei tried his best to ignore the flood of memories rushing through his brain.

     his heart hammered in his chest when [name] looked up at him. he couldn't bear looking into his eyes for more than a second, but when his gaze wandered to the older boy's lips he was quick to look away and step back.

     "i do mean it." [name] whispered like he was the only person in the world, and kei knew he was telling the truth.

"tadashi is hanging out with kageyama after practice," kei said. he was still getting used to his best friend and kageyama being friends now. "so walk me home."

when [name] averted his eyes from kei's piercing brown eyes, he found himself gazing at the boy's lips. the same lips he had thought about for a year straight—the same lips he had kissed right before he left.

the bell chimed, snapping [name] out of his thoughts. his faced warmed and he looked away.

"see you later," [name] said before heading to class.

kei stood in front of the vending machine for a moment, his face red and his thoughts facing. [name] had been staring at his lips. he must be imagining things.

"see you..." kei murmured under his breath. he shook his head, realizing how foolish he was being. [name] might not even show up; he couldn't get his hopes up.

kei smiled the whole walk to class anyway.