24 Hours

7:00 A.M

Tsukishima:

He really wished his boyfriend didn't have to get himself in so many situations. Still, he knew this was Yamaguchi's choice to go help the woman. If he wanted to do it, he was allowed to- Tsukishima was in no place to stop him. Tsukishima wasn't much of a helping sort of person- in fact, he wasn't even much of a talking sort of person, yet he was still following Yamaguchi towards the fallen old woman.

The two of them jogged down the dock where the commotion was taking place. The woman was on her knees, trying to gather up all her things back into her bag. Glowering over her, is a man with a roughly trimmed beard, dressed in a blue tee and khaki shorts.

"Didn't you hear me, lady?! I said, you owe me some money!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry-" the lady murmured, fishing in her wallet.

Yamaguchi's eyebrows scrunched together furiously. "Hey, what's going on?!"

Both the man and the old woman looked up at Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. The man took a step towards them, raising a fist at them.

"This stupid woman won't pay me back after she bumped into me and got my clothes all covered with her drink!" the man said angrily, thrusting a finger towards the woman. She pressed her lips tightly, shaking her head slowly.

"Look!" he said loudly. A drink was lying on the floor, liquid pooling out of it onto the ground. There was a stain on the man's t-shirt.

Yamaguchi cocked his head. "Aren't you being a little rude to just a small accident? I'm sure it's fine. Listen- I'll pay you back a few bucks for her."

"Young man-" insisted the woman. "You really don't have to."

"Well, I want it from her," the man said, his eyes staring daggers at the lady. "She's the one who bumped into me and ruined my new shirt! The shirt's $60!"

Before he knew it, Tsukishima had spoken up.

"I don't think anybody's paying for you," he said.

"Excuse me?" spluttered the man, raising a shaking fist to Tsukishima's face. "Look what she did to me! This is all her fault!"

"I think you just want money from her," said Tsukishima.

"You-"

"Have proof?" interrupted Tsukishima, raising an eyebrow. "Well, I regonize you. You were sitting at the bar my friends and I were just at. Messy beard, blue shirt- seems to be you. And your friend? That would be him waiting for you right there, right?" He pointed at the red shorts man standing a few yards away, his face showing no emotion.

"So?" spat the blue-shirt man, eying Tsukishima.

"Which means you two were buying drinks there too," continued Tsukishima. "I'm guessing the drink on the ground is yours, not the woman's. Besides, she's on the side of the road while you're right in the middle, so maybe you ran into her, not the other way. And the stain on your shirt? It looks almost dry. If the woman were to have gotten stuff on your shirt, it would look more wet. You probably got it on yourself when you were at the bar, and now you're just looking for an excuse because you bumped into her. And did you say it was a new shirt?"

He reached up and grabbed the back of the man's shirt, peering down at the small tag. "Oh, look at that. Only $15, not $60 like you said so. That's what I thought. Imagine an ugly shirt like that for $60."

The man was gaping at Tsukishima who smiled at him smugly.

"I'm guessing this place has cameras. Wanna double check to see if it really was the woman's fault?"

"You little punk-" the man shouted and raised his hand, about to strike Tsukishima.

Yamaguchi suddenly stepped forward and kneed the man right into the crotch. "Don't touch my boyfriend!" he yelled, gripping Tsukishima's hand tightly. "And get out of here before I do it again."

"Stupid kids," muttered the man, hobbling away. "Stupid kids."

"We're 23!" Yamaguchi called.

Once he was gone, Tsukishima turned towards Yamaguchi. "Thanks for the save back there, Yams."

Yamaguchi squeezed Tsukishima's hand, then turned towards the lady. "Are you okay?"

"I'm wonderful, thank you, gentleman," she said kindly. Yamaguchi handed her back her stuff, along with her cane, and the woman walked off slowly, a smile on her face.

The two watched her stroll off into the distance, their arms slung around each other.

"Way to show off, Tsukishima," said Yamaguchi. "You and your salty, smart brain."

"Is the only joke you have of me about salt?" groaned Tsukishima, elbowing Yamaguchi playfully.

"There's the dinosaurs too, oh and-"

"Yams!" said Tsukishima, but he was laughing.

Hands held tightly, the two made their way back to their friends.