Goodnight, Tadashi

Chapter 3

You know, I was just joking when I told you to buy a body pillow,” was how Kuroo greeted him the next morning.

“Oh?” Tsukishima responded, walking past his roommate and into the kitchen. “I suppose I don’t owe you any thanks then.” He glanced over at Kuroo just in time to see his teasing grin falter.

“Wait. Did it actually help?” Kuroo sounded almost as surprised as Tsukishima had been when he woke up halfway through the night and realized he had already been asleep for hours, as opposed to still being awake.

“A bit, yeah,” Tsukishima answered, grabbing a cup from the cabinet and filling it at the sink. It wasn’t like he had slept perfectly - he still woke up periodically throughout the night - but it was easier to fall asleep, and subsequently, fall back asleep, with the pillow to comfort him. Even if it did only work when he started pretending it was Yamaguchi.

“Well, you’re welcome, then!” Kuroo said as Tsukishima returned to the living room, chest puffed out in exaggerated pride. Tsukishima was unimpressed.

“I didn’t thank you.”

“You don’t need to,” Kuroo informed. “I’m always glad to help a friend in need.”

Tsukishima raised a skeptical brow. “If you actually cared about helping me, you wouldn’t have made fun of me for following your suggestion.”

Kuroo opened his mouth to reply, then paused, the gears in his head clearly working on coming up with his defense. Tsukishima took the opportunity to dip his fingertips into his glass of water, then flick them at his roommate. “Bad Kuroo,” he scolded. “Bad.”

Kuroo nodded as he wiped the moisture from his face. “I deserved that.”

Tsukishima turned down the hall to return to his room. Before he got too far, Kuroo called, “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your new lover?”

Tsukishima glared over his shoulder at Kuroo, who was trying very hard not to laugh at his own joke. Tsukishima should have known he wouldn’t be let off the hook that easily.