Akaashi's 18th (and the events that followed...)

36. Clear Night

Tsch! This was so stupid.

After storming out of the gym, Tsukishima hadn't gone home, as the others would probably have guessed. Instead, he had jogged to the park, sitting on the swing and rocking himself back and forth, headphones on at a soft volume. When that had proven futile in distracting him, he had paced the familiar pavements of his neighbourhood to clear his head.

"They're almost like a couple."

Argh! His shoes scuffed the ground as his steps grew heavier.

"Don't be so stuck up, Tsukki - ask for help when you need it!" The voice of Yamaguchi rang around his head. It wasn't as if he didn't like Yamaguchi. There were very few people he could be around, and in the past few years, that boy had somehow become the only person he could voice his thoughts to.

He knew Yamaguchi thought his new distance was due to him being captain. Stupid. Why would it be? There was only one plausible reason in his mind, although it was good that Yamaguchi hadn't figured it out, otherwise they might not be friends anymore. It would be awkward even for the nicest person, like Tasashi, to remain friends, if he knew Tsukishima liked him in that way.

It was only then that he realised it was dark. Tsukishima checked his watch. One am?! He had been walking for over two hours. Well, if nothing else would help him to sleep, there was only one other thing he could try.

He walked down the pathway that ran through Yamaguchi's garden with trepidation, coming to a halt outside the front door and staring blankly at it. It was too late, he realised, as he glanced to the bedroom window on the upper right corner of the house, finding only the blue darkness of the night reflected in the glass, where others bore a yellow glow. Yamaguchi was probably asleep.

He sucked in a breath, turning away back into the darkness, but at that second the door opened. "Tsukki?"

Kuso - had Yamaguchi been watching? "Yeah?" Tsukishima turned around, and the sight before him made his eyes widen. Yamaguchi's eyelids were rubbed red with stress, accentuated with the dark, tired circles that framed them. He was wearing a pair of loose, blue pyjamas, but his entire face was alert, his fingers jittering and drumming against the sides of his legs.

"Oh, umm I was just going to get dressed and head over to yours." They both waited, silence hanging over them, along with the elephant that had been following them since the start of the year. "Well anyway," he shrugged, voice stone cold. "Since you're here now you may as well come in."

Tsukishima followed his friend in a state of shocked silence until they reached Yamaguchi's room. "Still studying?" He put the last few volts of energy he had into that sentence, after noticing the exercise books and notepads strewn across the carpet.

"Yeah, being the captain of the team means a lot more responsibility than I thought. And to think we all gave Daichi such a hard time." Yamaguchi laughed, but then broke off, as if remembering he was supposed to be mad. He coughed, gathering up his books and turning on the lamp in the corner, which cast a fiery light over the room. Tsukishima made his way towards the bed, sitting cross-legged on the edge.

"Tsukki?" Yamaguchi drew closer, his voice hinting at the slightest impatience.

Tsukishima turned to the device in his pocket, realising he was still wearing his earphones, and began scrolling through a playlist. He ignored the shadow being cast over his cross-legged form. Two can play that game.

Overall, he was unsure of how to act. He hadn't arrived at Yamaguchi's with a particular plan of what he was going to do, let alone say. What could he even say anyway? He continued to block out the sound of Yamaguchi sighing when he realised Tsukishima wasn't about to respond anytime soon.