a/n: ⚠️⚠️⛔️WARNING PLZ READ THIS A/N!!!⛔️⚠️⚠️ basically there are homophobic slurs ahead which i partially censored, ill give another warning before (also i dont own the fanart)
Yaku was having another one of his rare good days. School hadn't been too hard, he got a quiz back that he did well on, he didn't have too much homework, it was Friday, practice was good too, and now he and Lev were walking back from the store after getting oinarisan.
"Thank you again so much Yaku-san!" Lev exclaimed, grateful for the oinarisan of course, but also the opportunity to hang out with Yaku more. He'd been busy again recently and kind of distant, but now he was alright, smiling softly at the younger while they set a slow and easy pace back to the neighborhood.
"No problem. I guess I owe you for introducing me to Avatar anyway." He and Lev had watched the show a few more times since training camp and he had become addicted. He wished they could've watched it more often, but they were both busy and weren't together outside of practice that often. Which was Yaku's fault, but still.
"I'm glad you like the show! I still wish you would come over though, we could have a tv marathon and stuff..." Lev trailed off glumly. He hated to push it when things were going well, but for some reason, Yaku was adamant about not going over to his house, even though Lev knew for a fact he went over to Kuroo's or Kenma's sometimes, so it wasn't a he just didn't like to go to other people's houses, it was a he just didn't want to go to Lev's house. And he was still trying to figure out why.
"I just...can't–" Yaku murmured, his brain clashing wildly. He couldn't go to Lev's house. His dad would kill him, Lev already hung around him enough as it was, what if his dad got the wrong idea, what if he knew–what if he knew about them and the way Yaku tried so hard not to feel and, and then–then what would happen–it was too risky, he couldn't, he shouldn't have had his stupid feelings in the first place, Lev shouldn't have either, they couldn't be together, it didn't make sense though, Lev didn't seem like such a bad person, but–but–
"I..." Yaku started to say, wanting to give Lev some kind of solid explanation, but it felt weird to say, wrong to say, and he was at a loss. Lev stared back expectantly as their pace slowed, eventually stopping.
"Yaku-san," Lev said slowly. He reached out and gently took hold of Yaku's hands in his own. Yaku was so busy trying not to short circuit, he couldn't even protest any of it, couldn't find it in himself to pull away.
"Something's off about you, something's really bothering you. Whatever it is...you–you don't have to tell me, obviously, but, if you want, you can you know. You're always the one listening, but I'm more than happy to listen to your problems." Lev said kindly. Yaku's eyes widened tenfold. His breathing and heart rate both began steadily rising, his hands shaking a bit, which didn't go unnoticed by the younger.
"Lev..." Yaku whispered, trying to find the words he so desperately needed, the words that could somehow convey everything to Lev, to what was going on, how and what he was feeling. Before he could get the chance though, he and Lev were interrupted.
(a/n: (censored) homophobic ahead be warned!!!!!)
"'Sup F*GS!" Someone shouted, repeated by others in a car driving by, as they threw an onslaught of takeout food, it seemed, at Lev and Yaku, still standing there on the sidewalk, unable to do anything back.
Lev left Yaku, ran off and tried to say something back, but Yaku was too far gone to realize, the slur echoing loudly back and forth in his head, the thing he was trying so hard to avoid, to not become, because–because he wasn't, he couldn't be, he wasn't–he wasn't–he would never, because–because it was wrong, it was a sin, it went against tradition and–and–f*gs went to hell, he knew that, his father had told him time and again, about how evil they were and–and he wasn't that, he wasn't that, he wasn't that he wasn't he wasn't he wasn't he wasn't he wasn't–
"Yaku? Yaku-san, are you okay? Are you alright?" Lev asked, shaking Yaku's shoulder, but Yaku had a faraway look in his eyes that was seriously worrying him. Lev was pissed at those guys in the car, but they'd been driving too fast for him to get the license plate number so it wasn't like there was much he could do.
"Yaku-san, please, tell me you're okay," Lev said, shaking Yaku a bit harder. He thought all they had thrown was food, but what if they'd done something else, if they'd somehow hurt Yaku...? Lev didn't see anything that looked visibly wrong with him though, other than being covered in noodles and small vegetables and who knew what else.
Yaku finally snapped out of it, fear flashing in his eyes. He kept hearing his father's voice, screaming at him in the background as his vision started to flash, and Lev–Lev was there, and Lev was–he was–he was one of them he shouldn't have been with him in the first place not alone not alone he shouldn't have gone with Lev his father was going to kill him he could never know he could never know he couldn't he couldn't tell him or let him find out, he would be dead he would probably already be dead if–if if if–if–
"Get away from me," Yaku hissed, stepping away from Lev and smacking his hand away. Hurt flashed in his eyes but Yaku couldn't–he couldn't–he was–he was one of them Yaku wasn't like that he wasn't he wasn't–
"Yaku-san...please, are you okay?" Lev asked again, stepping closer to Yaku who took two paces away again. Yaku looked terrified, didn't look like himself at all, Lev had never seen him in that state, it was like it wasn't him.
"No–no you–you stay away from me, I hate you! You–you–you–you–f*g!" Yaku screamed, sprinting off at the speed of lightning. Lev was too shocked to move. Had Yaku just...had Yaku really just...done that...? Wasn't Yaku...supposed to be his...his friend? And–and ally, at the very least, and–and–
Lev didn't realize it but he had started sobbing right there in the middle of the sidewalk, still covered in cold ramen, which he supposed was a small mercy that it wasn't burning hot. He glanced up, looking for any sign of Yaku but found none. He thought about going to look for him but decided against it, and called his sister instead.
"Lev? What's up?" She asked, wondering if perhaps she was going to meet Yaku over the phone or something since he and Lev were probably walking back from practice then.
"A-Alisa–" Lev cried, immediately snapping Alisa into big sister mode. She was already shooting down the stairs to grab the car keys, asking, "Lyovochka what's wrong, who hurt you, where are you?"
Lev sniffled some more. "On–on the street that–that goes into the main–the main–neighborhood–" Lev choked out, trying to fight all the tears that were overwhelming him, but having a lot of trouble.
"Stay right there I'll be there in a minute, you can tell me everything that happened." Alisa muttered, jumping in the car and slamming on the gas pedal. Nobody hurt her brother like this, and when she found out who it was, they were going to be paying very dearly.
YOU ARE READING
Snapshots (Yakulev)
RomanceLittle snapshots of Lev and Yaku's relationship from the first time they meet onward, and Yaku's struggle with his sexuality (and the fact that he likes someone like Lev)
