𝑬𝑪𝑯𝑶𝑬𝑺 𝑶𝑭 𝑹𝑰𝑽𝑨𝑳𝑹𝒀 (Tsukikage)

𝐔𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬

𝐄𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲!

~~~~

3𝐑𝐃 𝐏𝐎𝐕-

The sun was setting outside the school, casting a warm golden hue across the empty hallways. Most of the students had already left for the day, but Kageyama and Tsukishima found themselves in one of the empty classrooms, books, and papers scattered across the desks. Kageyama was hunched over his math textbook, and brow furrowed in concentration as he attempted to work through a particularly tricky problem. Across from him, Tsukishima watched with an amused smirk, occasionally glancing up from his own notes.

Kageyama’s pencil scratched against the paper, his frustration growing with each passing minute. No matter how hard he tried, the numbers just weren’t adding up. He shot a quick glance at Tsukishima, who was quietly watching him struggle. There was something oddly comforting about having Tsukishima nearby, even if Kageyama didn’t quite understand why.

“Why do we even need to learn this stuff?”

-𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐇-

Kageyama muttered under his breath, erasing yet another mistake. His annoyance was clear in his voice, though it was softened by the familiar presence of his teammate.

Tsukishima chuckled softly, leaning back in his chair with an air of superiority. “Because, Kageyama, if you don’t pass your exams, you won’t be able to play volleyball. And then what would you do with your life?”

Kageyama shot him a glare, but there was no real heat behind it. “I’d figure something out,” he grumbled, though the thought of not being able to play volleyball sent a shiver down his spine.

“Sure you would,” Tsukishima teased, his tone light and playful. He reached over, tapping Kageyama’s textbook with his pencil. “Here, you’re overcomplicating it. Just focus on the basics.”

Kageyama sighed, but he leaned in closer, following Tsukishima’s guidance. As he did, their shoulders brushed together, sending an unexpected jolt through Kageyama. He stiffened slightly, unsure of how to react to the sudden closeness.

-𝐓𝐇𝐔𝐌𝐏-

He tried to ignore the feeling, focusing instead on the numbers in front of him. But his mind kept drifting back to the warmth of Tsukishima’s shoulder against his, the way their hands almost touched as Tsukishima pointed out the solution.

“There you go,” Tsukishima said after a moment, his voice soft and almost encouraging. “See? It’s not that hard when you stop overthinking.”

Kageyama nodded, though his thoughts were a tangled mess. He should have been relieved that the problem was finally solved, but all he could think about was the way Tsukishima’s voice had sounded so close to his ear, the way his breath had tickled his skin.

“Thanks,” Kageyama muttered, not trusting himself to say much more.

Tsukishima didn’t reply, but there was a knowing glint in his eyes as he leaned back in his chair, casually stretching his arms behind his head. The movement caused his shirt to ride up slightly, revealing a sliver of pale skin that Kageyama found himself staring at for just a moment too long.

Kageyama quickly averted his gaze, feeling his cheeks warm. What was wrong with him? This was Tsukishima, the same sarcastic, infuriating guy he’d known for years. So why did it suddenly feel like the air between them was thick with something unspoken, something that made his heart beat faster and his thoughts scatter?

“Kageyama,” Tsukishima’s voice broke through his spiraling thoughts, and Kageyama blinked, realizing that Tsukishima had been talking to him.

“Huh? What?” Kageyama stammered, trying to play it off as if he hadn’t just been caught staring.