The Man Who Ran Off With The Moon - [ Tsukkiyama Art Thief AU! ]

In The Garden Of Night

The plan came together slowly, then all at once. Tsukishima determined they would cut the power to the museum, disabling security under the cover of darkness. Kuroo bought a little motion tracking go pro and handled the difficult, first illegal action they would be partaking in. On Wednesday, he returned to the museum and "accidentally" wandered into the room where the power information, along with camera feeds, were directed. He fixed his camera in the top most corner, a stream of video feed wirelessly accessible from the house. It was at the perfect angle to record the input of the password to the whole system, whenever the next guard logged in. Tsukishima had offered to go on this mission with him, but Kuroo had refused. He had become increasingly moody and prone to stress in the past couple days, adapting a cold exterior to keep himself together. Tsukishima understood. 

The case the gem was in was near unbreakable, the glass box was bolted onto the pedestal, the pedestal was secured firmly into the ground. They had to determine how to free it from it's box. Kuroo, in all his chemistry genius, had the idea to put together a solution of hydrofluoric acid to dissolve the glass. He was experimenting with different compounds to speed up the reaction time. 

The most important figure in the growing plan, however, was Bokuto. Tsukishima and Kuroo had not told him the specifics of the situation, what they intended to do, so he could have plausible deniability if everything went wrong. All Bokuto knew was that Kenma was in trouble, Yamaguchi was unwell, and his actions would help. He had such deep trust in Kuroo, this was all that was necessary. Private events were not allowed within the museum, so it wasn't possible for some CEO, however wealthy, to simply rent out the space as they pleased. The museum was in the public domain. However, Bokuto's position as a member of Japan's National Team allowed him access to the necessary government figures to be able to, with Akaashi's careful help, host a small charity reception alongside the Eye of the Moon. Tsukishima determined that he and Kuroo could slip in as wait staff for the dinner, avoiding the crowds, while simultaneously not having to worry about heightened night security. It was the perfect solution. 

At least, that's what they hoped. 

On the Thursday before the heist would take place, Yamaguchi regained consciousness. Tsukishima was sitting at the table with a blueprint of the museum grounds, determining the best route to escape through once they had the gem. 

"T-Tsukki?" 

He quickly covered the map and turned towards the man in bed. Yamaguchi's eyelids fluttered open and his breathing was labored. Tsukishima went to his side, kneeling next to him. Yamaguchi rolled over, straining, resting his hands on the other man's cheek. They burned against Tsukishima's skin, like the clashing hot and cold of a thunderstorm. Tsukishima could tell he was in a lot of pain, but Yamaguchi still had the sweetest smile on his face when he looked at him. He felt his heart soften. 

"Hey, Tadashi." 

Yamaguchi weakly grasped at the collar of his shirt, pulling the other man a bit closer to him. Tsukishima obliged, sliding in bed next to Yamaguchi. The smaller man shifted towards him, leaning his head into his chest. 

"How do you feel?" 

"I feel.. I feel like I'm being consumed." 

His eyes were glassy, his thoughts vague and imperfect. Tsukishima didn't really know what he meant by that. Yamaguchi folded into him more, his face in the fabric of Tsukishima's shirt. Tsukishima wrapped his arms around him, feeling the slow beating of the other man's heart. 

"Have you ever hated me?" 

Tsukshima furrowed his brow, "No." 

It was true. He'd been angry, outraged. He had mourned, but he didn't feel like that was time that had been stolen from him. It had all been worth it, now. Anything was worth it to be able to hold the person he loved most in his arms. 

"Do you think you could ever hate me?" 

Yamaguchi gazed up at him, pale faced and sweaty. Tsukishima frowned, "Why would you ask me that?" 

Yamaguchi looked away, "I-just. I was just wondering." 

"Well. That's a stupid thing to wonder. Don't think such idiotic things", Tsukishima mumbled, leaning into the other man. He kissed him lightly on the cheek. Yamaguchi turned, following the kiss, pressing his mouth firmly against Tsukishima's. A body in pain is an unpredictable body, a being capable of seeking comfort despite the stress it's under. He pulled Tsukishima on top of him, heat and electricity moving between the pair. Yamaguchi wrapped his arms around the man's neck, the spark needed to ignite the hunger they both felt for touch. There was a fierceness to the kiss, a desperation. Yamaguchi slipped his hands under Tsukishima's shirt, outlining the shape of the man's body with his fingertips. He kissed down along the man's throat, causing Tsukishima to tip his head back in surprise, a bit of a gasp escaping him. He then pressed his hips up against Tsukishima's, their legs tangled, their breath running ragged. The blond wasn't sure what to do with his hands, where he could place them on Yamaguchi's fragile body, but he wanted to feel as much as him as possible. 

It was so hungry, hungry, hungry. 

Yamaguchi kissed him with an intensity like he would never be able to kiss him again, as if it were the last day on Earth, as if the sun itself was about to go out. When he finally pulled back, sick and trembling, he smiled. Tsukishima sat up, winded, a bit bewildered. "That was irresponsible. You're not- you're not in a state where you should exert yourself like that." 

Yamaguchi laughed weakly, raising his eyebrows. "I don't care, Tsukki." 

Tsukishima felt his face get redder, his hands and body still burning from the contact. Yamaguchi continued to look at him, though his gaze was a bit different now. There seemed to be a sadness to it. He shook slightly, more perspiration collecting on his brow. He groaned as he moved, the strain on the infected wound overtaking him. When he finally spoke, his words came out in short gasps, almost like whispers. "I just want to be with you. I just want to be able to be with you." 

Tsukishima nodded, "Soon. I promise. All of this will be over."

Yamaguchi sighed, softly, succumbing back into sleep. "It will, but- but be safe. I'm- I'm sorry." The words barely were able to edge out as he drifted off. Tsukishima shook his head. He wanted to tell Yamaguchi off for apologizing for a situation he had such little control over, but the other man was already out of consciousness. He was glad that Yamaguchi could just rest, that he didn't know about Kenma, that he didn't know what Tsukishima and Kuroo were planning. He surely would have tried to stop them. There was no way he could know, so Tsukishima wondered why Yamaguchi had told him to be safe? 

He didn't wake up again throughout the Friday. Tsukishima carefully buttoned up his waiter's uniform, and then paused. He went to Yamaguchi's jacket and carefully took the gun from it, slipping it into his own inner pocket. Tsukishima had no idea how to even use it, but he wanted something to be able to protect himself. The idea made him nauseatingly nervous. This was it. Tsukishima leaned down and watched the rise and fall of Yamaguchi's speaking frame. 

For you. For you, always. 

He kissed him on the forehead and left, closing the door behind him. 

Kuroo parked the car as close to the museum as possible, the license plate having been removed to avoid tracking. They were lucky to have not been pulled over driving there.  The light of the moon gave the garden surrounding the museum a dusty, lilac hue. The whole of earth seemed to be sleeping in the mist of early winter, barren tree limbs reaching out into the night, grasping at nothing. The cold was a relief. It sharpened the mind and honed the senses. 

Tsukishima and Kuroo nodded at each other, then went inside.