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

The Mystery of Feeling

Yamaguchi placed the gem stone in the case on the table. Kuroo dragged Tsukishima upwards, steadying him with Kenma's help. He looked away from Yamaguchi's piercing gaze, but the two men on either side of him stared defiantly back.

"Why go through all this trouble just for some stupid rock?"

Goda shrugged, "I wanted it, so I got it. It's a simple as that."

Kuroo felt sick looking at this aging, childish man. They had been toyed with, manipulated, handled roughly, with Tsukishima bearing the worst of the blows. All because of a singular pursuit of greed. If he stayed in this idiotic penthouse any longer, he was going to puke. "Well, congratulations. Your game worked out, you have your dumb stone. Oh- and- Yamaguchi, you're a piece of shit. I don't even have the words to describe how much of a massive piece of shit you are. We're going home, now", Kuroo spat, firmly gripping Tsukishima's arm.

Tsukishima resisted slightly, finally returning the look Yamaguchi was giving him, searching for a connection he could recognize. His eyes were bottomless and opaque. It had always been uncomfortable for Tsukishima to look into those eyes for prolonged moments. He had memorized the way the light reflected in them, how they looked when Yamaguchi had been crying, the way the corners of those eyes lifted when he smiled. It had been uncomfortable because Tsukishima had always wondered why he felt so intensely when he was held by that gaze.

Now, though, it was different. Tsukishima saw nothing, and this realization cemented the truth.

I have no idea who you are. I don't know what you've done to me.

Kuroo turned to drag his shell shocked friend towards the door, but Goda's men blocked their path.

"Oh, no. You're not leaving", Goda laughed.

Kenma's eyes went wide, "You said-"

"The police are combing all of Tokyo for the two of them. I can't have you all running your mouths and sending them my way." He swung his legs over the side of the chair, leaning back with a luxurious stretch. "Tadashi, do you remember why I enjoy puzzles so much?"

Yamaguchi nodded. He looked out the window at the glimmer of the skyline. "No leftover pieces." His words seemed to echo around the room. "What the fuck does that mean?", Kuroo asked, taking a step forward. Goda ignored him, nodding serenely, "Precisely. You grandmastered this plan, do you have any input on a good method for its conclusion?"

Yamaguchi raised and lowered his shoulders, "We could take the boat out tomorrow. It's supposed to be nice. Sunny."

Goda clapped, "An inspired idea. We can do lunch on the water after all the unpleasantness is over." Kuroo's eyes darted between the two of them, his fists clenched, trying to comprehend exactly what was being said. Yamaguchi nodded, looking a bit lost. The older man released a dramatic yawn, "Throw them back in the guest room for the night."

The three were suddenly seized by the guards. Kuroo tried to push them off, while Kenma and Tsukishima hollowly surrendered to their grasp. They were in process from being pulled from the room, when Yamaguchi called out, "Ah, wait-"

He turned to Goda, grinning sheepishly, his face gathering red. Tsukishima's heart fluttered uselessly. Finally, a familiar Yamaguchi face. Bashful embarrassment. It was a face of secret telling, of answering a question wrong in class, a face Tsukishima had seen in their second year of high school when he had overheard Yamaguchi loudly singing some popular song in the club room alone. It nearly gave him a sense of relief until he brutally remembered that the person in those memories was in no way the same as the man before him.

"What?", Goda asked, eyelids drooping under amusement.

Yamaguchi ducked down beside his ear, "I was wondering, possibly maybe, if Tsukki could stay with me?"