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Description
Tsukishima Kei was irritated.

You had come to watch the last bit of their practice after your own club activities had ended, waiting for him to walk home with you as usual. But watching didn't seem to be the right word for what you were doing.

Usually, you would be watching the team practice wide-eyed, face changing animatedly whenever someone received a particularly hard ball, or did a good spike. Usually, you would be clapping when he blocked a ball, 'ooh'ing and 'ah'ing together with Yachi. Usually, you would be staring at him, a grin stretching across your lips when his gaze sometimes met yours.

Usually.

But for the past week, the only thing you had been doing like usual was startling into action when Ukai announced the end of volleyball practice, helping everyone keep the equipment.

Tsukishima focused on the ball again, quickly discerning the spiker to which the ball would go. The ball hit the ground on the other side of the net with a satisfying smack, intercepted by his block.

A small smile materialises on his lips as he glances your way, but that smile quickly fades when he sees that your attention, again, is not focused on him.

What did he expect you to do? Smile and clap for him? Perhaps he had gotten too used to your usual silly antics.

Instead, your gaze is locked onto that device in your hand. You're poking your cheek with your tongue in the way that you always do when you're concentrating on something, or when you're nervous, and Tsukishima can't help but wonder what it is that you keep looking at on your phone as your thumbs fly across the bottom half of the screen. Are you texting someone?

"Tsukki, nice block!"

"Shut up, Yamaguchi." He plays off that tinge in his chest by focusing his gaze on Yamaguchi instead, ignoring your presence.

"Tsukishima's been moodier lately, don't you think?" Hinata chirps from the opposing team, earning several nods from the players.

"I think it's because--" Sugawara starts, but quickly cuts himself off when he sees the scowl Tsukishima sends his way.

A chorus of "what?"s and "why?"s come from the rest, and Sugawara only shakes his head, laughing. Daichi's standing to the side with an amused look on his face, and, when Tsukishima meets his gaze, overtly glances at you. Tsukishima gives him a flat look in return.

There are times he wishes everyone was as oblivious as Hinata Shouyou.

Sugawara leaves him with a piece of advice at the end of practice. "You're being too passive! You should go talk to them about it, you know?"

He doesn't.

X.

Tsukishima Kei thinks he's almost about to burst.

You haven't been asking him to spend time with you on weekends, or staying back to help you with homework on days you don't have club activities.

As far as he knows, nothing special happened at home.

Sugawara's words - you're being too passive - ring in his ears, and his brows furrow. Is he?

It's a good thing they mostly did static drills today, or he might have messed up several times.

Just before practice ends, the doors to the courts slide open, and you greet Ukai and Takeda before making a beeline for Yachi, whispering something in her ear before freaking out together.

His eyebrows raise. As if feeling his gaze on you, you look up to meet his eyes and give him a thumbs up, grinning sheepishly. There's a tinge of red on your cheeks, but he's so far that he can't be sure.

Surprisingly, you don't take out your phone this time.

After the last round of diving receives, Ukai dismisses them, and you walk up to Tsukishima where he's untying the nets from the poles.

"Good job today!* I'll help you with the net."

He nods his agreement, meaning to work in silence, but the question still manages to work past his throat.

"Not busy texting today?"

Your head jerks up. "Texting?"

He makes a noncommittal noise, already regretting opening his mouth. You seem confused as you push the pole from the other end of the court towards him, eyebrows furrowed.

"I.. I haven't been texting anyone much?" He already feels bad, hearing that question come out of your mouth in such an uncertain tone - it almost sounds like you're afraid.

Feeling a pang in his chest, he decides to drop it. "It's okay. It's nothing."

Though anyone can hear from his tone that he doesn't think it's nothing.

Dropping the ends of the net that he's untied, he helps you where you're struggling, long fingers effortlessly pulling apart the knot before dipping down to grab the other ends, holding them out for you to take. You take them sheepishly, still staring at your hands and biting your lip.

Your voice makes its way out hesitantly. "Did I do something wro-?"

"No, you didn't."

A pause. "Tell me."

you're being too passive

Tsukishima hears Sugawara's comment ring in his ears again, and can't help but sigh. What if he was? Mulling over what to say, he scoops up the center of the net, pulling the entire thing taut.

"Just... You've been using your phone instead of watching us practice the past few weeks I just thought you were engrossed in texting someone." He catches a flash of understanding in your eyes, then guilt. It's stupid, but for a moment, he's scared of what you'd say - if you were texting and liked texting another guy so much - and quickly continues talking. "You don't have to tell me or feel bad for it. I know it's none of my business."

It takes you a while to pass him the ends of the net, and when you do, it's with a small laugh. "I didn't know it bothered you whether I paid attention to your practice or not."

"It doesn’t." That was a reflex - the way he had immediately denied it.

A small smile plays on your lips as if you know, and Tsukishima has to try hard not to let heat rush to his face. He finishes folding the net and starts pushing one of the two net poles to where they are kept. You trail behind him, pushing the other.

"That was... I was researching. On my phone." At the rise of his eyebrows - he knows you don't have any tests or assignments, you would have come asking him for help then - you quickly add, "it's not for school. And I had to get it done today, so I'm finished now."

He blinks. It's your turn to raise your eyebrows at his reaction. You'd expected him to guess immediately, but... "Do you know what day it is today?"

"February 14th?"

You pause, then start grinning. He immediately goes on the defensive, asking you what was so wrong about what he said, and what is it about today. You wave his questions off with a "you'll see later.”

He sees what you mean later when you make him wait outside your house while you rush in to grab something.

As he digs out his earphones and plugs it into his phone, a notification that he has 400 unread messages from just one chat group catches his attention. He's about to swipe it away when his phone vibrates with three new messages, all of them containing his name in capital letters.

He opens the chat with a groan.

_____________________________

Group name: 2 Captains 1 Blocker (bRO that name’s disgusting i love it)

[6.17PM]
From: Kuroo Tetsurou (Nekoma Captain)
TSUKISHIMA MY BRO

[6.17PM]
From: Bokuto Koutarou (Fukurodani Captain)
TSUKISHIMA MY BEST BRO

[6.17PM]
From: Kuroo Tetsurou (Nekoma Captain)
TSUKISHIMA MY BESTEST BRO

[6.17PM]

From: Tsukishima Kei (You)

What.

[6.18PM]
From: Bokuto Koutarou (Fukurodani Captain)
Kuroo's freaking out because his crush gave him chocolates.

[6.18PM]

From: Tsukishima Kei (You)

Okay.... So?

[6.18PM]
From: Bokuto Koutarou (Fukurodani Captain)
Did [Name] give you anything?

[6.18PM]

From: Tsukishima Kei (You)

[Name]?

[6.18PM]
From: Bokuto Koutarou (Fukurodani Captain)
yEAH [NAME].

[6.18PM]

From: Tsukishima Kei (You)

We just started dating… 

I didn’t even tell you that.

How did you even know?

[6.19PM]
From: Bokuto Koutarou (Fukurodani Captain)
Lol Tsukishima our bro thinks he can keep a secret from us

[6.19PM]

From: Tsukishima Kei (You)

…

[6.19PM]
From: Kuroo Tetsurou (Nekoma Captain)
Bro djhskfbsk

[6.19PM]
From: Bokuto Koutarou (Fukurodani Captain)
WHaT BrO

[6.19PM]
From: Kuroo Tetsurou (Nekoma Captain)
They gave me honmei chocolate bro

[6.19PM]
From: Bokuto Koutarou (Fukurodani Captain)
OK bro stop u've repeated the same thing 517492 times
I'm glad for u tho

[6.20PM]
From: Kuroo Tetsurou (Nekoma Captain)
sAME
I mean. Crap what do I do

[6.20PM]
From: Bokuto Koutarou (Fukurodani Captain)
W
H
I

[6.20PM]
From: Kuroo Tetsurou (Nekoma Captain)
Omg stop this is irritating.

[6.20PM]
From: Bokuto Koutarou (Fukurodani Captain)
T
OK fine but bro u know what u gotta do.
_____________________________

The two of them continue with their spam of memes and messages, and Tsukishima impassively watches the messages flood his phone, not bothering to decipher any more of them. Then, closing the messenger app, he quickly searches up 14th February on the internet, confirming what he had suspected - he had forgotten something like that even existed. He looks up at the sound of your door opening again, slipping his phone into his pocket. You quickly slip on your shoes again and shuffle out almost nervously.

He’s about to comment about how your cheeks are flushed from rushing in and out before he sees the paper bag you’re holding. He realises it’s cold when you gingerly place it in his hands, and he peeks inside to see that there's a box inside of it. You nudge him to open it when he cocks his head.

He does so, only to blink at its contents and raise his gaze to yours.

“Did you make this?”

The flush on your cheeks deepens - looks like it wasn’t from rushing in and out of your house after all - as you nod.

“You can eat it at home though. And don’t tell me if it tastes bad because I’ve spent most of the past two weeks trying to learn how to bake and I’m not sure if it turned out well but I didn’t have any more time-“

“You spent the last two weeks learning and researching on how to bake?” He cuts in.

“Yeah.”

He tries to cover the laugh that bursts out of his mouth with a cough, but is far from successful. The strawberry shortcake in the box looks like you’d bought it from a bakery, but you had made it. Any other time he’d probably feel nothing but happiness but this… He blinks at it again, dumbfounded. “I was jealous of a cake.”

The meaning of his words doesn’t hit you until you remember how he’d asked you about who you were texting, and brought up how you hadn’t really watched them practice for the past two weeks. A giddy feeling floods your chest.

“You were jealous?”

“Shut up.”

It only makes you start laughing, watching Tsukishima amusedly as he closes the box and puts it back into the bag carefully, clicking his tongue.

Only trying to staunch your laughter, you don't notice he's closed the distance between you until he's leaned down right before you, his free hand tilting your chin up gently. Your laughter immediately turns into a squeak as you reflectively try to shy away from him, but he gets a peck in before you do so.

When he pulls away, his cheeks are red. You're sure yours are too, but Tsukishima Kei blushing is a rare sight.

You break the silence first. "What was that for?"

"A thank you. For the cake." And for being with me. The words go unspoken, because in no universe would Tsukishima willingly voice those thoughts out. But he has a feeling you read it in his eyes anyway.

The smile that spreads across your lips should be illegal, and he has half the thought to take out his phone to capture you in this moment - cheeks dusted with pink, eyes bright, a shy grin dancing on your lips - so that he'd never forget it. He thinks... He thinks that you're beautiful, when you're smiling like this.

"Happy Valentine's day, Kei."

.
.
.
.
.
.

[8.50PM]
From: [First Name]
To: Tsukishima Kei (You)
hey.
have you eaten the cake yet?
was it good?

[8.50PM]

From: Tsukishima Kei (You)

To: [First Name]

I thought you didn’t want me to tell you in case it was bad.

[8.50PM]
From: [First Name]
To: Tsukishima Kei (You)
but… it isn’t bad right?

[8.50PM]

From: Tsukishima Kei (You)

To: [First Name]

No comment.

[8.51PM]
From: [First Name]
To: Tsukishima Kei (You)
gosh you’re the worst.
i thought it wouldn’t be too bad…
i’ll practice more!
tell me if you think its not sweet enough or anything

[8.51PM]

From: Tsukishima Kei (You)

To: [First Name]

I haven’t tried it.

[8.51PM]
From: [First Name]
To: Tsukishima Kei (You)
huhhhhh?
go eat it : (

[8.52PM]

From: Tsukishima Kei (You)

To: [First Name]

It’s awkward eating a cake alone.

[8.54PM]

From: Tsukishima Kei (You)

To: [First Name]

You just want me to say it don’t you.

[8.59PM]

From: Tsukishima Kei (You)

To: [First Name]

Fine.

My parents don’t mind you coming over this weekend to study.

Eat the cake with me.

[9.00PM]
From: [First Name]
To: Tsukishima Kei (You)
hehe
i’ll be there!

Description
Tsukishima Kei was irritated.

You had come to watch the last bit of their practice after your own club activities had ended, waiting for him to walk home with you as usual. But watching didn't seem to be the right word for what you were doing.

Usually, you would be watching the team practice wide-eyed, face changing animatedly whenever someone received a particularly hard ball, or did a good spike. Usually, you would be clapping when he blocked a ball, 'ooh'ing and 'ah'ing together with Yachi. Usually, you would be staring at him, a grin stretching across your lips when his gaze sometimes met yours.

Usually.

But for the past week, the only thing you had been doing like usual was startling into action when Ukai announced the end of volleyball practice, helping everyone keep the equipment.

Tsukishima focused on the ball again, quickly discerning the spiker to which the ball would go. The ball hit the ground on the other side of the net with a satisfying smack, intercepted by his block.

A small smile materialises on his lips as he glances your way, but that smile quickly fades when he sees that your attention, again, is not focused on him.

What did he expect you to do? Smile and clap for him? Perhaps he had gotten too used to your usual silly antics.

Instead, your gaze is locked onto that device in your hand. You're poking your cheek with your tongue in the way that you always do when you're concentrating on something, or when you're nervous, and Tsukishima can't help but wonder what it is that you keep looking at on your phone as your thumbs fly across the bottom half of the screen. Are you texting someone?

"Tsukki, nice block!"

"Shut up, Yamaguchi." He plays off that tinge in his chest by focusing his gaze on Yamaguchi instead, ignoring your presence.

"Tsukishima's been moodier lately, don't you think?" Hinata chirps from the opposing team, earning several nods from the players.

"I think it's because--" Sugawara starts, but quickly cuts himself off when he sees the scowl Tsukishima sends his way.

A chorus of "what?"s and "why?"s come from the rest, and Sugawara only shakes his head, laughing. Daichi's standing to the side with an amused look on his face, and, when Tsukishima meets his gaze, overtly glances at you. Tsukishima gives him a flat look in return.

There are times he wishes everyone was as oblivious as Hinata Shouyou.

Sugawara leaves him with a piece of advice at the end of practice. "You're being too passive! You should go talk to them about it, you know?"

He doesn't.

X.

Tsukishima Kei thinks he's almost about to burst.

You haven't been asking him to spend time with you on weekends, or staying back to help you with homework on days you don't have club activities.

As far as he knows, nothing special happened at home.

Sugawara's words - you're being too passive - ring in his ears, and his brows furrow. Is he?

It's a good thing they mostly did static drills today, or he might have messed up several times.

Just before practice ends, the doors to the courts slide open, and you greet Ukai and Takeda before making a beeline for Yachi, whispering something in her ear before freaking out together.

His eyebrows raise. As if feeling his gaze on you, you look up to meet his eyes and give him a thumbs up, grinning sheepishly. There's a tinge of red on your cheeks, but he's so far that he can't be sure.

Surprisingly, you don't take out your phone this time.

After the last round of diving receives, Ukai dismisses them, and you walk up to Tsukishima where he's untying the nets from the poles.

"Good job today!* I'll help you with the net."

He nods his agreement, meaning to work in silence, but the question still manages to work past his throat.

"Not busy texting today?"

Your head jerks up. "Texting?"

He makes a noncommittal noise, already regretting opening his mouth. You seem confused as you push the pole from the other end of the court towards him, eyebrows furrowed.

"I.. I haven't been texting anyone much?" He already feels bad, hearing that question come out of your mouth in such an uncertain tone - it almost sounds like you're afraid.

Feeling a pang in his chest, he decides to drop it. "It's okay. It's nothing."

Though anyone can hear from his tone that he doesn't think it's nothing.

Dropping the ends of the net that he's untied, he helps you where you're struggling, long fingers effortlessly pulling apart the knot before dipping down to grab the other ends, holding them out for you to take. You take them sheepishly, still staring at your hands and biting your lip.

Your voice makes its way out hesitantly. "Did I do something wro-?"

"No, you didn't."

A pause. "Tell me."

you're being too passive

Tsukishima hears Sugawara's comment ring in his ears again, and can't help but sigh. What if he was? Mulling over what to say, he scoops up the center of the net, pulling the entire thing taut.

"Just... You've been using your phone instead of watching us practice the past few weeks I just thought you were engrossed in texting someone." He catches a flash of understanding in your eyes, then guilt. It's stupid, but for a moment, he's scared of what you'd say - if you were texting and liked texting another guy so much - and quickly continues talking. "You don't have to tell me or feel bad for it. I know it's none of my business."

It takes you a while to pass him the ends of the net, and when you do, it's with a small laugh. "I didn't know it bothered you whether I paid attention to your practice or not."

"It doesn’t." That was a reflex - the way he had immediately denied it.

A small smile plays on your lips as if you know, and Tsukishima has to try hard not to let heat rush to his face. He finishes folding the net and starts pushing one of the two net poles to where they are kept. You trail behind him, pushing the other.

"That was... I was researching. On my phone." At the rise of his eyebrows - he knows you don't have any tests or assignments, you would have come asking him for help then - you quickly add, "it's not for school. And I had to get it done today, so I'm finished now."

He blinks. It's your turn to raise your eyebrows at his reaction. You'd expected him to guess immediately, but... "Do you know what day it is today?"

"February 14th?"

You pause, then start grinning. He immediately goes on the defensive, asking you what was so wrong about what he said, and what is it about today. You wave his questions off with a "you'll see later.”

He sees what you mean later when you make him wait outside your house while you rush in to grab something.

As he digs out his earphones and plugs it into his phone, a notification that he has 400 unread messages from just one chat group catches his attention. He's about to swipe it away when his phone vibrates with three new messages, all of them containing his name in capital letters.

He opens the chat with a groan.

_____________________________

Group name: 2 Captains 1 Blocker (bRO that name’s disgusting i love it)

[6.17PM]
From: Kuroo Tetsurou (Nekoma Captain)
TSUKISHIMA MY BRO

[6.17PM]
From: Bokuto Koutarou (Fukurodani Captain)
TSUKISHIMA MY BEST BRO

[6.17PM]
From: Kuroo Tetsurou (Nekoma Captain)
TSUKISHIMA MY BESTEST BRO

[6.17PM]

From: Tsukishima Kei (You)

What.

[6.18PM]
From: Bokuto Koutarou (Fukurodani Captain)
Kuroo's freaking out because his crush gave him chocolates.

[6.18PM]

From: Tsukishima Kei (You)

Okay.... So?

[6.18PM]
From: Bokuto Koutarou (Fukurodani Captain)
Did [Name] give you anything?

[6.18PM]

From: Tsukishima Kei (You)

[Name]?

[6.18PM]
From: Bokuto Koutarou (Fukurodani Captain)
yEAH [NAME].

[6.18PM]

From: Tsukishima Kei (You)

We just started dating… 

I didn’t even tell you that.

How did you even know?

[6.19PM]
From: Bokuto Koutarou (Fukurodani Captain)
Lol Tsukishima our bro thinks he can keep a secret from us

[6.19PM]

From: Tsukishima Kei (You)

…

[6.19PM]
From: Kuroo Tetsurou (Nekoma Captain)
Bro djhskfbsk

[6.19PM]
From: Bokuto Koutarou (Fukurodani Captain)
WHaT BrO

[6.19PM]
From: Kuroo Tetsurou (Nekoma Captain)
They gave me honmei chocolate bro

[6.19PM]
From: Bokuto Koutarou (Fukurodani Captain)
OK bro stop u've repeated the same thing 517492 times
I'm glad for u tho

[6.20PM]
From: Kuroo Tetsurou (Nekoma Captain)
sAME
I mean. Crap what do I do

[6.20PM]
From: Bokuto Koutarou (Fukurodani Captain)
W
H
I

[6.20PM]
From: Kuroo Tetsurou (Nekoma Captain)
Omg stop this is irritating.

[6.20PM]
From: Bokuto Koutarou (Fukurodani Captain)
T
OK fine but bro u know what u gotta do.
_____________________________

The two of them continue with their spam of memes and messages, and Tsukishima impassively watches the messages flood his phone, not bothering to decipher any more of them. Then, closing the messenger app, he quickly searches up 14th February on the internet, confirming what he had suspected - he had forgotten something like that even existed. He looks up at the sound of your door opening again, slipping his phone into his pocket. You quickly slip on your shoes again and shuffle out almost nervously.

He’s about to comment about how your cheeks are flushed from rushing in and out before he sees the paper bag you’re holding. He realises it’s cold when you gingerly place it in his hands, and he peeks inside to see that there's a box inside of it. You nudge him to open it when he cocks his head.

He does so, only to blink at its contents and raise his gaze to yours.

“Did you make this?”

The flush on your cheeks deepens - looks like it wasn’t from rushing in and out of your house after all - as you nod.

“You can eat it at home though. And don’t tell me if it tastes bad because I’ve spent most of the past two weeks trying to learn how to bake and I’m not sure if it turned out well but I didn’t have any more time-“

“You spent the last two weeks learning and researching on how to bake?” He cuts in.

“Yeah.”

He tries to cover the laugh that bursts out of his mouth with a cough, but is far from successful. The strawberry shortcake in the box looks like you’d bought it from a bakery, but you had made it. Any other time he’d probably feel nothing but happiness but this… He blinks at it again, dumbfounded. “I was jealous of a cake.”

The meaning of his words doesn’t hit you until you remember how he’d asked you about who you were texting, and brought up how you hadn’t really watched them practice for the past two weeks. A giddy feeling floods your chest.

“You were jealous?”

“Shut up.”

It only makes you start laughing, watching Tsukishima amusedly as he closes the box and puts it back into the bag carefully, clicking his tongue.

Only trying to staunch your laughter, you don't notice he's closed the distance between you until he's leaned down right before you, his free hand tilting your chin up gently. Your laughter immediately turns into a squeak as you reflectively try to shy away from him, but he gets a peck in before you do so.

When he pulls away, his cheeks are red. You're sure yours are too, but Tsukishima Kei blushing is a rare sight.

You break the silence first. "What was that for?"

"A thank you. For the cake." And for being with me. The words go unspoken, because in no universe would Tsukishima willingly voice those thoughts out. But he has a feeling you read it in his eyes anyway.

The smile that spreads across your lips should be illegal, and he has half the thought to take out his phone to capture you in this moment - cheeks dusted with pink, eyes bright, a shy grin dancing on your lips - so that he'd never forget it. He thinks... He thinks that you're beautiful, when you're smiling like this.

"Happy Valentine's day, Kei."

.
.
.
.
.
.

[8.50PM]
From: [First Name]
To: Tsukishima Kei (You)
hey.
have you eaten the cake yet?
was it good?

[8.50PM]

From: Tsukishima Kei (You)

To: [First Name]

I thought you didn’t want me to tell you in case it was bad.

[8.50PM]
From: [First Name]
To: Tsukishima Kei (You)
but… it isn’t bad right?

[8.50PM]

From: Tsukishima Kei (You)

To: [First Name]

No comment.

[8.51PM]
From: [First Name]
To: Tsukishima Kei (You)
gosh you’re the worst.
i thought it wouldn’t be too bad…
i’ll practice more!
tell me if you think its not sweet enough or anything

[8.51PM]

From: Tsukishima Kei (You)

To: [First Name]

I haven’t tried it.

[8.51PM]
From: [First Name]
To: Tsukishima Kei (You)
huhhhhh?
go eat it : (

[8.52PM]

From: Tsukishima Kei (You)

To: [First Name]

It’s awkward eating a cake alone.

[8.54PM]

From: Tsukishima Kei (You)

To: [First Name]

You just want me to say it don’t you.

[8.59PM]

From: Tsukishima Kei (You)

To: [First Name]

Fine.

My parents don’t mind you coming over this weekend to study.

Eat the cake with me.

[9.00PM]
From: [First Name]
To: Tsukishima Kei (You)
hehe
i’ll be there!