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Continued nonsense

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Love at my front door, short notice - For Hightouch

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(From Here)

[What.

Now?

They have school tomorrow. Tokyo in three days. This is the worst timing and there are about fourteen more reasons besides those.

Kei orders his brain to shut up.]

Yes.

Where.

[hightouch]

[It's not like they're leaving for Tokyo tomorrow. For once, Shouyou shoves thoughts of volleyball to the back of his mind. Seeing Tsukishima right now seems far more important.]

I... I don't know! [All his newfound calm on the court doesn't help him think things through now.] Are your parents home? I can bike over!

[There's no way they'd get any privacy at his house, when his little sister's almost certainly going to barge into his room to satisfy her curiosity.]

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Don't you live in the mountains?

[Not the point, not the point, not the point. Tsukki hardly wants to talk Hinata out of this! Okay. Options.]

Look - I can - Meet you halfway?

[He's got his own bike.]

[hightouch]

So what if I'm in the mountains? I said I would go to you, so I will!

[Which essentially translates to "It'd be worth it." Cheesy, maybe, but with all this feeling he'd bottled up finally given a chance to be freed, he means it.]

Maybe I can.... [And then he's trailing off, a tiny note of uncertainty weaseling its way in suddenly. He knows what he wants to ask, but maybe it's too much? What if he scares Tsukishima away?]

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Can what?

[That uncertainty prickles. Tsukki evaluates the feeling.

For half a second.

Then pushes forward. Surprised at this role reversal, being the one to instigate.]

You can tell me.

[hightouch]

Ummmmm... you know. Sleepover.

[He cringes as the words leave his mouth, but they're out, so he might as well say the rest while he's at it.]

We could tell our parents you're helping me with my homework! A-and that would mean we wouldn't have to worry about staying out too late either...

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Geeze.

[It is a jump, isn't it?! Going from 'Secret crush' to sleeping in his room.

Tsukki swallows.]

I don't know how much I want - to do. All right?

But.

Yeah. Let's ask.

[hightouch]

[It takes a second to realize what Tsukishima's implying. He gasps, the sound definitely audible over the phone.]

Wha-! I just wanted to see you... and maybe kiss a little...

[Sounding thoroughly scandalized, but also amused, he adds:] Tsukishima, don't tell me...your mind's actually way dirtier than I thought it would be. What did you think we'd be doing?

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Shut up.

Or you're not doing anything!

[An empty threat.

Hinata doesn't have to know that, though!]

[hightouch]

Okay, okay! I won't say anything else!

[Even if it's true! Even though he's still snickering into the phone, Shouyou can feel his face growing hot. Tsukishima was thinking about...that? It probably bodes well for him, that Tsukishima's interested, but Shouyou doesn't think he's ready to go that far, either.]

Should we... hang up and ask? [He's a bit reluctant to.]

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Wait.

At whose house?

Because - Well, my mom doesn't care when Yamaguchi's over.

[And doesn't Hinata have a whole noisy family or something? Tsukki is not ready for that.]

[hightouch]

I'll go to yours! [That's an easy one to answer.] Uh, I don't mind if you wanna come over to mine, but...

[A pause.]

My family's kinda nosy. Especially my little sister.

[He says, as if he isn't just as nosy when it comes down to it.]

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Okay.

I'll ask. Bye.

[Tsukki maybe hangs up too fast.

But he needs a moment to breathe. Stare up at the ceiling. Until it stops trying to swing around.

About five minutes later - ]

It's fine.

7:00 PM?

[hightouch]

my family's fine with it, too! i'll pack some stuff and head right over!!

give me your address while you're still here

[The distance between their houses is both a blessing and a curse. There's no doubt Shouyou would like to see Tsukishima sooner, but that long bike ride will give him some time to think about where he wants this to go. As Tsukishima had said earlier, they really need to talk.]

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[The address is sent, the room cleaned. Extra bedding arranged on the floor.

Which takes all of... ten minutes?

Tsukki tries to find distractions. Homework. Music. None of it takes hold. Finally gives up, and ties on his sneakers. Starts walking down the road Hinata will have to turn down.]

[hightouch]

[It's unexpected, seeing Tsukishima out on the street before he even gets to the house he's looking for. Shouyou's face lights up when he spots him, and he slows down, rolling to a stop just a few paces away.]

Tsukishima! [He hops off, too eager to be graceful about it.] You came out to wait for me?

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[Oh.

Oh no.

Tsukki is in No Way Prepared for that full wattage. He pulls up short. Rubbing at his neck.]

Yeah. Seems that way.

ugh I love them so much...

[hightouch]

[Tsukishima's far from the only one who's feeling unprepared for everything. No matter how enthusiastic and insistent Shouyou had been about them meeting now, it's different now that they're actually facing each other. Seeing Tsukishima actually letting his walls down and showing some of that vulnerability, it really hits Shouyou now just how much he likes him.

Carefully he leans his bike against a neighbor's wall, then steps closer to his teammate. One step at a time, until he can curl his fingers into Tsukishima's shirt.]

Tsukishima... [It's a shaky exhale, Shouyou tipping his face up to look at him.]

Never over this

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[The world condenses to that single point.

Hinata's hand.

Warm and small and only a few centimeters from skin.]

...Yeah?

[Tsukki's answer is thick, ragged. Frayed almost to snapping. It has been hard wanting this, and the only thing harder? Believing it might be - could be - happening.]

[hightouch]

[To anyone else, it might seem a lukewarm welcome after a phonecall like the one they'd just had. It doesn't bother Shouyou at all. After so many months of being dodged when initiating any kind of contact, the fact that Tsukishima's not shaking him off says plenty.

Shouyou beams up at him.]

I really wanna kiss you--but you already know that. [He glances around, mindful of the open street and the many houses around them.] And... we should wait until we get inside, right?

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...Right.

[With a deep breath, Tsukki steps back.

Turns back to his house. Not quite jogging but definitely keeping up a brisk pace. Staring straight ahead.]

You ate already?

[hightouch]

[With Tsukishima's longer strides, Shouyou practically has to jog to keep up, and this the one time he doesn't actually mind. He grabs his bike, wheeling it along as they head for Tsukishima's house.]

Yup.

[And, because he's curious, he pipes up a moment later.] What did your parents say, anyway?

[He can't imagine that Tsukishima brings people over all that often, let alone has them stay the night. Except Yamaguchi, maybe.]

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Parent.

[Something in that suggests a closed topic. Door slamming, chained, and the key thrown away.]

Mom said she's glad I'm making more friends.

Also... Um... she's going out tonight. I didn't know.

[Tsukki did not plan it this way. God, but what if it looks like it? Because that's just creepy.]

[hightouch]

[Hint very much noted and, wisely, Shouyou doesn't even try to bring it up.]

Huh. So we'll have the house to ourselves?

[There's a grin tugging at his lips now. He doesn't mind this at all. Even if he and Tsukishima aren't planning to get too carried away, the promise of extra privacy is a nice one.]

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Yeah.

If you're okay with that? I know you biked all this way, if you need to call your parents or - something - You don't have to stay.

[In this state?

Tsukki can't even read himself. Let alone Hinata.]