#the inherent eroticism of a loose necktie

[pearlsephoni]

TsukkiYama Week, Day 3: Intimacy

Can also be read on AO3!

Rating: T

Fandom: Haikyuu!!

Pairing: Tsukkiyama (Tsukishima/Yamaguchi)

Characters: Kei Tsukishima, Tadashi Yamaguchi

Word Count: 1,371

Summary: Being childhood friends and adult boyfriends doesn't mean Kei is immune to Yamaguchi's charms.

A/N: This was big-time inspired by amburritoart’s redraw of Yamaguchi’s anniversary art! She did our boy SO much justice, god bless. Further author’s notes can be read on AO3.

If there was one thing that surprised Kei about adulthood, it was how much had stayed the same. For all of his growth throughout high school and college, he was still dry, sardonic, and reluctant to let most people see beyond his deadpan facade. He’d kept in touch with old friends while he made a few new ones, including old rivals — he still wasn’t sure how the Frogs managed to win any games with someone like Koganegawa setting for someone like Kyotani, but Kei tried not to question life’s positive surprises as much.

But the best part of his life, the part that had been around for years and years, was Yamaguchi. If Kei had known that confessing would have been so easy, so instantly reciprocated, he wouldn’t have waited until their third year to do it. Then again, he would’ve been happy to keep Yamaguchi in his life no matter what their relationship was like, platonic or romantic. Being able to kiss him and hold him was just a bonus to being able to see his smile and hear his laughter everyday.

Their relationship wasn’t the only thing that had changed with the passage of time. Another one of those things was…

“Tsukki?”

Kei dragged his eyes away from Yamaguchi’s fingers undoing the buttons at his cuffs, but that just meant he got an eyeful of his loosened tie and undone collar before he finally reached those warm eyes under brows that were furrowed with concern. “Hm?”

“You ok? You kinda zoned out there.”

With a jolt, he realized he was just…standing there, a little too far for Yamaguchi to comfortably take the tea in Kei’s hand, which was threatening to go limp in his daze. He quickly stepped closer to the couch, keeping his eyes fixed on Yamaguchi’s. “Ah, yeah. I’m fine, just…tired.”

The worry on Yamaguchi’s face melted into knowing amusement as he coughed out a laugh and took the offered mug. “Koganegawa trying out new sets again?”

“Mm…something like that. I’m gonna…go…make dinner.” Kei forced himself to turn away from where Yamaguchi was sprawled against the back of the couch, trying to remember what he was going to cook instead of how much he wanted to…

Focus, for fuck’s sake.

Yamaguchi had always been good-looking. Kei was certain he would’ve fallen for him no matter what he looked like — he was so impossibly lovable, who wouldn’t fall for him — but his dark, warm eyes, constellation freckles, and thick, soft hair certainly helped. Kei could remember the handful of times his boyfriend had needed to wear a button down and tie growing up, and he could also remember the swoop his stomach took each time.

But somewhere along the way, Yamaguchi had gone from cute to handsome. Maybe it was the way his jaw and lanky frame had filled out, maybe it was the way his insecurity had settled into an understated confidence that sometimes belied his tendency to over-clarify whatever he said.

Maybe it was the way his warm gaze had gained a knowing edge that seemed to cut straight through Kei’s facade to what he was truly thinking and feeling. It was an edge that Kei desperately hoped wouldn’t be used now.

“Can I help with anything?”

Kei jumped and nearly gave himself whiplash from how quickly he looked over his shoulder from the fridge. Somehow Yamaguchi had entered the kitchen without him noticing, setting his empty mug in the sink and hopping onto the counter with a casual ease that spoke to how he always sat there when he wanted to keep Kei company.

Usually Kei wouldn’t think anything of it, but usually Yamaguchi would change out of his work clothes. Now it took everything in Kei to keep his eyes fixed on Yamaguchi’s, and not on the slender collarbones that peeked out from his open collar, nor the tempting sample of his sternum that disappeared into his shirt…his shirt that was unfortunately still buttoned and not open to serve as curtains to the stage that was Yamaguchi’s body.

Jesus Christ. He saw Yamaguchi in his work clothes everyday. It didn’t matter that he usually changed into a t-shirt and loose pants the moment he got home — that was no excuse for Kei’s mind wandering more than it did in high school.

“Um.” At least his voice didn’t crack like a prepubescent boy. “Can you cut the garlic and ginger?”

“Sure. How many cloves?”

The horny fog in Kei’s mind cleared up just enough for him to raise an eyebrow at Yamaguchi, whose mouth had a playful tilt. “If you need to ask, then I’m going to have to ask you to leave my kitchen.”

“Oh, your kitchen, huh?” Yamaguchi snickered. “You know, one day you’re gonna add way too much garlic to a dish, and then this’ll be my kitchen.”

“There’s no such thing as too much garlic,” Kei sniffed as he dug out the bag with the leftover half-garlic and ginger. “Catch.”

This he was used to, the easy way they worked together in the kitchen and the easier way they joked and chatted with each other. It was like a little assembly line: Kei dug out the vegetables and herbs and chicken from the fridge, and tossed each one to Yamaguchi, who caught and lined them up along the counter. “Are we having fried rice for dinner?” he guessed.

“That’s the plan. Is that ok?”

“Of course!”

Kei bit back a smile as he gathered the sauces he needed. There was no way he was going to risk tossing glass bottles across the kitchen, no matter how good they were at it.

But that meant he had to approach Yamaguchi, and keep himself from dropping the bottles, grabbing him, and forgetting about dinner entirely. It was a close thing — the sight of Yamaguchi rolling his sleeves up to his elbows had Kei dropping the sauces to the counter with a dangerously loud clatter, making Yamaguchi jump and eye him with fresh concern.

“Uh,” Kei started, pleased with the way his voice didn’t tremble, “shouldn’t you change out of your work clothes? If you’re going to help with dinner?”

“Hm? Oh, probably.” Yamaguchi looked down at his loosened tie and unbuttoned collar with a small smile, a smile he turned on Kei when he looked back up. And…fuck, it was his secretive smile, the one that fit perfectly with the knowing edge of his eyes. “But I like seeing you try to act like you wouldn’t rather eat me instead of dinner.”

Silence fell over them as they stared at each other, sly brown eyes against startled golden eyes. “You…,” Kei stuttered.

“Yeah?”

“You…you little tease.”

He wasn’t mad, not really. It was impossible to stay mad when he was faced with those glittering eyes and that cheeky smile. But he did feel more of his restraint slip away as his gaze drifted from Yamaguchi’s teasing expression to his hands, which were done rolling up his sleeves and were now holding onto the edge of the counter. His grip made his veins create tempting lines along his muscles, and then those muscles were shifting with the movement of a hand coming up to brush against Kei’s. “Sorry, Tsukki.” He didn’t sound very sorry at all.

“How…” Kei swallowed against his dry throat. “How hungry are you?”

“For you or for dinner?”

“Tadashi.”

Yamaguchi’s sweet smile was in stark contrast to the fingers brushing the inside of Kei’s wrist. “Mm…I think dinner can wait.”

Kei barely gave himself time to breathe, “Good,” before he descended on Yamaguchi, hands cupping his cheeks and lips immediately covering his. He could feel Yamaguchi smiling into the kisses, and that just made him press even closer and wrap his arms around Yamaguchi’s waist. Then there were legs hooking around his hips, and with that, dinner was forgotten, along with the ingredients they had already set out. Kei was only focused on pressing Yamaguchi close and picking him up from the countertop to carry him to the bedroom.

If he could have his way, then maybe the vegetables wouldn’t be in any state to be cooked by the time they were done. But oh well. There was always delivery.