[In retrospect, playing tricks on spirits twice as strong as himself should have seemed like less than a fantastic idea at the the time, but he's well aware of it now which is what counts. He ran through the forest and well away from the oni, sadly leaving its club behind to be retrieved either by him when it's safe to return, or it,if it's clever enough to find it - which he doubts.
Soon enough, he finds the trees thinning and human roads criss-cross between their houses. He manages to stretch his strength out to make it to the foot of a shrine, which should be enough that no spirits intending to do him harm will pass by.
He might be exhausted but he's not actually dead, so that's something, but after that run and his fight with the oni he can't do more than tuck his tails around his paws and squeeze his eyes shut as he hopes that no humans decide to take issue with a fox taking shelter on the side of the road as he fades into sleep.]
[As it happens, Oikawa's not the only one visiting that shrine today seeking refuge—though for Yamaguchi, the term is used less literally. It's the start of a new academic year, his first one at high school as a matter of fact, and just past the two-week mark Yamaguchi's already dreading the remainder. He's somehow even more unhappy now at his new school than he was during the preceding break, when there was nothing for him to do but wait at home alone for the days to pass. There aren't many kids from his middle school attending Karasuno (which was definitely a factor in Yamaguchi choosing it, if he's being honest) but he's still unable to shake the sense that they know he isn't like them. That he's weird, and odd-looking because of his freckles, and that he's pretty much destined to be alone indefinitely now because Tsukishima's moved to America with his family. His classmates last year would drop hints about it sometimes under the pretext of harmless teasing, at least when the teacher was around: Yamaguchi the chatterbox. Yamaguchi the crybaby. Yamaguchi who used to jump at his own shadow over things he thought he'd seen, but weren't even there.
Tsukishima's little pet friend…
By eighth grade his childhood bullies had mostly grown out of sticks and stones and backpack duty, so bad the encounters were only infrequently violent. But even so, nearly a year of being treated as a joke or else charitably ignored at school has made it hard for Yamaguchi to be optimistic. He's not sure how to go about making new friends and so keeps to himself out of habit in high school, which of course hasn't helped with ingratiating himself to his new classmates.
Now more than ever, Yamaguchi misses Tsukishima. But since there's nothing he can do about it, he finally decides that taking a detour to the shrine after school is at least a better alternative than wallowing in self-pity. Maybe if he buys a paper lot out of the fortune box today, it will tell him better luck is on the way…
Better luck doesn't seem to be holding its breath for him, though. As Yamaguchi nears the shrine entrance with his mind distracted, his foot lands on an unnoticed object lying on the ground. The item rolls unexpectedly beneath his weight, and Yamaguchi is sent toppling to the ground, shriek of surprise cut off as his backpack chokes his air supply.]
Wh…What… [Instinctively, he looks around for what tripped him, and picks the item up when he spies it rolling to a stop by his head. Closer inspection proves it to a smooth, shimmery-colored orb that feels oddly warm to his touch. Yamaguchi rubs his head a few times in bewilderment, assessing his condition as he tries to think of what it could be for.] …A ball?
[The sound of a notably human body tumbling to the ground manages to make its way through Oikawa's sleep and gets him up and alert enough to pull himself to his feet and back into the bushes, just in time to see the boy close his hand over Oikawa's Hoshi no Tama.
As bad days go, this one is turning out to be a nightmare.
Because the fact of the matter is, with the boy having touched it while Oikawa was unconscious, he owes him. Even though he'd rather bite the kid on his leg, grab his Hoshi no Tama and run back to somewhere he can recuperate in peace, ancient powers are meddling things and won't let him just do that. Not if he wants to keep the magic stored in the ball, at least.
Humans aren't his favourite, and even though coming here was his best option, he's regretting straying so close when he wasn't in a position to prevent a scrawny kid like this from touching the one thing that it's important no one touches. It's typical that a human would. He's done without them for over a hundred years and the one time he's less than completely cautious, he ends up in a bind.
Pressed back into the bush, Oikawa figures he's mostly hidden from view, it's not the biggest bush or the most leafy, but most human's eyes aren't observant and this one doesn't look like the brightest with the way he's turning Oikawa's Hoshi no Tama over.
He flicks his ears back as he watches, he's going to have to make himself known at some point, but he's debating on whether the time to do that is now or after observing him. Knowing humans, he's probably so delicate he'll fall over dead before long anyway.]
[Thinking he hears something rustling nearby, Yamaguchi glances up from the ball and gives a cursory look around. He's not really looking hard, though, and so manages not to notice the wary kitsune hiding in the bushes.]
Weird…
[He returns his gaze to the shimmery ball in his hand, steadily entranced. Is it some kind of ornament for decorating the shrine? he wonders. The round surface feels eerily smooth when he turns it over, almost not solid…when he peers at it closely in the afternoon light, it seems to glow faintly. The ball also seems to radiate a familiar aura that makes Yamaguchi feel…connected. To something outside himself, or…
Aughh. I'm doing it again.
Tearing his eyes away from the orb, Yamaguchi slowly shakes his head and exhales, hiking up the remaining steps to the shrine. No more playing around. He wants to just grab his omikuji from the coin box and go, hopefully without running into the local shrine priestess on the way out. She's an older woman, who's terrified Yamaguchi every visit of his life since before he can remember. It's not a holiday or anything like that so he'd rather not deal with any more unnecessary grief.
Just get in, grab his fortune, and go. After that, he can finally go home. Nothing's going to bother Yamaguchi there. Right?]
[And he's taking it. Great. Not that he expected him not to, or that it would make much difference but it's still annoying that he would pick things up off the side of the road and take them. Testing his strength, Oikawa creeps out of the bushes. His nap was short but has done him enough good that he's able to scramble onto the bough of a tree and then up onto the top of the fence that runs around the shrine, where he walks, a touch precariously, along.
He's drawing a fortune, how human. Not that there isn't some power to them, but they're low level and inaccurate and generally it's better not to have that information in case it limits the possibilities he thinks of. But maybe he has a test coming up.
He perches with his paws close together on the fence, flicking his tails and again contemplating the best move when it comes to approaching him.
What he doesn't count on - and what having drawn a fortune might actually have helped - is that his luck today is awful. The kind of luck that could ruin a life. A strong gust of wind smacks into him, he scrabbles to keep his paws on the fence but it's too thin and he's not back to his regular strength. He tries to pull from his magic to keep himself in the air but he only finds a trickle where his reserves should be thanks to his supplies sitting in possession of a human, and he lands on the ground, just barely catching himself on his feet, with a clearly audible thump and a bark to match.]
[Oikawa flicks to the next page of his book, not really reading the words, he's distracted, he's thinking. And Yamaguchi is right there to talk to as well, settled in front of his TV with a game controller in his hand, too far away in Oikawa's opinion, perched in between where Oikawa is on the couch and what's holding his attention on the screen. Who wouldn't be distracted?
They're taking a Sunday morning off from whatever they would have been doing otherwise, in Oikawa's case studying or badgering Iwaizumi into extra training, the extra practices put on in preparation for the upcoming competition, along with Oikawa's increased workload as a third year, mean that they haven't seen much of each other in the last two weeks. Oikawa has barely been able to keep up with texting. So having the previous evening to themselves in Oikawa's house, eating noodles in front of an alien movie with a poor special effects budget and then sleeping tangled up in Oikawa's bed as he refused to let Yamaguchi get out the spare mattress when his bed is "perfectly big enough for the both of them, we're not that tall" fading into Oikawa tucking his hand into Yamaguchi's pyjamas and crawling out of bed and asking to borrow a different pair that he's still wearing this morning.
Stretching out his foot, he brushes it against the side of Yamaguchi's leg, where it's covered in soft flannel, as he tries to make sense of what's going on in Yamaguchi's game, it's brightly coloured and the music isn't bad at least, but the voices of the characters shouting things is distracting, though, and the girls look cold. They've been talking on and off through the morning but Oikawa's getting bored and would prefer Yamaguchi paid attention to him now.]
You know, I don't think I've ever seen Tsukki-chan smile. I'm not entirely sure it's possible for his face to make the movements, or perhaps he's just that cold and heartless. [He figures that should do the trick.]
[Before falling asleep last night, Yamaguchi had been characteristically fretful and anxious—wondering if the things they'd done in Oikawa's bed would change anything about their relationship, would make him somehow feel dirty or wrong or gross when morning came.
None of that turned out to be the case, though. Yamaguchi woke up this morning feeling better than he had in weeks, alleviated from some of the weight of stress of school and volleyball and even the insecurities of his new relationship. He's been bewildered and anxious lately, about how Oikawa always seems to shy away from physical intimacy. Nothing like kissing down the skin of Yamaguchi's neck or chest is out of bounds, but simple mouth-to-mouth contact and any unexpected touching on Yamaguchi's part makes the older boy freeze up, unless he or both of them are tipsy from his parents' liquor.
But last night more or less put those worries to rest. Whatever his reasoning, Oikawa doesn't mind touching him. Yamaguchi won't deny he's been craving something more than just kissing anyway, even if it makes him go scarlet in the face to admit it. Even just a hand job from his fingers felt good…felt amazing, honestly, or he'd never have let Oikawa go that far. Now morning, Yamaguchi's comfortable where he is lounging around in his boyfriend's pajamas, knowing the older boy's nearby while Yamaguchi plays a game to pass the time. The sudden touch on his leg snaps him out of his concentration and makes him shiver and jump lightly with surprise, turning to face Oikawa where he sits on the couch.]
Oikawa? [The informal address still sits oddly on his tongue, but Yamaguchi's finally getting used to it. His expression dampens, twisting into a familiar frown when the other boy begins to speak. Yamaguchi is jealous (even if he won't admit it) to hear Oikawa so casually calling Tsukishima "Tsukki" without his permission, and even more bothered on his best friend's behalf. Yamaguchi knows Tsukishima hates when people besides him call him that, but Oikawa doesn't listen.]
Tsukki isn't cold and heartless! [It doesn't take more than a word against Tsukishima to put Yamaguchi on the defensive. But then, for Oikawa, that news should be nothing new.]
[It's not news, and he was counting on it. He's got Yamaguchi's full attention now! Which is what he wanted in the first place. He absently rubs his toe along Yamaguchi's leg again, it's an affectionate, if calculated, gesture, and he thinks Yamaguchi likes that sort of thing.]
Right, right, you could never say that. I understand! But that doesn't mean he's not. You can talk to me about these things, you know, I know what he's like, and I won't tell him. [Unless pushed.
Tsukishima grates on him. He's too indifferent, doesn't try, and Oikawa itches to put his talents to better use because he could fix him if he had just the right position over him. And he's had Yamaguchi for years and can't have treated him properly.
Though, he shouldn't talk about that, not when the only reason he texted Yamaguchi and pursued him for a relationship was to show Iwaizumi that he can keep one for more than two weeks. It's closer to two months than one since Yamaguchi agreed to their first date, so he's more than proved him wrong by now. It was so easy, keeping an eye out for things to compliment him with, and then voicing those when the time seemed right, Yamaguchi all but fell into his lap. That he is sweet and cute helped, not to mention male. He feels a bit bad about that part, his first boyfriend used to prove Iwaizumi wrong - Iwaizumi had actually apologised when Oikawa admitted that Yamaguchi is more his type on that factor alone.
But his hypocrisy about how he's treating Yamaguchi doesn't stop Tsukishima's attitude from rubbing against all the sour parts of Oikawa's personality.]
[Unfortunately, that sour spot of Oikawa's is quickly becoming one for Yamaguchi as well—and one of relatively few he has, which he might've (should have) realized before now is precisely why they keep coming back to it.
But, Yamaguchi likes Oikawa. And he likes thinking the best of people he likes.
So he tries, with more frustration and perhaps even desperation each time, to get across why he likes Tsukishima so much to his boyfriend.]
Don't talk about Tsukki like that! [The words come out louder, and angrier than Yamaguchi intended, so he shrinks in on himself a bit immediately to recompose.] That's not how it is, Oikawa. Tsukki's not cold, he's just…
[Guarded, he thinks as he trails off, trying to come up with a better way to phrase it. Tsukishima is so, incredibly guarded and prickly with his smarts. And it's Yamaguchi's job, perhaps being the only person to ever see the most of what's behind those walls, to champion the idea that it's not just barbs and wires with his acid-tongued best friend. He'll defend Tsukishima's good points to the grave even on those occasions that Tsukishima gets embarrassed by it, or likes to pretend he doesn't care at all what people think.
That's what friends are for. They're best friends.]
[The people who got sick first like Yamaguchi were the lucky ones. It didn't seem that way at first—spending over half of his freshman summer break quarantined, thrashing in a hospital bed with untold thousands of others struck by the same new plague hitting Japan like a natural disaster, wasn't an experience Yamaguchi expected to be grateful for. But when the next wave of the virus hit, he and all the others with immunity from the first strain were the only people spared. They didn't have to worry about being infected again, when the strange, incurable sickness began to evolve into new and terrifying forms that could be transmitted by water or air.
The fourth strain, the one that accomplished what no other virus in human history could, is transmitted exclusively by infected blood. Usually it's in the form of biting and scratching, which for any other virus would be a step back evolutionarily. Not this time. Yamaguchi has no idea if he's still immune to it, from his first bout of illness in comparison to the virus' latest form. He'd been sick back then, but it's nothing compared to what happens to the new infected now.
Yamaguchi's definitely not immune from regular, non-madness-inducing sickness, though. And that's what's going to kill him tonight if he doesn't find his friends before the zombies.]
Tsukkiiii–!! [Unfortunately, it turns out it's extremely hard to find anything while you're running a hospital-grade fever, 40 degrees Celsius and counting. Yamaguchi's so sick he's practically delirious, and the fact that his shouting might attract attention that's completely unwanted hasn't even occured to him.] TSUKKI!!
S-Suga-san, Daichi-san?! Hello…! [He coughs on the final word, struggling to get enough air to start again. He has to find them. Yamaguchi can't remember for the life of him what happened when they were separated, if the others told him to stay put or try and stay together or nothing at all. He has to find them. Karasuno, they're the only family Yamaguchi has left…if he loses them now he's a goner…]
[These days, Oikawa keeps everything he absolutely, essentially needs on him at all times - a lighter, two torches (one hand powered, the other battery powered used sparingly when he doesn't have time to pump the handle on the other one), a small first aid kit packed with extras he's discovered he needs over the basics, a jumbo pack of water purification tablets that taste like ass but he prefers over dying if he can't make sure the water is okay in other ways, and enough food to last him three days in a pinch. And his kitchen knife strapped to the outside.
He was on a raiding mission to get fuel for his little gas burner that ran out three days ago, the sky threatening rain an incentive rather than deterrent. He's pretty sure the zombies don't track people by sight and smell seems like the most sensible thing after that, so rain will wash away some of the chance of them following him back to his hideout in the teaching rooms at the back of a library, near where they kept the emergency supplies for earthquakes. At this point, with piles of dead not an uncommon sight along the streets, an earthquake seems like a mild disaster.
When he hears the sound, he thinks it's a bird, but as the it gets closer and Oikawa stills, tucked behind a long since powerless vending machine, reluctant to give his location away, it's clearly some idiot who can't keep his voice down.
He's stumbling closer and- fuck, there's a zombie a hundred metres behind him, just turning the corner. Oikawa's eyes flick between the kid and the zombie, gritting his teeth and taking the option he knows he has to, darting up, holding one finger to his lips and signalling for him to follow. Though, something doesn't seem quite right with him.]
[There's a sudden movement up ahead of him to the left—turning so quickly that his head spins, Yamaguchi frantically looks for the source, and his doubled vision eventually resolves into the cascading outline of a human-shaped figure, waving in his direction.
Yamaguchi can't see the person well, but whoever it is looks pretty tall.] Tsukki??
[He stumbles forward, movements slightly uncoordinated as his vision hasn't settled yet and he's dizzy. It couldn't be more obvious that Yamaguchi's got no idea of the danger lurking right around the corner.]
[Who's Tsukki? It doesn't matter just now, what matters now is being quiet. Oikawa gives up on subtlety in keeping this guy quiet, presses his hand over his mouth, heart pounding in his ears as he hopes against hope that whatever's wrong with the kid isn't the start of another strain of the virus, and that he won't take Oikawa for an enemy.]
[Time freezes, for an instant, maybe a year, after it happens: Yamaguchi doesn't register the weight of his keys slipping through his fingers by the entryway, doesn't register the clatter they make as they drop to the hardwood floor.
Sakeg—no. Oikawa. It's Oikawa sitting there, on the couch in Yamaguchi's apartment. The boss of Seijou is in his work clothes, tie undone and playing a game on the Wii U that Daichi sent Yamaguchi, for all the world looking like he actually belongs there.
This can't be happening.
Yamaguchi panics with a sudden thought. If he's here (if he's back if he's remembered if he's Oikawa), then it's definitely to kill Yamaguchi for real this time. To undo the mistakes or else get his peace, tie up any loose ends.
Yamaguchi makes a strangled noise in his throat and that breaks the spell on him, fingers fumbling for a knife out of terrified instinct and too slow, too frightened and too imprecise and obvious. He hurls it, with a noise that might be a scream if he actually had the oxygen to supply one in his suddenly ice-cold insides.]
[Even sitting as relaxed at he was, Oikawa keeps enough tension about himself that he's on full alert by the time Yamaguchi finishes making that noise. He fights to keep his mouth from flashing into an utterly delighted grin at the appearance of Yamaguchi. He takes his time in pressing pause on the game, it takes only a moment but he's careful to make sure that it doesn't look like he's rushing, that he's not scared or worried for his safety.]
Hello, Tadash- [he gets out before the flash of a blade is hurtling towards him, he jerks back and out of the way, then rises to his feet in a boneless motion, fingers itching to reach for his own weapons but he's not in danger yet. He dodged that knife but anyone who goes for a knife first will have more tucked away.]
You were more polite about saying hello the last time I saw you.
[As predicted, Yamaguchi throws another knife, exactly the same make and model as the one before. They come in sets of two; he's got four on him total and regrets at once it isn't more than that.]
G-Get out! [After the knife is hurled, words come hurling after, and thrown with every bit of equal malice. They're also tinged notes of the chaotic hysteria and rage Yamaguchi feels, threatening to drown him.] What are you doing here, you—you piece of–! [The next knife is already in his hand and poised to throw.]
[The second knife comes close enough to make Oikawa's heart thump a beat faster as it flies by, landing with a thwack somewhere in the rest of Yamaguchi's apartment.
Poor boy, he's so far gone he's damaging his own property as well as looks about ready to chew Oikawa's face off.
Oikawa tenses to move, though he does his best not to show that he is as he replies:] I missed you. [Because he's not sure whether saying that will require him to dodge again, and if it does he'd prefer to get closer to Yamaguchi and hopefully prevent further thrown blades.]
[At some point during this mess with Oikawa, Yamaguchi completely lost control—really lost control. It's bad enough Yamaguchi already went and slept with him (from a decision-making standpoint, at least; Oikawa's frighteningly good in the literal sense) but now there are visits and phone calls and presents and Yamaguchi can't count how many times he's changed his number and it doesn't matter. Oikawa keeps finding him. And all Yamaguchi can do is keep agreeing to meet him, because it's happening whether or not he agrees to it and even if his grades are plummeting maybe he can get something useful out of this for his allies in Karasuno.
Speaking of…]
H-Hi, Suga-san… [The name, once so familiar, sounds strange and clammy on his tongue. Yamaguchi doesn't know when he started being more intimidated by his senpai, but it was probably around the time he stopped being an asset for the gang's future, and more of a potential liability. Sugawara is a parental figure for Karasuno but he is a leader, and he's one who wants to win, at any cost.
Of course Yamaguchi didn't ask for this. He doesn't say that, though, because he also knows (thinks, hopes, wishes, fears) he could have stopped it too. Before Oikawa became a constant thorn in his side and a voice in his ear, coaxing and pushing him to come to Seijou and China and god-knows-where-else those might lead.]
[All of the members of Karasuno are important to Suga, people are the most valuable asset he can think of, and ones that are loyal and tied tight to the family more than anything else. So, when Yamaguchi's acting more and more out of sorts, more skittish and jumpy, and this is a leap from his previous behaviour and so worthy of a call to work out what the hell is going on with the kid.
He's put most of his files away and only has a few notes on Yamaguchi out, nothing too big, he doesn't like writing down too much about his own people in case it gets into the wrong hands, but just some details that he might have forgotten.]
I did, thank you for calling me.
[He flips over one of the pieces of paper - that's right, Yamaguchi's parents died, sad but most members of Karasuno can relate.]
I was just wondering what you've been up to lately, Yamaguchi-san. Are you still studying? [A question he already knows the answer to, but he'll ask it anyway to start to get an idea of what Yamaguchi is willing to tell him.]
[The basic nature of the question throws Yamaguchi off-guard. He's at once unsure if he should be concerned that something so obvious would be called into question, or if Sugawara's only being polite to ask.]
Yeah, of course! I've got my classes and the work. […] It's…maybe not as easy, as it was before…earlier in the year…
[And they both know it hadn't been exactly easy then, with an advanced-track course of study and Yamaguchi falling somewhat behind the curve of his other classmates who had the natural intellect and memory he didn't.]
[Not a bad response, given the trend his grades have taken.]
I see... But you're still doing fine, aren't you?
[At his end of the call, Suga hears a thump from the next room over, but it's nothing to be alarmed over so Suga only rotates his chair away from that wall and continues glancing over the sheet of paper.]
{ reposting this b/c feels weird tagging on ancient meme }
!? [ At this point, Yamaguchi's pretty much been reduced to «-ıɴsᴇʀᴛ wıʙʙʟıɴɢ ɴoısᴇs-» and not much else, seeing as he's apparently lost his capacity of speech temporarily. ] R…R-Ru…
[ okay but he's really not used to direct praise so!!! i mean something like that could have easily, legitimately broken him oikawa ought to be more careful ]
[Yeah, and Oikawa's wondering whether he accidentally said a spell that's fried his brain. Or if there was something in Yamaguchi's cauldron that might be toxic. He's not used to breaking people this badly.
Or maybe he's just getting sick. Oikawa presses his hand to Yamaguchi's forehead to check his temperature. Forgets to mention that that's what he's doing.]
[ Yamaguchi's voice is very, very squeaky in a way that suggests all the air's sucked out of his lungs. He goes very still at Oikawa's touch, but his eyes are wide as saucers and very clearly wanting for an explanation regarding this new weird behavior on top of the other (if positive) emotional bombshell from a few minutes ago that had only just begun to sink in. ]
The one where Oikawa is a magic fox
Soon enough, he finds the trees thinning and human roads criss-cross between their houses. He manages to stretch his strength out to make it to the foot of a shrine, which should be enough that no spirits intending to do him harm will pass by.
He might be exhausted but he's not actually dead, so that's something, but after that run and his fight with the oni he can't do more than tuck his tails around his paws and squeeze his eyes shut as he hopes that no humans decide to take issue with a fox taking shelter on the side of the road as he fades into sleep.]
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Tsukishima's little pet friend…
By eighth grade his childhood bullies had mostly grown out of sticks and stones and backpack duty, so bad the encounters were only infrequently violent. But even so, nearly a year of being treated as a joke or else charitably ignored at school has made it hard for Yamaguchi to be optimistic. He's not sure how to go about making new friends and so keeps to himself out of habit in high school, which of course hasn't helped with ingratiating himself to his new classmates.
Now more than ever, Yamaguchi misses Tsukishima. But since there's nothing he can do about it, he finally decides that taking a detour to the shrine after school is at least a better alternative than wallowing in self-pity. Maybe if he buys a paper lot out of the fortune box today, it will tell him better luck is on the way…
Better luck doesn't seem to be holding its breath for him, though. As Yamaguchi nears the shrine entrance with his mind distracted, his foot lands on an unnoticed object lying on the ground. The item rolls unexpectedly beneath his weight, and Yamaguchi is sent toppling to the ground, shriek of surprise cut off as his backpack chokes his air supply.]
Wh…What… [Instinctively, he looks around for what tripped him, and picks the item up when he spies it rolling to a stop by his head. Closer inspection proves it to a smooth, shimmery-colored orb that feels oddly warm to his touch. Yamaguchi rubs his head a few times in bewilderment, assessing his condition as he tries to think of what it could be for.] …A ball?
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As bad days go, this one is turning out to be a nightmare.
Because the fact of the matter is, with the boy having touched it while Oikawa was unconscious, he owes him. Even though he'd rather bite the kid on his leg, grab his Hoshi no Tama and run back to somewhere he can recuperate in peace, ancient powers are meddling things and won't let him just do that. Not if he wants to keep the magic stored in the ball, at least.
Humans aren't his favourite, and even though coming here was his best option, he's regretting straying so close when he wasn't in a position to prevent a scrawny kid like this from touching the one thing that it's important no one touches. It's typical that a human would. He's done without them for over a hundred years and the one time he's less than completely cautious, he ends up in a bind.
Pressed back into the bush, Oikawa figures he's mostly hidden from view, it's not the biggest bush or the most leafy, but most human's eyes aren't observant and this one doesn't look like the brightest with the way he's turning Oikawa's Hoshi no Tama over.
He flicks his ears back as he watches, he's going to have to make himself known at some point, but he's debating on whether the time to do that is now or after observing him. Knowing humans, he's probably so delicate he'll fall over dead before long anyway.]
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Weird…
[He returns his gaze to the shimmery ball in his hand, steadily entranced. Is it some kind of ornament for decorating the shrine? he wonders. The round surface feels eerily smooth when he turns it over, almost not solid…when he peers at it closely in the afternoon light, it seems to glow faintly. The ball also seems to radiate a familiar aura that makes Yamaguchi feel…connected. To something outside himself, or…
Aughh. I'm doing it again.
Tearing his eyes away from the orb, Yamaguchi slowly shakes his head and exhales, hiking up the remaining steps to the shrine. No more playing around. He wants to just grab his omikuji from the coin box and go, hopefully without running into the local shrine priestess on the way out. She's an older woman, who's terrified Yamaguchi every visit of his life since before he can remember. It's not a holiday or anything like that so he'd rather not deal with any more unnecessary grief.
Just get in, grab his fortune, and go. After that, he can finally go home. Nothing's going to bother Yamaguchi there. Right?]
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He's drawing a fortune, how human. Not that there isn't some power to them, but they're low level and inaccurate and generally it's better not to have that information in case it limits the possibilities he thinks of. But maybe he has a test coming up.
He perches with his paws close together on the fence, flicking his tails and again contemplating the best move when it comes to approaching him.
What he doesn't count on - and what having drawn a fortune might actually have helped - is that his luck today is awful. The kind of luck that could ruin a life. A strong gust of wind smacks into him, he scrabbles to keep his paws on the fence but it's too thin and he's not back to his regular strength. He tries to pull from his magic to keep himself in the air but he only finds a trickle where his reserves should be thanks to his supplies sitting in possession of a human, and he lands on the ground, just barely catching himself on his feet, with a clearly audible thump and a bark to match.]
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The one where Oikawa proved Iwaizumi wrong
They're taking a Sunday morning off from whatever they would have been doing otherwise, in Oikawa's case studying or badgering Iwaizumi into extra training, the extra practices put on in preparation for the upcoming competition, along with Oikawa's increased workload as a third year, mean that they haven't seen much of each other in the last two weeks. Oikawa has barely been able to keep up with texting. So having the previous evening to themselves in Oikawa's house, eating noodles in front of an alien movie with a poor special effects budget and then sleeping tangled up in Oikawa's bed as he refused to let Yamaguchi get out the spare mattress when his bed is "perfectly big enough for the both of them, we're not that tall" fading into Oikawa tucking his hand into Yamaguchi's pyjamas and crawling out of bed and asking to borrow a different pair that he's still wearing this morning.
Stretching out his foot, he brushes it against the side of Yamaguchi's leg, where it's covered in soft flannel, as he tries to make sense of what's going on in Yamaguchi's game, it's brightly coloured and the music isn't bad at least, but the voices of the characters shouting things is distracting, though, and the girls look cold. They've been talking on and off through the morning but Oikawa's getting bored and would prefer Yamaguchi paid attention to him now.]
You know, I don't think I've ever seen Tsukki-chan smile. I'm not entirely sure it's possible for his face to make the movements, or perhaps he's just that cold and heartless. [He figures that should do the trick.]
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None of that turned out to be the case, though. Yamaguchi woke up this morning feeling better than he had in weeks, alleviated from some of the weight of stress of school and volleyball and even the insecurities of his new relationship. He's been bewildered and anxious lately, about how Oikawa always seems to shy away from physical intimacy. Nothing like kissing down the skin of Yamaguchi's neck or chest is out of bounds, but simple mouth-to-mouth contact and any unexpected touching on Yamaguchi's part makes the older boy freeze up, unless he or both of them are tipsy from his parents' liquor.
But last night more or less put those worries to rest. Whatever his reasoning, Oikawa doesn't mind touching him. Yamaguchi won't deny he's been craving something more than just kissing anyway, even if it makes him go scarlet in the face to admit it. Even just a hand job from his fingers felt good…felt amazing, honestly, or he'd never have let Oikawa go that far. Now morning, Yamaguchi's comfortable where he is lounging around in his boyfriend's pajamas, knowing the older boy's nearby while Yamaguchi plays a game to pass the time. The sudden touch on his leg snaps him out of his concentration and makes him shiver and jump lightly with surprise, turning to face Oikawa where he sits on the couch.]
Oikawa? [The informal address still sits oddly on his tongue, but Yamaguchi's finally getting used to it. His expression dampens, twisting into a familiar frown when the other boy begins to speak. Yamaguchi is jealous (even if he won't admit it) to hear Oikawa so casually calling Tsukishima "Tsukki" without his permission, and even more bothered on his best friend's behalf. Yamaguchi knows Tsukishima hates when people besides him call him that, but Oikawa doesn't listen.]
Tsukki isn't cold and heartless! [It doesn't take more than a word against Tsukishima to put Yamaguchi on the defensive. But then, for Oikawa, that news should be nothing new.]
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Right, right, you could never say that. I understand! But that doesn't mean he's not. You can talk to me about these things, you know, I know what he's like, and I won't tell him. [Unless pushed.
Tsukishima grates on him. He's too indifferent, doesn't try, and Oikawa itches to put his talents to better use because he could fix him if he had just the right position over him. And he's had Yamaguchi for years and can't have treated him properly.
Though, he shouldn't talk about that, not when the only reason he texted Yamaguchi and pursued him for a relationship was to show Iwaizumi that he can keep one for more than two weeks. It's closer to two months than one since Yamaguchi agreed to their first date, so he's more than proved him wrong by now. It was so easy, keeping an eye out for things to compliment him with, and then voicing those when the time seemed right, Yamaguchi all but fell into his lap. That he is sweet and cute helped, not to mention male. He feels a bit bad about that part, his first boyfriend used to prove Iwaizumi wrong - Iwaizumi had actually apologised when Oikawa admitted that Yamaguchi is more his type on that factor alone.
But his hypocrisy about how he's treating Yamaguchi doesn't stop Tsukishima's attitude from rubbing against all the sour parts of Oikawa's personality.]
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But, Yamaguchi likes Oikawa. And he likes thinking the best of people he likes.
So he tries, with more frustration and perhaps even desperation each time, to get across why he likes Tsukishima so much to his boyfriend.]
Don't talk about Tsukki like that! [The words come out louder, and angrier than Yamaguchi intended, so he shrinks in on himself a bit immediately to recompose.] That's not how it is, Oikawa. Tsukki's not cold, he's just…
[Guarded, he thinks as he trails off, trying to come up with a better way to phrase it. Tsukishima is so, incredibly guarded and prickly with his smarts. And it's Yamaguchi's job, perhaps being the only person to ever see the most of what's behind those walls, to champion the idea that it's not just barbs and wires with his acid-tongued best friend. He'll defend Tsukishima's good points to the grave even on those occasions that Tsukishima gets embarrassed by it, or likes to pretend he doesn't care at all what people think.
That's what friends are for. They're best friends.]
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[1/4]
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The one where Yamaguchi meets Oikawa in a zombie apocalypse
The fourth strain, the one that accomplished what no other virus in human history could, is transmitted exclusively by infected blood. Usually it's in the form of biting and scratching, which for any other virus would be a step back evolutionarily. Not this time. Yamaguchi has no idea if he's still immune to it, from his first bout of illness in comparison to the virus' latest form. He'd been sick back then, but it's nothing compared to what happens to the new infected now.
Yamaguchi's definitely not immune from regular, non-madness-inducing sickness, though. And that's what's going to kill him tonight if he doesn't find his friends before the zombies.]
Tsukkiiii–!! [Unfortunately, it turns out it's extremely hard to find anything while you're running a hospital-grade fever, 40 degrees Celsius and counting. Yamaguchi's so sick he's practically delirious, and the fact that his shouting might attract attention that's completely unwanted hasn't even occured to him.] TSUKKI!!
S-Suga-san, Daichi-san?! Hello…! [He coughs on the final word, struggling to get enough air to start again. He has to find them. Yamaguchi can't remember for the life of him what happened when they were separated, if the others told him to stay put or try and stay together or nothing at all. He has to find them. Karasuno, they're the only family Yamaguchi has left…if he loses them now he's a goner…]
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He was on a raiding mission to get fuel for his little gas burner that ran out three days ago, the sky threatening rain an incentive rather than deterrent. He's pretty sure the zombies don't track people by sight and smell seems like the most sensible thing after that, so rain will wash away some of the chance of them following him back to his hideout in the teaching rooms at the back of a library, near where they kept the emergency supplies for earthquakes. At this point, with piles of dead not an uncommon sight along the streets, an earthquake seems like a mild disaster.
When he hears the sound, he thinks it's a bird, but as the it gets closer and Oikawa stills, tucked behind a long since powerless vending machine, reluctant to give his location away, it's clearly some idiot who can't keep his voice down.
He's stumbling closer and- fuck, there's a zombie a hundred metres behind him, just turning the corner. Oikawa's eyes flick between the kid and the zombie, gritting his teeth and taking the option he knows he has to, darting up, holding one finger to his lips and signalling for him to follow. Though, something doesn't seem quite right with him.]
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Yamaguchi can't see the person well, but whoever it is looks pretty tall.] Tsukki??
[He stumbles forward, movements slightly uncoordinated as his vision hasn't settled yet and he's dizzy. It couldn't be more obvious that Yamaguchi's got no idea of the danger lurking right around the corner.]
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The one (ha) where mafia au…fuck, mafia au
Sakeg—no. Oikawa. It's Oikawa sitting there, on the couch in Yamaguchi's apartment. The boss of Seijou is in his work clothes, tie undone and playing a game on the Wii U that Daichi sent Yamaguchi, for all the world looking like he actually belongs there.
This can't be happening.
Yamaguchi panics with a sudden thought. If he's here (if he's back if he's remembered if he's Oikawa), then it's definitely to kill Yamaguchi for real this time. To undo the mistakes or else get his peace, tie up any loose ends.
Yamaguchi makes a strangled noise in his throat and that breaks the spell on him, fingers fumbling for a knife out of terrified instinct and too slow, too frightened and too imprecise and obvious. He hurls it, with a noise that might be a scream if he actually had the oxygen to supply one in his suddenly ice-cold insides.]
Kygnaaa!!
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Hello, Tadash- [he gets out before the flash of a blade is hurtling towards him, he jerks back and out of the way, then rises to his feet in a boneless motion, fingers itching to reach for his own weapons but he's not in danger yet. He dodged that knife but anyone who goes for a knife first will have more tucked away.]
You were more polite about saying hello the last time I saw you.
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G-Get out! [After the knife is hurled, words come hurling after, and thrown with every bit of equal malice. They're also tinged notes of the chaotic hysteria and rage Yamaguchi feels, threatening to drown him.] What are you doing here, you—you piece of–! [The next knife is already in his hand and poised to throw.]
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Poor boy, he's so far gone he's damaging his own property as well as looks about ready to chew Oikawa's face off.
Oikawa tenses to move, though he does his best not to show that he is as he replies:] I missed you. [Because he's not sure whether saying that will require him to dodge again, and if it does he'd prefer to get closer to Yamaguchi and hopefully prevent further thrown blades.]
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The one where mafia Yamaguchi and Oikawa get hitched
Speaking of…]
H-Hi, Suga-san… [The name, once so familiar, sounds strange and clammy on his tongue. Yamaguchi doesn't know when he started being more intimidated by his senpai, but it was probably around the time he stopped being an asset for the gang's future, and more of a potential liability. Sugawara is a parental figure for Karasuno but he is a leader, and he's one who wants to win, at any cost.
Of course Yamaguchi didn't ask for this. He doesn't say that, though, because he also knows (thinks, hopes, wishes, fears) he could have stopped it too. Before Oikawa became a constant thorn in his side and a voice in his ear, coaxing and pushing him to come to Seijou and China and god-knows-where-else those might lead.]
You, um…wanted to speak with me?
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He's put most of his files away and only has a few notes on Yamaguchi out, nothing too big, he doesn't like writing down too much about his own people in case it gets into the wrong hands, but just some details that he might have forgotten.]
I did, thank you for calling me.
[He flips over one of the pieces of paper - that's right, Yamaguchi's parents died, sad but most members of Karasuno can relate.]
I was just wondering what you've been up to lately, Yamaguchi-san. Are you still studying? [A question he already knows the answer to, but he'll ask it anyway to start to get an idea of what Yamaguchi is willing to tell him.]
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[The basic nature of the question throws Yamaguchi off-guard. He's at once unsure if he should be concerned that something so obvious would be called into question, or if Sugawara's only being polite to ask.]
Yeah, of course! I've got my classes and the work. […] It's…maybe not as easy, as it was before…earlier in the year…
[And they both know it hadn't been exactly easy then, with an advanced-track course of study and Yamaguchi falling somewhat behind the curve of his other classmates who had the natural intellect and memory he didn't.]
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I see... But you're still doing fine, aren't you?
[At his end of the call, Suga hears a thump from the next room over, but it's nothing to be alarmed over so Suga only rotates his chair away from that wall and continues glancing over the sheet of paper.]
It's been a while since we heard from you.
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!? [ At this point, Yamaguchi's pretty much been reduced to «-ıɴsᴇʀᴛ wıʙʙʟıɴɢ ɴoısᴇs-» and not much else, seeing as he's apparently lost his capacity of speech temporarily. ] R…R-Ru…
[ okay but he's really not used to direct praise so!!! i mean something like that could have easily, legitimately broken him oikawa ought to be more careful ]
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Or maybe he's just getting sick. Oikawa presses his hand to Yamaguchi's forehead to check his temperature. Forgets to mention that that's what he's doing.]
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Uwaa–?
[ Yamaguchi's voice is very, very squeaky in a way that suggests all the air's sucked out of his lungs. He goes very still at Oikawa's touch, but his eyes are wide as saucers and very clearly wanting for an explanation regarding this new weird behavior on top of the other (if positive) emotional bombshell from a few minutes ago that had only just begun to sink in. ]
? ?? [ … ]
…O-Oikawa-san? [ He's touching…Yamaguchi's face… ]
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Sure, he could probably find a spell for this, but where's the fun in that?]
You didn't look particularly well, Yamaguchi-kun.
[His fingers linger as he drops them away, he's still suspicious of Yamaguchi's health but it's hard to say whether he's sick or not.]