Tell Me How?
Ts//ukishima didn't come to school because a terrible cold and it made Yam//aguchi worried 🏐
Fandom: Haiky//uu!
Ship: Ts//ukishima x Yam//aguchi
CW: snz (duh), slight mess, a bit of angst(?), mentioned contagion
Notes: So uh.. this is my first ever snzfic. I don't know what possessed me (probably hormones) but I did this in one sitting so please don't have too high of expectations! English isn't my first language so please be kind.
THIS IS A SNEEZE FIC!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
1.9k words
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Yamaguchi looked at the empty seat beside him and felt himself fidgeting. It is not like Tsukishima to be late. He wonders if he should text him, but he knows how his teammate (and also his secret crush) hates being fussed over. He sighed and decided to wait a little more.
Just as he was deep in his thoughts, a classmate who sat in front of him immediately brought him back to reality. "Is Tsukishima not coming, Yamaguchi-kun?" She asked him. Probably a fan of him, Yamaguchi thinks. It was no wonder Tsukishima had a lot of admirers. He is talented and handsome after all. Anyone would want to be with him. Yamaguchi shook his head and tried to stop thinking about it.
"It seems like he isn't coming."
That was all Yamaguchi could say before the class finally started.
***
During lunch, Yamaguchi's bento was left untouched. All he could think about was Tsukishima and what could have possibly made him skip school. He sighed and gathered up his courage to finally text the person he had been thinking about all day.
"Tsukki, I'm just checking in! You didn't come to school. Is everything okay?"
He pressed send and felt his heart beating fast. He hopes Tsukki won't be angry at him for being too nosy.
"Just a cold. Don't worry too much."
Yamaguchi widens his eyes at the reply on his phone. He couldn't remember the last time his closest friend got sick. It has been raining a lot these days, so maybe he got caught in the rain? He sighed to himself before a familiar figure went up to him.
"Yamaguchi! Can we sit here since Tsukishima isn't here with you?" Hinata asked cheerfully with Kageyama beside him. "Where is he anyways?" Kageyama asked, still looking as indifferent as ever.
"He's sick." Yamaguchi replied with what seems like a pout. It was obvious he was worried, and Hinata couldn't help but feel bad. "Tsukishima gets sick too?" Hinata asked in shock. "Maybe because he is so tall that the wind went through him first!" Hinata added, which earned a reply from Kageyama. "Idiot"
Yamaguchi can only laugh at the duo's shenanigans.
***
The bell rang, signaling the end of today's school. Since today was Friday, Yamaguchi knows Tsukishima's parents won't be home until late. Will Tsukishima be okay on his own when he's sick?
The worry in his mind won't disappear at the thought, so he immediately packed up his bags and ran out of his classroom. He ran so fast that he didn't realize he went by his friends.
"Yamaguchi!" Hinata yelled. "Don't forget we have practice today!" The new spiker added. Yamaguchi stopped in his tracks immediately. Shit, he completely forgot.
"Hinata-kun!! Tell Daichi-san I won't be coming," Yamaguchi yelled back before continuing to run in the direction of Tsukishima's household.
Hinata froze at his friend's odd behavior, while Kageyama looked at him irritatedly.
"He's going to Tsukishima's, idiot," he told Hinata. "Oh! Shouldn't we visit too?" Hinata asked him.
"So you can miss practice?" Kageyama shot at him.
"In your dreams!" Hinata huffed before he stormed to the gym. Not without racing there with Kageyama, of course.
***
"Yamaguchi" Akiteru, Tsukishima's brother, opened the door with a smile. "Kei is in his room upstairs. He said he isn't feeling well," Akiteru explained. Yamaguchi felt flustered as he completely forgot that his brother is there, so Tsukishima probably didn't need him.
"I brought some medicine and food for him," Yamaguchi said gently. "Ah! Maybe he would let you take care of him." Akiteru said in relief. "He won't let me enter his room," the big brother huffed.
Somehow, Yamaguchi felt relieved. Maybe he won't be a nuisance after all.
After Akiteru's welcoming, he went upstairs and knocked on his door nervously. "Tsukki. It's me, Yamaguchi."
Some ruffling and a few groans were heard after Yamaguchi's announcement before a few minutes of silence. Yamaguchi was about to ask more until—
"Hhuh—Hihk'Sheew! Hh-Ihh'tchiew! It'sch! Ughh." Tsukishima's sneezes stopped him from knocking. He can hear Tsukki blowing his nose a few times before finally the door clicks open.
"Guhh…" Tsukishima groaned. He looked very pale and miserable. His nose was irritated and red. His voice was wrecked, and it seems like standing up is taking a lot of his energy. Yamaguchi couldn't help but feel bad.
"Yambaguchi, whadt do you wandt?" Tsukishima asked with his straightforward personality. "You sho-u'hh huhh…" He raised a finger at Yamaguchi before facing away to sneeze.
"HEEEH'KSHIEW!" He sneezed loudly. He grabbed his handkerchief and wiped his nose. "Sndrrk, you should be ad practice" he said congestedly, rubbing his nose some more.
"I was worried, Tsukki" Yamaguchi looked away, feeling very flustered. "I-I, I knew your parents wouldn't be home today. I was… hoping I could take care of you," he says gently as he shows him the paper bag full of medicine and takeout food for him.
Tsukishima softened at Yamaguchi's gesture. "I don'dt wand you catchi'g this" Tsukki replied to him. "Also.. I'mb disguti'g." Tsukishima added. He hates that Yamaguchi is seeing him in this state.
"You're always cool to me, Tsukki" Yamaguchi replied with a smile so sincere it made Tsukishima blush. "Shut ub" He mumbled as he let Yamaguchi lead him back to bed.
His room was filled with crumpled tissues and empty tissue boxes. His blanket was also soaked from both sweat and snot. Yamaguchi doubted that this was just some cold.
When Tsukishima went back to bed, Yamaguchi felt his forehead. "Gosh, you are burning up" he said worriedly. Tsukishima only hummed. "When did you start feeling sick?"
"Sdrrk ughh.. Lasd ndight?" Tsukishima said croakily. "Atd firsd it was just mby throat and n'dhuh.. hhh-Ihh'kShiew! ugh. Ndow I cand't stopb sdeezig" Tsukishima tried explaining. He looks totally wrecked, and Yamaguchi tried to tuck him back to bed.
The smaller man got up, rummaging in the paper bag to get Tsukishima's meds and also preparing the drink. "Take these, Tsukki." Yamaguchi ordered, which Tsukishima eventually complied with. He closed his eyes and let Yamaguchi pamper him some more, giving the sick man some compress and checking his temperature while occasionally feeding him in between.
After a long while of comfortable silence, Tsukishima managed to mumble. "I'mb so sorry if you'll catch this. I dond't wand you to hate me"
This made Yamaguchi flinch. He checked Tsukishima's temperature, and it's still high. "You must be delirious" Yamaguchi concluded with a sigh. "Tsukki.." He held the sick man's hand tightly.
"I can't hate you even if I tried" He said softly while looking into Tsukishima's eyes. "I don't mind getting sick. Just get better, okay?" Yamaguchi got up and took his compress.
"I'll soak it some more," Yamaguchi announced before he went back to the bathroom. Tsukishima felt a feeling in his chest that he couldn't explain. Was it because of his illness? No, it's not a cold symptom.
It was yearning.
***
Tsukki didn't know how long or when he fell asleep, but he woke up feeling his sinuses buzzing and his breath hitching. He sat up gently and immediately took a few tissues and put them in front of his face.
"HhuhH.. G-Gohhd.. HuhHh— Fuhgck!" He felt his eyes watering and nostrils flaring every few seconds. He could feel the sneezes from the back of his nose.
"Tsukki, are you okay?" Yamaguchi asked. God, Tsukishima completely forgotten about him. He shook his head at Yamaguchi and looked away from him as he blew his nose in hopes of triggering the sneeze... which he immediately regretted.
"Hngt—! Hkkchht!! HUT’cxshh—! Hhuh- hhHHh-! HTT’ssschhxt!! Gn'tchhht!!” Each sneeze was wetter than before as it kept going on, and Yamaguchi kept giving him tissues during the fit. Yamaguchi waited until it finally ended, and Tsukishima groaned in agony, eyes watering and nose still leaking.
"What a bad cold you caught, Tsukki. Bless you a bunch!" Yamaguchi frowned at his friend's state. He checked for the sick man's temperature again and sighed in relief.
"No fever though, so that's good."
Tsukishima huffed and covered his face when his face kept leaking. "Ugh.. dond't look ad mbe" He says, feeling ashamed and (trying to) hold back his tears.
This alerted Yamaguchi. The smaller man immediately leaned closer to him. "Tsukki… are you getting sicker?" Concern was written all over him, but Tsukishima was too ashamed to look at him.
"Ndo. Please leave mbe alode" Tsukishima muttered. "Tsukki.."
"Is there anything I can do?" Yamaguchi asked. "I can't leave you like this. Your brother said you've been locking yourself in here."
This was what Tsukishima hate the most about Yamaguchi. He kept insisting even when Tsukishima pushes him away. How can he stop falling for him when he keeps showing his care like this? All the while Tsukishima was sneezing and being a disgusting mess.
"I wandt you to dot see mbe like this!" Tsukishima finally blurted out as tears fell down his face. "I wandt you to see odly the besd side of mbe, ndot the disgustig and stupid side ohHh—"
And of course, just after he said this, the burning sensation came back, causing him to hitch once, twice before—
"IhhH! H'hhHkchht!! 'TschieEw!!" Two sneezes sprayed out from him without warning. Yamaguchi froze, and it took a moment before Tsukishima realized.
"Fuckg, Did I get you?" Tsukishima asked wiping his face and giving Yamaguchi his tissues. "I-I'ts okay. Bless you, Tsukki." Yamaguchi says gently, but it did nothing to calm Tsukishima.
He was now as red as a tomato and refused to look at him. "It's dot okgay! You'll catch this ndow. It's all mby fauld, you're godda hade mbe.." Tsukishima muttered, tears running down his face again, which didn't help his nose from dripping like a faucet.
Yamaguchi sighed at his sick friend before gently lifting Tsukki's chin up so he can look at him. "Tell me how to hate you," Yamaguchi said almost like a demand.
"Because for years, the only thing I feel is.." Yamaguchi bit his tongue, not knowing if he should continue. However, the tears on Tsukishima's face made him determined.
"I could only love you."
There it was. The confession Yamaguchi was dying to tell Tsukishima from the start. It's out now, and his heart is beating out of his chest.
Tsukishima's face went into shock, but he immediately went normal again, trying to answer the man in front of him.
"Thatd was supbossed to be mby lide" Tsukishima replied with a breathless chuckle.
Yamaguchi didn't expect that reply, and he was lost for words. "You were always the coolest, Yambaguchi" Tsukishima admitted.
"You confessed firstd, congratulations. I'mb jealous" He added teasingly as he wiped his own tears. Yamaguchi was still frozen, but then his lips curved just slightly before he leaned in and pressed his lips to Tsukishima's.
The taller man gasped but ended up closing his eyes to reciprocate the kiss for as long as he could before pulling away to cough and sneeze a few times.
Yamaguchi laughed and cupped Tsukki's face affectionately.
"You wond't be laughing whed you get this bug. Itd's awful." Tsukishima warned, though he leaned more into the touch he was receiving.
"Lucky for me then. I get the bug, but I also get you as a bonus, Tsukki." Yamaguchi smiled gently.
Tsukishima widened his eyes at Yamaguchi's rare moment of audacity, but he soon pulled him to his chest to embrace him, scoffing.
"You need to stop hanging out with Hinata."
-fin-