#toki scribbles

[tokiriforest]

Some fluff filled drawings + resident Pretty Boy requested by the discord server

[shiirakis]

Paper stars to paint your sky || KageTsuki

There was a HQ writer zine (which probably no one remembers) organised a while back and this has been sitting in my folders since February so I’m really excited to finally post it! There’s accompanying art by the wonderful @faittruo too! Enjoy~

Also on AO3

He has a pocketful of stars, carefully tucked away for the moment when he can decorate the vast expanse of the night sky. After all, the moon deserves to be bestowed a veil of stars to be illuminated by its side.

Kageyama’s first encounter with Tsukishima is at a stairwell.

He knows he shouldn’t be quite as enamoured with the sight of someone crying but there’s something in the way the evening glow spills down the steps, the only obstruction being the still figure curled up at the bottom that creates the harsh shadows that stretches to Kageyama’s feet. He resists the temptation to take a photograph of course, he knows better than that.

The muffled sobbing continues even as he approaches, and he can’t seem to stop the words that tumble past his lips. “Are you crying?”

He watches as shoulders flinch ever so subtly from the realisation of having company but the stranger keeps his head low, face hidden behind paint-stained hands. “Of course not, it’s obviously because my tear ducts are broken.” There’s a tinge of tired exasperation laced in his words. His voice sharply reverberates through the empty stairwell though it sounds less menacing than the stranger probably intended it to be, accompanied by the occasional sniffle.

Comforting others has never been a strong point of Kageyama’s. If anything, he usually ends up making it worse so he settles down beside the stranger in complete silence, providing a steady presence.

“Why the hell are you still here? Is this some kind of creepy hobby of yours? Sitting with people who cry?”

“So you were crying then. And no, I’m not that weird.” Kageyama finally catches a glimpse of the stranger’s visage when he lifts his head, face red and blotchy, golden hues still glassy with tears.

“Did you actually think— oh.”  The stranger rolls his eyes when he catches the slight quirk in the corner Kageyama’s lips. “Hilarious.”

Kageyama shrugs and hands him a handkerchief, only to be met with confusion. “Just take it, it’s not a big deal or anything. You don’t have to return it either. I’m Kageyama Tobio, a photographer.”

“… Tsukishima Kei. Is this supposed to be some weird pick-up method?” Tsukishima finally cracks a smile, or rather one that resembled more closely to a smirk, accompanied by a roll of his eyes which Kageyama will eventually learn is a trademark of his.

“No, but is it working?”

“You’ll have to do better than that.” Tsukishima blows his nose into Kageyama’s handkerchief, shakily sighing as he folds and pockets it. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”

“Maybe. But it looked like you needed some company. The exhibition out front, are your works there?”

Tsukishima fidgets with the laces of his shoes. There’s splashes of blue and grey staining his once white sneakers and he finds that he prefers it this way. He lets the silence drag on but he finds it oddly reassuring, nothing like the awkward tension he feels when he’s around people. “Some are. Are they good?”

“Probably.”

“Probably?”

“It’s not like I could have known which ones were yours but those that I saw were really nice.”

Tsukishima lets out something akin to a laugh and he concedes. “Fair enough. So why are you here? This isn’t really a route the general public usually pass by.”

Kageyama raises the DSLR camera looped round his neck. He’s had it for years, and he wouldn’t trade it for anything else in the world. “I just like wandering around taking pictures. Sometimes it gives me inspiration.”

In a sense it’s the same for him, Tsukishima thinks. He rarely ever has a clear idea of what he wants until he’s made a mess of the canvas. “Well, I should get back to the exhibition before they start whining. I’ll see you around I guess. Thanks for… Whatever. Handkerchief, company. Something.”

Kageyama nods, his gaze following Tsukishima as he stretches and returns to the exhibition hall. He doubts they’ll meet again. The camera sits snugly in his hands and he positions himself where he stood before, where he was first captivated by the scene. Kageyama brings up the camera and takes a photo. The shot is just as how he imagined it and it’s technically beautiful.

But it’s not the same.

Kageyama’s second encounter with Tsukishima is surprisingly unexpected.

His decision to take a hike up a hill near his apartment in the middle of the night is mostly fuelled by unhealthy amounts of energy drinks and he tries not to regret it, despite the mosquitoes making it temptingly so. The familiar path he takes is steep but it’s the quickest way up and the fresh air that sweeps past him once he reaches the peak is refreshing. Usually at this hour, he’d be alone but this time, there’s someone perched on the railings. “Hey that’s dangerous…” It almost seems too good to be true when he recognises the familiar shade of blond and a canvas that’s leaning against the railings. “Tsukishima?”

His call elicits a response and Tsukishima turns with a look of surprise that mirrors Kageyama’s. “What a… Coincidence. What brings you here?”

“Had a project to finish and too much caffeine. You?” Kageyama heads over to the stone bench to sit, carefully pushing aside the tubes of paint and well-used brushes to make space.

“Can’t sleep.” Tsukishima stares out into the horizon of their town, having already watched half the day go by in that very spot. The one canvas that he brought up with him has already had several coats of paint over it, each layer a completely different painting he envisioned and the surviving layer is nothing but streaks of the night sky, bare and dull save for the faint speckles of the street lights beneath and the moon above. “This hill’s pretty high up, isn’t it?”

Kageyama doesn’t know if it’s the burst of adrenaline from the remaining caffeine but he finds himself leaping off his seat to grab Tsukishima by the arm, yanking him back and off the railing till they both end up on the ground.

“What the hell was that for?!”

“… Sorry. I thought you were going to… Jump,” Kageyama reasons. He helps Tsukishima up and dusts him off.

Tsukishima takes the chance to start packing up, smacking away the hand that tries to reach over to help. “Don’t mess up my things. And I have better things to do than jump, idiot.” Once again, the silence between them is hardly distressing and he appreciates it.

“It’s too late to catch the train or a bus, do you want to stay over for the night?”

It’s not till that moment Tsukishima’s exhaustion settles in and he gratefully accepts the offer. “I’d like that.”

“This photo. It’s where we met, wasn’t it?” It’s right in the centre of an entire wall of photographs, oddly prominent in the myriad of colourful photos.

Kageyama nods as he prepares a futon and they say nothing more.

“Wait, you forgot your painting.”

Tsukishima’s preparing to leave after a hearty breakfast prepared by Kageyama and he gives a fleeting glance at the lone canvas by the couch. “Burn it, throw it away, do whatever you want with it.”

Kageyama doesn’t question his decision and opts to keep it instead.

Kageyama’s subsequent meetings with Tsukishima becomes a staple.

His phone rings with a familiar tune that he associates with Tsukishima and he wastes no time in answering it. They’ve been meeting up far more frequently than he would ever expect, whether it’s for a meal or just to sit around together at home working on their next project. It’s an indescribable feeling that leaves Kageyama blissfully contented.

He notices the way Tsukishima picks at the dried paint on his hands when he’s nervous, how he always wears white when he paints because he likes the colourful mess it creates.

He’s aware of the strangely calming effect he has on Tsukishima, that he’s the first one Tsukishima calls in a time of need.

He mulls over it for weeks until he makes a startling realisation that he’s in love, to which Hinata bowls over, laughing so hard till he’s breathless. “I can’t believe you only just realised that! Truly Bakageyama!”

It takes him another week to prepare and he’s sprinting down the street to where the local exhibition hall is. Tsukishima isn’t anywhere to be found in the crowd but that is to be expected.

He heads to the stairwell where he first met Tsukishima and the scene is exactly like before, the only difference is that Tsukishima’s smiling, gaze fixated on him. This is where it begun and certainly not where it will end.

“You’re late.”

Kageyama has a pocket full of folded paper stars, tucked away for this exact moment where he scoops them in his hands and showers them over Tsukishima like falling stars. “Please go out with me.”

Tsukishima’s stunned by the display but he’s quick to collect himself, chuckling as he brings himself to his feet to take Kageyama’s hand in his, leaning over to gently kiss him. “That was really cheesy. And weren’t we already?”

“Guess I shouldn’t have gone through all this trouble then.” Kageyama smiles. He already knows what to do with them.

“Hm, perhaps. What should we do with these then?”

“Well… There’s that painting you left behind.”

Kageyama had a pocketful of stars, now scattered across the dark expanse of the night sky, bestowed upon the moon to be illuminated by its side; framed and hung as a memento in their bedroom.

Fin.

[tokiriforest]

Warrior(’s) Sisters! An AU within an AU, how risque

[shiirakis]

6, kurotsukki :3

“You can’t die. Please don’t die.”

Um excuse me?? uh how dare you?? You think you can get me to write angst? (yes. yes you can but not today, friendo. get rekt)

AO3

The tears threatened to fall as Kuroo’s hands fall limply by his sides. It was all too much to handle at the moment; far too many things were happening at the same time and it made Kuroo awfully dizzy. “You can’t die. Please don’t die,” Kuroo pleads, knuckles white from tightly clenched fists. “I need you.”

“Tetsu?” Tsukishima peeks into the room, wincing when he gets drawn out groan in return. He knows not to disturb Kuroo too much for the week with all his impending deadlines but judging from the broken cry, he’d say Kuroo was already at his limit.

“My laptop!… It’s just!…” Kuroo lets out a sob that has Tsukishima rushing to his side. “It just blacked out! And it won’t switch on! And I haven’t saved in ages! I’m ruined, Kei!”

The crease in Tsukishima’s brow deepens and he takes Kuroo’s trembling hand in his. “I think that’s enough for today, you need rest. You haven’t slept in ages and all that junk food is going to ruin you even more.”

“Kei, I have three more essays I need to finish and send to my professor in two days! Redoing whatever I just did is going to take even longer…”

“You’re not going to be productive if you run yourself to the ground–”

“But–”

“I said enough.” Tsukishima’s tone is sharp, a piercing gaze of gold effectively shutting Kuroo up. His gaze softens, a hand reaching to cup Kuroo’s face. It pains him to see his boyfriend so exhausted and empty and it’s then he decides to drag Kuroo to bed. “Come on, bedtime for you, you workaholic.”

“Pot calling kettle black,” Kuroo huffs, letting Tsukishima lead him to his bed that’s been practically untouched for days. “Can you stay with me?…”

“Obviously. In case you decide to sneak out and continue your work.” Tsukishima smiles at the tired laugh Kuroo chokes out as he gently runs his fingers through messy hair, quietly waiting for his breathing to even out.

–

The morning comes too soon for Kuroo who regrets keeping the curtains open. He remembers Tsukishima in bed with him, his warmth and touch lulling him to sleep and he’s almost disappointed to find an empty space beside him until he see Tsukishima asleep at his desk. Scrambling out of bed to where his laptop is, ready to expect the worse, Kuroo’s stunned to see his documents and essays all intact.

Kuroo would love to let Tsukishima sleep but his excitement takes over as he peppers kisses over Tsukishima’s face until he gets swatted away. “Kei you genius! You got everything back!”

“Ugh… Stop being so loud…” Tsukishima grumbles, vision blurry until Kuroo puts on his glasses for him. He hasn’t seen Kuroo so cheerful in a while and the sight almost makes Tsukishima forget his hatred for mornings. Just a little.“It’s not a big deal… I just had to run a few programs to get the files back…”

“This means the world to me Kei!” Kuroo continues with his mission of kissing Tsukishima until his pout breaks into a smile. “My hero~”

Tsukishima hums in mock contemplation, loosely twirling a lock of Kuroo’s hair round his finger. “A true hero would make me strawberry pancakes for breakfast….”

“Anything for you darling~”

[shiirakis]

29. “It must be hard with your sense of direction, never being able to find your way to a decent pickup line.” I can imagine Tsukki saying that to either Bokuto or Kuroo (or both lmao) :D so if you have time, pick one you want ^^ (I love both pairs to bits so I can't decide- I leave it to you :3 )

MMMM HOW ABOUT SOME BOKUTSUKKI :3c A short little thing to get my rusty gears going~

AO3

Tsukishima always considered himself undeserving of Bokuto’s love and affection, but Bokuto thought otherwise, showering Tsukishima with nothing but the best he could give. That included the constant barrage of pick-up lines he could find and think of for the sake of his beloved firefly.

“if you were a vegetable, you’d be a cute-cumber!” Bokuto proudly read off the page on his phone, glancing up with eager eyes to watch for a response. “Well??”

It was hard to keep a poker face on even when Tsukishima found it absolutely adorable with all the effort Bokuto was putting in just to try and get a reaction out of him. “We’re already dating, aren’t pick-up lines a little redundant at this point?”

“Well we have to keep the relationship spicy don’t we? Keep the spark going!”

“I know a few other ways to keep things… ‘spicy’ as you so nicely put it.” Tsukishima lets his lips curl into an easy smile as he observed a tint of pink rise up Bokuto’s neck, right to the tips of his ears.

“Oh I know you do~” Bokuto wasn’t about to let Tsukishima’s offer distract him just yet, continuing his endeavour of finding the perfect pick-up line until he gives a whoop of delight. “I’m lost, can you tell me the way to your heart?~”

The silence that befell them wasn’t quite the reception Bokuto had anticipated, expecting a little tiny smile he would sometimes catch ever so briefly after a particularly silly joke or even just a scoff but before he could give up hope, the sound of Tsukishima firmly shutting his book catches his attention.

“It must be hard with your sense of direction, never being able to find your way to a decent pickup line.” The sentence came out smooth and it easily stunned Bokuto into a silence that lasted for a good minute before he broke out into a rambunctious laughter, dropping his phone in the process.

“That was so perfect!… You’re perfect!” Drawing Tsukishima out of his seat and onto his lap, Bokuto loosely wrapped his arms around Tsukishima’s waist. “So… What about those other ways you know? Care to share?~”

“Carry me to the bedroom and you’ll find out, Kou.”

[shiirakis]

Royally Spellbound (1/2) || KageTsuki

Lmao it’s been a hot minute since I posted anything, 7 months to be exact lol rip me. This was supposed to be for the HQ Writer Zine but I dropped it when I realised it was getting too long lmao and now after months of not writing, I’m forcing my procrastinating ass to finish it.

AO3

The crown sits heavy upon his head, weighing him down but he knows not to slouch, to keep his gaze up and ahead, to continue his father’s legacy with the same fervour and determination.

Kageyama Tobio is fifteen when his father passes on.

The funeral is far too grandeur for his tastes, almost to the point of disrespectful to him at least. He finds that he can’t properly mourn over the loss of his father but he supposes it is all part and parcel of being in the public eye. There’ll always be time alone later.

Kageyama Tobio is fifteen when he succeeds the throne.

The intense scrutiny he is under does not faze him for he knows he’ll have to work for their respect. There are expectations to meet and responsibilities to fulfil so he steels his shoulders and stands tall just like his father would. There’s no time for weakness now.

Kageyama Tobio is fifteen when he realises it’s the end of his childhood with the weight of the kingdom resting on frail shoulders.

His trips to the stables becomes far more infrequent, his classes growing more intense under the tutelage of his father’s most trusted advisor. He hates it. It hurts his head to study politics and diplomacy but it’s not a choice he can make and his advisor knows that.

“Your Majesty, please return your attention to the text in question.” Sugawara is patient, more so when it comes to Tobio. He has watched the young king grow and he’ll continue to do so for as long as he can. “Tobio… I know it has been a long day but do bear with me for another hour at least.”

“Hinata’s taking good care of the horses…” Tobio doesn’t turn his gaze away from the window, watching the stable boy prance around with the horses and he wishes he could be there too. He could be there, practicing horseback archery just like how his father taught him. He could be there, messing around with Hinata who’s all smiles and joy.

But he can’t.

Sugawara ruffles Tobio’s dark hair, smiling at the sparkle in his eyes. His passion for horse-riding hasn’t diminished the least and it pains Sugawara to take it away from him, even if he shakes his head and tells Sugawara that it’s fine. “I doubt you’re in the mood for more studying so come on, there’s something important I need to show you… It has something to do with your father.”

Tobio whips his head round so fast at the mentioning of his father that it draws out a chuckle from Sugawara but he immediately sobers up and softly exhales. He thinks it’s too early for Tobio to know but there’s no telling when trouble could arise that might catch them unaware.

“What is it? Is it a secret?” Tobio curiously tilts his head, puzzled by the apprehensiveness in his tutor’s features. He doesn’t pry further when Sugawara responds with a quiet sigh and turns to leave, beckoning for Tobio to follow close.

They head to a part of the castle where Tobio hasn’t explored before. The hallways are darker, shadowed by the overhanging trees and he wonders if the chill he’s feeling is attributed to it. He has always been advised to avoid that particular section of the castle because of the dense forest that looms beyond the grounds. Past the flight of stairs, they finally arrive at a door that seemed like any other. It was nothing out of the ordinary; just a wooden door that’s aged with time and hanging on creaky hinges, but past it laid nothing like what Tobio expected.

He’s transfixed by the soft glow of the room, rows of potted herbs and flowers neatly lining the windowsills and the floor, shelves filled with books from edge to edge. While the forest behind blocked out most of the much needed sunlight, there were strange orbs of light floating round and it was enough to brighten the room.

“Kei,” Sugawara places a gentle hand on Tobio’s back for him to take a step forward. “This is—”

“Kageyama Tobio, the new king. Yeah, I got the message.”

Tobio’s never felt quite so irked by anyone before. Perhaps just the slightest in the beginning by Hinata but the mocking tone and the awful smug smirk the other boy had was grating on his nerves. “Who is he?”

“Your father…” Sugawara trails off for a moment, collecting his thoughts and the appropriate words to use. He needed to convey this delicately. No matter the status, Tobio is still a child after all—

“Your father uses my services to indirectly get rid of people he doesn’t like.”

“Kei!” Sugawara is aghast by the frankness that Kei exhibits in front of the young king, though he’s not surprised. Kei was never one to sugarcoat his words.

“I don’t see the point of fluffing it up just to make his father’s actions sound more appealing.” Kei gives a shrug and resumes trimming his plants. Those words did not sit well with Tobio though, who had no qualms in reaching for Kei and yanking him by the front of his shirt.

“My father was a good man! You don’t know anything!”

“Hah, isn’t it you that’s in the dark about everything?—”

“Silence!”

“Well your ‘good’ father hired me to plant curses on people!” Kei braces himself when Tobio raises his fist but a stern voice stops him in his tracks.

“Tobio, that’s enough.”

“Is it true? Did my father really do all that?” Tobio’s unyielding gaze bores right through Sugawara who only nods and he hopes that Tobio will eventually understand the turmoil his father had to go through in keeping their kingdom together. “Get this witch out of this castle!”

“We can’t do that Tobio.” Sugawara stops Tobio before he can protest. “We vowed to keep his family safe here for as long as we are around. You know our gardener, Akiteru? You’ve met him many times before haven’t you? He’s Kei’s older brother.”

“I have no intentions of using his services, can’t we just send them away?” His father will always be a good man to Tobio, and that is what will remain as a firm memory, regardless of the things he may have done.

Though as adamant as Tobio was, Sugawara only shakes his head with a solemn sigh. “We can’t just do that, Tobio… I suppose both of you got off to a bad start so perhaps you can start over? Both of you are of the same age! I could let you have a day off from your studies to show Kei your horse-riding skills?”

The counter offer was certainly tempting, and despite his immense dislike for the witch, he wanted no more than to spend time outside than in a stifling environment of a classroom. “As long as he doesn’t get in my way.”

“Lovely! I’ll block out half the day out of your schedule for tomorrow then! But for now, you still need to finish up classes for today so let’s head back, shall we?” Sugawara smiles at the quiet groaning Tobio lets out and discretely hands over a letter to Kei once the young king has stepped out of the room. “He did not forget about you and your family… You have nothing to worry about Kei.”

Kei waits till the door is shut before he breaks off the wax seal on the envelope. The penmanship in the letter is of the old King’s, shaky from illness and old age but nevertheless, written with a confident hand. The letter spoke of things the King had never told Kei in person but Kei had always understood the reasons for the decisions that had to be made and he had always been grateful for the fact that the King took him and his brother in and treated them like regular people.

“My job isn’t over yet I guess.” Kei muses before getting back to work.

-

Tobio wakes up more refreshed than ever in anticipation of the day ahead, hastily putting on his riding gear before heading down to the stables where Hinata had just finished grooming the horses. “Kageyama!—Uh. I mean uh!… Your Highness? Wait no, your Majesty!”

Tobio flicks Hinata’s forehead when he starts to bow. “Drop the formalities, dumbass. We’re not strangers.”

“Would be great if you were nicer to me now that you’re the king!” Hinata grins as he brings out Tobio’s mare. “Milk misses you a lot!”

“I miss her too—”

“You named your horse, Milk? Wow, that’s some creativity right there. Were you thirsty when you named her?” Tobio has barely begun to brush Milk’s snow white coat when Sugawara arrives with the witch, that condescending smirk still plastered across his face.

Tobio bristles, slowly brushing his horse’s coat as he glares at Kei. Rude, had he no respect? “What I name my horse is none of your business.” Strapping on the saddle, Tobio hops on and gallops off across the field, leaving the others far behind.

“And who might you be huh?! Do you know who you were talking to? He’s the king mind you! The king!!!” Hinata had no idea who the new guy was that came with the advisor but he was already starting to dislike him already.

“Oh my, I barely noticed you standing there, shrimpy. Whoops.”

Perhaps dislike was an understatement.

“Kei… Please control yourself.” Sugawara wonders for a brief moment if he was more of a babysitter rather than an advisor, remembering how he had to step in when Tobio and Hinata used to fight all the time. “Shouyou, this is Kei, one of our… Librarians. He’ll be helping Tobio in his studies so I’m hoping they’ll try and at least get along.”

“I will?”

“You will be helping Tobio, yes.” Sugawara shoots Kei a sharp glare that has him flinching and nodding stiffly. Once Tobio was back and more visibly relaxed, Sugawara clasps his hands with a gasp. “Tobio! Teach Kei how to ride a horse!”

Now this was not Kei’s domain, and while he knew it very well, so did Tobio.

The devious grin did not go unseen to which Kei immediately took a step back, protesting as much as he could but apparently the young king was having none of it. “What? Too scared of getting on a horse?”

“I’m just not interested in getting thrown off by an animal I’ve never been in contact with before.” Kei keeps his arms folded, unyielding even when Sugawara tries to tug him over to Tobio’s horse. “You can’t make me.”

“As your king, I order you to get your ass over here on the horse. Can’t go against that now can you?”

The pleading looks Kei directs to Sugawara is blatantly ignored with a shrug of his shoulders, forcing Kei to comply as he reluctantly trudges over to where the huge beast was. He gently strokes Milk, feeling more relieved when the horse doesn’t seem to react too badly but of course, he really should have known Tobio was up to something.

Barely giving Kei any time to adjust on the saddle, Tobio grins as he pats the horse’s rear. “Go!”

There Kei was, clinging on for his dear life as Milk gallops off, the others watching with dropped jaws and it wasn’t long before Kei’s shrieks grew softer with distance.

“…Tobio.” Exasperation was evident in Sugawara’s tone which Tobio was all too familiar with.

“Yes?”

“Please go get Kei.”

-

The rush of wind against Kei has him clinging even more desperately than ever until the horse slows to a trot. It takes a moment for Kei to release his grip, only to land on the muddy ground with a muted thud and a drawn out groan.

Tobio is hardly concerned as he makes his way to them and wordlessly leans over Kei who finally opens his eyes when he’s overcasted by a shadow. Even with his glasses askew, the shit-eating grin was crystal clear to Kei. Smug bastard.

“Didn’t realise you weren’t ready. Whoops.” The tone Tobio takes is hardly apologetic and the hand he holds out is nothing but a patronising gesture that Kei wants to swat away, but a better idea comes to mind.

He mutters something too quiet for Tobio to catch and it takes a second for Tobio to find himself yanked face first into the mud by a mysterious vine coiled round his ankle.

The petty revenge is sweet to Kei and he doesn’t hesitate in biting back. “Didn’t think you were this light on your feet. Whoops.”

[shiirakis]

23. "Just pretend to be my date" I can imagine Kuroo finding his ex somewhere and just grabs a stranger by the arm (that stranger being Tsukki ofc) and tsukki surprisingly goes along with it. lolol

Ohoho of course! :3c Prompt from here~

AO3

The cold fear seizes Kuroo hard, unyielding in its graspsand it stops him in his tracks. Of all places, his ex, the one who broke upwith him a full year ago, was here in a city Kuroo would have thought theywould be least likely to ever be in. The fates were truly cruel.

It doesn’t help that he’s still single, with no one in his arms for him to spite a particular someone. Of course he wouldn’t find a partner just for that purpose but damn, he really wanted to get back at his ex.

With barely seconds to spare before said former partner ends up spotting him, Kuroo instinctively hooks his arm around the nearest person, tugging them close and praying he didn’t grab someone that was the age of his parents or anyone way too young because wow, that would be awkward. And weird. Very weird.

Kuroo’s pleasantly caught off guard however, when he comes face-to-face with a devastatingly gorgeous man whom he had unfortunately pissed off. This isn’t the time to stare! Kuroo silently chides himself. “I uh.” Wow, that is a really handsome face– Shit wait no not now. “Please just– I don’t have much time to explain but please, just pretend to be my date? Like, ten minutes, or until my ex is gone.”

Being unceremoniously yanked aside was not part of Tsukishima’s schedule that day, but he knew something was up when his day was going a little too smoothly. The impassiveness in his expression drops, a frosty glare easily sliding in place though he stops short of pulling away when he notices how worried–perhaps with a touch of fear?– the stranger seems. Then following the brief silence comes a question Tsukishima least expects.

There’s no helping the amusement that crosses Tsukishima’s face and a surge of confidence that he never knew he had has him cupping Kuroo’s already heated face, leaning in so close that their lips scarcely brush against each other. “Is… Is your ex gone?…”

Kuroo is surprised he still can function with the handsome stranger’s face so close, but he manages to slightly turn his head in time to catch his ex doing a complete three-sixty and leaving the area. “Y-Yeah… I…”

He trails off, exhaling a breath he didn’t realise he was holding. Tsukishima had already pulled away, golden hues awkwardly darting everywhere except on Kuroo to avoid his gaze and it’s silent for a good minute before Kuroo speaks up.

“You really saved me there, so thank you so much! And I’m really reaaally sorry for grabbing you so suddenly! Oh and wow I completely forgot, I’m Kuroo Tetsurou.”

“Tsukishima Kei. And that was a pathetic way of getting close to someone. Desperate much?”

Kuroo is about to protest but the little smirk playing in the corners of tsukki’s lips spurs him on to return the teasing. “Ah, you found out my ploy! How could this happen!” Kuroo wails dramatically and he’s pleased to have elicited a chuckle from the other. “Is it working? The whole ‘trying to get close to you by getting you to pretend to be my boyfriend because I was pretending my ex was nearby’, which by the way, was a hundred percent real.”

“Oh please, you’ll have to do better than that. There is an excellent bakery just a short walk from here though…” Tsukishima thoughtfully trails off, noting the glint in Kuroo’s eyes and the way he immediately outstretches a hand.

“May I?” Kuroo can barely contain his excitement at the thought of their strange encounter actually turning into a date.

Tsukishima takes the hand, and he’s starting to think the day isn’t going too bad after all. “Sure.”

[shiirakis]

Heeeeeeey! Preorders for the @hqwriterzine are open! So here’s a little snippet for my KageTsukki piece and it’s also illustrated by the amazing @faittruo​! Go get ‘em!

He has a pocketful of stars, carefully tucked away for the moment when he can decorate the vast expanse of the night sky. After all, the moon deserves to be bestowed a veil of stars to be illuminated by its side.

Kageyama’s first encounter with Tsukishima is at a stairwell.

He knows he shouldn’t be quite as enamoured with the sight of someone crying but there’s something in the way the evening glow spills down the steps, the only obstruction being the still figure curled up at the bottom that creates the harsh shadows that stretches to Kageyama’s feet. He resists the temptation to bring up his camera.

The muffled sobbing continues even as he approaches, light-footed and mindful. “Are you crying?”