A/N: i literally thought of this and then wrote it all in the same day, so there might be parts i didn't elaborate on as much as i could or maybe not as much detail as there could have been since i didn't try to plan this out at all, but all the same, here's a fic with tsukishima in it that isn't really filled with crazy angst.

btw, this is when tsukishima is in second year and kuroo is in uni.

Tsukishima had never been afraid of walking through his life in loneliness. A solitary being who puts up a perfect wall can't be damaged by those who try to sneak in. He can hear the words spoken for the sole purpose of stabbing him, but the materials his barricade is made from is too strong. Those simple strings of letters don't have the strength to infiltrate his castle.

Or at least, they didn't.

But there was one person in his life who was never afraid of the consequences that would come with entering his domain. That person is sitting in front of him now, laughing away as he speaks about whatever comes to mind, playing with the legs of a cuddly dinosaur that Tsukishima forgot to hide.

It wasn't as if he'd done much different to everyone else - he'd spoken to him, helped him with his volleyball, insulted him, teased him. But that was what he'd done on the surface. Somehow, that boy had managed to indirectly help him with things that bothered him. Somehow, that boy had managed to understand more about Tsukishima than he'd ever realised himself.

At first, Tsukishima thought that simply pushing him away would have been enough. But only when it was too late did he realise that he should've kept a closer eye on the few residents within his castle. Yamaguchi, Akiteru and his mother were all allowed access to everywhere except his chamber; that small distance between his room and the hallway was a massive gap to any permitted to walk down it.

But Tsukishima's lack of attention to his fellow residents prevented him from noticing that both Yamaguchi and Akiteru had been working with those outside to break into his castle-and subsequently, his chamber.

Who was it that lead that army?

Kuroo Tetsurou.

Kuroo was the one that reached out to him. Kuroo was the one that helped pull him outside. Kuroo was the one that aided him in lowering his built-up walls. Kuroo was the one that vowed to protect him. Kuroo was the one that forced him to make his castle a place that anyone could visit. Kuroo was the one that was there for him whenever he had anything that worried him. Kuroo was the one that proclaimed his love for him (albeit incredibly dramatically).

Kuroo was the one.

Kuroo was the one.

Kuroo was the one.

Tsukishima doesn't often think deeply about it, but when he does, he can't help but feel a mixture of gratitude and love well up in his heart for every member of that army, but especially Kuroo. Guilt weaves its way inside for every spiteful thing he'd spoken, every hurtful thing he'd done, but the positive emotions embrace it and make it feel at home, for it is that guilt that has allowed him to change.

To reject his guilt would be to reverse his change and Tsukishima knows that no one would want that.

Tsukishima's golden eyes land on Kuroo's face as he continues to rant and rave and play with the toy and he can't help watching the way his mouth moves, watching the way his eyes twinkle when he speaks about something exciting or darkens when he speaks about something that annoyed him, watching the way his face seems to explode with emotions as his facial expressions change from one second to the next.

The blonde had been making an effort to make noises like he was listening, but now, he was simply silent. The words that Kuroo used meant nothing-all Tsukishima cared for was his voice. That beautiful, irritating voice that somehow found ways to rile him up, yet just as easily calm him down.

Kuroo seems to notice the silence - and Tsukishima's staring eyes - and he turns up from the cute little dinosaur to raise an eyebrow in puzzlement. "There something on my face?" he asks, turning to look at the mirror on the blonde's desk. "Ah, wait, no, I got it." With a smirk, he swings back to look at his boyfriend and, with a flick of his bedhair, says, "You were just admiring my beauty, weren't you?"

Spot on, actually. But Tsukishima doesn't admit that. He doesn't speak a word, as a matter of fact.

Instead, the boy stands up from where he'd been sitting cross-legged on his bed and heads over to where Kuroo's face is slowly changing. "Did I say something wrong?" Eyebrows scrunch together in worry as he awaits a response from the younger - a response that doesn't seem to come. But when Tsukishima finally extracts the dinosaur from in-between Kuroo's fingers, a shake of the head eventually arrives.

The worry that had been on his face is removed, but concern is all that replaces it. "Something up?" These moments are when no insults are exchanged, when no jokes are thrown about. These moments are when Tsukishima wishes to remain silent and Kuroo is aware of that. But he knows that leaving the blonde with his thoughts unsaid isn't healthy for either of them, so he tries. Tries until those thoughts are chased away.

Without a word, Tsukishima returns to his bed, brings his legs up to his chest, and begins playing with the dinosaur's legs similar to how Kuroo had been doing previously. Again, though delayed, a shake of the head is the response.

Tsukishima's sure Kuroo doesn't believe him, but he doesn't press him straight away. Rather, he first joins the blonde, wrapping an arm around him and pulling him into his side, before coming out with his question. "You sure there's nothing wrong? Something's been off with you all day."

"S'nothing. Just keep talking," the blonde mutters, closing his eyes against the comforting heat emanating from the older.

Against what Tsukishima had just requested (sort of), Kuroo remains silent and instead watches as the boy within his grasp breathes in and out, dinosaur now pulled in tight to his legs with his arms wrapped around them. With a small, almost melancholy smile, Kuroo uses his other hand to begin gently sliding his fingers through the short strands of Tsukishima's hair. "You been thinking about things again, Tsukki?"

"Kei."

All of Kuroo's movement stops with that one word. "What?"

"Call me Kei."

Kuroo thinks his ears are deceiving him until Tsukishima's eyes open and piercing gold turns up to look at him. There isn't a light dusting of pink on his cheeks like the now-university student assumed there would be. Instead, what greets him is something he can't even identify, but it infiltrates his body and injects a virus that, when the host cell bursts, spreads happiness and warmth within him.

With a larger, fonder smile, Kuroo leans down to kiss the blonde on the cheek. "In that case, you'll have to call me Tetsurou, okay?" It's now that the flowers blossom and eyes avert in embarrassment, and Kuroo can't help but chuckle. "You so seriously told me to call you Kei, but you can't even call me Tetsurou?"
Tsukishima grumbles something inaudible in protest.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Silence takes over the room yet again but rather than question it, both simply bathe in it. Though Tsukishima still wishes for Kuroo's voice to take over, he doesn't mind the relaxing lack of noise that permeates.

"What about him?" His voice still takes over, anyway.

"Hm?"

"Your little friend there." A finger points to the dinosaur that Tsukishima has caught between his arms and his knees. "What should I call him?"

"...Hayato," the blonde eventually says, a small smile on his face as he takes it back into his hands.

"All right, then. It's nice to meet you, Hayato. I'm gonna be protecting this little kid here from now on, so don't you worry about a thing." Tsukishima glowers up at Kuroo, clearly getting on at him about the little kid comment-after all, what about him is little?-but it quickly changes back to that curve of the lips that had been there previously.

"Thank you, Tetsurou," he says quietly, leaning further into the warmth of the boy surrounding him.

"What?"

Tsukishima knows that Kuroo heard, so remains silent.

"...That isn't something you ever need to thank me for, Kei." And with a kiss to the forehead, Kuroo pulls the thin body closer. No comment is made on the abrupt change of names - no uncomfortableness is around.

All Tsukishima does is get two of his long, pale fingers and lifts up Hayato's wings.

A/N: is there meaning in that dinosaur's name? yes, there is.

i'll tell you that the kanji for that name is 隼人 and then i'll let you use the internet to get the meaning and interpret it as you will. it's a pretty common name, so it should be there. hopefully. maybe. if it isn't, just use someone who would know.

i strongly believe that tsukishima has many cuddly dinosaur toys. if he doesn't, then screw him.