Yamaguchi Tadashi ran the smallest stand at the outdoor market, near the end and towards the back. He sold fruit; his mother home-grew it and gave it to him to sell. Whenever he came home she would ask him how much he had sold, and he had to tell her that he had sold hardly any and watch the pride slowly disappear from her face. This was the last summer before he had to go off to college, and therefore the last summer with his small stand in the tight venue where he waited all day to sell a few apples.

It was a hot day, and Tadashi was trying to stay cool amidst the sweaty bodies and buzzing air by attempting to shrink himself and hide in the corner of his stand, where the awning provided a little shade. He knew no one would come around, and started reading the book he had brought along, a short one about volleyball and different serves. He had found it at a stall a few rows down and decided to buy it, although it was a little outdated, and he enjoyed it.

He had been reading for maybe five minutes when a soft voice reached his ears.

"Oh, are you open?"

Tadashi glanced up in surprise to see a tall blonde guy with black-rimmed glasses and a small frown.

"Y-yes, of course, sorry!" he stammered as he sat up towards the front of his stall and smiled his service smile. "Is there anything you're interested in?"

The blonde guy took barely a second to look at the fruit and respond with simply "Half a pound of strawberries."

Tadashi nodded and grabbed a bag from under the counter. "Nice day, isn't it?" he tried, wondering if this guy was the type of customer to enjoy small talk. He gave a small grunt as an answer, and Tadashi decided he wasn't.

After he was handed the bag of red berries, he lingered there for a little longer, but before Tadashi could ask if he needed anything else, he turned abruptly and walked away.

That was his only customer that day. He went home that night, reporting once again to his tired mother that he had sold only a half pound.

Another day, another stand full of fruit and devoid of customers. Tadashi let out a sigh that was lost to the chatter of the crowd and the shouts of the vendors, swatting away a fly that had decided his head was very interesting. He leaned his head against his freckled arm, almost drifting off when he heard the soft voice again.

"You're open, right? Are you asleep?"

Tadashi bolted upright and almost hit his head on the top of the stall. "Wha- oh, hello again!" it was the same tall, blonde glasses guy from the day before. "How can I help you?"

The guy once again bought only strawberries, then left almost immediately. Tadashi watched him until he was lost in the crowd, wondering idly what he had done with the strawberries from yesterday. He thought maybe he baked pastries.

It was Saturday, and our young hero was once again seated at his boring old fruit stand, eating a peach. He was suddenly caught unawares by a familiar voice and a clearing throat. He looked up, peach juice dripping down his chin, at the tall boy looking down at him just as he had the day previous.

"Uh, hi."

"Mmph- hello sir." Tadashi squeaked as he swallowed the bite of peach and wiping his chin. The blondie covered a snort and a smirk behind his hand, his amber eyes crinkling behind his glasses. Tadashi had never noticed the colour of his eyes. "What can I get for you today?"

Strawberries again. Did this guy eat anything else?

It was Sunday, and Tadashi's mother was at the stand with him, humming in the back even though there was hardly room for both of them. He sat there and tried to persuade her to stop rearranging the wares, no one would come anyway, until 11:35, when suddenly the tall figure came looming.

"Welcome back, sir, what can I get you?" Tadashi used the same words, but his service voice had left him, replaced by his casual voice. His mother looked over in disapproval.

The glasses guy looked mildly surprised to see another person in the stand, but quickly ordered his strawberries and left.

"Is that who buys the half pound every day?" his mother asked. "Good-looking young man. Maybe he buys them for his girlfriend."

Tadashi forced a smile. "Maybe he has a sister."

Monday. The forecast predicted rain but it was hot as ever. Not as many people cluttered the streets and Tadashi, although disappointed by the lack of potential customers, couldn't help but also be relieved. He was tired of the constant volume of the usual late-week crowd. He flopped backwards over his chair, fully intending on falling asleep this time, when footsteps alerted him of someone who might buy his honeydew melon, which his mother was trying to get rid of because she wasn't very pleased with this year's crop.

It was just the tall guy again.

"Hey, how may I help you?"

"Half pound of strawberries." the other answered, reaching a hand into his jeans pocket for his wallet.

"Hey, how about a melon, too?" Tadashi asked, holding up the honeydew with one hand and looking up with big eyes, silently pleading for the burden to be taken from him. Glasses looked mildly put off, but shrugged and took the melon, too. As he handed the money to Tadashi, he slipped in a small note as well, then left, looking fairly embarrassed.

Tadashi looked down at the crumpled piece of paper, reading 'Tsukishima' and a scrawled phone number.

A grin grew.

Tuesday afternoon, and Tadashi was waiting impatiently for Glasses- er, Tsukishima. He came, just as expected, and had started to ask for his half pound of strawberries, but hadn't even finished when Tadashi handed it to him and nervously cleared his throat. "I'm Yamaguchi Tadashi! Pleased to meet you!"

Tsukishima seemed a little stunned, but it was hard to tell. His face was a little emotionless, but Tadashi guessed that wasn't his fault. Some people were just born that way.

"Nice to meet you…" he finally said in return, pushing up his glasses. Tadashi smiled, but it probably ended up looking like a grimace, or a flinch. Tsukishima smirked and walked away, turning only once to see Tadashi waving goodbye. He raised his hand in farewell.

Wednesday, a few weeks later. Tadashi wished he could rub the freckles right off his face. They didn't help his case when he already looked younger than he really was, while Tsukishima looked very mature. He wondered if Glasses was in college, maybe attending somewhere nearby.

The real question was, he thought, pushing around a blueberry, why had Tsukishima been on his mind lately? He came to the stand every day, yeah, but Tadashi figured that his feelings were more than just those towards a regular customer. After he had finally gotten the nerve to text him a week ago, they had been texting on and off everyday as well. Tadashi would even dare to say that they had become friends.

He sat up straight as he saw Tsukishima appear, waving happily at the taller boy. "Hey, Tsukki!"

A sigh, "Didn't I say not to call me that?"

"Sorry, Tsukki!" Tadashi grinned. He knew Tsukishima didn't really care much either way.

The two talked about stupid things while he rang up the strawberries; Tadashi about his mom's new enthusiasm over flowers instead of fruit, and Tsukishima about his brother's volleyball team and the position he hoped to get on the college team.

"Oh yeah, Tsukki, which college are you attending?"

Tsukishima glanced down at the other, his eyebrows raised. "The local college. I'm starting this year."

"Eh? I could've sworn you were older than me!"

The blonde smiled, grabbing his bag of strawberries from Tadashi's outstretched hand.

It was the next day that the date was proposed.

"A date? As in… like, boyfriend date?"

Tsukishima frowned and tried to hide a quickly spreading blush under his hand. "No. Just, you know, hanging out."

Tadashi's mouth formed a small 'oh' as he nodded, feeling his cheeks growing warmer. "Sounds good. Can't wait. To hang out, that is."

The two stood in silence, until Tsukishima finally decided to take his strawberries. "See you." he said hastily, leaning forward and pecking Tadashi's lips with his own before turning back into the crowd.

Oh, he couldn't wait. To hang out, that is.

((A/N: sorry i haven't updated anything else for months, but I've lost interest in a lot of things and been busy with school, so i'll try my best to get those done... any my current obsession is in fact Haikyuu!, so have this short ficlet cuz these two are kinda cute))