Work Text:
years on this earth
When Tadashi woke up, it was to his neighbor’s morning routine. Their microwave beeped insolently into Tadashi’s apartment, reverberating off the walls and down to him, a warm lump under the covers on his futon. He stared up at his ceiling, at the peculiar square light fixture. Then, with a sigh, he threw the covers back.
Chilly. The November morning bit at his toes. He allowed himself an ugly shiver, then a full, back-cracking stretch.
The microwave stopped beeping through the wall: his cue.
“Ugh.” Tadashi voiced into the quiet, “Fuck.” Another yawn. He clapped his hand over his mouth to catch the breath and force it back down his maw. Twenty-six years on this earth and he hadn’t gotten used to mornings. Huh, wait.
Today was his birthday. Birthday texts. Twenty-seven years on this earth, and a little part of him still wondered if people would forget.
Tadashi pushed himself up, blinking wide as he tried to remember where he’d thrown his phone the night before. Did I charge it? One look at the outlet closest to him said no, that he hadn’t in fact been a responsible adult, and that his phone was, per usual, missing in action.
“Damn.” Tadashi fought another yawn, rolling onto his knees so he could force himself upright and stand. His stomach lurched for a second, stale and angry. Breakfast? His brain leered happily. His kitchen looked lovely and beckoning, sunlight trailing in through the window and onto the counter top. The bread he’d bought two days before glistened behind its plastic packaging. His stomach groaned on command.
“Okay, okay.” Tadashi snickered, reaching under his thin sleep-shirt to pat at his stomach affectionately. “Food first.”
Absently, he meandered off towards the bathroom. The light went off, bright and fluorescent, and the pleasant grogginess in his mind disintegrated on the spot. The switch clicked again as he shut it all off. Tadashi resigned himself to peeing in the dark, slowly feeling around for his toothbrush and toothpaste after. He wasn’t quite ready, after all, to see his newly aged face.
./づ~🍰
“Good morning, Tadashi.”
Tadashi grumbled, stirring about under his sheets. A cold hand stole the top of his blanket away from his face. He whined, grabbing back at it, grubby eyes blinking awake to those same cold hands smoothing his bangs off his face.
“No. Nope. You can’t be late to school on your birthday.” His mother leaned down and pressed a cold kiss to his forehead. She smelled clean, like soap and mornings. Her nails poked his cheek a little where she cradled his face. “Did you forget it was your birthday? Silly boy.”
“No, I didn’t.” Tadashi grinned shyly. He had forgotten, only for the quickest of seconds.
“Liar.” His mother leaned down and pressed three more kisses to his face, two on either cheek and one one his nose. “You’re an old man now. Bound to forget things when you hit this age, you know?”
Tadashi giggled, drowsiness fading from his limbs. His mother stood away from his bed, prickly work-sweater hanging from her thin frame loosely. She drew his blankets with her, and he curled into a ball dramatically. “Come now, Tadashi. Make the most of the morning. Next year you’ll be ten. You know what happens then?”
Tadashi peeked from his cold lump.
“Bald.” His mother dead-panned.
“Liar!” He burst out into laughter, tumbling out of bed with a shout. His mother caught him with his blanket and wrapped him into a messy burrito.
“You caught me, you caught me.” She held him close. A soft kiss pressed to the top of his head had him bury his face in her prickly sweater. “Smart boy. Happy birthday.”
./づ~🍰
“Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go— shit , fuck.”
Tadashi gasped as his hip collided with the door. Ouch, ouch. He shut it behind him and glared at it, only to remember that he’d forgotten his keys. And his phone. “Wait, wait.” He murmured, “Keys, phone. Keys, phone. Keys–” his neighbors were used to his antics by now. They had to be. This was, afterall, his unfortunate morning routine.
Tadashi spun back into his apartment. He spotted his keys conveniently left on the genkan . And then, his phone, neatly wedged into a pair of sneakers. Aha. He grabbed them both victoriously. Tapping on the phone screen illuminated it, revealing a dim message on the screen: Happy birthday my smart boy.
Tadashi’s lips wobbled into a smile. Then his phone went black.
“No,” He whispered, horrified.
“Leaving late today, Yamaguchi-kun?” His neighbor shouted, shutting her door. She chuckled, waving a hand through the doorway of the front entrance. “Watch out for the traffic.”
“Good morning! Yes, thank you!” Tadashi replied with a frantic nod. He shoved his phone into the pocket of his jacket, slinging his work bag over his shoulder. He’d just have to charge it at work.
./づ~🍰
“Hey, hey! Yamaguchi!”
“Eh?”
Tadashi’s mouth met a tuft of orange hair as Hinata jumped onto him. He stumbled back, one, two steps before catching his friend with a laugh. Two years ago, Hinata would’ve been easier to carry, but then again, Tadashi wasn’t nearly as strong then. Looking at pictures of his first-year self felt a little funny sometimes, scrawny, peppered limbs fuller and thick now.
“Happy birthday!” Hinata yelled, somehow directly into Tadashi’s ear. He flinched, then beamed. Hinata patted his head enthusiastically before sliding down with a solid thump to the ground. His plastic school shoes squeaked as he punched Tadashi once, then twice, then—
“—Ow, ow. Shoyo, what?—”
Hinata paused, hand curled into a soft fist. His eyes were wide, mirroring Yamaguchi’s own. “Birthday punches?” Hinata answered, sounding awfully confused himself.
“Why?” Tadashi squeaked, cradling his now-sore shoulder.
“Good luck?”
“Why did that sound like a question?”
“Uh.” Hinata dropped his fist with a loose, embarrassed chuckle, “Tanaka-san told me about it.”
“Of course he did.” Tadashi winced, then he grinned. “I guess I appreciate it though.”
Hinata beamed, slapping a flat palm onto Tadashi’s shoulder. “Of course! Happy birthday, Tadashi— Oi, hey! ”
Like a lightning strike, Kageyama knocked Hinata’s hand from Tadashi’s shoulder. His blue eyes smoldered heavily into Tadashi’s soul as he took a deep breath in, then bellowed: “Happy birthday!”
“T-thank you!”
Then, Kageyama lifted his hand, knuckles white from where he’d clenched them tightly into a fist— Oh , Tadashi stared at it in abject horror. Today is my last birthday ever.
But, ever the knight, Hinata punched Kageyama’s side before the boy could release some sort of super-saiyan force onto Tadashi’s poor, abused shoulder. “Don’t bother! I already wished him.”
“Tch.” Kageyama’s hand clamped down atop Hinata’s head. He scowled, turning his gaze back to Tadashi. “Next year, I’ll say it first.”
“When I’m away at university?” Tadashi answered faintly. He smiled though, and his stomach flipped with a sweet kind of bubbly feeling when Hinata laughed, prying Kageyama’s hand from his head.
“Yes.” Kageyama said. Absolutely serious.
“Just try,” Hinata smirked, “I’ve beat you every year so far.”
Tadashi bit his cheek and tried very hard to will the flattered flush in his face away.
./づ~🍰
“Secret admirers, Yamaguchi-kun?”
“Huh?” Tadashii’s eyes went wide. “No?”
“Why does that sound like a question?” His coworker chuckled. The elevator slowly moved up another floor. “Have you seen the work chat this morning?”
“My phone is dead.” Tadashi said, ashamed. He crossed his arms behind his back and worriedly watched the man next to him for a tell. His coworker betrayed nothing, just smiled eerily and hummed a little tune under his breath. The elevator rang when it reached their floor, doors sliding open to reveal the entire office floor, beaming and laughing.
They turned to face Tadashi as he stepped into the cubicle space.
“Happy birthday, Yamaguchi-kun!”
“Happy birthday.”
“Lucky guy.”
Huh? “Huh?” Tadashi blinked, stunned on the spot. He remembered his manners when his coworker laughed loudly, slapping him square between the shoulder blades. “Oh, thank you! Thank you.” He bowed hurriedly.
When he peeked up through his fringe, he saw exactly what they’d all been crowding around: at Tadashi’s little desk sat two giant bouquets of flowers, colorful and vibrant. A pretty orange bow tied around their diameters, small notecards lay leaning on the ceramic. Happy birthday. Horrible handwriting. Happy birthday, Captain! Was written, slightly smaller, uglier, and off to the right on the other. Tadashi swallowed, then smiled shyly as he walked over to the flowers.
“Captain, eh?”
Tadashi nodded politely at one of his particularly slimy coworkers. He knew that handwriting.
The office around him tittered and giggled as he grabbed the little cards, flipping them open to reveal exactly what he expected—
- Kageyama
- Shoyo
Well. Tadashi grinned, patiently ignoring the questions bouncing up from his little audience. That’s a tie.
“Wait.” The chatter around him stopped.
Tadashi turned a full circle in his cubicle, card still in his hands.
“Where’s my charger?”
./づ~🍰
“Happy birthday, Yamaguchi!”
“Oh,” Tadashi’s face went warm. He nervously looked down to meet Yachi’s kind eyes peering up at him from behind a few, flickering candles. “Thank you so much, Yachi.”
Yachi smiled anxiously, worrying the inside of her cheek as she balanced the sheet cake on two flat palms. It looked like a strawberry shortcake, and Tadashi had a few guesses as to how that rumor spread. Strawberry shortcake wasn’t his favorite cake, not especially so, but he ordered it every chance he got. Yachi must have noticed it at some point.
“This is incredible.” Tadashi stared at the cute heart-shaped fruits that adorned the top, “You did this? You’re incredible.”
Yachi looked decidedly strawberry-colored, lips pressed into a thin, shy line.
“Isn’t she?” Hinata chimed in with a grin, “I cut that one.” Yes, that much was obvious. Tadashi snickered at the lopsided fruit, then pat Hinata’s shoulder with a squint-eyed smile.
“On your way to mastery, Shoyo.”
“I did the candles.” Kageyama added, flicking Hinata’s forehead like an afterthought. They started squabbling, as they did. Tadashi eyed the candles dubiously, but they had been placed meticulously. Maybe baking really was a secret strength for Kageyama.
“Make a wish, Tadashi!”
Hinata squawked, head firmly trapped in Kageyama’s armpit. His own hand was pulling taut at Kageyama’s collar, the cloth digging into the boy’s neck. Tadashi blinked, trying to figure out whether this was something he should have intervened with. Hinata shot him a hasty grin and Tadashi snickered, turning back to Yachi. Three years, and they really hadn’t changed.
“Are you going to make a wish?” Yachi asked, shifting the pan in her palms.
“Yeah,” Tadashi nodded. His eyes found the closest candle, yellow-striped and melting fast. “Ah, but where’s—?”
“—Oh, there he is!”
./づ~🍰
“Delivery for Yamaguchi Tadashi.”
“Not just secret admirers, but a girlfriend too, Yamaguchi-kun?”
Tadashi flushed as his coworkers started their aimless chatter again. Sly smiles tossed in his direction followed him to the front, where the receptionist sat with a broad smile.
“Lunch drop off.” The lady passed him a delicately packaged bento box. “She said she tried calling you, and that she’ll see you later.” Her smile stretched a little more.
“Thank you.” Tadashi accepted the box with a ruddy-cheeked smile. He bit his lip, ears aflame as he began the slow walk back up to his cubicle. Despite being a relatively unknown employee at their office, the morning’s flower-fiasco had made him quite the topic of the day. Office gossip was so limited— Tadashi didn’t particularly want to burst anyone’s bubble, but he really wasn’t a casanova and today really only was his birthday.
Still, the attention felt nice: not from his coworkers, but the two vases sat pretty on the corners of his desk and made a lovely backdrop to his homemade bento.
Happy birthday Tadashi!
I’m sorry I wasn’t able to deliver this to you in-person, but I hope you enjoy this bento. I tried to make your favorites, and I hope I got them all right! I tried asking the others for help remembering, but it seems like you aren’t that picky of an eater, which is good (Not that being a picky eater is bad, it’s only that I really want you to enjoy this food)! If anything is bad, please don’t force yourself to eat it! You can throw it all out! I won’t mind! Even if you just want to throw it out for fun, or if you already had lunch plans—
Tadashi unfurled the rest of the letter. It was written on cardstock, blue, and faintly floral-smelling. Yachi’s handwriting curled gracefully onto a second page, wrapping back around to her appreciation for him and their friendship.
His chest suddenly felt very full.
“Oho, so there is a girlfriend then, Yamaguchi-kun?”
Tadashi didn’t even know who the man was. Vaguely, he looked like someone from the department over, and also like someone who couldn’t mind his own business. But this was office politics, and Tadashi just shrugged politely.
“No.” Tadashi said simply, shaking his head. His lips pulled into the softest of shapes.
I hope your wishes come true!
Lots of love,
Hitoka
“Are you coming out for drinks tonight? First one on me, birthday boy.”
This coworker Tadashi liked a little better.
./づ~🍰
“Did your wish come true?”
“I don’t think so,” Tadashi laughed and kicked a pebble by his feet, “Not yet, at least.” Tsukishima asked him this every year, and it was no different now, roaming the Sendai streets after campus hours.
“Hm.”
“Do you believe in birthday wishes, Tsukki?”
Tsukishima stayed quiet for a second, walking slowly. Tadashi watched his profile, used to this. His friend didn’t like rushing into answers, preferred rolling them around his mind until he could find whatever was closest to perfect.
“Maybe.”
Odd. Tadashi thought Tsukishima would’ve given him a more concrete response.
“Oh.” Tadashi hummed. His breath turned the air before him just a little frosty. It floated up and dissipated above their heads, a bit like a wish he supposed. The evening was a cold one, different from the manageable chill of the morning. Tsukishima’s hands were thrust deep into his pockets, warm, unlike Tadashi’s free-swinging and pale at the fingertips.
“Come over tonight.”
Tsukishima’s eyes were golden in the thinning streetlight.
“I have something for you.”
“Really?” Tadashi linked his fingers together in front of him, hoisting his backpack further up onto his shoulder. “You didn’t have to get me anything, Tsukki.”
Silence. Then, a small smile. Tsukishima snorted, turning away and resuming his quiet little thought process. Thinking, thinking, thinking, his breath looked like exhaust from an engine running overtime. Yamaguchi watched it mingle with his own, and then caught it backlit in the panel of Tsukishima’s glasses.
“When have I ever not gotten you something?”
Rhetorical. Tadashi beamed.
./づ~🍰
A little sleepy and a little buzzed. Tadashi trudged up the steps to his apartment. He fiddled with the door longer than he should’ve, eyebrows furrowed as the key flailed in his cold-handed grasp. When the door swung open, the warm heat of his home beckoned him inside to—
“Finally.”
Eh?
“Happy birthday, Tadashi!”
“Happy–”
“—Birthday! See, I beat you–”
“—That doesn’t count, dumbass—!”
“Eh?” Tadashi blinked away the bleariness in his eyes. “Eh? Oh. Oh!”
Tsukishima welcomed him drolly, amusement dancing behind his glasses frames. He held a small cake in his hands, pretty and neat. Beside him, Yachi held up her phone, two familiar faces long-gone to their feud. It was warm in the home, ever so much. Tadashi felt it flush his face and drip down to his chest. Warm, warm.
“Happy birthday!” Yachi tried again, pumping a single hand in the air.
“Thank you.” Tadashi whispered. He cleared his throat, “Thank you guys.”
Yachi beamed. On the phone, Kageyama and Hinata paused their banter long enough to wish him once again. Then things fell together in succession. Tadashi shut the door behind him, locking that same warmth in. Tsukishima placed the cake down on his kitchen table, Yachi propping her phone up to give the video call a decent vantage point of the single, striped candle that proudly stuck to the middle of the cake.
“Your mother called me.” Tsukishima hummed, combing through Tadashi’s drawer for a lighter.
“Ah, did she?” Tadashi laughed guiltily.
“I told her I’d wish you on her behalf,” Tsukishima straightened up, wielding a small box of matches. He smirked, “I also told her that your phone was probably dead.”
“Tadashi.” Yachi tut. She took Tadashi’s phone from his pocket, finally plugging it into the charger that lay by the outlet.
“Ah, yeah,” Tadashi scratched the back of his neck, “I’m so sorry guys. I—”
“—We figured.” Hinata laughed over the line. His face was illuminated by a single, white desk lamp.
“Make a wish.” Kageyama commanded, focused on the singular candle. “Before the wax melts.”
“Ah, yeah.” Tadashi sidled up to the cake, staring down at the small flickering flame.
Happy birthday Tadashi! In pretty icing font.
“Thank you,” Said quietly once more, and as sincere as he could sound.
“Happy birthday.”
“Hm?” Tadashi froze. Tsukishima’s lips were dry against his forehead, and the man leaned back coolly, smile unchanged. “Tsukki?”
“From your mom.”
Yachi giggled.
Tadashi stared at his friend dumbly before shaking it off. He heard Hinata’s laughter over the phone, stifled behind a tanned hand. Then, he closed his eyes and made a wish.
When he cracked his eyes open, smoke wafted up from the candle wick like a breath.
“Did your wish come true?”
“Tsukki, I literally just made my wish.” Tadashi straightened up, nudging his friend with a chuckle.
Yachi shooed them away, two-hands holding an abnormally large chef knife. She leaned over the cake with odd determination, and Tadashi felt unnaturally charmed.
“Right,” Tsukishima smiled in that odd way he did, eyes boring through Tadashi’s, “And did it come true?”
“Is this your way of asking me what I wished for?” Tadashi squinted, “Because I’m not going to tell you.”
“I don’t need to ask,” Tsukishima’s grin broadened, “I’m sure it’s something stupid,” he paused, “but also good, I guess.”
“Tsukishima.” Yachi warned him, cake smeared along her knife.
Tsukishima said something in response, passing a slice to Tadashi before leaning over to the phone, instigating something or the other.
Tadashi took the second’s reprieve to peer over to the window in his kitchen. There were no stars, just a whole, unflawed moon hung high in the sky. Close enough, the moon could be wished on too. Tadashi shut his eyes tight, hands gripping the plate of cake just as snug.
I hope they never forget.
“Oi, don’t eat before the birthday boy!”
Tadashi opened his eyes to a grumpy Tsukishima, fork hovering in front of his lips. He sighed heavily, shooting an unimpressed look at Hinata, adamant and loud.
“Tch. Here.”
Tadashi swallowed, wide-eyed. He felt a smear of frosting graze his lip, and then–
“Thank you, Tsukki.”
“Hm.”
Tsukishima drew his fork back and speared the strawberry on top first, as he always did. Yachi laughed softly from the side, angling the phone so Hinata and Kageyama could eat their fill via video.
Tadashi excused himself quickly, walking over to his bathroom and flicking the light on dramatically: short hair, plain features, freckled skin, dark eyes, and the faintest smear of frosting on his smiling mouth. This was how twenty-seven looked on him. Good . It looked good.
I hope I can spend my next year on earth with all of you again.