Gonna try to do 15-30 minute tumblr ficlets for most of these! This one’s part of something longer I’ve been batting around for a while. ~600 words, T, cisswapped Tsukki, warning for a bad original character using a slur. 

all ficlets on my tsukkiyama month tag.

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“You’re pretty sad, you know that?”

Yamaguchi turned around. “Excuse me?” he said.

A guy in his grade was leaning up against one of the trees outside the gym where the girls’ team was playing. Yamaguchi knew him a little, but he didn’t think he’d ever talked to him before — and with good reason, too. He was exactly the kind of guy Tsukki liked calling pathetic. Of course, she called lots of people pathetic — Yamaguchi even used to fall into that category, but that was ancient history now. Anyway, sixteen-year-old Tsukki was a little more discerning than the ten-year-old one.

“You heard me,” the guy said. “I know who you’re waiting around for — you’re always here. Following around that giant freak girl like a loyal dog. But she ain’t gonna give it up to you no matter how much you beg.”

Yamaguchi went tense all over. He tried not to be super obvious about his crush, but it wasn’t like that was why he was Tsukki’s friend. Yeah, of course, Tsukki was tall and gorgeous and got hit on by guys constantly, even when Yamaguchi was standing right next to her, but he wanted to be friends with her no matter what. Tsukki was so smart and made Yamaguchi laugh more than anyone else and she was trying so hard at volleyball now, saying she couldn’t let the Karasuno girls fall behind the boys if Yamaguchi was going to put in so much effort. She had so much going for her, and Yamaguchi literally couldn’t imagine his life without her in it.

It sucked that people thought the only reason a boy would hang out with a girl was because he wanted in her pants.

The guy ambled away from the tree, hands jammed into his pockets, and took a few steps closer to Yamaguchi. It took all of Yamaguchi’s bravery to not stumble back; instead, he lifted his chin and tried channeling Tsukki’s best glare.

“You know why you’re hopeless?” the guy said. “Because she’s a dyke. I mean, it’s so obvious.” He shrugged, too casual. “Why else would she say no to me?”

Yamaguchi laughed right in his face at that; he couldn’t help it. “I don’t know and I don’t care if she is. She can date anyone she wants as long as she’s happy.” He shrugged right back, actually casual. “But what I do know is she’s too good for you. Don’t you get it? If you were an ant, you wouldn’t even be good enough for Tsukki to step on.”

The guy glared and grabbed the front of Yamaguchi’s jacket, but Yamaguchi brushed his hand off and shoved him away.

“Who’s pretty sad now?” Yamaguchi challenged.

“Yamaguchi?”

He turned around to see Tsukki standing there with her bag slung over her arm, the same one that matched his. Her headphones were hanging around her neck, and her long braid was messy and spilling down over one shoulder. She looked so pretty that Yamaguchi felt his heart speed up just at the sight of her. He also noticed that behind her glasses, her eyes were flitting between him and the asshole, curious. Yamaguchi went right over to her and the guy didn’t do or say anything now that Tsukki was there, too. And then Yamaguchi walked away with Tsukki by his side, like always.

“What was that all about?” she asked, once they were out of earshot.

Yamaguchi glanced over at her, pleased to notice that his last growth spurt had left them practically eye-to-eye. “Just crushing some ant,” he said, and grinned.