#bookskeepers

"Who knew Tsukki sucked at monopoly?" Yamaguchi jokes after the blonde in question lands on one of the green-haired man's properties.

The glare Yamaguchi receives would've killed if Tsukishima had laserbeams coming out of his eyes. "It's a matter of luck, not a matter of skill," he snaps.

His hand, hidden by the table's edge, inches closer to yours. He's not one for big showy displays of affection when he's around his friends from high school, but he takes the time to make sure you know that he's aware of your presence, that he hasn't forgotten you when his friends are around.

You're grateful for the small show of affection that's hidden from his friends' nosy gazes. Tsukishima hands the rest of his fake-money to Yamaguchi, grumbling under his breath about how Monopoly was a stupid game choice.

"Don't go hating us now," Sugawara chimes in as he returns, his arms laden with various bottles. He begins handing them out, smiling kindly at you as he gives you your favorite drink. "Besides, if you grumble too much, you're going to put a damper on the mood." The silver-haired man nudges Tsukishima with his elbow, receiving the blonde's icy glare in return.

The game continues and, ever so slowly, Tsukishima scoots closer and closer to you on your shared side of the table. It's barely perceptible -- every few minutes, he'll shift his position in such a way that takes away a few millimeters from the distance between you two. By the time Kageyama and Hinata have been bankrupted, which was not long after Tsukishima's unfortunate end, your thigh grazes against his.

Within a few minutes, the game ends with you as the winner. Yamaguchi looks absolutely flabbergasted, since he had the most properties -- Sugawara seems less shocked, since he barely landed on anything other than the railroads and the "go straight to jail" options. Tsukishima, you notice, is glowing with pride at your win. He chuckles, shaking his head at Yamaguchi's yapping.

"There's no way you could've won, I had almost all of the properties!" Yamaguchi complains. He crosses his arms and pouts as the rest of you work on cleaning up the table.

Kageyama looks deep in thought, finally speaking up: "Tsukishima hasn't been nearly as mean as I thought he'd be when he lost."

The statement has you covering your mouth with one hand as you struggle to hold back laughter, while Yamaguchi and Hinata both give Kageyama a look of pure amazement. Sugawara, meanwhile, has managed to sneak up on the blonde and give him a good ol' fashioned Sugawara-style bop on the head. "Hey!" Tsukishima exclaims, rubbing the back of his head.

"He's gotten soft since, y'know," Hinata finally says after a few more moments of strangled laughter (from you) and awed silence (from him and Yamaguchi).

Tsukishima aims his glare at Hinata, his frown deepening into a scowl. "I have not gotten soft," he retorts. As if to prove his statement, he stands up. Towering over Hinata, his scowl is replaced with a smirk. "You, on the other hand, haven't gotten any taller."

Hinata turns bright red and begins stuttering about genetics and his height before you get off the floor and grasp Tsukishima's hand, pulling him away from the shorter man. "We should get going," you say in a soft voice, smiling at everyone else.

He nods at you before heading towards the door while you say your goodbyes, shaking Kageyama's hand and giving Hinata, Sugawara, and Yamaguchi a brief hug. "Thank you for having us," you tell them. "We'll see you guys soon!"

You turn on your heel and head over to your boyfriend, who simply waves his hand at the other four before opening the door for you. As the two of you exit the apartment and head for the elevator, Tsukishima entwines his fingers with yours once more. He looks deep in thought, and it takes you calling his name a few times to snap him out of his reverie.

"Kei? Kei. Kei!"

"Huh?" he asks as he looks at you, a small frown playing on his lips. "What?"

"What are you thinking about?"

His thoughts dissipate as he gazes at you, affection in his eyes. His frown softens into a slight smile, shaking his head. A faint pink dusts his cheeks out of embarrassment. "Just wondering if I've really gone soft."

"I think you have," you tease, poking his side with your free hand as you both enter the elevator that's finally arrived. "So soft, all because of me!"

He grabs your hand with his other one and pulls you close to him, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. "I'm okay with that," he says simply, nuzzling his nose into your hair. "After all, I like me better when I'm with you."

You smile against him, enjoying the brief peace before the elevator opens and the two of you exit.

You're greeted by the cool, wintry air as you exit the building and, with Tsukishima's hand in yours, you smile at him. He notices your look and tilts his head like a puppy, asking a question with his eyes.