[Angst with a happy ending. Yamaguchi starts to get bullied again.
Requested by HolosexualPan
(⚠️ homophobic language, cussing, violence)
Italics = Yams' thoughts]

Worthless, ugly, stupid, fag, useless, weak... pathetic.

These were the words that echoed in Yamaguchi's head. The words he heard every day. He got pushed around, beaten and bruised, insulted, even just glared at in the hallways between classes. He tried not to let it get to him, but it wore him down, both mentally and physically.

The only time when he really felt okay was when he was with his best friend. At least, that used to be the case. Recently he'd found himself falling for the tall, stoic, blond boy, and as much as he wished he could say something, he was too afraid.

What if he rejects me? What if he stops being my friend? What if he hates me?

Scenario after scenario ran through his head, none of them good. One horrifying 'what if' followed by another, each worse than the last.

What if he agrees with everyone else? What if he thinks I'm disgusting? What if he refuses to talk to me? What if he just leaves?

'What if,' 'what if,' 'what if.' Every once in a while, however, a thought would cross his mind that wasn't so terrible.

What if he doesn't?

Sometimes, the thought would result in others, making him feel particularly bold, and it almost made him confess a few times.

What if he doesn't mind? What if he keeps being my friend? What if he even loves me back?

Almost.

Why would he love me? I am everything they say I am. I have nothing to give him. No one could ever love me. Especially someone amazing like him.

"Is something wrong Yamaguchi?" Tsukishima asked, side-eyeing his friend as they ate lunch in their classroom. "You're not eating, and you look upset."

"No, nothing's wrong! I'm fine!" Yamaguchi waved his hands in a frantic 'no' gesture.

I don't want Tsukki to worry about me. He can't know that I'm being bullied again. Or that I'm gay. Or that I like him. He especially can't know that I like him.

Yamaguchi started eating his lunch quickly, hoping that would satisfy his friend. Tsukishima's eyes narrowed slightly with suspicion, but he nodded and didn't press the matter.

"I'm going to the bathroom," Yamaguchi said as he closed his bento box and stood up. "I'll be right back."

"Whatever," Tsukki said, not looking up.

Yamaguchi exited the classroom and walked down the hall, staring at the ground so as to avoid looking at anyone. He heard some scoffs and whispering as he passed by people, but he said nothing.

Yamaguchi was drying his hands when he heard a voice call from behind him. "Well, if it isn't the ugly little faggot."

Yamaguchi turned slowly to face Ippantekina Akunin, his worst bully. Behind him were his entourage, Hakushaku Kobun and Fuzaketa Yatsu, both with menacing smirks.

Oh shit! Hinata was right, the bathroom is where you meet dangerous people!

Ippantekina was almost as tall as Tsukishima, and while Yamaguchi was not lacking in the height department himself, he felt small and weak when faced with the other boy, who seemed to tower over him even more with each menacing step. Yamaguchi could feel his heart rate increase and his breath quiver in terror.

"Look at this useless wimp." Ippantekina snorted in disgust, flipping his shaggy black hair out of his face. "He's actually shaking. I think he's gonna cry." His lackeys laughed stupidly.

It was true. Yamaguchi clenched his fists to hide his trembling, and his eyes stung with tears which he desperately tried to blink back.

"Well if he's gonna cry anyway," Ippantekina smirked, cracking his neck, "we might as well give him something really worth cryin' about. Haku, Fuza, hold him." The two underlings were immediately next to Yamaguchi, grabbing his arms and pinning him to the wall. Well, Fuzaketa mostly, Hakushaku was on the scrawny side, but he was enough of a snake to make up for it.

Ippantekina proceeded to throw punch after punch at Yamaguchi, with an occasional kick just for the hell of it, all the while spitting venomous insults at him. When Yamaguchi's anguished cries grew too loud, Fuzaketa put a hand over his mouth to silence him.

Help! I need help! I am weak, I know that. I tried to handle it, but I can't anymore. I'm pathetic and worthless, but I don't want to die here. I need help. I need Tsukki.

Horrible bruises were already beginning to form on Yamaguchi's freckled skin, and he was growing too exhausted to struggle, or even scream. Blackness creeped into the edges of his vision, and he had to fight to remain conscious.

Tsukki. "Tsukki!" Yamaguchi called out to his friend with the last bit of his strength, and to his surprise, and relief, he heard the bathroom door slam open as the very person entered with the look of someone ready to kill.

Tsukishima ripped Hakushaku off of Yamaguchi, flinging him towards the door and causing him to fall ungracefully on his ass. He then hit Fuzaketa hard in the stomach, and he bent over in pain, releasing Yamaguchi who slid down the wall onto the grimy, tile floor, struggling to breathe.

Filled to the brim with rage, Tsukishima turned on the third attacker. He gripped the front of Ippantekina's shirt and slammed him against the wall. The bully was definitely scared of the blond, but he tried his best to hide it with a smirk.

"What is wrong with you, you sick bastard?" Tsukishima hissed through his teeth, slamming the boy into the wall again. "Why would you do something like this? Why would you hurt Yamaguchi?"

"Y—you know he's in love with you, right?" He tried for a laugh, but couldn't quite manage. It didn't matter though, Tsukishima's grip loosened slightly in surprise, before tightening even more as he once again slammed Ippantekina into the wall.

"What are you talking about?" Tsukishima's voice had suddenly lost any trace of emotion, and this terrified Ippantekina even more.

"The... the little f—fag's in love with you." He tried to keep up his act, but it was slipping. "That... that's totally gross, r—right? He's a comple—" he was cut off by Tsukishima's fist meeting his nose, right before he was thrown to the ground.

Finally Tsukishima turned and crouched down next to Yamaguchi. "Tsukki, I..." he trailed off, his voice too weak to say anything else. Without a word, the taller boy pulled him up with a slight grunt, and supported his weight. Then slowly, they made their way to the school nurse's office. They walked in silence, until Tsukishima asked a question. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" Tsukishima's voice was low, and full of a false calm. Someone else might not have noticed, but the freckled boy leaning against him heard it clearly. "Why didn't you tell me you were being bullied again?"

"It's... my problem." The words were quiet, and he only managed to say them with great effort.

"No, it's not!" Tsukki snapped, then took a deep breath, trying to keep his cool. "I'm your friend aren't I? I should know about these things." Ashamedly, Yamaguchi looked away, and Tsukishima just sighed, before asking the other question that was on his mind. "Was that true?"

"What?"

"What Ippantekina said," Tsukishima clarified, hesitantly. He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer, it could easily be a trick or a lie. "Are you... in love with me?"

The silence that followed was almost tangible. After what felt like ages, Yamaguchi nodded, almost imperceptibly, and Tsukishima released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, before he held the other boy even closer, and whispered in his ear.

"That's the best news I think I've ever heard," he was smiling bigger than he ever had in his life. "because I'm in love with you too."

Yamaguchi gasped and turned to his friend. Tears were once again starting to form in his eyes, but this time they were cautiously joyful. "R—really Tsukki?" After receiving a nod, Yamaguchi used What little strength he had left to push himself upwards and press his lips against Tsukishima's.

The kiss lasted hardly a moment before Yamaguchi pulled away with happy tears streaming down his face. And a second later Tsukishima had bent down and joined their lips again, this time longer and filled with passion.

"Not that this isn't the greatest thing that's ever happened to me, but we should probably get you to the nurse," Tsukishima said, to which Yamaguchi promptly agreed, and they made their way to her office at the end of the hall, both smiling.

[Here it is! I hope this was good, I don't really think it was, I feel like Tsukki was really ooc, but I'm not always the best judge when it comes to my own writing. The next one-shot on my 'to-publish' list is TsukkiYama angst. (Just FYI.) Anyhoo, Love y'all.

<3 Raaor!]