The teens didn't talk much during the train ride to the city. Occasionally though, Tsukishima would strike up conversations about things, such as asking how often Yachi and her went to this particular café, and how she would rate the items being served there. She would keep her answers short and conscise, as she wanted nothing more than to shut her eyes and take a short nap to lessen the feeling of fatigue at least.
She noted how the blond was being more talkative than usual. He even seemed excited, like a little kid being brought to an amusement park for the very first time. It was brushed off by (Y/N) though. She didn't really have the time nor energy to think much about the change in his character. Regardless, it was strange.
The female did manage to get a wink of sleep when Tsukishima had stopped talking and even unknowingly allowed herself to lean against him, using his side as a pillow before sleep completely took hold of her. The physical contact surprised him at first, but he relaxed with a blush as soon as he realized what was happening.
For the entirety of the time she slept, Tsukishima made sure that she was comfortable and that she was securely in place. He also made sure that everyone, especially other males aboard, would keep a fair distance from them. Thankfully, the area where they were situated in didn't have much people, so he didn't have to worry about a single thing.
He relished the warmth of her smaller figure being against him. She looked soft and at peace. Her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm and her lips slightly parted, letting out gentle breaths that he so ached to feel against his skin. He gulped. Oh, the endless thoughts running through his mind were almost enough to send him into madness. As much as he loved to study every single detail on her lovely features without her knowledge, the boy had to wake her up eventually when they reached their station.
The café wasn't far off from where they were, so they walked, the female taking the lead. (Y/N) was still a bit drowsy and has yet to rub off the sleep from her body, but she was awake enough to be well aware of where they were going. She couldn't wait to get herself caffeinated. Behind her, Tsukishima observed the slight sluggishness in her steps, and he couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
A gentle chime resonated thoughout the cozy establishment as (Y/N) pushed the glass door open. Almost instantly, the fresh smell of baked bread and ground coffee beans greeted her senses, making her stomach grumble. She blushed slightly. Right, she didn't have any time for breakfast earlier. Hopefully Tsukishima didn't hear.
From the outside, the place seemed small, but inside was just big enough to accommodate a handful of customers when the day reaches its peak. Albeit there are other popular cafés around the area to choose from, the female decided on going here. Other than the inexpensive and delicious menu items, there was something about the atmosphere of this place that never fails to calm her down and make her feel light inside. She wished that the café would gain the attention it deserved, though a part of her didn't want one of her favorite places to turn into a crowded, popular hangout area.
The café had just opened a few minutes ago, and it seemed that (Y/N) and Tsukishima were the first customers of the day. As they let themselves inside and headed towards the counter, the blond noticably perked up, and it wasn't long before she found out why.
Encased within glass and displayed right next to the counter were dozens of baked goods ranging from bread to pastries. All were lined up, neatly labeled, and were kept warm under heating lamps to ensure the desserts' freshness. His lit up golden hazel hues sweeped every item with such eagerness and delight as if he was silently debating on what he should get.
(Y/N) would've found the action cute if it weren't for his horrible attitude.
As they approached, a friendly looking lady from behind the register greeted them with a warm smile. "Good morning! What will the two of you be having?" Tsukishima's eyes momentarily scanned the beverage menu and the displayed desserts before finally deciding on something.
"I'll have a medium iced vanilla latte and a strawberry tart, please."
"A large caramel macchiato and two croissants for me, please." (Y/N) followed. It wasn't her usual order, but she thought that she should try something else for today.
After the female paid up for both orders, they sat in the farthest corner near the window that provided a nice view of the outside. The teens were told that their orders might take a while, and so they waited. About a few seconds after they settled in their seats, (Y/N) propped an elbow on the table's surface and cupped the side of her face against her hand, a curious expression on her slightly tired face.
"Tsukishima," she started, grabbing the boy's attention immediately, "how did you know where I live?" It was indeed a question that bugged her since his arrival. She was unsure of what to feel about him casually coming up to her house without letting her know, and moreover, how he found out where it was. She certainly didn't remember telling him.
"Oh, that? Simple. I asked around your neighborhood." The blond retorted, then he paused, tilting his head. "What's with the look?"
(Y/N) didn't notice the scowl that had formed on her face until it was mentioned. "You could've at least informed me that you were coming to our house."
"Well, it's your fault for not planning on who's picking up who. You should be at least grateful that I took charge to come and pick you up. Not everyone does that voluntarily." His snarky comment only prompted her eyes to narrow in evident irritation. She allowed her gaze to linger on him for a while before wordlessly turning away to look at anywhere else but him. At this, Tsukishima let out an exaggerated sigh.
"Heeeyy, Pervert-chan. Seriously, you're killing the mood." He began to poke at her cheek repeatedly, which went disliked by the female. "You can't ignore me forever, you know?"
Swatting his hand away from her face, (Y/N)'s scowl deepened while embarrassment brushed across her cheeks. How ignorant can he be to call her that horrendous name in a public place? "W-Will you please stop calling me that?" She worriedly looked around if anyone had heard him as her voice wavered to a mumble. "It's...inappropriate..." Thankfully, the nickname was uttered long before a group of people entered the place as well.
Tsukishima laughed, much to her annoyance. "Oh? Funny, you've never adressed it before. I was beginning to think you were liking it." With a teasing smirk, the male leaned back against his seat and shrugged at her. "Well? What do you want me to call you then? Go on. If you're lucky, I might like what you have to suggest~."
"I have a name." She simply deadpanned.
"Aw, that's too boring. I was hoping you'd suggest something more...unique. Something a bit more interesting."
"I'd like to stick with boring, please."
"Fine, you win. I shall call you by your given name then..," before (Y/N) could deem the seriousness in his voice to be a bit skeptical, her eyes caught glimpse of his lips contorting into a playful grin, "until I find a nickname that's more appropriate for you, that is."
Knowing that she would rather not talk back and waste the sliver of what was left with her energy and composure, even though she badly wished to hit him again, she rested her forehead on top her arms and closed her eyes.
The blond eyed her frame with curiosity. Seeing her this bad-tempered was definitely a first. He'd be lying if he said it wasn't cute, but seeing her in this state made him wonder what could've caused her to be in such a bad mood. It didn't take him long to figure it out as it was already obvious. The apparent bags under her eyes coupled with how unusually easy it is to get her irritated basically gave the answer away. Given that finals are fast approaching, he could only assume that she was up studying all night. Poor thing. Tsukishima suddenly felt guilty for not letting her get the sleep that she needed. Then again, if he didn't take initiative on setting up the time of their date, he wouldn't be sitting with her at the very moment.
"So," Tsukishima voiced, clasping his hands together softly, "while we wait, why don't we get to know each other a little more, hm?"
The female didn't respond right away, which made him figure that she had already dozed off, but after a short while, his ears picked up a soft sigh. "I'll pass." She said, words slightly muffled. "I'm not interested. And I wouldn't want you blackmailing me again with the information I'll provide."
"Jeez, you're really no fun today..." (Y/N) could hear the pout in his voice, but she could care less at the moment and simply chose to ignore it. A little while after the male had finished talking, she suddenly felt a soft tugging at her hair. She didn't bother to lift her head up to figure out what the boy was doing. Annoyed, she silently considered slapping his hand again or to do anything by means of getting herself out of his reach. However, the thoughts were dismissed as soon as he continued to play with a few of her locks.
He would proceed to fiddle with a small piece, and on occasion, she would feel his slender fingers gently running along her hair. She let out a small, contented sigh only she could discern. (Y/N) couldn't believe that she was starting to relax under his touch. Although she hated to admit it, it was a rather pleasant feeling, and it calmed her nerves to an extent.
It was just before submitting to sleep once more that she heard him say something that nearly went over her head.
"Hey, what do think of starting over?"
Slowly, she looked up at him, traces of confusion brimming her tired eyes. The blond leisurely had his chin on his palm, focusing on a single lock of (H/C) hair that was twirled around his finger, and he continued to twirl it in a single direction without sparing her a glance. "Excuse me?"
Tsukishima cracked a small smile as he finally shifted his golden hazel hues to meet hers. "Our earlier...impressions started off a bit rough, don't you think? So, I'd like for us to start over and leave everything bad that has happend behind us. Who knows, we might even become the best of friends."
"Wait, what's this all of a sudden? You want to become friends now?"
"Why not?" (Y/N) flinched back against her seat when he tickled her cheek with the ends of her hair before letting go. He shrugged. "In all honesty, the longer I get to be around you, the more I understand that you're actually a fun person to be with. You're definitely-"
"That's not my point." The smile on Tsukishima's lips visibly fell, immediately sensing a sudden change in the atmosphere surrounding the female. No longer was she irritated. She was fuming.
"How could you think that it's alright for you to tell me to forget everything and just be friends? Do you really expect that it'll be that simple for me to cut you some slack that fast? Especially after everything you've put me through?" The thin line that was barely holding herself together finally snapped, and all it took was for him to say a few words. How dare he tell her to forget. How dare he not apologize.
Somehow, despite the frustration she was feeling, she still managed to keep her voice lowered and controlled, aware that causing a scene so early in the morning is something she would hate to happen. With that in mind, (Y/N) forced out an exasperated huff, even more infuriated of the fact that she couldn't fully express her anger without disrupting anyone. She felt trapped. (Y/N) was tired and hungry, and being with Tsukishima was like adding more fuel to fire. Her hands balled into two tight fists under the table as she glared daggers at the blond from across her.
"Saving me from that...that man wouldn't change the fact that you've treated me horribly. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful that you saved me because gods know where I am right now if it weren't for you, but that's probably the only thing you will ever gain from me. It wasn't my forgiveness or respect that you earned to begin with, Tsukishima. S-So...if you're just saying that to have your fun with me-" A great tremor overtook the female and suddenly, the welled up tears that was pricking her eyes spilled and slithered down her cheeks. It was all so sudden that the female couldn't control herself. Immediately, she faced herself away to quicky wipe her tears with the back of her hand.
How embarassing. (Y/N) didn't expect things to turn out this way. The entire day was supposed to be simple as planned in her head: to order food, eat, and go home. She wouldn't have thought that she would be crying her eyes out in front of Tsukishima out of all people.
"(L/N), I'm...I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out like that."
It was the first time she had ever heard him properly address her by name. It felt strange. Though as surprising and bizarre as it was, it wasn't enough to make her turn and look at him. She remained still on her place, hiding her face from his sight as she couldn't bear to see him just yet.
"I understand that you're mad at me and you have every right to be, but...I hope you know that I'm sorry, alright? I really am. I apologize for the way I acted towards you and...that it took me this long to say it." She heard him heave out a sigh. "I would never dream of putting you in another predicament like before because...I've come to realize how much better it is to have you as a friend. It may seem hard to believe, especially when all of this is coming from me, but I'm just speaking what's on my mind right now."
When (Y/N) thought that he was finished, she heard the sound of shuffling, and all of a sudden, Tsukishima appeared in her field of vision. She saw that he had brought along his chair and watched as he placed it beside her before sitting down. Reaching into his back pocket, he retrieved a light blue handkerchief and held it out for her to take.
This time, her teary eyes trailed up, finally locking with his golden hazel ones.
"Please. Give me a chance to redeem myself." The blond muttered, a tender look casting over his softened features. "I promise, I'll make it up to you little by little."
For a fleeting moment, both teens sat quietly, the silence being permeated with noises coming from the staff preparing orders and indistinct chatters from other customers. By that time, her tears had stopped. She waited for something else to happen. (Y/N) wasn't entirely sure whether he was being sincere or not. Of course, having such trust issues would only be understandable. He was, after all, the reason behind it all. He was always too difficult to be with. Always so unexpected. That's why she would rather not involve herself with him as much as she could.
So it was a wonder why her conscience was convincing her to give him another chance.
Because for once, he actually seemed genuine in her eyes. She couldn't discern any malicious intent within his words, nor in his optics, no. It was as if the person before her was a complete stranger.
Perhaps she just wanted to start over as well. Perhaps she just hated being in bad terms with anyone. The idea of Tsukishima being her friend never really did cross her mind even once.
Eventually after a lot of pondering, (Y/N) took the handkerchief from his hold. Whatever she decided on doing, she hoped it was the right choice.
"Prove it to me then." The female mumbled after wiping the partially dried up tears on her cheeks. "Let me off the whole errand girl thing. And I believe I deserve a proper apology," she crossed her arms over her chest, "only then will I agree to your proposition."
"Done," with a nod, Tsukishima was quick to reply, "and...I'm deeply sorry for all the trouble I've caused. It was wrong of me to do such things. I hope you will forgive me."
"Apology denied."
"H-Huh?" His stunned reaction unexpectedly earned a small giggle from the female, which caused him to seem even more stunned.
"Sorry, I just had to." (Y/N) was feeling a bit better now. "That was it? You call that a proper apology? You could've done better, you know?"
Upon realizing that she was only messing around, he inwardly sighed, allowing himself to faintly smirk at her jest in amusement, "Touché." He was glad that he somehow contributed to getting her in a better mood.
(Y/N) mused as she pursed her lips together. "Alright, I suppose we can start over," she eyed his countenance carefully, "but I still won't forgive you that easily. As you've said, make it up to me little by little. I'm letting you know that as of now, I'll be keeping my guard up. I think I've developed a new sense that would alarm me if you ever try anything remotely stupid. Please don't make me regret my choices." She warned.
"I'll be keeping that in mind." The boy affirmed as he rested an elbow on the edge of the table. "I didn't know you could be so assertive. It's almost scary."
"There's a lot you don't know about me."
Then as if on cue, (Y/N)'s name was called out to let her know that their orders were ready. The female began to stand up from her seat, only to be gently pushed back down by Tsukishima's hand on her shoulder as he stood up instead, wordlessly insisting that she stay put.
With his back turned towards her and as he approached the counter to collect the orders, (Y/N) failed to perceive the words he uttered under his breath before he left, even more unaware of how he supressed a lovestruck grin to touch his lips the entire time, spine tingling with utmost delight as the vivid image of her smile occupied his thoughts.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that."
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A/N
Hello! Apologies for the long absence again. I hope everyone is doing well.
It took me quite a while to write this chapter because of writer's block and other stuff that has kept me busy for months ( ；∀；) I'm also sorry if my way of writing has somehow changed a bit. I tried to keep it as consistent as possible from the previous chapters.
Anyways, that's probably all for now. I hope you enjoyed chapter 16! See you all soon and have a wonderful day/night!