solid | tsukishima kei

eighteen.

"What's wrong with you?" Tsukishima asked, "You've been pouting all day,"

Takahashi frowned, "Have not," she said before reaching for a fork full of strawberry shortcake, "Eat your damn cake before I do," Tsukishima knocked her fork to the side with his and shook his head with a smirk.

"Um, excuse me. You bought this for me," he asked.

"Exactly why I deserve a bite," Takahashi smiled going in again.

Tsukishima caught her fork with his and pushed it away again and soon enough, the two were having a middle sword fight with forks. Takahashi pressed her lips together, no longer smiling and this time completely invested in getting a bite of cake. Pushing back Tsukishima's fork with her own, she was finally able to get past him and take a small bit of his cake.

"Victory!" She smiled.

Tsukishima rolled his eyes but stopped the moment he saw Takahashi leaning forward with the fork facing Tsukishima. She smiled at him, waiting for him to take the cake from her fork. He felt his face go red but he took the bite of cake anyways. He turned his face away as he swallowed the cake, but out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Takahashi beaming.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong now?" Tsukishima asked.

Takahashi's smile wavered, "There's nothing you need to worry about," she said. But Tsukishima could tell that there was. For now, he wouldn't press her on the matter when she obviously didn't want to talk about it. But it didn't change the fact that he was worried about her.

As the day started to come to an end, Takahashi pushed in front of Tsukishima's house before turning to him. He gave her an expecting look, raising an eyebrow at her with a smirk. Takahashi played with his hands for a moment, tapping his fingertips with her own.

"Hey, Kei," she said.

"Yeah?" Tsukishima replied.

"That man," she said, "In front of your house the other day, he was your dad, right?" Takahashi felt Tsukishima's grip tighten around her hand and she looked up at him worriedly. Tsukishima gritted her teeth but nodded at her without making eye contact. Takahashi gripped his hand back and gave him a gentle smile.

"If you don't want to tell me about it then you don't have to. . . But, I'd really like to know," she said quietly.

Tsukishima looked at her hand in his. Her hands were half the size of his, looking almost tiny as he held up her hand and kissed it gently. He nodded and sighed.

"I was four when he left," Tsukishima said. "My brother has just turned eight and two days after his birthday, my dad left, all he left was a note saying he couldn't be a dad," Tsukishima frowned, "He'd send a text every birthday and holiday, and that's it. About five years ago, he showed up randomly, saying he was ready to be a part of the family. Two months later he disappeared again."

Takahashi gritted her teeth. Hearing that only made her angry at Tsukishima's father. She looked away, her hands gripping Tsukishima's. Takahashi averted her gaze, staring at the ground angrily. She couldn't bring herself to look at him at the moment. She didn't want him to see her so angry.

Tsukishima noticed her change in behavior instantly. What he wasn't sure was how to act because of it. He didn't want her to be angry, but he didn't want her to tell him some made-up fantasy that maybe his father was trying to be a good dad. Because Tsukishima would never trust that man again, not when he had so blatantly lied to him the first time.

"Lighten up, dork," Tsukishima said, "It's my job to be angry at him, not yours,"

Takahashi looked at Tsukishima in surprise, "What?"