sweetener | kei tsukishima x reader

2 | suspicions

"Now? No way! I want a romantic proposal. I literally just woke up!" you thought.

"Ah, nevermind," Kei spoke in his usual monotone, now standing up.

"Nevermind?"

"You want to get married to me in those clothes?"

"Yes! Ah, no!"

"Yes?" he repeated.

"No!" you exclaimed, embarrassed and uncertain what to say.

"Oh."

"No, I meant that-"

"Let's eat," he quickly changed the topic, "I made pancakes."

"Um, okay," you responded in a softer and shyer voice.

You couldn't pinpoint exactly why, but you felt a tinge of disappointment when he told you to never mind it. Maybe you truly wanted to talk about marriage by now and him changing the topic abruptly dismayed you.

"Thank you by the way," you told him as you took a seat, trying to repel your negative thoughts.

"For?" he asked as he poured you coffee.

"Coming over and making breakfast," you further explained, "Did I really have to say that?"

He responded with a smirk and he took a seat facing you.

"It's our routine, remember?"

It's true. Your small habit of baking and gifting him pastries has elevated to something much sweeter. You could say the tables have turned because this time, he'd go at your apartment every Saturday morning and you'd eat breakfast together before he goes to his volleyball training and before you go to your job in an accounting firm. It was the little things like these that made your heart flutter, even after 5 years.

"Itadakimasu," you both say before you started to eat.

"Kei," you called him as he took a bite.

"Yes?"

"Do I still make you feel giddy?"

"Huh?" he mouthed and raised a brow.

"Do I still give you butterflies?"

"W-why do you ask?" he answered with another question, now visibly getting nervous.

"I just want to know."

"Well, yes, ah, m-maybe," he stuttered and answered.

Delighted by his answer, the corners of your lips curved up into a soft genuine smile.

"And y-you?" he asked you with obvious hesitation.

"You still do. Every day."

A quiet atmosphere took over afterwards, with both of you not knowing what else there is to say. After a while, he finally broke the silence.

"So, how's the pancakes?" he asked as you took another bite.

"Hmmm," you hummed, visibly and jokingly judging his food.

"Stop making that face," he complained and shook his head.

"I'm messing with you, it's good," you commented, "I swear."

"Definitely not as good as yours though," he contradicted you in a softer and hushed voice. If there's one thing that Kei hasn't changed, it's his hesitation to admit his minor mistakes.

"I'm still not giving you my recipes!"

"I never asked for it, silly."

"So where did you learn how to make this? You'd usually buy take-out," you asked as you savored the food.