You woke up early the next morning, stretching out your arms as pale grey light tumbled through the windows, painting rainbows on the glass. Slipping out from the covers, bare feet cold against the floor, you checked the time - 6:13 - and tiptoed out of the room. The house was quiet and dark, still afflicted with the remnants of peaceful twilight, as if oblivious to the turmoil of those living beneath. How nice it must be to live in ignorance of such wrongdoings, of such evil. Or was it? If you never knew, how could you ever begin to correct it?

You paused just beyond the doorway of your room, staring at the door opposite until the white wood started bleeding into the rest of your vision. You didn't want to risk waking him up, but something urged you to make sure he was still there.

Sucking your lip through your teeth with silent breaths, you opened the door to his temporary room.

The duvet strewn over the bed - white with printed lilacs - was crumpled and drawn back, revealing the bare mattress beneath. The rest of the room lay untouched, empty. Grinding your teeth, you checked the bathroom before heading down to the kitchen. He wasn't there either, and you gently ran your fingers through your hair, trying to figure out where he'd go. There was no possibility of him returning to his family, was there?

No. His relief and gratitude had been evident last night, and genuine. He wouldn't so willingly go back after the effort you'd made to get him out of there.

You quickly changed into your usual jumper and jeans, running a comb through your hair and making a wary effort with your appearance before leaving the house to its solitary peace, locking the door behind you. The air was dewy with the previous night's rain and it felt moist against your cheeks as more tangible traces of sunlight brushed the tips of the houses. Despite the brief panic of the morning, today felt... good. It felt like today good things might actually come within reach. 

You walked with a hurried pace through the sleepy neighbourhood, curtains starting to twitch like eyelids fluttering open against dawn's first touch, and to the usual spot in the woodland. There was nowhere else he could have possibly gone. That's what you kept telling yourself as you waded through the tangled blades of grass, trainers sinking into the softened earth as you traipsed through the trees. It was much cooler in the shade, and you were glad of the thick woollen material cushioned against your skin. Was Tsukishima warm enough? Did he bring a coat? You had nothing to give him if he hadn't.

You batted a stray branch away from your face and flushed with relief as a familiar blond figure swam into view through the trees - he was leaning against a thick trunk with a rock hopping between his fingers; you watched as he weighed the pebble in his palm before tossing it forward with a low arc, skimming the crystalline surface of the lake once... twice... and disappearing with a soft plop.

"Are you just gonna stand there?"

Righting yourself, you stepped forward, clumsily untangling the vines around your feet that seemed to have grown wild since you were last here. You cleared your throat, and the sound seemed to echo through the clearing like a gunshot. "I was worried. I thought you... I can leave if you want. Now I know you're okay."

Tsukishima shrugged, though there was a stiffness to his actions - a reluctance. Maybe he wanted you to stay after all. 

"Aren't you cold?" You asked as he pushed off from the tree, pulling the sleeves of his thin jacket over the tops of his knuckles. 

"A little," he admitted, to your brief surprise. A few months ago his response would have been little more than a shrug and a scowl before storming away. You looked down at your feet, your cheeks starting to radiate heat. You felt different than you normally did around him. More conscious - of the fact that it was just the two of you, alone, but together, in a forgotten world, your own world. 

You hadn't realised how your eyes had drifted to his until he cleared his throat, his own cheeks flowering with colour, his movements clumsy and embarrassed. What had changed between you two? "Sorry for, uh, making you worry. But you shouldn't need to. I'm not... your responsibility."

You padded slowly towards him, your trainers barely making a sound against the crisp foliage, and stopped, holding his eye. "You might not be my responsibility, but I still care for you. We all care for you. You have friends now, Kei. You don't have to be - to feel - lonely anymore. You don't have to carry this burden alone. We can help you."

He started pathetically, "I don't deserve-"

"Yes you do," you said firmly, reaching up on your tiptoes to take his face in your hands. Each palm rested against his cheeks, feeling the warmth emanating off his skin. He looked down at you with uncertainty. The contact only fuelled your blush, but it didn't matter anymore. You were touching him, feeling him as a physical, tangible being. He was alive and right within your touch, and you savoured that thought with a bleeding heart. "You deserve no less than an end to this misery. You deserve happiness and friendship and a proper family. I don't know how much of that I can give you but I can damn well try my hardest to make you see how much you deserve it. That you deserve to be loved, by anyone - everyone. You deserve to love yourself and your life. So please... stop pushing everyone away and give us a chance to help you."

You were fully conscious now, of him. Attuned to every part of him. To the damp flutter of his breath against your head; the cool, soft skin beneath your hands; the pools of honeyed water staring down at you, open, wide, pure. He was disguising nothing now. 

You quickly pulled away, your palms stinging from the absence of him, and, with a sheepish smile, kissed him softly on the cheek. It was hardly a romantic kiss, a chaste display of affection at most; you didn't want to give him the impression of anything other than friendship in case he shut off again, ran away from you. Although you couldn't be sure what it was you felt for him. It was difficult to unravel the tangle of emotions that had steadily wound around your heart. 

"W-well come on then. Let's... let's go home."

*  *. *

You hadn't noticed before, but Tsukishima looked out of place in your kitchen. It was small and untidy, with rounded units and bits of clutter than contrasted overtly with Tsukishima's sharp, angular features and smooth complexion. He looked much healthier, with that golden shine to his skin and the colour in his lips and the bruises that started to fade into pale pink welts around his collarbone. 

"Would you like some breakfast? I can make pancakes if you want? Do you like pancakes?"

Tsukishima rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, I've never tried them."

"Huhh? You've never... well, you're definitely missing out. I'll make us some," you decided, rolling up your sleeves before setting to work whisking up some simple mixture. You felt his eyes on you as you worked, and some untouched, undiscovered part of you relished in that. For once in your life, you were enjoying the attention. 

You paused mid-way to bunch your hair into a bobble, flicking the fringe out of your face as you began to flip the batter in the pan. Tsukishima chuckled as it almost landed on the floor, and you couldn't help but join in. Things felt so carefree and untroubled after everything you'd been through. He finally felt relaxed, comfortable, like he belonged somewhere. 

"Hey, you want to try flipping them?" You offered as the first pancake was delivered to his plate. He looked hesitant at first, before deciding against it and joining you by the stove. Pouring another batch of batter, you let it simmer over the heat before passing it along. "There you go."

The corners of his eyes creased with concentration as he jerked his wrist and caught the pancake with perfect precision. His mouth lifted into a smile, but even the underlying snideness couldn't dampen your spirits, for it was genuine - as in, not fake, not sarcastic or ironic. Not a facade. 

"These are good," he said once you'd sat down at the table, chewing slowly on the syrup-drizzled pancake. "Really good."

You let your smile show, unashamed. "I know they are."

After dusting off the entire plate between you, you brewed you both some tea and returned to the table, latching onto a sudden coldness in the air. The smile had drained from his face, cheeks becoming pale and hollow again, his eyes drifting into a lacklustre fog. "Kei."

"I'm scared, [Y/N]."

"It's okay to be scared."

"I don't know what to do. We both know I can't stay here."

You chewed on your lip, fingering the rim of your teacup. Your reflection seemed so frail and weak in the glossy surface. You hated being weak. "We can try social-"

"I've told you, it doesn't work. I've tried before."

"School counsellor?"

"Useless."

You felt a bitter helplessness root itself right in the pit of your stomach. It made you feel sick. "We can try again. We can keep trying and-"

"And nothing good will ever come out of it. They're all the same. Nobody gives a shit."

"That's not true," you corrected him calmly, pushing your tea aside. Your reflection made you feel sick. "I give a shit. Yamaguchi gives a shit. And trust me, there'll be more than just two people out there who cares about you Kei. You need to give people a chance. We just need to keep looking. I'm going to talk to the counsellor and see what-"

Tsukishima smacked his hands against the table. You didn't flinch, but your own palms stung in response. "You're not listening. I've told you it doesn't work like that."

Ignoring his comment, you fixed him with a smile, full of promise and hope and optimism. "That doesn't mean I'm not going to try."

*   *   *

Hey guys. Sorry if the chapter seems more rushed/badly written compared to the previous ones. I've just returned from a several-month-long hiatus (don't know if you noticed ;-;) and am finding it difficult to swing back into the rhythm of writing. I also can't remember how I used to write you or Tsukki so this is probably suuuuper OOC. Nevertheless, thank you for your continued support on my book, and I hope you continue to enjoy reading it! ❤