the week had been long, and sunday felt like a relief. tsukishima kei, who didn't think he'd ever be one for traditions, found himself looking forward to when they'd be at the cafe like clockwork.

today, he arrived early, catching himself with the smallest hint of anticipation as he waited by the school entrance. he shook his head at the thought.

so much for 'we'll see.'

"kei!" her voice pulled him from his thoughts, as if she'd spotted him a mile away. she hurried over, eyes alight, her steps quick and lively.

a small, involuntary smile surfaced on his face, his usual reserve softened by the sight of her. she radiated energy, her cheeks slightly flushed from her walk over. for a moment, he just stood there, taking it all in.

she was warmth, she was light — something he never knew he needed but couldn't seem to ignore.

"did you wait long?" she asked, still catching her breath.

he shrugged. "not really."

"so, how was practice?" she asked, looking up at him as the sun shone on his tall figure on their way to the cafe.

"exhausting," he replied, though there was a hint of satisfaction in his tone.

she knew him more than anybody, and she could read between his words better than anyone else. tsukishima wasn't the type to openly admit when something was rewarding, but she caught the subtle pride he felt after a hard day's work. so she listened attentively, nodding along, asking questions, even poking a bit of fun at how he could complain but always pushed himself harder.

"you're just a glutton for punishment," she teased, "i swear, if you ever had an easy practice, you'd probably miss the pain."

he rolled his eyes, a faint smirk on his lips. "i don't miss it," he replied, pausing as if he might say more, but instead he added, "it just... means i'm getting better."

"and that's why you'll keep coming back — you're too stubborn to quit."

"maybe."

he opened the cafe door for her, guiding her with his hand at the small of her back before following her in.

she laughed as she nudged his arm. "you can't fool me, kei. you love the challenge."

and though he didn't say it aloud, the way he looked at her said it all — he loved having someone who truly understood.

once they had placed their orders, they sat by the window like every other sundays at four-thirty in the afternoon.

"studying and volleyball," she mused, shaking her head. "sometimes, i think it's like i'm sharing custody of you with them."

he scoffed, though he couldn't hide the slight smirk. "guess it's a good thing you've got me on sundays, then."

she laughed, and he felt something inside him settle. like he'd found a place to pause, even if just for a few hours.

they chatted about her week, her plans for a class project, and a random dream she'd had. she leaned in close as she shared the details, her hands moving expressively, her eyes shining with excitement. her enthusiasm was infectious; tsukishima felt himself drawn into her stories, wrapped up in the way she made even the smallest moments feel significant.

when the cake arrived, he took the first bite, a habit they'd fallen into without words.

the flavors were becoming familiar to him — the sweet strawberries, the soft sponge, the delicate cream. she watched him with a smile as he set the fork down, pushing the plate toward her.

"you're really warming up to it, aren't you?" she teased, taking her own bite.

he only shrugged, though his slight grin betrayed him. "it's not bad."

"strawberries are sweeter on sundays."

"you're making that up."

"nope," she replied, her smile widening. "it's a fact. and you'll believe me sooner or later."

he didn't say anything, but he took another bite, and when the last piece of cake remained, she gestured for him to finish it. "you can have the last bite."

he stared at it for a second, surprised by the gesture but he found himself shaking his head, pushing the plate back to her as he took a sip of his tea. "nah. you take it."

she looked at him, slightly taken aback. but then she nodded, taking the final bite with a small smile, as if understanding something unspoken between them.

and just like that, a quiet routine was born: he'd take the first bite, and she'd always have the last.

"say, kei," she calls out to him while stirring her latte absentmindedly. "you think i could actually do it?" she asked, the slightest hint of uncertainty in her voice.

her sudden question caught him off guard, "which one, exactly?"

"my part in the future we've been planning together."

tsukishima knew his girlfriend had big dreams for the two of them, and he knew how strict she could be on herself when it comes to achieving her goals.

"there's so many things i want to do, and i'm just worried that... well, you know, that I might be reaching too far. so, do you think i'd be able to pull things off?"

"of course you could," he replied, the answer coming more naturally than he expected.

tsukishima knew better than to hold her back. hell, he'd give her the world if he could. though they'd learned to compromise with each other, it wasn't easy for him to shake off the anxious thought of waking up without her by his side.

he wasn't one to admit his fears, but he was afraid of watching her dreams pull her further away from him, of a future where these moments with her might become fewer, or vanish altogether.

"just... take it slow," he added, his voice a touch softer. "i mean, when you've reached your goals, i think you'd miss all of this too much."

she looked at him, eyes narrowing slightly in curiosity. "what do you mean?"

"the cafe. the sundays. me."

she nudged his foot under the table, though there was a glimmer of understanding in her eyes. "maybe. but i don't think i'd miss you a lot." she took one last sip of her latte. "i think we're both stuck with each other."

"probably," he replied with a half-smile. "i wouldn't mind sticking around."

the sun dipped lower, casting a warm, golden light across the cafe. they sat there as the hours slipped away, the world outside the window moving on, but for them, time seemed to pause.

her smile softened as she looked down at their intertwined hands. "good. 'cause i plan on sticking around for a while longer, too."

it was simple, really. but with her, even the simplest things felt like something worth holding onto.