he couldn't believe it, but there he was again, waiting for his girlfriend to finish her agenda for that day. like every sunday. only this time, he's willingly going to the cafe with her.

"kei!" he heard her voice call for him, waving her hand as she walked towards him.

a smile instinctively makes its way onto his face, taking in the sight of her, radiant under the golden hour light. tsukishima swore she had the ability to make everything around her feel a lot warmer.

she was the warmth that cut through his usual coolness, the steady light that softened the edges of his world.

"hey," he kissed her forehead softly. "you ready to go?"

"mhm." she slipped her hand into his, humming a soft lullaby as they went on their way to the cafe.

not once did they mind this silence. in fact, they both found it comforting. tsukishima, typically guarded, found something comforting in these moments of quiet between them. she didn't feel the need to fill the air with endless chatter; instead, she let him breathe, allowed him space — and somehow, it made him want to stay close.

when they reached the cafe, she led him straight to the table by the window. it was as if they'd claimed it already, just a few visits in.

she glanced at him as she opened the menu, though by now, they both knew what they'd order. "are you sure you're not getting tired of this?" she asked with a small smile, tapping her fingers thoughtfully against the tabletop.

he shrugged, "i won't ever get tired of anything as long as it's with you."

"smooth."

he closed the menu book, "besides, you were right." he placed his head on his palm as he looked at her. "i needed something to get me through a sunday other than volleyball practice and studying."

she laughed, rolling her eyes. "and maybe you just like spending your sunday with me, kei."

he couldn't argue with that — not that it only applies for sundays. he loves every day with her. there was just something about these afternoons with her that made the end of the weekend feel like a beginning instead.

their orders arrived soon after: one earl grey tea, one latte, and the usual slice of strawberry shortcake to share. she immediately took her fork and pushed the plate closer to him, a silent invitation for him to join her.

he took a small bite, savoring the subtle sweetness, then handed the fork over to her. "alright, fine," he admitted quietly. "i'm starting to like these sunday cafe runs."

she beamed, sipping on her latte as her eyes twinkled with that familiar mischief. "see? i told you you'd love it here."

as the sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the cafe floor, they talked about everything and nothing — how she'd spent her morning, his grumbling about the rigorous drills, her quiet dreams of someday studying abroad. she told him about her latest favorite book, and he found himself listening, really listening, as she described the characters with such depth that he almost wanted to read it himself.

he loved this trait of hers. the way she could become so absorbed in the smallest details, breathing life into even the most ordinary things. she made the world feel larger somehow, like there was always more to uncover, to feel, to understand.

"you really should read it, you know," she said, her eyes bright as she took another sip of her latte. "it's not just a story — it's like... it teaches you things, about love, about loss. i think you'd like it."

"it's on my list now, princess."

hours passed without them noticing, and soon, the soft hum of conversation in the cafe began to quiet down. she took the last bite of cake, savoring it as if it were a treat she'd waited all week for. the moment felt so familiar, so right, that tsukishima could hardly believe they hadn't been doing this forever.

in that moment, he realized just how much these sundays had started to mean to him. they were just simple moments, shared conversations, but with her, it felt like he was getting a glimpse of something rare and unspoken.

as they sat there, the sun fading into twilight, he found himself hoping — quietly, desperately — that these moments would never end.

the cool evening air greeted them outside, and she tugged on his hand. "so... same time next sunday?"

he smirked, glancing down at her, the warmth of their day lingering. "we'll see."

but they both knew he'd be there.

and as they walked away from the cafe, hand in hand, tsukishima found himself looking forward to the next sunday.

though he'd never say it aloud, sundays had somehow become his favorite day.