This is your life, they say, and you're the author of your own life. It's up to you how you want it to end like. But how was Tsukishima supposed to continue writing his story when the person he's in love with is dating someone else? Maybe this was how it was supposed to go. Was I always this hopeless?

Yamaguchi had texted him several times to ask if he's alright and if he's back home safely, but he had left the texts unreplied, afraid that he'll break down if he sees his name on the phone's screen another time. He skipped out of class the next day, and Kuroo had bombarded him with thousands of texts asking where he was and if he wanted to go for lunch together. He had only replied him a with a cold 'no' to most of his messages until his phone rang with an incoming call.

"Leave me alone." Tsukishima said the moment he picked up the receiver. He really didn't feel like talking to anyone right now, especially Kuroo.

"We really need to talk. I'm serious."

Tsukishima only heaved a sigh. "No, we don't. Please stop bothering me for heaven's sake."

"I'll see you in the cake shop in the mall right near the university," Kuroo said, and hung up before Tsukishima could say anything else.

"You look horrible."

That was the first thing Tsukishima had to hear the moment he was about to take a seat across Kuroo. He looked as if he hasn't slept for days, and his face was pale, but a part of him seem like he was pretending as if nothing had happened. He only stayed silent, took out his phone and scrolled through the never ending social media. He never intended to meet Kuroo, however, an invitation to a cake shop suddenly made him very sweet deprived.

"Not gonna order anything?" Kuroo asked as he handed him the menu. Tsukishima said nothing. He merely took the menu from him and started scanning through it.

"What exactly happened yesterday?"

Tsukishima scowled. "Nothing happened."

"I was there, in the cafe, coincidentally. I was there first though. You probably didn't notice me because that freckled guy was taking the spotlight away from me." Kuroo said, trying to get Tsukishima to look at him properly, but to no avail.

Tsukishima only replied with an 'oh'.

"I heard bits though," Kuroo said, right after placing their orders.

Tsukishima heaved a deep sigh and slid down his seat. "None of your business, really."

"Hmm… I'm guessing you have a crush on that freckled guy and yesterday he came up to you saying he already has a girlfriend."

"Not quite," Tsukishima replied. "Actually you're totally wrong."

"Maybe… You found out that he's not gay." Kuroo kept guessing.

"Please, for the love of Christ, stop guessing. I'm never telling anyone," Tsukishima replied, heaving a heavy sigh as he leaned back in his chair.

"I can help you beat him up for breaking your heart."

Tsukishima only remained silent.

"Dude, I'm trying to help you, as a fellow friend," Kuroo said as he leaned forward, closer to Tsukishima. He knows that Tsukishima can be rather hard to approach sometimes, but he wasn't going to back down anytime.

"Well, your help is not appreciated." Tsukishima's cold reply only made Kuroo lean back into his own chair.

They remained silent just like that, even after the waitress came back with their orders, they ate silently, and only the soft clanging of the tiny forks against the ceramic plates was heard. Everything else were drowned in the chatters of other customers in the cafe, the sound of rubber soles hitting the wooden floor and the ring of the bell against the door, signalling the entrance of another customer.

Kuroo felt a little more than unnerved. He definitely wasn't someone who could stand silence. A little mischief shouldn't hurt, he thought. With his fork in hand, he quickly stood up and reach out to Tsukishima's plate. Tsukishima quickly jerked away the moment he felt Kuroo closer than he would approve of, and before he could comprehend what Kuroo was trying to do, he saw the strawberry from his strawberry shortcake get snatched away by a swift movement of the fork.

"Hey, what- wait! That's mine!" Tsukishima stood up in reflex, and the screeching noise of the chair against the wooden floor pulled everyone else's attention to their table. A smirk tugged at the end of Kuroo's lips. He glanced triumphantly at the fork with a strawberry stuck on it.

"Kuroo! Give it back! Look, everyone's looking this way! It's embarrassing!" Tsukishima half whispered half shouted, his arms flailing forward, reaching out to Kuroo. His slightly flushed, withering face entertained Kuroo to no end.

"Only if you wipe away that boring, sad look off your face," Kuroo said, giving the fork in his hand a little wave.

Tsukishima could only click his tongue and settle back down to his seat.

"Now now," Kuroo said, while he slowly settled down to his own seat. "Don't be like that, Kei."

Hearing the mention of his given name, Tsukishima quickly retorted. "Don't call me that. We're not that clo-"

Before Tsukishima could finish whatever he wanted to say, Kuroo had already pushed the strawberry inside his mouth. Tsukishima could feel the hot blood creeping up his face as he reluctantly closed his mouth so Kuroo could pull out his fork. He chewed the strawberry that was already inside his mouth and quickly swallowed it before he finally said, while avoiding Kuroo's gaze, "We're not that close. And I was saving the strawberry for the last."

Kuroo let a little chuckle escape his lips. "You're blushing."

"Shut up."

"You're really cute. You're cute and you have eye bags, like a panda. I like pandas."

Tsukishima remained silent as he hid his face from Kuroo, afraid that he could see him blushing for the second time today.

God-freaking-dammit.

Finally another chapter up after ages! xD

Finals are finally done so I guess I can update faster x'D

Thank you so much for reading! xD