Break The Ice

(Then) and Now

5 yrs. Ago....

It has been 5 months since that memorable summer vacation. Tsukishima and Y/N has been by each other's sides most of the time, consumed by youthful passion.

It felt like they could go through just anything that comes their way. With their promises of going to the same university together, renting an apartment nearby, living together until they've earned enough to marry.

Y/N continued to receive emails from Stephen, he has been awfully persistent for his own good. She would usually ignore them and leave them unread and to add to that, is her father's repeated demands of replying to those mails.

----

Like any other day, Y/N and Tsukishima would walk out of the campus together after an early break from practice.

"Do you wanna go somewhere?" The tall, blonde boy inquired, reaching for Y/N's hand and keeping it in his.

"Hmmm, nowhere really." Y/N replied, a little giddy like it's only been her first time being held like this.

"Hmmm, how 'bout a movie?" Tsukishima suggested.

"Sounds like a date." Y/N beamed with the warmest of smiles, making her cheeks glow that radiant pink, that Tsukishima loved so much.

That was until she saw a glimpse of one of her cars parked by the school gates. She wasn't expecting anybody to come and pick her up. Her butler never did, because she demanded him not to. A figure, clad in a black suit and tie, appeared from the driver's side after the door opened. Then all of a sudden, it felt like her heart dropped in her stomach. Her dad nonchallantly waved his hand at her and Tsukishima, smiling like he has nothing menacing in mind.

"M-my dad's here." She whispered to Tsukishima, internal panic rising.

Seeing this, Tsukishima held unto Y/N's hand tighter than before. He was doing this to calm himself down, as did Y/N.

"It's gonna be alright. C'mon I'll go with you. I'll meet him. It's totally fine." The boy remained to be their very strength. He remembered the promises they've made to each other. He's not too immature to just throw them all away and run crying. All he ever wanted was for Y/N to be happy and he's willing to do anything to preserve that.

Both of them approached the car. Actions were a little stiff from the nerves. Y/N's father was quite intimidating, more so, up close.

Tsukishima bowed in respect to the parent of his lover and intoduced himself in the most formal way to create a good impression.

The two can't decipher what's running through the man's head. His expression isn't giving away anything. He's neither angry nor displeased. His eyes were warm but carried a hidden coldness behind it, with a half smile, which appeared, almost like he's mocking the boy.

"You two hungry?" The old man inquired, not even waiting for a reply before he sat back inside the driver's seat.

"Get in." He commanded.

The two followed suit and sat beside each other in the back seat.

-----

They were brought to a fancy restaurant, ordered sets of fancy meals, and Tsukishima can already see the dine table etiquette that Y/N and his father exhibited. He felt a little out of place. He knew Y/N never intended to make him feel that way, she was just moving out of tactile memory. He discretely tried to copy what Y/N did and played cool with it.