"i'm f-fine." tadashi stammers. he rapidly brushes his hair to the side, his fingers running through his brown locks. with eyes that could bore though his soul, the same varsity jock stood in front of him. and he seemed kind of sympathetic, which puzzles tadashi.
he's aware that his stars on those cheeks he hates only seems to brighten. even stars have clouds to block out their light, and sadly, tadashi has no clouds.
the man offers his hand. tadashi shivers slightly and takes it, feeling the other's rough hand pull him back to a standing position. tadashi looks down as he bows down in thanks. he grabs the books that are sprawled on the smooth, tiled floor. his black and white converse slaps the ground as he sprints away.
panic traces his steps.
anyone could smell the fear laced onto his scent.
a thought occurs to him.
he can still smell the cocoa butter lingering in his nose.
.
"i'm home." tadashi bursts into doorway. he dumps the stack of books cradled in his arms into the chair next to the door. he smiles as he smells the familiar cinnamon smell laced into the pastel pink walls. his fingers draw a line on the pink as he walks to the kitchen.
he will eat his worries away.
"mom." a greeting escapes thin lips before a muffin his stuffed into his mouth. crumbs decorate his lips as he chews. he plops onto a chair as his most favorite person in the world works her way in the kitchen.
"how was school dear?" tadashi frowns and shakes his head abruptly, eliciting a girlish giggle from his mom. she pours milk into a mug and drops it in tadashi's startled hands.
"grandpa is going to come for dinner." his cheeks rise and form into a wide smile.
anko yamaguchi loved these moments.
the moments when her son, tadashi, would smile so happily, flashing those stars that he hated. he would smile and not give a damn about the world he constantly worries about.
but she's his mother, and she knows something's wrong with her son. he definitely met someone. someone that managed to make her son smile this brightly. and it's up to her to find out who.
"go and do your homework." she frowns and waves tadashi away.
she smiles as she hears tadashi releasing his benevolent laugh. if it wasn't for the cinnamon burning on the stove, she might've let loose the tears filled with relief curling off her bottom lashes.
