Tsukishima Kei’s Birthday – In Character Scene (with Y/N)
The kitchen light was the only thing on, casting a pale square across the floorboards. The rest of the apartment was dark. You leaned against the counter, hands wrapped around a mug of tea that had gone lukewarm an hour ago. Kei was sitting at the table, long legs stretched out, hair still damp from a shower. He’d dropped his glasses on the table next to his phone, scrolling through something he wasn’t really reading.
It was technically already his birthday 12:37 a.m. but he hadn’t said anything, hadn’t even acknowledged it. Typical.
“You’re quiet,” you said.
Kei didn’t look up. “You’re the one who hasn’t shut up in your head for the past half hour.”
You blinked. “How would you know?”
He finally glanced at you, one eyebrow raised. “You keep sighing. It’s loud.”
There it was that deadpan tone, not exactly unkind but so dry it almost stung. He went back to scrolling. You stared at him over the rim of your mug. The dampness of his hair made it stick to his forehead a little; he hadn’t bothered to dry it properly. Typical.
“It’s your birthday,” you said softly.
“Yeah,” he muttered, like you’d just pointed out the weather. “So?”
“So,” you hesitated, “you’re acting like it doesn’t matter.”
“It doesn’t.” He tossed the phone aside, leaning back in his chair with a sigh. “It’s just another day where people feel weirdly obligated to say nice things they don’t mean. I’ll pass.”
You watched him. He always did this dismissing things before they could sting. But the small crease between his brows gave him away. He was tired. More than tired. You walked over, setting your mug down, and stood in front of him. “I didn’t say it because I feel obligated.”
Kei tilted his head back to look at you. His eyes were sharp even under the kitchen light. “Then why?”
“Because it’s you,” you said simply. “Happy birthday, Kei.”
For a second he didn’t move. Then, quietly, almost imperceptibly, his shoulders loosened. He reached up and tugged at your wrist until you were standing between his knees. His voice was flat but softer now: “You’re ridiculous.”
You snorted. “That’s not a thank you.”
“I didn’t say I was thanking you,” he muttered. “I said you’re ridiculous.”
Still, his hand stayed at your wrist, thumb brushing lightly against your skin. You didn’t point it out. You just stepped a little closer.
“Do you want a gift?” you asked.
Kei huffed, eyes darting away. “Stop asking stupid questions.”
You tilted your head. “Is a kiss a stupid question?”
That made him stop. He looked at you again, and this time there was no sarcasm to hide behind, just the smallest flicker of something raw. “You’re unbelievable,” he muttered, but his grip on your wrist tightened, pulling you the last inch closer.
Before you could say anything else, he kissed you. It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t rough either. It was steady, deliberate, like a man who’d been thinking about this for far too long but refused to make a show of it. His hand slid up to the back of your neck, fingers curling just enough to keep you there. He kissed like he did everything else controlled, but with an edge that gave him away.
When he pulled back, his forehead rested against yours, his breath warm. “There,” he said quietly. “Happy?”
You swallowed. “Are you?”
He scoffed faintly, like it was a stupid question. “Don’t push it.”
But his thumb brushed along your jaw again, and he didn’t let go. He pressed another small kiss to the corner of your mouth, then muttered, “Idiot,” so softly you almost missed it.
You smiled. “You’re welcome.”
Kei leaned back finally, running a hand through his damp hair. “I’m not making a habit of this.”
He shot you a look. “Of saying things out loud.”
But as you started to step away, he caught your hand again, tugged you back, and kissed you once more slower, quieter. When he pulled away this time, he didn’t say anything at all. Just rested his chin briefly on your shoulder, then let you go like it had never happened.
“Go to bed,” he muttered, reaching for his phone again. “It’s late.”
You watched him, heart beating faster than it should. “Happy birthday, Kei,” you said one last time.
He didn’t look up, but the corner of his mouth twitched. “Yeah,” he murmured, “thanks.”
And that was how Tsukishima Kei celebrated his birthday not with parties, not with presents, but with a quiet kitchen at midnight, a damp-haired boy pretending he didn’t care, and a kiss he’d been waiting to give.