After All This Time: a reunion.
am I a writer, prolly. am I going for reunions before I provide any context? YES!
credits to broski ayden for tsukki
Tsukishima wasnβt much of a drinker. Everyone knows the dangers of alcohol, and Tsukishima eventually, but a hard day at the coffee shop and payday being the day before roped him into the middle of a quiet bar just after midnight.
Heβd been working the closing shift since high school, so his body had basically adapted to the life of a bat. Sleep during the day, work during the night. It was the only thing keeping his name on the lease of his shabby apartment.
The cheapest beer on the menu slid past Tsukishimaβs lips as he glanced around. The bar itself was pretty slow, the bartender distracted with someone in the corner. Flirting for tips, Tsukishima thought. Retro arcade style games and pool tables and dart boards were all scattered behind him, only two groups of five at their respective games.
Just as Tsukishima turned around to order another beer, clattering erupted behind him. It wasnβt enough to alert staff, but Tsukishima was tired and irritable, which in turn gave him a staring problem and a nasty glare.
ββcheater. Youβre fuckinβ playing me, asshole! The closer the dart to the center, idiot, the more points! Get that through your fuckinβ head, dipshitβ?!β
Rapid swears were thrown from a female sounding voice. For a moment, that girlβs face flickered in Tsukishimaβs head. Not in the three years sheβd been gone had he ever found another girl like her. A girl who could curse like a sailor thirty times in one breath. A girl who could go toe to toe with someone three times their height and only back up when someone was physically dragging her away.. kinda like the girl arguing right now.
Itβs not like Tsukishima sought out to find a girl like Rio; he knew it was impossible.
βYour glasses mustβa gone bad, princess. Or is all that hair dye ya got on messinβ with yer pretty head and countinβ skills? Have one of yer boy toys hand the cash over andββ
A head of purple hair was suddenly thrown forward, along with a tattooed fist. The guy, who was tall from even far away, staggered back, holding his face.
βYou BITCHββ The man was about to throw himself at her, if he wasnβt stopped by the rest of his buddies. The woman looked to be held back too, sputtering insults with a rapid pace. Eventually, the two seemed to be civil enough to stand without restraints.
βFuck thisβ im going outside.β The woman began her descent, but made a run for the man, delivered a swift kick to his nuts, and walked off as the man dropped to his knees, howling like a wounded animal. Her purple ponytail left a lasting impression on Tsukishima as she turned the corner, making him hop to his feet before he even registered he was standing.
Toned, tatted arms, long purple hair.. there was no way. She was taller, but three years will do that to you. On a hunch, Tsukishima slapped enough yen on the counter to cover his drinks, getting up and leaving the 3/4ths filled bottle behind.
The sound of a lighter flickering feebly and an audible groan awaited Tsukishima when he stepped outside. That girl was outside, cradling a hand over the cigarette between her lips to encourage a flame.
βFuckinββ cβmonβ¦β
A lit matchstick was carefully angled in front of Rioβs face. She looked up, assuming it was another jackass from the fight she started. But rather, a face that brought back memories faster than she could blink was beside her.
βThanks..β Rio almost didnβt want to assume. He was even taller, which wasnβt that tall in retrospect. Same scars on his face and hands and wristsβ and his hair was even shaggier than she could imagine.
Tsukishima was right in front of her after almost three whole years. Surely, she should say something nice..
β..been a sec.β She said, turning her head away to exhale the cigarette smoke. The smoke swirled, forming spirals against the oxygen before fading into the streetlights.
βYeah.β He was starstruck. Rio had changed a ridiculous amount. She wasnβt lanky or mousey.. she looked healthy. Chains from her belt clinked softly against her jeans, and the tank top she was walking around in was doing the most for her arms. The tattoos were all intricate, beautiful strokes down her arms. She mustβve gotten it done in the states. Rio was strong; breathtaking even. Tsukishima was suddenly reminded about his old feelings.. and why heβd never found another girl. The one he wanted had left, but came right back in front of her.
Meanwhile, Tsukishima was looking the same as she left him, and that wasnβt a bad thing at all. It was like looking at an old photograph that just couldnβt seem to age no matter how much time passed.
βSo.. youβre back in Japan?β Tsukishima finally managed to say, taking out a pack of cigarettes from his sweater pocket he hadnβt touched in a month. He lit it with another match, smoking alongside her. It was strange to see a cigarette in her mouth; he never thought of her as someone to smoke when they were younger. But time changes you, he figured, watching the mist of his mix with hers in the air.
βFor a bit. Bandβs on a break so we can take care of shit.β She said quietly. Her voice was lower than he remembered. Well, thank god. Maybe smoking was good for you after all.
βNice.. popular then?β He turned to look at her, remembering the whole reason she left was to be a drummer in a band. A break never meant a good thing, but Rio seemed to make it sound okay.
βPretty good. Toured the country.β She said without looking up from her shoes. For someone who was a hit, Rio sure sucked at making eye contact. Maybe thatβs why she played the drums; theyβre in the back of the stage.
βWoah.β Well damn! Tsukishima thought back to that month where a song his band played was used on the internet. TikTok went insane for a while; he even saw an edit of himself. It had twenty five likesβ¦.
He wanted to ask so many more questions. How sheβd been, if sheβd been overdoing it or seeing anyone.. on second thought, maybe not the last one.
β..i missed you.β Tsukishima almost didnβt catch that over the sound of a car passing by.
βI said I missed you.β
β..I missed you too.β
If it were a few years ago, the two wouldβve danced around those three words for months. The same way they avoided confessing after knowing deep down they liked each other.. they spent as much time as they could together before graduation, but Rio had dreams she couldnβt subside. She promised sheβd come back though.. and here she was.
βLetβs meet up sometime. Give me your phone.β Rio reached out her hand, finishing up her cigarette and flicking it onto the road. He gave it out, the phone being a slightly newer model than what Rio wouldβve remembered. This one had an actual screen. Rio put in a number that was very obviously western and handed it back.
βRight.. I'm gonna head back in. One of those assholes owes me some money.β Rio adjusted her glasses, flashing a grin that meant she wanted to kick somebodyβs ass, and based off her physique now, she probably could.
βLet me know when youβre in the hospital.β Tsukishima laughed, looking at the number in his phone and quickly putting Rioβs name in his contacts.
βYeah yeah. Iβll call ya.β Rio walked away, but suddenly stopped just as she got to the door. Tsukishima wondered if he was about to get kicked as well, but she just smiled and waved before going back in.
The smell of metal and deodorant hung by as he stood there.. he should call his roommate to pick him up. It was late and he didnβt have enough for bus moneyβ¦
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