wake up soon - k. akaashi

five: once upon a time

2012, March 20th

School days were hard. Wake up at 6 am, take a shower so you can actually wake up, have breakfast, put the uniform on and walk to school. Meet your friends half way, split to go to your classes, listen to the teachers blab about something new or try to explain something old again, get homework for the day after and go to practice.

Other than the talks or occasional new event, it was a routine that never seemed to stop. And it was exhausting, sometimes even draining.

Akaashi had never hated school —never loved it either— but since he'd met Tamiko he had to admit school had been more interesting. He'd never realized how used to it he had become, how necessary it was in his life to be able to see her face in the early morning when she still hadn't woken up, or hear her grumbles due to that tiredness that turned her into Grumpy in the mornings but had the opposite effect at night. You know what they say, you never know what you have until you lose it.

Still, Akaashi had always known what he had, and he'd cherished it like it was the most precious thing in the world. He'd never thought they'd go back to when they weren't dating. But once upon a time, Tamiko and Keiji hadn't been dating. In fact, once upon a time they had barely acknowledge each other.

2010, December 9th

The Shiota-Yamada girl was usually seen with her nose buried deep in a book. She didn't seem approachable half of the time, but it wasn't her fault. People just assumed that since she didn't talk much or went out of her way to make herself known, she was an introvert. She didn't care.

She was perfectly content with her two best friends and her books and her family. She was not an introvert, she was very much an extrovert with an amazing personality —so she'd been told, at least— but she also didn't care to show that to the world. If those people that thought she was an introvert actually paid attention instead of assuming, they would've seen that Tamiko was louder than half of them when with her friends, she didn't have her nose buried in those books that much —this is a lie— and she was very welcoming of new people.

Same happened with Akaashi. He didn't speak a whole lot, and when he did he sounded tight, bored or mad. The jokes that he told were hardly understood by his own friends a lot of the time, so he came off as a person that was mad at the world, or judging you. Also, his face expression. He looked like he could kill you if so much as lifted a finger in the wrong direction when he was next to you. In conclusion, he wasn't someone you'd go up to willingly if you knew nothing about him and you hadn't been dared to.

Again, people were wrong. Keiji was a caring person, that talked when he was needed to but could also converse if you just invited him to. That last part is a little difficult if nobody invites you to. But he didn't care, he didn't mind it at all.

Now, Tamiko and Keiji knew the other exited. That was it.

Really, that was it. They had seen each other around school, they shared a few classes. They didn't talk, they didn't notice each other, they just knew they existed the same way you know the dude you see every day running down your street at 6 in the morning —by the way, why would they do that, please go running at a decent hour.

Truth be told, they would've never met had it been for themselves. Which is exactly where Yukie and Kaori came into scene. They liked to give themselves all credit for their friends' relationship, because it was thanks to them that Akaashi ended up at the Lucky Cat Café bookstore and he met Tamiko.

The café was empty, with just two clients reading the newspaper next to the window. Tamiko had her shift, but since there wasn't a lot of people she had picked up her homework and started doing it on the barstool.

Her concentration was broken when the door opened, the little bell dinging in announcement of a new person coming in.

"Let me finish this equation and I'll be right with you" she said, not looking up from her notebook "You're welcome to look through the menu or around the books"

"That one equals four" the new voice said.

Tamiko looked up to meet the owner of the voice.

"Hey I know you! You're that guy that sits in front of me in Literature. You're in math too, right?" he nodded, and she smiled "Well thanks for finishing my homework, dude. Anything you want is on the house for that"

"Anything?"

"Yeah"

"Can I have a copy of "To Kill A Mockingbird" for free then?" he smirked, a glint of mischievousness in his eyes when she gaped at him, slowly smiling.

"Well played" she pointed at him "Tamiko Shiota-Yamada" she offered her hand.

"Keiji Akaashi" he shook it.

"Well, Keiji Akaashi, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but we don't have that copy to borrow nor to buy"

"That's too bad, two friends assured me it'd be here"

"I was about say, you could borrow mine. I have it in my bag, I can just go get it"

"You don't mind?"

"Of course not. If Kaori and Yukie told you you'd be getting a book here, you're getting a book"

"How did you know it was them?"

"No one else goes recommending this place to teenagers" she chuckled; he smiled small "I'll be right back" she winked and turned to go fetch the book.

Akaashi used the time to look around the place. It was cozy, a few couches and tables to relax and eat. The book isle was decked in a corner, separated between the ones that were to buy and the ones that were only to borrow. "So this place works as a café, a bookstore, and a library" he thought, nodding slightly impressed.

"Ohhhkay, I'm back. Here's your book, but I expect it back" she warned, giving him a pointed look before he took it.

"I'll take good care of it"

"Good. I'll see you around school, then?"

"Actually, those couches are looking very comfortable, so I was thinking I could sit down to read the book. That way, you could check I'm treating it right"

"Oh. That's a good idea, yes. Would you like to order something while you read?"

"Is this free too?" he arched a brow.

"No" she deadpanned.

Then, Akaashi started laughing, and Tamiko followed. What they were laughing at, they didn't exactly know. But it was nice. They'd been unconsciously flirting back and forth, and now the moment was gone, but it didn't matter. They wondered why they'd never talked before, but they also realized it didn't matter. They knew each other now, and they were grateful.

2012, March 20th

Yeah, from then on, both their lives had changed for the better. The story started with that once upon a time, and it seemed as if it had paused for an unknown amount of time. Keiji Akaashi, ever so patient, couldn't wait for that pause to start.

"But she'll wake up soon" he muttered to himself "And our story will resume"

Somewhere in the pages of their book, the narrator sighed, wishing they could change their fate, maybe restart that "Once upon a time" and alter the course. They weren't meant to be a tragedy.