wake up soon - k. akaashi

six: please

2012, April 1st

The beeping of the constant heart was the only sound in the room. It was late at night, or very early in the morning, depends on how you look at it. Akaashi didn't usually visit in these hours, but the recurring nightmare had woken him up once more, and he'd decided to take a walk, try to calm himself down.

It was dark in the streets of the Tokyo neighborhood, an eerie calm to match his shaken mood. He hadn't even bothered putting clothes on, he just took a sweater and his sneakers and left his house. He needed air.

As he walked he got lost in his thoughts. The chilly early spring night air hugged his face, and his first instinct was reach out for a hand that would usually accompany in the nights out. But he was met with more air.

He'd never get used to this, even if she'd been sleeping for almost two months now. But fuck he missed her so much, and sometimes he couldn't help but think it was his fault. It wasn't. He knew that.

"But maybe if she hadn't been on the phone..."

2012, February 3rd

Tamiko was just walking home from work, she couldn't wait to finally get there, take a shower and call her boyfriend. It had been an exhausting day. Her phone vibrated from her pocket.

"Speak of the devil..." she muttered, and smile taking over her lips as she pushed answer "Keiji! I was just thinking of you"

On the other side of the line, Keiji Akaashi smiled to himself and hid the blush from his best friend, who had a teasing smirk plastered on his face.

"Hi Angel. Bokuto and I were wondering if you'd want to come have dinner with us and the others" he told her, hoping she'd say yes.

She stopped at a traffic light, waiting for it to get green and pondered over the offer. She was exhausted, but she could go for some ramen.

"Sure. Just tell me where you are and I'll get going" she said, excitement already getting to her.

"We're going to that place that has the different spices for you to pick up and place on your bowl" he informed, the scowl he'd been giving his best friend transforming into a smile.

"Okay, are you guys too far? 'Cause I could really use some talk right now"

Akaashi shook his head, a breathy chuckle leaving his dry lips. He could read her like a book, even when she wasn't in view. He could practically see her trying to fight the small pout that was forming on her lips —he totally didn't get distracted at the thought of her lips— her eyes looking everywhere except ahead of her, and her fingers tapping on her side, trying to distract her from anything.

"Are you up for a talk about today's practice?"

"I'm up for anything as long as I don't have to talk. I'm tired, Keiji" she whined, the pout now settled.

"Okay, how about this. You tell me where you are and I'll come get you, we can go to my house and have a relaxing evening instead" the boy proposed, stopping on his place and making Bokuto do the same.

Tamiko hummed at his offer, going over it for a sec. That sounded good. A relaxing evening with her boyfriend, cuddles and warm blanket, maybe a movie or soft music playing on the background. That did sound really nice. Her muscles ached for that.

"Will the others be mad if we don't show up?"

"Nah, we understand Tami" came Bokuto, snickering at the look of Akaashi.

"Okay, thanks Bo" Tamiko snickered along with him "I'd like that, Kei. I'm at the cross a just a block down the store"

"Okay, I'll be there in two minutes" he turned to the taller boy, waving goodbye before taking a turn and going for his girl "So I've been working on this new set technique..."

Although she had no idea what he was talking about, Shiota-Yamada listened to every word that came out of Akaashi's mouth, his voice calming her. She leaned against the traffic light, ignoring how it turned green and red one more time, a soft smile on her face and her eyes closed for a second.

"Open your eyes, Angel. You can't fall sleep in the middle of the street" he suddenly said, and Tamiko did.

In front of her, Akaashi smiled gently, his face screaming "Good morning, sleepy head", like he'd said before when either had stayed the night at the other's house. She smiled tiredly.

"But I'm tired, I wanna sleep" she stood up straight, ready to cross the street as the light was now green again.

A deafening screech sounded from the other side of the street. Everything was fast, a car with a driver that didn't look very sober at the wheel speeded down, and the next thing Tamiko knew, everything was black.

For Akaashi, it all happened in slow motion. One second Tamiko was taking the first step towards him, and then there was a car in view too, but he swears he saw how the girl's fragile body reacted to the crash. He swears he heard the bones snap, and he didn't feel the phone slipping from his hand, nor his legs moving.

"Tamiko! Tamiko, please!" he cried, collapsing next to her, blood staining his hands and clothes "Help! Someone, please help!"

2012, April 1st

So now, in front of her body, in the dark room, Akaashi broke down again.

Was it his fault? She wouldn't have waited for another light to turn green if he hadn't proposed going home. She'd gone at the first, and the car wouldn't have gotten her.

All she wanted was to sleep, take a nap. This was being one hell of a long nap, and Keiji wasn't sure how much more time he'd be able to see her like this. She looked dead, and for a girl full of life to look like that... it was disturbing, didn't sit right.

"Wake up soon" he croaked between his tears "Please, Angel"

He wanted to sleep, but he was afraid of the nightmare repeating again. Although, he had it right in front of him, even as he was awake.