Always a Step Ahead [Akashi Seijūrō x OC]

[ 01: promise ]

"Seijūrō," his mother called out as she urged him to take a step forward, "this is Shiroita Tsukiko."

A six year old Seijūrō stared at the little whiteheaded girl in front of him. Her pink lips were slightly parted as her piercing blue eyes locked with his own fiery red ones. Moments of just simple silence passed before...

"You have red hair," her soft voice said.

"But you have white hair."

She giggled. "I knew you'd say that."

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"Sei-chan!"

He looked up from his spot on the piano bench, pale nimble fingers coming to a stop and the once music filled room came to a silence. They were now in their third year of elementary school, both at the top of their class and excelling at nearly everything they do.

"I told you not to call me that," an irritated Akashi muttered.

She smiled at him as she came next to him. "Hey, Sei-chan?"

"What is it?"

"Guess what I wanna do~"

He sighed. He had no time to be playing guessing games with her at this time. Not with a piano recital next week and his father constantly nagging him to make this performance the best out of all the others. If it was anything less than perfect then he could only imagine every worst thing possible. His father would definitely increase his workload, probably make him stop playing basketball, or even worse... Would his father make him stop seeing her-

"...-chan? Sei-chan!"

Akashi blinked and turned to look at the two blue eyes staring at him. "I'm sorry," he sighed. "What did you say?"

Tsukiko's frown deepened. "You never listen to me..." She looked away with her arms crossed.

Akashi stood up and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm listening now, Tsukiko."

A smile instantly graced her features and she grabbed his hand. "C'mon you can practice later! Let's go play!"

"W-Wait! But father-"

"Stop worrying so much Sei-chan," she laughed as she tugged him out of the piano room and out into the large hallways of the Akashi household. "Sei-chan always does the best so you don't need to practice so much!"

He scoffed as he ran with her. "And how can you be so sure of that?"

She flashed him a smile and squeezed his hand. "Did you forget, Sei-chan?"

He blinked, confusion written all over his face.

"I'm always right."

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No one expected it. No one saw it coming. Not even she saw it.

Akashi stood beside his father, thanking guests for taking the time to pay their respects to his wonderful mother. He refused to shed any tears, refused to show any signs of weakness in front of all these guests, especially his father.

But why was she crying like that?

"Sei-chan..." she whimpered.

The Shiroita family were the last ones present. The two men of the households spoke silently amongst each other while Akashi decided to take Tsukiko out of the funeral home.

"I-I'm sorry Sei-chan," she said in between sobs. "I'm so sorry..."

He guided her to sit on a bench just outside the building. "Why are you crying so hard, Tsukiko? Did you love mother that much?"

Her head shot up and her blue eyes burned with a passion he hadn't seen before. "Of course I did!" she shouted with such pain and anger. "I still do," she whispered this time, head hanging low. "You know why I do..."

Akashi knelt down in front of her. "But still..." He gently took her hands away from her face. "That still doesn't tell me why you're crying as if someone pulled your heart out."

"Because," she started, lifting her head ever so slightly to meet his red gaze, "I'm crying for you."

Akashi's eyes widened. He was taken aback. Crying for him? Why would she cry for him? She should have known by now. He wasn't allowed to cry. He couldn't show weakness. He-

"Sei-chan," she whispered just loud enough for him to hear, squeezing his hand like she would always do whenever he needed reassuring. "It's okay to cry."

That was the first time she saw him cry.

ㅇㅇㅇ

They sat in his room surrounded in darkness. The soft light of the moon peaked out from his thin curtains. They sat there in silence, shoulder to shoulder, hands clasped together tightly.

His cheeks were glistening from dried up tears. He squeezed her hand. "Tsukiko..."

"Mm?"

"Promise me something..."

She turned her head to him and he turned to her. The gazes of a calm blue and fierce red locked and he swore he could see the whole world inside those bright blue irises that peered up at him so intently.

"What is it, Sei-chan?" she asked with that soft and gentle voice that always brought him warmth and content.

"Promise me... That we'll always be together."

It was in that moment that she saw it all play out in front of her. Inside those red eyes she saw the troubles and hardships he would soon face. And when she dug deeper she tensed up for she saw him. The other him deep down inside plotting and scheming to ruin all he had. So she nodded ever so slowly.

"I promise."

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A/N:
This is my first published fanfic on here! >.< Finally posted something after how many years of just reading. I hope you all enjoy this story as I try my best to update it! And I hope you all look forward to my future works too!