Anzu Mazaki wakes to a loud banging at her door. She starts and groggily looks at outside her window. The sky is pitch black and her digital clock reads 1:17 AM.
Anzu groans and rubs her eyes. In the back of her mind, she is worried. Who could be knocking at her door so late at night? And for what reason? Nothing good ever follows a late night knock at the door.
She trudges to the door, taking a glance through the peephole and sees a mess of black and purple curls. Her short, chestnut brown hair is an unruly mess but she doesn't give that much thought before opening the door for one of her best friends.
Atemu stands at the door frame, his red eyes gleaming and his hands visibly shaking. Anzu immediately tenses.
"Atemu? It's like, one in the morning. What-"
"You are a fan of the Harry Potter series, correct?" Atemu interrupts. There's a sheepish grin on his face as his eyes search her face. Anzu looks down and notices the phone her friends is clutching desperately in his right hand. She raises an eyebrow.
"...Yes?" She answers suspiciously. "Why-"
"Perfect! Then you can teach me!" He pushes her way into her apartment as Anzu gapes.
"Hey! What the hell Atemu!" Anzu shuts the door behind her and marches over to where Atemu has taken a seat on her couch. In the light of her living room, she can see him more clearly. He has a green jacket on, from which his hands pull out a notepad and pen. His hair is pulled back into a bun, not including his blond bangs. He looks at her expectantly with eyes she's just realized that carry dark circles on them.
"It is my understanding that the main protagonist is a young boy named Harry and the antagonist is named Voldemort, yes?"
Anzu crosses her arms and pins him with a glare. "Atemu Yami Sennen," He winces at her tone. "Why the hell have you barged into my apartment at one in the morning to talk about Harry Potter? Why the hell couldn't this wait until morning? And why the hell shouldn't I kick you out this moment?" She may be dressed in fuzzy, pink pajama pants and a dark magician girl t-shirt, but Atemu knows she is not someone to be taken lightly, no matter the situation.
Atemu purses his lips and looks away. He looks apologetic and takes a minute to think before finally answering. "I am sorry for my intrusion. I have a meeting with someone I must impress tomorrow morning."
"A meeting." Anzu deadpans. "Where you're going to discuss a children's fantasy book. A meeting where the best way to impress the other person is through the knowledge of these fantasy books."
Atemu folds in on himself a little. "...Yes?"
"May I ask who this 'other person' is?"
Atemu immediately looks away. "You don't know him. He is a friend. No one of consequence, really."
Anzu frowns as she tries to see Atemu's face through his bangs. He may have a dark shade of skin, but she's learned how to tell when he's blushing. She's learned a lot about her friends in the years she's known them. 'No one of consequence' is most definitely someone of consequence. Anzu gives him her best 'don't give me that bullshit' look so he'll cave.
"He is... someone I've had contact with over the internet for about a year."
That's still not what she wants. She waits another five minutes while Atemu squirms in his seat.
"Anzu," He groans, "Please. He's going to be in the area this week for a convention of some sort and I may have told him that we have a shared interest in Harry Potter but now he wishes for us to meet and-"
"Why would you tell him that?"
"I don't know! He just asked a few hours ago and I said yes without thinking and-" He trails off with a pitiful look.
Again, this isn't the answer she wants. Anzu waits.
Atemu finally sighs and looks away. He's folding the notepad in his hands and his knee bounces. "He is... someone I am.. interested in. Romantically. And I thought that if I could, maybe, learn about what he likes, he would show interest as well. But I don't know anything about the franchise and I only have a limited amount of time to learn as much as I can. But then I remembered you are a very big fan so I just thought-"
"Okay, I'm going to stop you right there." Anzu puts her hand up in a halting motion. "If a person really liked you, they wouldn't care that you don't share the same interests right away." She sits next to him and places a hand on his shoulder. "As long as you're yourself, then that'll be enough. You're an amazing man, Atemu. And if that guy won't see that tomorrow, then he's blind and has no taste in men."
Atemu laughs, his rigid posture relaxes. "Thank you, Anzu. And my... preferences? They do not bother you?"
"Not at all." Anzu's brown eyes are soft and she tries to display as much love and support as she can in them. "You're you; intelligent, kind, and compassionate. You don't need to become some geek on a fictional, magical world in one night to impress him, because who you are is going to be more than enough."
Atemu's smile is small, but there's enough emotion in his voice and eyes for Anzu to know her message got through at least somewhat. "Thank you," he is choked up and Anzu beams.
They hug and there are a few minutes of content silence before Atemu speaks again.
"I appreciate your kindness, believe me, I do. However, in all seriousness, I told him I have extensive knowledge of the whole series and I still would like to know what happens."
...
Anzu never does end up explaining the plot; she only sends Atemu home with the advice that he won't be fully ready for the meeting if he's only had a few hours of sleep. Atemu begrudgingly leaves, but comes back a few days later (at a very reasonable time of 5:30 PM, thank you very much) grinning and radiating happiness. He shows her photos of the both of them at the convention. The other man, Yugi, is dressed as Harry and Atemu gushes about how their time was spent. She comes across a final photo, of Yugi leaning up to peck Atemu's cheek while Atemu beams to the camera, and pauses. Atemu looks over her shoulder and she doesn't have to look to know he is smiling.
"I told you so." She says.
What happens when you don't know anything about HP but there's an AU prompt? You make one of the characters just as confused as you are :)
