The mockingbird (Akashi Seijuro love story)

Detention.

Shizuko's POV 

I gritted my teeth in concentration, my eyes darting between the boxes I had carefully balanced ontop of eachother in my hands, and the stairs below my feet. I was furious with myself for being late to school, as a result I'd gotten detention and sent to fetch these. By a stroke of luck my dad had left for a gig yesterday, and wasn't coming home untill tomorrow, so I'd get away with not cooking him dinner on time.

The sound of a door opening into one of the floors below me sounded and I cursed as I had to accept the fact that someone might see me running errands like this. What was I, a servant? I couldn't stand doing the teacher's bidding, but since I was already in trouble I felt reluctant to endorse my punishment further... Of course the other person in the stairs had to be heading up towards me. I sighed in frustration while adjusting my grip on the boxes to keep the top one from sliding off. Jeez, if they were going to have me run errands, the least they could do was tell me which box I was supposed to get... I wasn't willing to be running back and fourth in case I got the wrong one, so I'd brought all of them. The five, grey storage boxes towered over my head and I was barely able to see where I was going. They were also really heavy. I praised myself for being able to keep them under controll for so long. 

"What are you doing carrying all those?" The sound of that familiar voice startled me to the point that my heart leapt. Just then I missed the next step below me and my heel slipped on the edge, causing my heart to attempt an escape through my throat when I lost my balance. I yelped in surprise and squeezed my eyes shut as I fell, preparing for the pain that would inevitably come from hitting the stairs and dropping the boxes. 

A set of strong arms wrapped around me before my body hit the jagged edges of the stairs behind me, the boxes crashed to the floor with loud bangs and the contents spilled. I kept my eyes shut as adrenaline jolted through my body. An already familiar, masculine scent enveloped me.

"Cluts" I finally dared to peek at the world outside and met Akashi's stare with my heart still galloping like a racehorse in my chest. He'd chaught me, why...? I stared at him stunned as he cradled me close to him, his breath puffed against my face gently. Too close. His expression looked slightly annoyed but I didn't mind it and panted sightly from the relief and adrenaline rushing in my veines. He put me down on the step below me and released me without a word. I trembled slightly from the scare and found myself unable to find something to say as I sat on the stairs with him crouching beside me. He'd chaught me just in the nick of time. He raised an eyebrow as I struggled to gather myself. 

"Why are you still in school?" He broke the silence that had occured, not bothering in asking if I was alright. I swallowed the lump in my throat and broke away from his piercing stare. Finally my brain started to function again and I clicked my tounge in irritation. 

"I was late for school and got detention. The teacher told me to fetch a box for the student council's president... But I wasn't sure which box, so..." I trailed off as I turned back to meet Akashi's stare and saw his surprised expression, which he swiftly hid when our eyes met. He raised his eyebrows and turned to study the mess around us. 

"-So you brought all of them?" I nodded affirmingly and he smirked amused. I pursed my lips in irritation at the situation. I'd managed to avoid this guy most of the day, and now this happened... I was so embarrassed with myself. Why was he even still here? He turned back to look at me, a rare glint of humor in his eyes. Hm... handsome... 

"I would never have expected this kind of dedication from you" The thought evaporated and was immideately replaced by irriation at his words and I frowned. He continued to turn back to one of the boxes that rested on the step below us, setting it upright and reading the label.