Chapter Text
The breeze rustled past, leaving the bright autumn leaves to swirl in its wake. Akashi walked alone, eyes sharp and calculating. Flickering street lamps led him through a stone-filled path as he strode back to his dorm.
"Those imbeciles," he grumbled, grinding his teeth angrily. "I'll kill them for leaving me behind." A malicious smirk grew on his lips as his eyes glinted dangerously. ”Just wait until-“
With a grunt, Akashi came to a stumbling halt. His sentence was left unsaid; abandoned for the wind to carry through the cold air. If it weren’t for his quick reflexes, Akashi would've come crashing down. The same couldn't be said for the other party.
Akashi's attention shifted downwards to a figure sprawled out on the rough stones. He heard the person sigh softly before slowly lifting his head to meet Akashi's smoldering gaze. The insults that were about to roll off his tongue suddenly caught in his throat as Akashi could only come up with one thought. Beautiful.
The first thing Akashi took notice of was his abnormally colored hair. The soft, baby blue locks fell messily into wire-rimmed glasses that were perched atop his small, button nose. His skin was a creamy, white color that made his matching blue eyes appear strikingly ethereal. Long eyelashes fluttered against his flushed cheeks as he winced in pain.
"Are you alright?" Akashi asked after an awkward pause. He held out a hand for the boy to grasp, and the stranger took it gratefully and stood. Akashi couldn't help but notice the warmth that spread through him as they touched, offering a fleeting relief against the biting cold. He quickly withdrew his hand.
"I'm okay,” came a quiet response. Fixing his skewed glasses, the boy gazed at him thoughtfully with a frown. ”Sorry for running into you like that. I was on my phone.” As their eyes met once more, Akashi felt his heartbeat unnaturally quicken. This unknown boy with beautiful eyes was undoing all the composure Akashi had strengthened within him for years.
"No need to apologize. I was pretty careless myself." Akashi forced out a steady smile, tucking his cold hands back into his pockets. He willed himself to calm down as the boy continued to pierce him with shining blue eyes. ”Where are you headed?" Akashi asked smoothly. It was late at night, and the boy was on a path directing him back to campus. It was obvious he was lost. The boy paused for a moment, seemingly embarrassed.
"I'm trying to find the dorms,” he eventually replied, lips pulling into a frown. "I was supposed to meet my friend there, but I got lost and he is absolutely terrible at giving directions."
Akashi let out a genuine smile. “I was actually on my way there, too. Would you like to walk together?” The other visibly brightened, exhaling a small sigh of relief. His cheeks were flushed a beautiful coral color as he smiled thankfully. Akashi thought he looked stunning.
“I’d love to. Thank you for the offer…” There was a nice drawl to his voice, prompting the red-head for his name. "Akashi Seijuro.” He nodded his head gratefully. "Thank you, Akashi-San."
"It's no problem." They began to walk and the conversation continued to flow. “You can call me more familiarly. I’d like for us to be friends.”
“Okay then, Akashi-Kun. My name is Kuroko Tetsuya, but you can call me whatever you’d like as well.” Kuroko offered a small smile before following the other obediently. Swiveling his head forward, the taller tried to convince himself the flutter in his heart was due to the unrelenting cold.
They fell into a comfortable silence, listening to the wind that blew and the echoing taps of their footsteps. It was peaceful. As the view of the dorms approached, Akashi felt a strong feeling of disappointment overtake him. He was embarrassed to be acting so childishly.
“We’re here,” Akashi finally announced. He was extremely unsatisfied. Kuroko, oblivious to Akashi’s change in mood, looked around for his friend, feeling relieved as he spotted a familiar figure looming by the entrance. He turned to face Akashi, bowing politely. "Thank you for walking me here, Akashi-Kun. I hope to see you around campus."
Akashi responded with a friendly smile. “Yes. I hope to see you as well.” With a nod, Kuroko left, pivoting on his heel to greet his companion. Akashi sighed discontentedly before a small smile wormed its way back onto his lips.
"Maybe I should let the boys off the hook…I was pretty late after all."