Chapter Text
He was nothing short of beautiful.
Breathtaking, even.
Stood in the middle of the library row, a pale face framed with short, curly blonde hair, with long eyelashes just as blond and a nose crafted by the hands of God. His gold-rimmed, rectangular glasses sat on his beautiful nose, his lips in a thin line as he read the book in his palm. His eyes ran across the book quickly, a soft brown, the colour of milk chocolate. He was even dressed beautifully, wearing an oversized yellow sweater that exposed a collarbone and beige slacks cuffed at the bottom, on his feet Converses the same colour as his sweater.
Akaashi couldn’t help but stare, stood still at the entrance of the book shelf row, his hands tightening around the handle of the book cart he had just been pushing through the library.
He couldn’t look away, the stranger startling and capturing his attention, all his senses focused on the tall boy before him.
Akaashi almost flinched when the boy’s eyes met his own, his head didn’t even move, eyes flicking to him in a movement that could only be described as elegant. Akaashi swallowed, his thoughts running erratic as they struggled to tell him what to do.
Externally, Akaashi was the perfect picture of stoicism, his own eyes a step above deadpan and lips in a calm, straight line. Going purely on instinct and muscle memory, Akaashi gave the stranger a quick nod of acknowledgement, nothing too drastic or bold for meeting in a library on a late afternoon where most people are snoozed at tables instead of studying and darkening sunlight filtered in overhead through the tall windows that made up the library.
The stranger’s reaction, a just as calm and calculated nod back, gave Akaashi a rush of heat to his body so strong he could have shivered.
Almost like the pinprick of an injection, the sudden realisation had hit Akaashi instantly.
On that late afternoon, in early autumn, on a day as unremarkable as any other, he had fallen in love.
“Hmm.”
It’s a curious noise that Akaashi chooses to ignore as he places returned books back into their correct places. It’s a Saturday morning, a relatively quiet time for the campus university, where only a few people mill about.
“Hmmm.”
Akaashi ignores his too as he pushes his book cart into another row of bookshelves, but the pair follow him as expected.
Unfortunately, they are persistent.
“Hmmmmmm.”
They make the noise together and with a sigh, Akaashi turns to face his tormentors, his friends and quite unbelievably, his seniors.
“Is there something wrong, Bokuto-san, Kuroo-san?”
Upon being finally acknowledged the pair’s smiles spread across their faces, becoming almost predatory.
“It’s nothing.” Kuroo replies with faux nonchalance, as he picks up a book from the cart and flicks through it absentmindedly. “We were just curious is all.”
“Curious as to what, Kuroo-san?” Akaashi says, already knowing he won’t like where this is going. The couple are dear friends of his; friends that he loves very much, but they do have the habit—especially when they’re together—of being quite exasperating.
“Who this mystery guy could be!” Bokuto says a little bit too loudly.
Akaashi bristles for a split second before catching himself, but it’s no use. Kuroo is exceptionally perceptive, irritatingly so. He smiles as Akaashi’s ruffled expression and wraps a hand around the shorter boy.
“Come on, Akaashi! Let your senpais’ teach you a thing or two about love!”
Bokuto nods enthusiastically, as he takes the book cart handles to push them towards the next bookshelf row as Kuroo hurdles Akaashi to follow him.
They end up in the romance section of the library which makes Akaashi this whole thing has been planned meticulously—though they really don’t have the time for such a thing, what with Bokuto being on the volleyball team more days that not and Kuroo being on the just as demanding Chemistry major—to the point that they even know where things are.
“Didn’t someone say that to love, is to live?” Kuroo says dramatic as he spins Akaashi around in a dramatic waltz-like flourish.
“I wouldn’t know, Kuroo-san. I’m a Philosophy major not a Literature one.” Akaashi replies, letting himself be spun around. Kuroo lets him go with another dramatic flourish and he twirls out of the sequence, striking a lazy pose which garners a happily laugh from Bokuto and a little clap. Akaashi smiles slightly at it, as silly as they may be, sometimes—quite often if he’s being honest—their antics put a smile on his face.
“Come on, Akaashi!” Bokuto pipes up, moving to wrap his arms around his boyfriend who welcomes the action, “We just want to help you, like you helped us!”
Akaashi looks at them, two peas in a pod, two troublemakers who fit perfectly like a glove would a hand and thinks back to nights where Bokuto kept him up with his lovesickness over Kuroo, to conversations where Kenma grumpily told him that Kuroo bothered him with the same thing. It took time but with enough encouragement and Akaashi cleverly locking them in a broom cupboard, the two had confessed their mutual feelings and had been a happy couple since.
He sighs as the two affectionately play with one another, Kuroo playfully flicking Bokuto’s nose, an action that should make him cringe but oddly enough he finds himself calmed by it.
Akaashi reaches for his book cart, finding the books to be returned to the shelves. His fingers graze over a title called Half a Lifelong Romance and for a moment he lets himself drift off into his imagination, the idea of embarking on a grand romantic venture, one that includes a certain blonde beauty.
“I don’t even know if he’s single.” he says quietly, a part of him hoping that the pair don’t hear him over their whispered nothings. But they snap their heads towards him as soon as he opens his mouth and once he’s done they move towards him, ending up on either side of him. They both place a hand on his shoulder, give a squeeze to both sides of his body.
“That’s okay!” Bokuto says jovially, “We can start simple, we gotta get you to talk to him first!”
Kuroo nods in agreement, “You don’t know anything about him but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to get to know him. We’ll start small.”
Akaashi considers what they’re saying and can’t help but agree.
“What should my first move be?” Akaashi inquires gently, he doesn’t want to seem more ambitious than necessary, after all the beautiful stranger might already be dating someone or might not even have any interest in other men.
“First just try to find out his name.” Kuroo says simply, “Don’t give yourself too much to work with.”
That sounds reasonable, so Akaashi nods as he makes to push the book cart to another row.
“Yeah and maybe try to have some small talk with him! Ask him what his major is!” Bokuto adds as he follows Akaashi with Kuroo in tow, the pair hand in hand.
“Slow and steady wins the race!”
Akaashi puts more returned books on shelves as they fall into simple conversation: Bokuto’s upcoming volleyball match, an essay Kuroo has to start doing this coming week, other frivolous things that make Akaashi’s shift go by easily.
By noon, Bokuto and Kuroo make to leave as they plan to get an early lunch.
“Well I didn’t have breakfast so I guess it’s lunch.” Kuroo says as he helps push the book cart back to its original station.
“It’s just past 12pm, so it’s best suited to call it brunch.” Akaashi says in reply as he gets behind the reception of the library, where he assists people borrowing library books or paying late fees.
“No, no, no! It’s bruhnch .” Bokuto pipes up, making Kuroo snort at the dumb joke.
With a wave from Kuroo and a hug from Bokuto, his two seniors exit the library, leaving the space, quieter and a little less vibrant.
Unbeknownst to Akaashi who had turned around to arrange something behind him, as the couple exited the library someone else walked in. That someone made their way to the reception, pausing the music on his phone and taking his white headphones off his ears to hang them around his neck. He waits patiently as Akaashi continues to arrange papers on the noticeboard and post-it notes from his other librarian colleagues, making sure to take a mental note of the fundraiser that they'll be holding in a few weeks. When he turns around, Akaashi comes face to face with the person he saw all those days ago in the non-fiction section of the library. The same blonde hair, beautiful nose and wondrous brown eyes.
Don't panic, remain completely calm, keep your voice steady and unfazed.
"Can I help you?" Akaashi says simply, proud of how calm his voice comes out. The stranger looks eyes with him and it becomes hard for Akaashi to think.
"I just wanted to renew a loan and pay a fine." The boy's voice is almost monotone, straitlaced and intelligent.
"Of course, can I have your library card?" Akaashi responses just a bit too quickly, he berates himself for his excitement but the boy opposite him doesn't seem to notice. He reaches into his pocket to get his library card and Akaashi takes the opportunity to take in his clothing. He's wearing the same beige slacks but his sweater this time is navy blue, he's also wearing a white shirt underneath, it's collar folded neatly.
The boy hands over his student ID which doubles as a library card for all Tokyo University students and Akaashi takes it swiftly to scan. The boy's name comes up along with the book he has borrowed and the amount of his fine.
Tsukishima Kei.
It's a name as beautiful as it's owner.
Akaashi renews the archaeology textbook and wipes clean the low fine of ¥200 before handing the ID back to the book.
"It's all sorted for you."
The blonde boy, Tsukishima, blinks at him, "What about the fine?"
"It's not much, so don't worry about it." Akaashi says in a fashion that he hopes is breezy and casual.
Tsukishima's eyes widen slightly before a small smile etches across his face. "Thank you."
Akaashi fights the urge to blush, though he can only hold it off for so long. He nods at the boy who turns to leave the library, carefully placing his headphones back on, gently mussing what looks to be very soft hair. Akaashi feels the warmth spread to his cheeks as the automatic doors close behind the boy. His heart races in his chest, unlike anything he's felt before as he replays their interaction in his head.
He had smiled at him. It's nothing big but it's something . To Akaashi's beating heart at least, it means a great deal.
Although it's against library policy to do so without the person being present, Akaashi pulls up Tsukishima's file again, seeing the simple photograph of the boy's student ID. As he goes over the boy's library loans mostly textbooks and the occasional fictional title, Akaashi pieces together that he's an Paleontology major and also finds out that he's a first year to the university which answers the question as to why Akaashi has never seen him before.
Remembering himself and how inappropriate he's being, Akaashi quickly closes the library account file before he gets caught. He welcomes the interruption of another student needing assistance and continues with his duties as a part-time librarian for his campus' library.
But not too far in the back of his mind is a blonde boy that he hopes will become a regular part of his days at the library.