Work Text:
Akaashi Keiji does not considers himself a stalker. He swears he isn’t. He just happens to enjoy (yes, enjoy) watching this stranger every morning who sits at the back in the right seat next to the window of the bus Akaashi has to take every morning to get to the coffee shop he works at.
The first time he saw the stranger, Akaashi thought he was one of those clowns who plays funny scenes in public transportation for money due to the man’s hair exaggeration. Silver hair with black streaks spiked in a way that defies the laws of gravity. It was really something. The second time Akaashi saw him he knew the stranger was not a clown and that he was just an ordinary guy taking the bus. He didn’t took him any mind, or so he says to himself.
The days passed, it was now a week since he first saw the stranger and Akaashi does not know when he started glancing at the man from the corner of his eye. Akaashi sits as well at the back of the bus except he takes the seats in the left. From where he’s seated, just looking at the right and not to the left like he used to, he can watch everything the stranger is doing. The black-haired man starts noticing little things of the stranger like sometimes he’s talking on the phone with someone named Kuroo (Akaashi isn’t one to eavesdropping stranger’s conversations but the man is almost shouting it’s impossible not to hear him, really) other times he’s too quiet and just rest his head in the window all the way to his stop. Either way, Keiji was amazed by him, he doesn’t even know why.
Akaashi also knows where the man’s stop is since he leaves before Akaashi does. Every time they are nearing his stop and the guy leaves his seat, Akaashi is sure to turn his head to the left to avoid the man’s sight of view. His stop isn’t really that far from Akaashi’s, he notices too.
It is three weeks after he first saw the stranger (is he really a stranger at this rate?) that Akaashi is looking forward to see him. As they pass the stop where the guy takes the bus, and there’s not sight of the man with spiked hair and golden eyes, Keiji feels as if something is missing, more like longing. Keiji tries really hard not to feel disappointed but fails in the process. Maybe Akaashi took the bus too early and didn’t get to see the man because of that. He glanced at his phone to watch the hour but it’s the usual time as always. Did the man noticed him watching him and decided not to take the same bus anymore to avoid Akaashi? No, it couldn’t be. Akaashi wasn’t that obvious, was he? He hopes not, anyway.
***
The coffee shop where he worked at was rather special; the owner had a rule about the employees: They had to be“pretty” in order to work here, and the one who sold more would be named the pretty boy of the week. Akaashi finds it ridiculous, he only accepted working here because he needed the job and the salary he received wasn’t that bad.
Akaashi is in charge of the cash register this day. After giving the group of girls in front of him their orders he sighed, trying not to look that affected because of the man’s absence in the bus. He was just overthinking and it really shouldn’t affect him this much, he knew that but still.
“Yahoo~, earth to Aka-chan!” Akaashi turned to the source of the familiar voice, it was his co-worker Oikawa looking at him with that smile of his.
Akaashi blinked, recollecting himself. “Sorry. What was that, Oikawa-san?”
“Oh nothing! It’s just that frown doesn’t really suit that pretty face of yours, you know.” Oikawa said with a grin on his face. “You’re not being your usual composed self, Aka-chan. I worry about you!” He lifted a hand to his chest, faking concern.
“More like you just want to know what’s going on with my personal life.” Akaashi deadpanned. “And don’t call me that.”
“Oh? So there is something going on! Is someone giving problems to our precious pretty boy of the week? You can trust me, Aka-chan! I’m all ears.”
“I didn’t say that, Oika-” Akaashi was interrupted when the bell at the door ringed announcing the arrival of a new costumer. Akaashi looked up from Oikawa to the door and froze at recognizing the person who walked in. Spiked silver hair, golden eyes, smile that could light up an entire room, those arms. The man walked to the counter top with a smile on his face, looking straight ahead.
He was then right in front of him, “Hey, hey! I’ll take the sweetest drink you have, please!” His voice suited him so well. Akaashi could hear it so well now and not just by hearing him talk on the phone, he noticed his eyes were brighter once he got to be this close to him, he had a little line of faded freckles across his nose. It was really cute. A smile started to form on Akaashi’s face, he couldn’t stop staring at the man right before his eyes.
“Hey, are you okay there?” The man asked, feeling nervous under the stare of Akaashi.
“I’m sorry! It seems like the sun itself has blinded him.” Oikawa said, pushing Akaashi to the side to take the front of the cash register. “Your drink it’s on its way! Please, take a seat while you wait.”
The man glanced at Akaashi and gave a quick nod, taking a seat at the counter top. Oikawa then graved Akaashi’s wrist and shoved him inside of the back room, closing the door.
“Well, well, well. I cannot believe my eyes! What was that, Aka-chan?” Said the brunette with a teasing tone. “I wouldn’t have thought you could lose your cool that way.” He had a shit eating grin across his face.
The realization of what he had just done hit him like a ton of bricks. Akaashi felt the blush come all the way to his face. The man must think he was some kind of creep now. How was he supposed to face the man now? Chances are that the guy would recognise him at the bus when he sees him and he will think that Akaashi is stalking him, and Keiji will have actually talk to him and-
“You know,” A voice interrupted Akaashi’s internal monologue. “He’s still waiting for his drink out there. We don’t want to keep him waiting, do we? So if you excuse me, love bird.” Oikawa walked to the door, giving Akaashi a knowing smile before exiting the room, leaving an embarrassed Keiji alone, hiding his face with his hands. Did he had it that bad for the man? He groaned. Just like Oikawa said, he couldn’t believe the way he had loosed his composure in front of the man. Akaashi wasn’t at all like that.
Oikawa returned after a moment, grinning at him. “His name is Bokuto Koutarou and he’s coming back today when your shift ends. You’re welcome.”
Akaashi Keiji was so fucked.
***
Every time someone walked in, Akaashi would look up, startled, his heart pounding in his chest. He tried to collect himself but he just couldn’t. All these feelings were new to him and he just didn’t know what to do.
The door opened, revealing his other two co-workers Sugawara and Kenma entering the shop. If they were already here that just meant his shift was about to end. Akaashi sighed.
“…Keiji, a weird guy asked for you. He’s waiting outside.” Said Kenma, taking off his fluffy sweater -which was a little too big for him- along with his red scarf, putting his PSP aside to put on his apron.
“He is Aka-chan’s soon-to-be boyfriend!” Oikawa’s arm was on his shoulder, rubbing their cheeks together.
Sugawara and Kenma looked at him with questioning looks. Akaashi gently pushed Oikawa off him, closing his eyes and sighing.
“No, he’s not.” He looked outside, the man, named Bokuto was already there just like Kenma had said. Akaashi felt like throwing up.
“Don’t waste more time, Aka-chan! Weird Prince Charming is waiting for you! How rude of you!” Oikawa lifted his arms in the air.
“I’ll explain later.” He said to Kenma, taking off his apron and putting on his coat. He gave Kenma and Sugawara a small smile before turning to the door.
He started walking, regaining his composure. He heard Sugawara say good luck to him. Akaashi didn’t need to turn around to know that Oikawa had a grin on his face.
This was it. He had to face the man now and probably assure him that he wasn’t a creep. He opened the door, stepping outside. The fresh air hit Akaashi in the face, it was quite chilly today. He then turned to the man who was walking where he was standing at. Akaashi sighed once again. He could do this.
“Hey hey hey!” They were facing each other now. Bokuto was smiling at him and Akaashi felt a little warmer despite of the chilly air.
“Hello, Bokuto-san.” Bokuto’s smile grew bigger.
“Wow! You really are pretty, Akaashi! No wonder why you work here, huh?” Akaashi’s face reddened slightly, he was glad he could blame the cold.
“Thank you.” Keiji smiled at him and then he felt a pair of eyes over them. “Do you want to take a walk at the park, Bokuto-san? It seems like we have an audience here.” He said, pointing at the window of the shop where Oikawa’s face was pressed against the glass, watching them.
Bokuto laughed and Akaashi swears he saw stars. “Yeah yeah! Let’s go, Akaashi!” They started walking to the park, smiling all the way there.
Once at the park, they took a seat on a bench near the frozen water fountain. Bokuto kept smiling at Akaashi and he didn’t felt uncomfortable under his attention in the slightness.
“So, this might sound weird and somewhat creepy but I know who you are.” At hearing those words Keiji felt nervousness take all over his body. Despite this, he managed to keep his usual steady face. “Well, not like know-know you! But like I’ve seen you on the bus I take every morning and yeah.” Bokuto’s gaze was still on Akaashi.
“I see.” He sighed, looking at his hands on his lap. “To be quite frank, I’ve seen you on that bus as well.”
“I know.” At this, Akaashi looked up at Bokuto. Eyes slightly wide.
“You know?” Akaashi started to pull at his fingers
“Well yeah! Like every time I walk to the seat I take you’re always following me with your eyes.” Bokuto rubbed at the back of his neck with his hand. “I actually smiled at you! But you just kept staring at me and I thought you hated me!”
“Oh.” The black-haired man managed to say. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Bokuto-san…” So after all, Akaashi did was obvious.
“Oh no! Not at all! I just thought you hated me, is all. You don’t hate me, right?!” Said Bokuto poking out his lower lip, forming a pout. Keiji thought it was a cute sight
“Of course not, Bokuto-san.” A small smile started to form on Akaashi’s face. “I would never, I guess. But in the other hand, I really am sorry for staring at you like that. I… thought you were unaware of me watching you.” Keiji glanced down, avoiding Bokuto’s eyes. When he looked up again, the man in front of him was smiling at him.
“Well, if you really are sorry then I guess you can make it up for me by going on a date with me, Akaashi!” Bokuto then took Akaashi’s hands in his, golden glooming eyes staring at deep emerald ones.
Akaashi’s eyes fell down at their joined hands. Warm spreading all over his body.
Looking up at him again, he gave Bokuto one of his widest smile, Keiji wasn’t used to smile this much in such a short amount of time and his face hurt for doing so.
“I would love to, Bokuto.”
Later, Akaashi realised smiling came easily with Koutarou by his side.