Work Text:
Nijiro Nanase. A name all too familiar on your tongue. You’ve known him when you were little. You guys were inseparable. Attached at the hip, most would say. And you couldn’t even deny it. It was true. You guys spent all of your time together, and no one could get in your way. Ranging from staying together during recess, to playdates, to sleepovers. You had your quirks and so did he and that’s what made you guys special. But of course, not all things stay the same. It started on a sunny day…
“Nana’, hey Nana’!” You had practically shouted, beaming with excitement as you all but stormed over to him. He had twisted his head towards the noise calling out that sweet nickname. After you called him that once as a joke when you guys were children, it just kind of stuck. You sat down next to him on a bench at the park and held out your hand, in your palms sitting a few pretty rocks. His eyes lit up, beaming as he stared at the glimmering stones, immediately grasping your wrists to get a better look at them. A bright smile made its way on to his face before he looked back at you, locking his eyes on to yours. “These are so cool!-“ His soft voice got cut off when he heard someone yell in the distance.
It was your mother. And with the way she was storming over to you she didn’t look happy. Her face seemed almost… worried..? Eyebrows furrowed with her lips curled in to a tight frown. Once she got over to you she grasped your wrist, snatching you out of Nanase’s grip and immediately dragging you with her. The rocks fell from your hands, clattering against the ground and Nanase could only watch with a dumbfounded look on his face.
Once you got home, all you saw was an empty space. Most of the furniture was missing, and your dad stood in the doorway, with suitcases and bags in his hands. You could only blabber out a confused response. What the hell was happening? “C’mon Y/N! We have to go!” You looked up with tearful eyes.”W-Wha- Why..?!” Your voice came out in a soft whimper-like tone.
Your mom crouched down to your level, a comforting hand resting on your shoulder, a sympathetic look playing on her face. “Sweetheart… your grandmother is in the hospital… We have to move closer to her so we can take care of her…” She said in a sickeningly sweet tone. What?! What does this mean?! Grandma’s sick?! We have to leave?! There was to much happening for your five year old brain to process. The next thing you knew you were sitting in your car, looking out of the window, tears staining your cheeks. You didn’t even get to say goodbye to Nanase!
Flash-forward to now, ten years later. You live in a different country, you go to a different school, hell, even YOU are very different from how you used to be. Your father passed away a few years ago which means you only have your mom and your very sick grandmother left. You aren’t that popular in high school, but it’s not like you have no friends. You have a few friends, and they’re the best friends you could ever ask for. To help your mom come by with both rent- and your grandmothers medical bills- you had to pick up a job at a local café. It wasn’t bad. Your manager was surprisingly understanding. He gave you time off when things got rough and always offered to listen if something was wrong.
So that brings you to here, and now, in the café you work at, sitting at the counter with a bored look on your face. Your cheek was resting on your palm as you lazily twirled your hair around your finger. You were pretty zoned out. There was a small TV playing some football match in the background. Maybe it was to lure guests in? I mean, I guess it worked. There were a few people swarming around it, looking pretty interested. Out of boredom you decided to watch with them. Your eyes focused on the television, leaning over the counter a bit to get a good look. Why were people so in to soccer anyways? Its just some guys kicking a ball… You could do that easily…
You rolled your eyes, about to look away before the camera panned and you could make out who was benched. A black haired boy with a headband. Huh? He seemed weirdly familiar… It was probably nothing. Your eyes returned back to the door, hearing the familiar jingle of the bell. You put on a sweet smile and returned to work. You took their order, wrote it down, asked for their name, blah blah blah. All the usual stuff. Once you made the girls frappuccino, you handed it to her before returning to another customer, eyes occasionally flitting to the TV. You could’ve sworn you recognised the guy with the headband, but your train of thoughts was cut short by another sound of the bell chiming. You sighed as you did everything again. Asking for their order, asking for their name, writing it down…
Once you arrived home you were so tired. You greeted your mom with a soft “I’m home…” before walking upstairs. You threw your bag on the floor and got in to bed. You buried you face in to your pillow and sighed. Finally home. You got tucked in, letting a blissful sound. You closed your eyes and before you knew it you fell asleep. Eyelashes resting on your cheeks and lips slightly parted.
When you woke up it was already 9 AM. Jeez. You squinted, letting out a soft grunt as you stretched your limbs. You were out for a while… You walked over to the bathroom and turned on the light, wincing at the brightness. You got ready in your usual routine. Brushing your teeth, doing your skincare, the usual stuff. Luckily it was a Saturday so you only had to take a short shift at the café. You put your clothes on, swinging your bag over your shoulder and headed downstairs. You saw your mom asleep at the dinner table, a soft smile on your face. She worked so hard for you and she tried not to let her exhaustion show, but it was very clear. You planted a gentle kiss to her head, gentle not to wake her.
And like that, you walked to the café. You arrived fairly early, giving you enough time to clock in, put on your apron and scroll on your phone. After waiting for a little longer, you opened the café. The scent of coffee being made filled your nostrils. It was pretty comforting. A nice change to the hectic life you’re currently living. The bell jingled and a few customers already came in. You took their orders with a polite smile, Helping them to all of their needs.
And after a while, you zoned out again. It was like a routine. Take orders. Look happy. And completely doze off. Yet of course, nothing ever goes your way. The bell jingled once more and you heard a group of three boys walking in. You could make out a few words they said like: “-heard this place has good coffee,” and “I’ll take your word for it!” You groaned softly, looking up and getting back in to position.
Yet you froze up. You recognised these people. Yes! They were from. The TV! The soccer players! You gasped, eyes flitting over them. And there he was. The guy with the headband. Now you could finally get a good look at him. “Hiya, what can I-…” You trailed off. You recognised that face. Nanase. A soft gasp left your lips as you blatantly stared. He hadn’t recognised you yet, too busy staring at the menu to decide. Yet when his eyes met yours, he mirrored your position. Okay Y/N… You can do this, don’t look stupid!
“… Nana’?”
God dammit. The nickname slipped out before you could stop and, and you were hit with a sudden wave of nostalgia. It really was him. You could recognise that face anywhere. Your fingers tightened on the counter as you swallowed thickly, face flushing as his friends looked at you with a dumbfounded expression. Nice going, dumbass. Way to recap old times. Did he even recognise you?- Your thoughts were interrupted by another voice.
“Nana’? You talking’ ‘bout Nanase here?” The guy with baby blue hair spoke, raising an eyebrow and nudging Nanase in the side. Nanase, seemingly snapping out of his train of thoughts, looked up at you with bright eyes, a beaming smile playing on his lips as he leaned forwards. “Y/N?! Is it really you?! Wow! Y’sure changed a lot!” He spoke with a light tone. A slight smile curled on to your lips. Luckily he wasn’t intruding, asking where you’ve been like other people tend to do. A soft sigh left you lips and you finally met his gaze.
“Yeah.. Same goes for you…” You murmured out, slightly embarrassed. But his friends clearly weren’t as invested, talking amongst themselves. Once you met Nanase’s gaze he seemed a bit closer than before. A slight blush adorned his cheeks as he looked away, slightly embarrassed. “H-hey uhm-… Could I get yer number… maybe? Then we can catch up properly!” His voice was softer than before, quieter. You smiled and quietly exchanged numbers before taking all of their orders. They sat down and talked to each other while you started preparing their orders. Once their orders were out, you called out their names, finding out that the boy with light blue hair was named Hiori, the other one was called Isagi. Good ti know I guess.
You couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed when they left. But you finally saw Nanase! After all these years you had found him! And you got his number! This was amazing! You went home in a cheerful mood, smiling the whole way, even skipping on your way there. You gave your mom a firm hug when you returned, kissing her cheek before going upstairs. You immediately took out your phone and started texting him. Your fingers tapped eagerly on to your phone
You: Hi nanase! it was nice seeing you again!
Was all you texted. Shit. Did you sound too eager? Maybe you should just delete your message. Delete his number. Run away again. Like you aklways do. I mean… He probably has better stuff to do.. right? Fuck. Just as you were about to delete his message, you saw three dots pop up. Your racing heart slowly calmed down before speeding up again. Oh my god. He was texting you.
Nanase: Hiya! It was nice seeing you too!
Nanase: Also, weird question, but would you maybe want to grab coffee with me?
Your heart sped up in your chest. God, why were you acting like some sort of lovesick schoolgirl?! You took a deep breath to steady yourself, collecting all your thoughts before quickly typing down an answer. Maybe too quickly…
You: That sounds great! I’m free any time.
You responded, to which he asked to see you tomorrow. So soon… Did he really want to meet up with you? You guys typed your goodbyes as you put your phone on the nightstand, a series of soft giggles leaving your lips. You felt so giddy. The day went by pretty slowly, nothing much happening. Yet before you knew it, it was the next day. You jumped up, surprisingly well rested. You quickly ran over to the bathroom, putting on some decent clothes so you don’t show up looking like a hobo, and you added some touches to your makeup, making sure to not overdo it. You put your shoes on with haste and ran out of the door.
You were a bit early to your agreed meeting spot, but five minutes later he showed up. Now you had the time to really take him in. He was still wearing that dorky headband. You giggled softly, strolling over to him. You greeted him and he did the same. Both of you had a slight blush on your cheeks, clearly nervous to see each other again. You both walked inside of the shop and inserted your orders, giving your names before taking a seat in a booth. It was not awkward at all! Which was surprising because usually you are like- the most awkward person ever. You guys made small talk, caught up with each other, yet then he asked:
“So why did you leave..?” His voice was soft, almost unsure. You sighed softly, slumping in your seat as you stared down at your fidgeting hands, pulling at your cuticles. You took a deep breath before answering. “Well- grandma got really sick, and we had to move closer to her so we could properly help her, and everything just kept happening and-“ You cut yourself off, looking back up at him. You were half expecting him to be mad at you. But of course he wasn’t. His face showed pure understanding. He was so annoyingly nice all of the time! You sighed before continuing. “Look, I’m sorry Nana’…” He scoffed, almost looking offended.
“Why are you apologising?” He raised an eyebrow, and so did you. Your eyes locked on to his as you answered. “Huh..? What are you talking about..?” You murmured. “Well, obviously it’s not yer fault?” You chuckled softly and shrugged. “Yeah.. guess so…” He offered a sweet smile before pulling you in for a hug, to which you replied by hugging him back. You sighed and hugged tighter, burying your nose in to his neck and inhaling his scent. So familiar. So nostalgic. You pulled back and so did he, but when your eyes met his, you realised how close you were. Hands on his shoulders, noses almost bumping. Both of your cheeks went red, yet no one pulled away.
You took the initiative and leaned in. Yet of course, the moment was ruined by the waitress calling out both of your names, signalling that your orders were ready. You sighed and got up, but he placed a hand on your chest, making you sit down. “Stay. I’ll go get our drinks.” He smiled so sweetly. He came back with the coffee and you guys just talked. It was comfortable. Fun. Once both of you finished your drinks, you guys got up and started walking to your house. He was dropping you off like a gentleman, huh? He snapped you out of your daydreams with his voice. “Hey… Look what I have..” He exclaimed suddenly, pulling out a few shiny rocks. Wait a minute… Were those… The rocks you showed him?
You gasped, grasping his wrists to look at them. “You kept them?! All this time?!” Your voice came out a bit higher pitched than you wanted it to be. He nodded and you leaned in slightly, a large smile on your lips. And then it went quiet. The cars driving by, sound of music from some random store, it all faded away. Now it only felt like you guys. Deciding to be a bit daring, you leaned in. Just testing the waters. Seeing he didn’t pull away, you took it as a hint to brush your lips together, hands coming up to wrap around his neck. His hands slowly rested on both of your hips, pulling you in a little closer. It wasn’t a deep or rough kiss. Just a gentle brush of lips.
Once you pulled away, you both just stared in to each others eyes. It felt so intimate. A soft giggle left your lips and you rested your forehead on his shoulder. “C’mon, I’ll walk ya home.” He offered, gently grasping your hand and letting you lead the way. You both walked in comfortable silence to your home, where he waved you off. You finally had some peace in your life. Finally you had someone again.