Work Text:
Taira's unsteady fingers hovered over the name on the screen. A name that hadn't left his mind since moving away from home. His yawn overcame his nerves for a little while, and his body's unrequited hunger for slumber had weighed his body.
On shitty days like this, where work, university, and his growing (ever so slowly) but growing social circle clustered his life, his feet and hands ran faster than his brain ever could.... What was today? When was this assignment due? What the hell was he even majoring in? Honestly, how the hell was he supposed to know, he never knew anything anymore. As a matter of fact, it was a lucky feat for his cumbersome brain to even remember his own name...or maybe it was because it was weighted by a certain somebody else's name.
....
This is ridiculous...no way in hell would he ever bother Azuma on such a late night like this. If his days were shitty, it was a guaranteed promise that hers would be twenty times shitter. Especially since that girl went to nursing school? Taira sighed and sucked up his selfish needs. Nah, no way, she'd probably use her youth-stealing witch powers on him if he ever tried texting her after a long day...
DING
The phone didn't even properly light up before Taira snatched it.
A: “Tairaaaa there’s a parfait store that opened nearby we should totally try it out!!”
The Brunette let out a relieved sigh at the fact that she did the work for his very indecisive hands
T: “Ah...yeah..let me just pack my bags and travel like 20 miles away for some overpriced parfait 😑"
A: “Trust ur not gon go broke. I went there last week with Nabesuzsato”
T: “?! What kind of name is that?!”
A: “What? Its more convenient, you no like?”
T: “Maybe change it to just Nabesato so Suzuki stops influencing you with these ridiculously shortened nicknames -_-”
A: “Hehe Ok. I hung out with NabSat last week!!”
Taira rolled his eyes and felt his failed suppressed laughter turn into an awkward downwards smile. This phenomenon was truly rocket science, up there with how Suzuki somehow manages to run 3 inches per hour while chasing the love of her life. How was it that he could have the shittiest customer yell at him about some overpriced tuna onigiri, be called out at his college lectures, be piled with a shitload of work at uni, and step on literal pile of shitload on his way home, yet all those dreadful feelings dissipated the moment he was with Azuma. Though he’d never admit it to himself, he always carried a strange sense of relief throughout the day, knowing a text from Azuma could be waiting for him when he got home.
RING RING RING
An unfamiliar ringing sound jolted Taira back to reality
Azuma wanted to call.
...
Now?!
Taira's eyebrows furrowed in worry, frantically looking around as if there was anybody else in the room but him. That’s not my phone, whose phone is that? But...but we've never called before? Oh my god. Taira's eyes filled with dread; this was absolutely new territory that he was not willing to even let his feet touch. Taira put the phone faced down and his heart dropped to his stomach, beating so fast in there like a kicking baby. Maybe he can pretend to fall asleep?? No. That's dumb. Taira squinted his eyes and feared for the worst as if the green button was for world nuclear destruction. Taira sucked up his nerves. Initiating self-destruction...
"Hello?.." A soft, yet tired, muffled voice echoed through "Taira? What took you so long? Were you in the restroom or something?”
"Uh- yeah..yeah."
"Wow, you took long, must've been a number three."
Taira's worries were immediately replaced with a feeling of slightly amusing annoyance.
" Anyways, the parfait place!" Azuma cheered
" Love how you jump straight into delicious deserts like you weren’t just imagining me taking a shit,” Taira said sarcastically.
" I wasn’t doing all that but if it flatters you I guess??” Azuma joked
“I'm good I promise,” Taira said with his deadpan tone
Azuma let out a chuckle at his funny reaction, “But for real, tell me when you're coming back so we can try it out! I can be your personal tour guide ;D"
Taira laughed
"Ohhhh...thank you so much Azuma...A personal tour of my OWN hometown?? Just for me? What a completely unique experience to look forward to! (That parfait better be worth 3 hours of studying and train tickets)"
Taira whispered dramatically, earning him a soft and familiar laugh which sent an indescribable warmth curling within him.
"Hahahah- My bad, well maybe you can be the personal tour guide then? Since you're so experienced with that food stuff from working at so many convenience stores," Azuma teased.
"Hey! Don't make me sound like some sad old expert who's gonna work at the convenience store his whole life!"
"With the way you were gatekeeping your major, I would've thought that's where your life was headed." Azuma couldn't contain herself, and her laughter burst through like a dam
T: 😒😒😒😒
A: 😂😂
Despite what the emojis expressed, Taira's face held a rather opposite expression, one filled with nothing but pure endearment as he chuckled at their all too familiar banter. He wanted nothing more than to keep chatting away with her. But... was that laughing emoji a sign she didn't want to talk anymore? How do I respond to that? It was hard to get past his old habits, especially since they seemed to manifest in new ways as he progressed further. Progress is still progress, right? That’s what Azuma told him...so he ignored the evil subconscious lurking, telling him to end the conversation before she does. Luckily, the mentions of studies had pivoted the conversation.
" How are your studies and work holding you up by the way?" Azuma continued
"Like shit. I had a customer yell at me today for overpriced onigiri, like I don't know lady, I just work here?? And some rowdy teenagers came by and left a mess on the ramen aisle."
"Yikes, sounds a lot like our hometown hobos."
" lol, And you? I heard girls in the nursing field are absolute 90's anime bullies, they reminding you of our hometown hobos too?" Taira smirked, leaning comfortably into his pillow
"Dunno, you know I'm way too lenient to tell anyways"
"I'm surprised you still sound like you're alive while in nursing school, Azuma"
Azuma gave a heavy sigh "Unfortunately, I still am ...don't even bring it up...my mind is literally going to explode if I have to do one more patient scenario! I'm still at my desk fumbling over my anatomy notes."
He blinked. Oh...Taira felt bad. Here he was, all cozy in his beige puppy pajamas, his dim orange lamp adding to the feeling of warmth in his room, on his cozy bed, which he could slump into every night. Negative as always, asking for a free gift from the God's for such a shitty day, when his friend's troubles weren't even close to over.
" Ah right...right, I’m sorry, I should probably let you study then? Goodnight," Taira ran his hands through his hair as hurried to hang up.
" No!”
His eyes widened at the sudden panicked shift in her tone. The doubts in his mind couldn’t even begin to resuscitate before they were replaced with feelings of worry. Azuma continued, a little quieter this time.
“Haha, oopsie...didn’t mean to freak out on you. I just... this is what I need right now, I just...need to talk to somebody and be reminded that...you know I'm not...I’m still alive or something..." She gave a weak laugh
Taira's brows furrowed as he glanced at the screen.... This whole night, she had sounded so tired, yet she still laughed and checked up on him. She was nothing but nice and positive. On the other hand, he was so hyper-focused on protecting his own feelings that he never even considered the seconds in between her responses, the slight scratch that aged her cheerful voice, and the constant yawns that interrupted between her laughs...
Taira swallowed heavily as he shook his head at his actions, looking down onto the only light source that shone inside the darkness of his room...
"Azuma...." the boy started, trying ever so desperately to catch his words before they flatlined on his tongue..."I'm sorry I'm such a coward," his voice cracked.
"What- Taira, what are you talking about?"
" I know I was the one to say we should keep in touch...but I'm letting you do all the work. And I..I don't want us to just be each other's past. So-" the boy gulped, swallowing his pride.
He continued "Tell me about your days, ok? Your good days, your crappy days, even your most uneventful ones. Tell me about those weird guys hitting on you, catty girls in your field that remind you too much of home...Even just something small, maybe a funny fortune cookie that made you laugh. I promise I'll tell you mine too, I'll share everything with you- when I have a shitty day at work, when I have a shitty drink that reminds me of you-"
Taira, amidst the sea of his vomited feelings, blinked himself back to reality and cringed, covering his face with his hands. Utter doom.
….
“Ah...that was....holy shit I'm such a cornball please forget any of what you just heard Azuma, please I'm begging you-”
Azuma’s lively laugh interrupted his monologue.
“Don’t laugh! My God that was so embarrassing! Do you know how many nights I'll stay awake thinking about what I just said?!”
Azuma’s laugh continued as her breathes kept interrupting her words, and despite the overwhelming flutter she felt in her heart right now, she couldn’t help but tease, “Taira...I appreciate you looking out for me” Taira rolled his eyes. He couldn’t see it, but there was definitely a smirk behind that line.
She continued, a little softer this time, “When my nights are difficult...I’ll also definitely stay awake thinking about what you just said.”
Mmmrghhh just kill me now! Taira’s face turned crimson red.
“Taira? You still there?” she giggled, “Your words have motivated me so much to stay up and study harder, I don’t think I’ll sleep tonight!”
Taira’s embarrassment continued as he blushed at her teasing words, groaning against his pillow.
“Yeah... me neither..”