Turning Pages [Keiji Akaashi]

bonus chapter one

     The lack of warmth is what originally awoke Keiji Akaashi. He sleepily furrowed his brow, glancing at the clock that read three thirteen. It was unusual to feel so cold during this time of night, his fiancé normally curled up at his side. But, as he patted the space beside him, there was nothing there.

     Where could she be? He wondered absently. He thought of the bathroom, or maybe she had gotten thirsty throughout the night. He shrugged off the concern, simply knowing she would return to him. She always did.

     His eyes closed once more, relishing in the soft sheets that cocooned him tightly. He allowed his mind to grow spacey, loose thoughts flowing in and out with no real desire to listen to them. But he soon sat up with a start once more, a loud and monotonous beep ringing throughout the entire house.

     "Shh! Be quiet! Stop!" A familiar voice fluttered afterwards, and he heard multiple clangs coming from the kitchen. He could only shake his head, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Just what had Yukiko gotten herself into, now?

     Keiji tugged off the blankets, as he slipped his feet into warm slippers. He yawned, stretching out for a moment before he made his way to the kitchen. A faint smell of burnt chocolate wafted up his nose, and he scrunched his face in confusion.

     He finally made it to the kitchen, but he wasn't sure if Yukiko had noticed him yet. She stood in her pajamas, a simple old t-shirt of his matched with baggy sweatpants, and a headband held her bangs back. Her black hair had once more grown out, and was thrown into a messily done braid that fell across her back. She frowned at the tray in front of her, still ignorant to his presence.

     "Why?" He spoke allowed, and had to hold back a chuckle at her jump. Her brown eyes went wide as she took him in, and she pressed a hand to her chest as she breathed out.

     "Don't scare me like that!" Yukiko called, a frown tugging at her lips. "I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

     Keiji gave her a tiny smile. "It was hard to stay asleep with the oven going off."

     "I'm sorry!" She rushed to him, throwing her arms around his middle. Her face was quickly buried in the crook of his neck, and Keiji didn't mind one bit. "It was supposed to be a surprise for tomorrow."

     At that, he raised a brow at her. "A surprise? For what?"

     Yukiko quickly pulled away, giving him a confused look. "What do you mean, for what? It's December fifth."

     Keiji frowned a bit, glancing towards the calendar they had hung up. Yukiko had a habit of crossing out the days that had already come to pass, and soon realized she was correct. "I didn't realize it was my birthday."

     "That's because you've been so busy." Yukiko gave him a smile, which still took his breath away to this day. "You've been working so hard, and I'm so proud of you. I wanted to do something nice, but I guess..." She trailed off, glancing towards her burnt cookies. "I guess I messed up."

     Keiji felt his heart swell as he stared down at the girl. He reached out, gently cupping her cheeks before bringing her close to him. The kiss didn't last very long, but it was soft and loving. "You didn't mess up. It's an easy fix." He brushed his thumb over his cheek, and couldn't help but smile when her eyes fluttered closed in bliss. "Come on, idiot. I'll help you."

     "You don't have to." Yukiko glanced up at him. "You should go back to bed. Kou is coming over later, as well as Kuroo and Kenma. We're gettin' the band back together!" She laughed quietly. "You know you're going to be tired if you stay up much later."

     The male only grumbled, tugging the girl close to his chest. "Staying up means I get to spend more time with you."

     "Keiji, we're engaged. We have all the time in the world to be together." She smiled. "If you really want to help me so badly, you could wash the dishes. And...tell me how to fix the cookies..."

     "I can't believe I'm going to be marrying someone who can't make cookies."

     "Shut up!"

i love them so much man idk

but this isn't my original idea! i got this idea from a tiktok i saw!! the user is @/thoughts.n.recs and she makes lots of comfort ideas for a bunch of different characters! go check her out, her content is really soothing :,)