Fading Blue Skies

4: Coffee

Chapter 4: Coffee

"Let's have some coffee Kuroko, my treat."

Akashi looked to his left towards Kuroko who was reading his book. The bluenette turned to look back with his big blue eyes and a subtle smile on his pale pink lips. He looked lost in thought for a few moments until he nodded in agreement.

"Okay, where do we go?" Kuroko closed his book after he marked his place by folding the corner of the page, and he stood up. Akashi followed suit and shifted his gaze to the sky as he pondered.

"There's a cafe two blocks away. They have good coffee and a nice atmosphere. You might like it."

"Alright." Kuroko looked at Akashi expectantly and the redhead smiled softly as he started leading the way. They walked next to each other with their hands lightly bumping, cheeks a light shade of pink and short awkward glances thrown at each other. It was a short and mostly silent walk to the cafe, the only breaks in silence were the small comments that both Kuroko and Akashi would bring up.

When they reached the cafe and ordered their drinks, Akashi led them to a table in the corner of the shop where a large window met a wall with different packages of tea and coffee. They both had the window next to them, so they were able to gaze out and see the different people passing by.

"So," Kuroko took a sip of his vanilla tea and fixed his blue eyes on the redhead. "Do you have a job?"

Akashi nodded, then took a sip of his coffee. "I'm the new owner of Akashi Corp." He expected a shocked expression since everyone always gave him one when he revealed who exactly he was, but Kuroko simply nodded and accepted the revelation for what it was. He didn't view Akashi differently because he was a CEO or because he was rich and (partially) famous in the business world. It was new for Akashi and he found himself liking the nonchalant reaction and dismissal of such news.

"Is it boring?" Kuroko asked with curiosity lacing his gentle voice.

"Not really," Akashi hummed, thinking of all the paperwork and meetings he had to attend. "But the silence bothers me." It would frustrate him at times, but only when he was tired of being alone in his silent office.

Kuroko hummed, looking slightly surprised at the response, but he tilted his head and met Akashi's eyes with his own dulled eyes, an ocean of emotions swimming in his eyes. "Why? There's silence on the tree, but you still go there."

Akashi leaned back in his chair and sipped at his coffee. He enjoyed laying under the tree, not because he got away from work, but because there was someone to share the silence with. He could relax and have some company at the same time. Pleasant company from a pleasant friend.

"I go there because it's relaxing, and I enjoy being in your company."

Kuroko seemed flustered for a few seconds, taking his eyes away from Akashi as he spoke in a slightly higher voice. "I see." He took a sip of his tea, hiding the usually pale cheeks that were now a pastel pink. Akashi would make another metaphor like his inner author wanted to, but he decided it might not have been appropriate at the moment.

Taking a sip of his own coffee he briefly wondered what to ask the bluenette in front of him. "What do you work as?"

"A kindergarten teacher," Kuroko replied with a small smile. It made Akashi strangely happy to see the bluenette smile. It also made him wonder if Kuroko had ever gotten fed up of the noise from children just like he was fed up of the lonely silence.

"Hm. It must be an adventure then."

"The kids are always coming up with something new every day." Kuroko glanced towards the window next to them, watching people pass by while dragging their umbrellas for the predicted rain that hadn't fallen for the last three days. "They always ask me a lot of questions that have nothing to do with I teach them."

"Like what?"

"What love means to me. They haven't fully grasped the reason why love is shown to others and what it really means to like someone." Kuroko chuckled a little at what he recalled. "They've asked me multiple times if I liked someone."

Akashi tilted his head in both amusement and curiosity. "Do you answer their questions?"

"I feel obligated to," came another chuckle, and it sounded like music to Akashi's ears. The redhead took a sip of his coffee as Kuroko collected his thoughts. "I tell them love is different for everyone. Some people feel overjoyed at being with someone and they call it love, others think they have to give everything they have to make the person they love happy."

Akashi nodded, and glanced outside the window, watching droplets of rain lightly hit the window pane.'I wonder who I like?'

"Do you have that someone you like?" Akashi gazed into Kuroko's eyes as the bluenette simply stared back with unreadable blue orbs.

"Yes."

Looking at into his eyes, Akashi wondered more and more about the delicate man sitting in front of him. He rarely shows any emotion and keeps to himself, but there was a desire within Akashi that urged him to know more about Kuroko. To unravel any and every little thing that made up Kuroko. 

"They must be lucky," He responds, watching as Kuroko smiles softly with knowing eyes.

Maybe through all the small talk and every glance at each other, Akashi fell in love with this man. His slight smiles always left him curious and now he wants to know, more about this delicate beauty sitting right in front of him.

"Do you have someone you like?" Kuroko asks with what wonder in his eyes.

Akashi smirked softly behind his coffee, his red eyes teasing as he gestured vaguely with his unoccupied hand. "They're sitting right in front of me."

Kuroko narrowed his eyes but still smiled with amusement. "How bold of you Akashi-kun."

"What would you respond with?" The redhead took note of every detail as he studied every action Kuroko made.

"I'll think it over and answer you later." Kuroko reached for his tea and sipped at it while peeking at Akashi through the corner of his eye.

"Then I'll wait," Came Akashi's response, gazing out through the window as he drank his coffee, relishing in the comfortable silence that filled their table.

'I'll wait for as long as I have to. You will be worth the wait.'

 

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**ahh my life has been very busy lately, but I hope you liked this chapter!

I'll appreciate any feedback.