𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓮 | 𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪 𝘴𝘦𝘪𝘫𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘶

𝑒𝒶𝓈𝑒

╔═══━━━─── • ───━━━═══╗

And I've been trying to hide it
But lately
Every time I think I'm better
Pickin' my head up, getting nowhere

Take me back to the basics and the simple life
Tell me all of the things that make you feel at ease
Your touch, my comfort, and my lullaby
Holdin' on tight and sleepin' at night

--Troye Sivan

╚═══━━━─── • ───━━━═══╝

From watching Akashi rebuild himself and his image, (Name) can tell it's a one step forward, two steps backwards kind of situation that is probably far from easy even if he tries to play it off as such.

This version of Akashi isn't quite so invulnerable, and while it isn't possible to glean in on what he doesn't want anyone to see, it's easier to read him when he lets her. He's opening up, slowly but surely, and letting himself out just as much as he's inviting others in.

Close, but not too close. Enough to not be lonely but also not enough for them to be any wiser of his innermost disposition.

It's still progress though, and she's happy for him. A little proud too.
He's trying, and it's a road of baby steps that he doesn't always even take, but he'll get wherever he wants to be. She knows him enough to be sure of that.

And she's only learning more as the days pass. Within the one and a half weeks since school reopened after winter break, (Name) has learned more about Akashi Seijurou than she had in an entire seven months.

It's not like she spends her lunch breaks coaxing his verbal autobiography out of him, but more that since she's better at reading him now, she finds herself doing it almost like a pastime.

She's sure he's aware of it. He continues to be infuriatingly perceptive of everything like that.

Another infuriating thing about him is the amusement he finds in combing out her reactions, pushing all sorts of buttons and only ever playing it off with an innocently blank expression and mirthful eyes.