5 - Pen and Paper
"You are working too much,"
" - Seijuro-kun."
Hm?
"You are working too much, Seijuro-kun."
Akashi teared his eyes from his screen and focused at the face next to it.
"What are you doing here," he murmured, his eyes already watering now that he took them off the screen.
"Came to take my daily dose of Seijuro-kun." He sat on an empty corner of Akashi's desk, "And make sure he eats."
Akashi chuckled.
"Thanks," he rubbed his eyes. "And sorry about, nap time. Had a meeting."
Akashi put his head to the table, on his makeshift arms cushion.
His sleepless night must be catching up on him.
Having Kuroko near wasn't helping either.
"What are you working on?"
"A stylus," he murmured to the desk before turning his head to look at his screen. "What do you think about them?"
"I prefer pen and paper."
"Tetsuya," he groaned.
Kuroko walked around the desk to look at his screen.
"They are uncomfortable though I'm sure Seijuro-kun's would feel natural."
"It is all about pressu-" his murmur trailed off when he felt Kuroko settle on his chair armrest and then start playing with his hair.
His shoulders tensed as his legs loosened. His stomach clenched as his eyelids got heavier.
His fingers twitched.
(To hold him? To push him away?)
"Are you trying to make me sleep?"
He was warm. He wanted to melt into it. He wanted to run away from it.
"You look like you need it."
And you would see it, right? He closed his eyes. He smiled as Kuroko's hand slipped down to his neck and started massaging his tense muscles.
"It couldn't be comfortable sleeping in a chair."
Akashi jerked upwards. His heart was hammering.
What was he doing?
Kuroko looked up from Akashi's mobile phone on his lap. He was holding the prototype stylus with one hand. His other hand had slipped to Akashi's shoulder.
"It works smooth," he showed his drawing on the mobile phone.
Akashi's soulmate sign.
Kuroko could draw it without referencing geometry nowadays.
Akashi's face softened. "What does it look like today?"
"Confused."
As Akashi straightened, Kuroko's hand tightened on his shoulder to keep his balance.
It felt like that touch helped Akashi keep his balance instead.
"That sounds like Shintarou's daily horoscopes."
Kuroko chuckled. His eyes were warm. His hand was warm. His body, next to him, was warm.
Akashi felt as safe as if he was in a cocoon.
His stomach twisted.
"I would colour it and show two sides mixing and swirling if I knew how to."
"Your interpretations get weirder and weirder."
"Says Seijuro-kun who interpreted my sign as rising sun yesterday."
He shrugged. It made Kuroko's hand fall off his shoulder.
(He mourned. He rejoiced.)
"It looked like rising sun." He took off Kuroko's wristband. "Today, it looks like…cocoons."
He laughed. "When will they turn to butterflies?"
"When you find your soulmate."
"Not in this lifetime, then."
Don't say it. You deserve to be with your soulmate. Your ideal partner.
Kuroko deserved the best. Someone who appreciated to be with him each moment.
Who could be with him with no regrets.
He hopped off the armrest. "How is your search going?"
"Nothing today, as well."
"You still have twenty years. Don't lose hope."
Twenty years. That sounds long.
Kuroko took his hand and pulled him off his chair. He watched Kuroko, feeling lost. Without releasing his hand, he turned off Akashi's computer, put his mobile, wallet and keys to his pockets.
When was the last time he allowed someone on his personal space like this?
Never. Not even his father touched his computer when he lived with him. Not even his co-workers touched his mobile phone without permission. Let alone other prototypes on his desk.
"Dinner and movie. We are having a sleepover," Kuroko smiled over his shoulder as he was pulling Akashi to the door.
"I have a meeting tomorrow," he murmured.
"You have change of clothes." He turned off the lights and locked the door. Put the keys back to Akashi's pocket.
Still holding his hand.
"Even suits," he continued.
Then he resumed pulling Akashi, making him stumble a few steps.
"I get to shower first."
"Yes, yes, even bought that herbal soap you liked."
When did Kuroko seep into Akashi's whole life? Without his noticing? Without his minding?
Like it was where he belon -
Stop.
Like they were fated to be frien -
No.
Like…like…
Akashi tried to think of words not used to describe soulmates.
Like this was how it was suppose -
Not this one either.
Like this was normal.
Yeah, like it was normal. To be like this. Casual. Close.
Natural.
Akashi wished, when he meet his soulmate, their relationship would be like his with Kuroko.
—
When Midorima returned back to office in the middle of the lunch break, Akashi knew what was coming.
After all, Midorima hadn't been his best friend, only because Akashi could predict his every move.
He moved his chair in front of Akashi's desk before sitting.
"What is going on, Akashi?"
"I don't know what you are talking about." He kept looking at his screen.
"The meeting yesterday. You could have scheduled it at any time of the day. Also the two meetings last week. You put them right on your meeting with Kuroko." He adjusted his glasses, "Is there a problem? You are worrying him."
"He doesn't need to."
"He is your best friend."
His stomach twisted.
"Or is he more?"
"You know he is not my soulmate," he hissed, poised like a snake to attack the man.
"I meant lover." Midorima's eyes were wide. Akashi jerked back.
"He is not my soulmate," he repeated. It sounded hollow.
He felt nauseous.
He focused back on his screen. A little bubble at the sidebar said he got 1000+ notifications.
Soulmate signs to look at.
He wished to be under the afternoon sun, laughing with Kuroko.
"You know my partner is not my soulmate, nanodayo." Akashi smiled at his friend's speech patterns. Haven't changed since middle school. "We are happy. We are not searching for our soulmates."
"I do."
That made all the difference.
"You said twenty years, Akashi. What will you do all that time?"
"Wait."
"And pine after Kuroko."
"That would be my burden."
"You think so?" Akashi looked at him from the corner of his eyes, dreading. "Aomine was his best friend since middle school. He called him Aomine-kun and always kept his distance. He might as well throw himself to you. And it is, what, just a month since you met?"
"This doesn't mean anyhin -"
"I never heard his laugh, except when he is with you."
"Now that is something to do with yo -"
"And I never heard your laugh, Akashi. In all those years."
"We are best friends," he muttered.
"You can be more, that's all I say."
"And when I find my soulmate?" He looked at Midorima. "I would leave him. He doesn't deserve it."
"Maybe you should ask him. Twenty years is a long time."
"It is within twenty years. Can be tomorrow. Or even one of these notifications."
Midorima stood up. "That was all I wanted to say. You should ask him, maybe he would risk it."
Sure, Akashi thought, Kuroko who didn't risk finding his soulmate, would want to be in a time bomb relationship.