Title: (just) for a café date
Rating: G
Fandom: Akiba's Beat
Relationship: Hoshino Saki/Sanada Kotomi
Wordcount: 1025
Short summary: Although the snow had caused morning train delays or cancellations, Kotomi nevertheless makes it to Akihabara because Saki will be waiting there, definitely.
“Kotomi! Over here!” Kotomi doesn’t even have to walk two meters outside the station to hear the familiar cheery voice. “I’m so glad you could make it!”
Kotomi resists the urge to turn around and pretend she didn’t see Saki. Her cheeks are heating up due to embarrassment as other people, the few that are around, stop and stare at the scene. But turning away would only make things look worse. Kotomi shakes her head instead with a sigh as she crosses the distance between her and Saki.
“Of course. I’m not one to forego a promise.”
Saki frowns. Perhaps up close Saki can see how tired Kotomi is just from the trip from her home to Akihabara with trains canceled or delayed this morning due to the snow. It had been quite the ordeal to figure out how to get here when her usual routes were unavailable, but Kotomi forced herself through it. “But you could have called or messaged me and canceled?”
“I was sure you were already out the door before 8 AM so…” And knowing Saki, out the door at 8 AM wearing something fashionable. Kotomi wouldn’t want that effort to get wasted. Besides she didn’t have anything else planned today, and they don’t always have free days to see each other like they could during those eternal Sundays… Kotomi coughs. “Anyway, it’s cold. Take me to wherever you wanted to go.”
Saki smiles and reaches for Kotomi’s left hand with her right. They walk along the rather empty streets towards some place with food or drink, probably. Kotomi realizes a few minutes into their walk that she’s no longer questioning these actions. It’s completely natural…and she really does trust Saki now.
“Nomo café.” Saki announcing the name of a place snaps Kotomi out of her thoughts. Kotomi cocks her head as she examines the artwork of various mugs and cups around the shop sign. “It just opened a few weeks ago.”
“Rather uncreative name…” Although Kotomi doesn’t mind things being straight to the point.
“What would you like to order?” the barista asks when the two of them enter the café. Kotomi is relieved to see that the place is not completely empty but not very full either. She spies a corner table that she wants to sit at and gives Saki a look.
“Get me hot tea.”
Saki nods but then frowns. “Hot tea? Like matcha?”
Kotomi shrugs. “What are you expecting me to want? I’m cold!”
“I guess that’s true. You don’t like coffee that much.” Saki giggles when Kotomi glares in response. Yes, she found she really doesn’t like coffee much after all, despite trying to drink it “like an adult”. “But maybe I thought you would try their hot chocolate?”
Kotomi blinks. “There’s hot chocolate?”
Saki laughs. “It’s one of the most popular things here!”
“Alright. We should drink what’s most popular here so we can best evaluate the quality of this café.”
Saki is laughing still when Kotomi walks away after saying that, because Kotomi really didn’t do a good job hiding her sweet tooth. But at least Kotomi doesn’t have to see that glint in Saki’s eyes…
A few minutes later, Saki joins her at the corner table with two mugs. “I said they could just do something simple like a heart or a star…” Saki explains as she puts the red one in front of Kotomi. The smell of sweet chocolate is strong and she finds that even though Saki’s mug is purple, it too seems to have hot chocolate. But…
“So you picked a heart for me,” Kotomi states, appreciating for the moment the well-drawn heart shape in the white foam. Then she finds her cheeks heating up, even though she hasn’t taken a sip of the hot chocolate yet, because…
“…Yeah.” Saki’s cheeks redden as well. In her mug there is a star shape. At least that one is obvious, considering Saki’s surname, but the heart…
“Well…uh…Happy Valentine’s Day?” Saki squeaks out awkwardly.
“It’s January 28.”
Saki grimaces. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to make it so embarrassing… I mean, I do like you a lot… Ah, how do I even say this…”
Kotomi watches Saki struggle with words for a moment before picking up her red mug. “Let’s just drink already.”
She doesn’t wait for Saki to reply before bringing the mug of hot chocolate to her lips. Ah, it really is sweet and rich. A perfect cure for the morning exhaustion and the unpleasant cold.
“Good?”
When Kotomi opens her eyes again, she finds that Saki is just watching her with a smile and eyes that are...
Kotomi nods. “So drink yours already too, before it gets cold.”
And quickly places her gaze back on her mug, because Saki’s expression right now…is making her heart flutter. Stupid heart design in a sweet hot chocolate mug. Just when Kotomi thought she was getting comfortable… Stupid Saki Hoshino being like a star leading her further away to a new place, both daunting and exciting… But she’s learned not to be as afraid, to take that step forward outside of her own world, and…
Valentine’s Day, huh. If they could be like this on Valentine’s Day, Kotomi would be… Well, that does not need to be said. She’ll make it happen. She might need Asahi’s help to figure out a café that would be new and hip for Saki but…
“It’s really good!” Saki exclaims as she puts her mug down. Kotomi looks up from her mug automatically at Saki’s bright, wide smile. “I could do another cup! But I did want to go to a cake place later that might also have… Hmm…”
Kotomi just chuckles to herself as she watches Saki animatedly debate the rest of the day’s itinerary. The hot chocolate is sweet, but seeing Saki like this is… Good too, yes. It…almost makes up for the trouble this morning. Kotomi will need just a little bit more… But she is quite satisfied at the moment, yes.
(Later on will indeed fully make up for Kotomi’s morning trouble, but that’s a story for another time.)