The city sped by outside the window. People, buildings, and cars blurred together, and Katsuki was painfully aware of the woman's head resting on his shoulder. He couldn’t bring himself to wake Amai after she had collapsed against him just moments after they boarded the nearly empty bus. It felt unsettling. Besides an elderly woman sitting near the back, the bus was disturbingly vacant for a Friday afternoon. Katsuki's stop was four blocks back, but the weight of Amai's presence and the flutter in his chest made him remain seated. What would he say when she woke up? Should he confess that he wanted this moment to last, enjoying her comfort as she slept against him? A shudder rippled through him.
As if stirred by his loud thoughts, Amai shifted on his shoulder. She lifted her head as if his shoulder was merely a pillow on her bed. Rubbing her eyes, she yawned widely, and his heart clenched at the sight. It took her a moment to focus her glassy eyes on him. "What street is this?" she asked, her gaze drifting from his to the window. A thought ignited in her mind, and he watched it take shape. "I... I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep on—"
A sneer fixed itself on his face, an uncomfortable contrast to the feelings of confinement he experienced. "Your stop is next." Her green eyes regarded him as if he were something worth looking at. The intensity in her gaze had been a constant over the past few weeks, and it still managed to take his breath away. Slowly, he reached up and pulled the cord to signal the bus to stop. He slung his bag over his shoulder and picked up Amai's bag. When she wrinkled her nose in confusion, he scoffed. "You can barely keep your eyes open, and it's getting dark out. You couldn’t possibly think any man in his right mind would let you walk alone."
"Any man?" Amai laughed as if she could see right through his tough-guy act. That didn’t mean he was going to give it up. The bus rolled to a stop, and both stood and jumped down from its belly. "I can carry my bag," he almost said, but the words stuck in his throat. Instead, he grunted and shoved the bag back into her arms, watching as she stumbled from the impact. She sighed. "Thank you."
EDIT: OOPS— I forgot to mention this is a redraw so uhh— here’s the OG
Oh God I cannot believe I’m letting this see the light of day.
2021 VS 2025
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