Chapter Text
If you’ll be my star I’ll be your sky you can hide underneath me and come out at night…
Boats and Birds was playing again on the soundtrack inside Storytelling: Tea and Fine Gift Emporium. The owner of the shop really liked the American songwriter Gregory And The Hawk, Tsukishima Kei couldn’t stand it, he understood some of what was being said and the instrumentals were okay but it was dreamy in a way that drove him crazy. He would give anything for a rousing rendition of something with a little more life. Heck, even the pop vibes of The Pillows would be better than this.
That’s just what he got for working at a tea and gift shop he supposed. Sure, he fit in, with his love for button up shirts and sweaters, his glasses, and his basically librarian-esque aura. The towering blonde boy snickered to himself, he wanted a little energy in his life and yet he went and chose to work at a quiet teashop in the middle of nowhere with selective clientele.
Sure enough one of those special customers came through the door at…yep 9 sharp! It was like clockwork really. This one was a cute (if Tsukishima was into girls) blonde who was so small she barely eclipsed the top of the computer sitting on the counter. He already knew what she would order, but he also knew she came into the shop for one reason and one reason only: Kiyoko Shimizu, his boss and the owner of Storytelling. He left her to it preferring to put stock on shelves and observe from afar, because (and he would never admit this to anyone) Tsukishima Kei was a closet romantic.
He talked the big talk (in life and in his own head) about wanting adventure and being tough but when it came down to it he loved his job. He loved a mug of tea as it got toward the evening, sitting down with a book, and listening to Kiyoko-san’s dreamy music playlists. He loved watching all of the couples that came to the shop on dates and helping customers pick out the perfect gifts for loved ones.
Other than their two part time workers, Kiyoko and Tsukishima were the only full time employees at Storytelling. He liked it that way. To be perfectly honest he couldn’t believe that he had been hired in the first place. His desire to hide behind that mask of dislike for anything soft and sweet came off as cold indifference and sarcasm. Sometimes his scathing wit drove everyone around him to stay as far from the boy as possible. In fact, he would say that his older brother was probably the only person who really thought of him with affection, outside their own parents. Kiyoko-san treated him kindly but probably because they didn’t work together that often and he tried to rein it in around her.
“K-Kiyoko-san…” their faithful regular, Yachi Hitoka, stammered out as the raven-haired beauty of an owner popped up from behind the counter and asked her what she would like.
It would seem she couldn’t get any further, the girls eyes were wide with fear of something. Perhaps rejection? He laughed quietly to himself. If only she knew how gay the owner of Storytelling was she might actually be willing to take a chance and say what she really wanted to say.
…will you go our with me?
Wait. Wait, he hadn’t just thought that. No, she said that out loud!
“I’m sorry?” Kiyoko asked in surprise.
“I-uh, never mind!” Yachi moved to run from the store and never return to this embarrassment.
Kiyoko reached out her hand over the counter and took hold of Yachi’s arm.
“I really didn’t hear you…Yachi-san” She whispered, her cheeks pink, her eyes turned down. She hadn’t intended to make such a forward gesture but she had a feeling she knew what Yachi had asked and she had been waiting for weeks for their schedules to match up again before she could ask the same thing.
“W-will you go out with me?” Yachi looked up into the coffee shop owner’s eyes with hope.
The owners face flushed an attractive red and she put both hands around Hitoka’s, already in her grip. “Yes! I would love to…Hitoka-san”
Tsukishima turned away then and made himself busier. He had to hide the small happy smile rising to his lips and the flush of excitement on his cheeks. He couldn’t believe it had finally happened! It was about time!
“Tsukishima-kun!”
He wiped that gleeful expression off his face and turned, “Yes Kiyoko-san?”
“You’ll be okay on your own for a bit until Asahi comes in right?”
“Sure” He nodded, looking bored even though he was elated.
His manager nodded back at him and then smiled at her date, it would seem they were jumping at the soonest opportunity to spend time with each other. They left the shop, the bell above the door tinkling, leaving Tsukishima to experience the full range of hopeless romantic emotions.
Leaving him to feel a little sorry for himself, all alone.