𝙱𝚊𝚍 𝙸𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚜 - 𝙺. 𝙱𝚘𝚔𝚞𝚝𝚘 𝚡 𝙾𝙲

Chapter Sixteen

With a hot mug of tea snug between her hands, Idoki's embarrassment only increased the more time had passed. She tried to think optimistically about it, but the more she thought about the situation, the more she realized she'd overreacted.

Of course, Bokuto would have never said that. Hell, he thought it was sweet that she cared enough to be that upset, even if it was a little more passionate than the situation called for. Still, to him, the fact that mattered most was that she cared. She valued him and his opinions, but more importantly, his feelings. How could he be upset with her when she was trying to be cautious on his behalf? When she was trying to not only protect her own heart, but his as well?

The twenty-four-hour diner they found a block away from the bar was much more inviting than Bokuto had originally anticipated when Idoki had pointed out the little hole in the wall to him. It smelled like freshly baked apple pie and hot coffee, reminding him of the Saturday morning ritual his mother strictly followed until she passed away. The warm light that spilled from the circular fixture above their table added a soft glow to Idoki's features, bringing attention to the subtle freckles that graced her nose and cheeks.

She hummed softly as she took a sip of her citrus chamomile tea, the familiar flavour she associated with many childhood memories. Bokuto smiled, finding the muted melody cuter than he probably should have. Idoki's eyes flickered up to his from above the rim of her cup as she took another sip and she raised an eyebrow at him as if to question why he was sporting a goofy grin.

"You're adorable, Doki Doki," Bokuto mused, leaning forward to tuck her hair behind her ear as she set her mug down.

Idoki glanced away shyly, her cheeks beginning to warm as his hand lingered along her jaw before falling to the table to collect her hand in his. "I'm glad you think so."

"I know so." Bokuto studied her fingertips for a moment, letting them rest in his palm before closing his hand around them and running his thumb over her knuckles.

"I shouldn't have overreacted earlier," she confessed, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Bo. I didn't mean to ruin your night out with friends."

"Spending time alone with my crush is kinda the opposite of ruining my night, Doki-chan," he chuckled, giving her fingers a soft squeeze.

Even though he'd said many things that confirmed his feelings for her, this was the first time he'd admitted he had a crush and Idoki's heart fluttered at the notion. She bit down on her bottom lip as she stifled a larger smile from growing before she let out a breathy laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"It's just..." Idoki's crimson cheeks flared up as she placed her free hand on top of their clasped hands. "It's nice to hear you say that."

"What?" He teased, happy to see her smiling. "Nice to hear about my ginormous, Godzilla-sized crush on you?"

"That's really specific," Idoki laughed, her eyes lighting up in a way that made his heart skip a beat. "You're sure that's an accurate representation?"

"Hmm..." Bokuto tapped his finger on his chin as he thought about it. "It's probably bigger than Godzilla, the Tokyo sky tree, aaaaaand-"

Idoki's phone rang loudly from her jacket pocket, interrupting Bokuto. "I'm really sorry!" She fished her phone out to silence it, only for her eyebrows to immediately furrow when she saw the caller.

"Who is it?" Bokuto curiously questioned her expression, one that prompted a hint of concern.

"Tetsu...he never calls without planning ahead." She stared down at his flashing number and Bokuto waved his hands.