[May 9] [Genshiken] Count to Ten

[rosehiptea.livejournal.com]

Title: Count to Ten
Day/Theme: May 9/I'm like, you're like, he's like, she's like
Series: Genshiken
Character/Pairing: Madarame/Saki
Rating: PG
Word Count: 644
Note: Animeverse, post-anime. Sequel to Listening In. This is another fic where he gets up the nerve to ask her out, but this one I promise to follow up with an actual date!

Cross-posted to rosehiptea and 30_kisses.



It was another week before Madarame saw Saki, not at Genshiken but just walking across the campus by herself.

"This time I'm going to do it. I'm just going to tell her how I feel," he thought to himself. "Of course she's going to shoot me down but at least I'll have that off my chest."

Saki sat down on a bench and Madarame hung back for a moment.

"You're being stupid," he told himself. "Just count to ten and walk over there and do it."

"One," he said to himself. "She's going to tell you she doesn't like you."

"Two. But what if she doesn't?"

His heart was pounding a little, because he knew that this time he was really going to say it. Probably.

"Three. You're just as big an otaku as Kohsaka, if not worse, so why should she like you?"

"Four. Because I'm so good-looking and suave. Hah."

He began to head toward the bench, where she sat, seeming unaware of his presence.

"Five. I can treat her better than Kohsaka does. I know I can."

"Six. You've never even kissed a girl."

"Seven. Maybe it's time I did."

Saki was so pretty. He remembered her cosplaying, but she was pretty just sitting around being herself, especially when she smiled. But she didn't smile often enough.

"Eight. She's broken up with Kohsaka now, again, so it's perfectly fair for me to ask her out."

"Nine. Her gift of sarcasm is going to kill me, I know it is."

He was standing in front of the bench now and she finally looked up and saw him.

"Ten," he said to himself, then took a deep breath.

"I want to tell you what I didn't tell you the other day," he said out loud.

She just nodded.

"I... like you. And he likes you. But I..."

The words weren't coming out, and Saki was frowning a little.

"I like-I like-the real you. The you that isn't sarcastic all the time and doesn't hate me."

She looked confused. "I never said I hated you. Well, not lately anyway."

"I know."

"I like you," she added.

"I don't think you like me the way I like you," he said, trying to keep the misery out of his voice.

"I don't know if I do either," she said.

There was a stabbing pain in his chest.

"But maybe I could."

He clutched his hands together to stop them from trembling. "I know you've broken up with him and gotten back together before, so maybe you'll just do it again, but if you give me a chance, I'd..."

What could he promise her?

"I'd be very grateful." Now that just sounded stupid.

"If I dated you," she said, stressing the 'if,' "Would you promise not to be such an otaku?"

He thought for a moment. "No."

She raised her eyebrows.

"I am who I am, and if I try not to be, it's not going to work, even for you. Just like I can't become good-looking for you, even if I wanted to. But I can promise to pay more attention to you than anime."

"How do you know?" she asked.

"Because lately... I already do."

Now she was smiling just a little.

"You're not that bad-looking. Though you could use more normal shirts."

It wasn't exactly a huge compliment but he laughed with relief. "If I buy a normal shirt, will you go out with me on Saturday?"

She thought a moment. "Yes."

Now he was really shaking. Asking her out was hard enough but he really had no idea what came next.

"I'll come get you around seven," he said. Was that how things were done?

Saki just nodded and he ran off, desperate not to screw things up.

"There goes my doujinshi money," he said to himself. But it would be worth it.