New Traditions. (Karma Akabane x Reader)

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain has turned off the Fasten Seat Belt sign, and you may now move around the cabin. However, we always recommend keeping your seat belt fastened while you're seated."

You always felt the announcements were a bit long and redundant for flights like these, where there are three passengers in front of you, two of them seemingly asleep already.

But, you do have a duty to ensure the safety of your passengers, especially considering you're the only attendant on this flight.

You know this pilot, and he tends to be on the quiet side, so it looks to be quite the uneventful ride for you today. It's not a surprise considering it's Christmas Eve, and most people have already arrived at their destinations.

As the plane takes off, the twinkling lights of the city begin to fade away, leaving you with shades of navy and violet painting the surfaces of clouds.

At this altitude, you can't even tell if it's snowing outside.

With another attendant on board, you'd at least be able to strike up a conversation, but the airline you're working for is small, and the flight didn't sell very well. They decided that therefore, you would be the sole host for the night.

You prepare your drink cart for the first round of beverage service, hoping that it will provide you some form of entertainment within the next few hours.



Your first customer is a middle-aged man with a travel pillow around his neck and his feet stretched out across the seats not taken beside him. You place a blanket on him that you find on your cart, and he responds with a warm smile.

Still, his eyes remain closed, and he doesn't ask for a drink.

The next lady is also sleeping, though she's prepared with her own fuzzy blanket and sleeping mask. She seems content, and you place a small snack beside her.

You reach your third customer, the one who's had a part of your attention ever since you saw him board the plane.



His bright red hair is brushed back to reveal sharp amber eyes that glance around lazily, though if you look closely, you can tell he's taking in everything from his surroundings.

Looking to be about your age, he's dressed in a blazer paired with casual sneakers and jeans, yet he wears the outfit with an air of class and formality. He's not occupied by much-- he hasn't touched the screen in front of him, and rarely has he pulled out his phone to check it. Rather, he seems content just being, gazing out the window from time to time and flipping through the magazines in front of him and writing in a notebook from time to time.

"Hello, sir. Can I offer you a drink tonight?"

His eyes pierce her own, though his scrutiny is more curious than threatening as he pairs it with a playful smile.

"Sure. I'll have a café au lait."

His voice is whimsical and nonchalant, but straight to the point.

"Not sleeping like the other passengers, huh?"

Your voice is tinged with a teasing lilt as you prepare the man's drink for him.

"Eh, I can never sleep on plane rides. Might as well have something tasty to keep me up, yeah?"

"Fair enough," you smile, handing over the steaming cup, "Merry Christmas, by the way. Are you flying out to see family?"

"Nah, we haven't spent a holiday together in a long time. They're always out and travelling, and I guess that's in my genes as well. You?"

He doesn't know why he's telling you all this, but you seem nice enough. It's surface-level information, anyway. He definitely doesn't mind some casual conversation once in a while.

"O-oh. They're actually not around anymore. I usually just volunteer to work these shifts, so other people can get the time off, I guess."

Fear flashes on your face for an instant, as you're not sure why you're talking to a complete stranger like this. Normally, things like this would put your job at risk, but for some reason, you just trust him.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Ah, no! I'm sorry I brought it up. It's a bit dark for the holiday, but I've really come to terms with it. I like talking to people on these flights. Like you, I guess."

He nods wistfully at your response. Conversations like these are the reason he avoids offers for private planes and jets, despite his powerful position in the government.

An idea comes to mind and you interrupt his thoughts,

"I'll be right back, Mister, uh..."

"Akabane. But please, call me Karma, (Y/N)."

"My name! H-how did you--"

"The in-flight announcements, (Y/N)."

You mutter,

"Oh. Right."

Turning on your heel, you grab the cart and begin wheeling it down the aisle.

"I--I have an idea. I'll be back in a second then, Karma."

You disappear back into the attendant station.



You bring the cart back out, a small assortment of first class meals and desserts in front of you-- the best you could scrounge up for a mini feast.

"It's... it's still airplane food, but you'd be surprised at how good some of it is! Please, enjoy it with me."

You bow and blush furiously at how bold you're being compared to your usual self. You don't exactly know why you're doing this, but he seems to appreciate it as he lets out a hearty laugh,

"(Y/N)! This is such a wonderful surprise."

"R-really?"

"Yeah! I've never really had a Christmas dinner before. This must be what you do every year."

"Actually, no. It's been something I've always wanted to do. This is probably one of the emptiest flights I've been on, and I think it just... felt right."

His eyes light up at the sight of tiny plastic plates lining the cart, each filled with surprisingly tasty appetizers, main courses, and desserts. You also bring out a glass of wine for him, but settle for cranberry juice yourself as you're still technically on the job.

"Well then, this'll have to be a new holiday tradition, yeah?"

Your heart skips a beat at his unexpectedly warm comment, and though you see in his eyes that he holds so many secrets, you can also see that like a present on Christmas eve, he's beginning to open up to you.

With some pleasant conversation, decent food, and a new friend by your side, the rest of the ride passes by in no time.



"Thank you so much, sir! Enjoy your holidays."

The first two sleeping passengers exit and wave at you with pleasant smiles on their faces. Though the cold from the outdoors doesn't reach you from here, you can see that amidst the darkness, there's still snow to be seen where you've landed.

The fated last passenger reaches the door of the plane.

Before you can react, he grabs your hand and brings it up to his lips, winking to you as he leaves the plane with his bags in hand.

"Until next flight, (Y/N)."

You wave, dumbfounded and oddly enough, feeling like you've had the best Christmas in a while.



Something tells you that he means what he says; you'll be seeing him again soon.