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Ever since Bokuto had decided to stop being so self centered and to work towards becoming the ace Akaashi and the rest of his team deserved, he'd been noticing something.
Akaashi stares at him. Like, all the time.
At first he was concerned he was doing something wrong, like what if he forgot an important date (like Akaashi’s birthday!) or if he was messing up more than usual during practice (when he first thought of that, he went in his emo mode for the rest of the day and no one could get him out of it), but when he asked Akaashi what what wrong, he always smiled gently and said that it was nothing and that Bokuto was doing well today.
He became so desperate to figure out why Akaashi was looking at him, he eventually asked Konoha if there was something on his face.
The Jack of All Trades himself responded with, "Oh, it's something with your face alright," and then laughed so hard Bokuto was worried he was going to pass out.
No one else on the team would tell him why either, they all just got smug looks on their faces which made him feel like he was missing something big. Bokuto knew he didn't know what was going on-- that's why he was asking! He didn't need them to be all high and mighty about it, thank you very much.
He even considered going to Yukie to ask why Akaashi was always staring but Bokuto had a feeling that if he asked her, she would never let him live it down. She would probably use it as blackmail too. Yep, better to figure this out on his own without any help from his shitty friends.
The fact that Akaashi was staring wasn’t the problem. No, Akaashi staring was usually a good thing! It meant that he was paying attention to him, his ace, to see how well he was doing, or adding to his list of weaknesses so that he could learn how to help with them (last time Bokuto asked Akaashi was up to 64 of his weaknesses). Akaashi staring at him during practice was all around beneficial, and, well, it made Bokuto feel special.
The problem was that Akaashi didn't just stare during practice. It was all the time. In practice, he could brush it off as him wanting to see Bokuto perform at his best or help him to do so. But when they walked home together and he could feel Akaashi looking at him from the corner of his eye, or when they went out to eat and Akaashi would stare as Bokuto ate, or when he watched Bokuto from afar at school, Bokuto knew it wasn’t for any practical reason and it was driving him crazy.
Fed up with not knowing, Bokuto finally came to a decision. Once they won Nationals, Bokuto would confront Akaashi once and for all about why he was staring.
The only question was how he was supposed to do that.
__________
It had been two weeks since Fukurodani had won Nationals and Bokuto was a mess. He still had no idea how to ask Akaashi why he was staring and he was running out of time before graduation.
Bokuto was hoping that once they won Nationals that the looks would stop, but it just felt like they had just gotten worse! He didn't know how much longer he could deal with not knowing, Bokuto had never liked secrets much.
Not that he thinks Akaashi is lying or keeping things from him! It's just, well, he did kinda think that. Why else would he give such non-excuses whenever he was asked in passing.
After school one day, when they were eating dinner on the couch at Akaashi's (his parents were away and Bokuto hated when he knew Akaashi was alone in his apartment, so he tired to spend as much time with him as he could so he wouldn’t be lonely) he realized this was the perfect chance to ask.
"Akaashi!" Bokuto shouts, startling Akaashi bad enough that he dropped the chicken he was holding with his chopsticks. Belatedly, Bokuto realized that Akaashi had been silently staring at him while watching the nature documentary that Bokuto had put on earlier.
"Yes, Bokuto-san?" Akaashi says with one eyebrow raised and, wow, were all of Akaashi's facial expressions cute? Bokuto hasn't seen that one that yet-
No! Don't get distracted! He shouldn't be staring at Akaashi when he's about to ask him why he's staring at him. That would make him, like, a hypocrite or something.
"Why are you always staring at me? It's not that I mind! Well- I mean- I kinda do. But not in the way that means I want you to stop! It's just, like, 'why are you looking at me' and 'why did you gimme those lame reasonings the last time I asked,' like, jeez, come on, I'm not dumb. I know you are looking at me and that means something's wrong! I tried asking the guys and they all just laughed at me and it's been eating at me for weeks! Is it because I'm ugly? Oh my God, you think I'm ugly, don't you? If you think I'm ugly, that's the worst because you're probably the most handsome person on the planet and you always see the best in people; so if you think I'm ugly I must literally be-"
"Bokuto-san," Akaashi says, cutting him off before he could go into his dejected mode, looking amused. "I don't think you're ugly."
Bokuto grins. "You don't! Thank God, for a second I was worried. You know I don't wanna get facial surgery, but for you I would do anything."
Akaashi smiles gently. "I know and I'm grateful for that."
"Wait! If that's not why you're looking at me, then why are you?! And I want the truth this time, don't make me call Kuroo into annoying you so much that you tell me."
"That won't be necessary Bokuto-san. I’ll tell you." Akaashi looks down and he looks? Embarrassed? Why would he be embarrassed? "I look at you because it's hard not to. Ever since I first saw you playing volleyball as a middle schooler, I was drawn to you. You are a star, and watching you, I saw a soon-to-be pro volleyball player. Eventually, I started watching you because I realized that even outside of volleyball, you were incredible; and I wanted to learn everything about you. All your thoughts, your feelings, your weaknesses-- all of it. I watch you because I don’t want to miss a single second of seeing how incredible and beautiful you are.”
Akaashi looks like he wants to say more but Bokuto can't take it anymore. He can’t take Akaashi telling him all the reasons that he watches him without doing anything about it. So he takes the plates of food out of their hands and sets them down on the coffee table, leaning down and grabs Akaashi’s face, kissing him until he’s breathless.
It's not the best kiss Bokuto has ever had, but all Bokuto can think about is how Akaashi called him incredible and beautiful and how he never wanted to look away from him. How everything Akaashi just told him was basically a love confession and Bokuto couldn't be happier. Akaashi is still for a moment before he throws himself into the kiss, kissing back even fiercer than Bokuto was kissing him.
Good, Bokuto thinks, give me your 120% here too.
After what feels like an eternity they both pull back, breathless and panting. Akaashi's lips are red and Bokuto has never wanted to learn how to draw more just so he could draw this moment.
"I like you too, you know." Bokuto tells Akaashi, leaning down to give him another peck on his lips, which Alaashi tries to chase after. Adorable. "You didn't need to say it like that just to tell me you like me, but I'm glad you did because I think my brain melted with all the emotions I was feeling somewhere back there."
Akaashi laughs, leaning into Bokuto's chest. "I like you, a lot." He says so simply that Bokuto feels like this is what his whole highschool career was going towards. Not winning Nationals or anything like that, just finding a home in his setter and best friend. "Do you want me to stop looking at you?"
"If you stop looking at me I'll just do something else crazy to get your attention back on me, so you better not risk it." Bokuto grins, now trailing his hands up and down Akaashi's strong back.
Akaashi hums and buries himself deeper into his chest. "Alright then, I'll never look away."