Chapter Text
The early morning rays burst through the large glass wall of Akaashi's bedroom. They pulled him from his dream, the brightness could be seen even through his closed eyelids. He lay there as the remnants of his dream slowly faded away, leaving no trace behind.
All he could remember was that it had been a good dream, he wished he could have stayed in it longer.
Reluctantly, he opened his eyes. The brightness before him was blinding and all enclosing, it covered every surface of his bedroom. He reached up and rubbed at his eyes with his fingertips, they watered slightly. Akaashi turned to look behind him, towards the glass wall of his bedroom. His eyes moved up to the large blind above it, the one that usually closed automatically while he slept. For some reason, it hadn't last night.
He wondered why. He hoped it hadn't broken, he really didn't feel like calling up the repairman today. But he would have to unless he wanted the same thing to repeat itself tomorrow.
He pushed the thought aside, for now, not wanting to deal with it at that moment. Instead, he pulled himself up into a sitting position in his bed and stretched his long arms above him. He held the stretch for a moment, relishing the feeling of his muscles waking up as well. He released the stretch before turning and throwing his legs over the side of his bed, his bare feet hitting the cold, wooden floor beneath him.
His warm slippers were waiting for him next to his nightstand. He slipped them on, putting a barrier between his skin and the cold floor before he grabbed his shirt from the nightstand and slipped it on over his arms and head until it rested loosely against his body.
Before he turned to head out of his bedroom, he shot a quick glance at the digital clock on his nightstand. It was early, much earlier than he had wanted to get up on his day off. He silently cursed at the blind above him before turning to head to the kitchen, he was in desperate need of a coffee.
He cracked open his bedroom door, just enough for him to poke his head out and scan the apartment. The large, open living area made it easy to see if there was anyone out and about. His roommate, Kenma, frequently pulled all-nighters due to his work, so it wasn't strange for Akaashi to find him sitting on the couch, or at the kitchen island, laptop in front of him, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep.
He'd always force him to call it a night, or, call it a day, then would send him off to bed.
But it seems that last night he'd actually been able to go to bed earlier, or maybe he had already put himself to bed because he was nowhere in sight.
Akaashi fully opened his door and stepped out. The apartment was dead silent, the only noise now was the soft sounds of Akaashi's slippers against the floor as he made his way to the kitchen, and over to the little coffee and tea station, he and Kenma had made for themselves.
It was a small station, nothing fancy or complicated. It was only Akaashi's coffee maker and Kenma's electric kettle on the counter, the drawer below them was stocked full with their favorite coffees and teas. The cabinet above housed their extensive collection of mugs they had collected over several years of living together.
Akaashi walked over and reached for the glass pot of the coffee maker without looking, he was expecting it to be empty but he was pleasantly surprised when he noticed it was warm and had weight to it. He turned to look at it, it was full of fresh coffee.
Kenma was a godsend. He'd have to thank him for refilling his coffee maker, again. Kenma was always doing small things like this for Akaashi. Always silently, and without prompt. Akaashi would do the same for him. Little tasks that they didn't enjoy doing themselves, or would forget to, they'd do for each other. It was their silent way of showing they cared for each other. They had always been so compatible as roommates.
Now that the promise of coffee was even closer, he reached up to the cabinet with urgency, pulling it open and pulling down one of his favorite mugs. It was an owl mug that Kenma had gotten him for Christmas, it was gray, with big golden eyes. He set it down on the counter and filled it with coffee from the pot. He didn't add anything to it, no sugar, no creamer, not even a splash of milk. He wrapped both his hands around the mug and brought it up to his lips, the bitter drink filled his mouth, slightly burning him but not enough to get him to stop.
The familiar brew was welcomed happily, his taste buds danced in his mouth.
He set the now empty mug back down onto the counter and refilled it once more. He already felt more awake, even though he knew it was too soon for the caffeine to actually have affected him yet. He grabbed his refilled mug and turned to the kitchen island behind him, he spotted the novel he had been reading last night on the far side, in front of the chair he had been sitting in.
As quietly as he could, so he wouldn't wake Kenma, he walked over behind the seat and grabbed the book from the counter. He turned and headed for the living room, where he set both the book and the coffee down on the side table next to the couch.
He sat down onto his favorite spot of the sectional couch, where the chaise was. He leaned back against the large, comfortable back pillows and stretched his legs out in front of him. He pulled on the throw blanket that was draped over the back of the couch and wrapped it around his legs before reaching over for his book and mug.
The apartment was silent again, the only sounds were the occasional flip of a page, or sip from a mug. It was a bit lonely, it put Akaashi on edge a little. But the thought of Kenma being in his room close by, and the distraction of his book, he could bear it.
He didn't like being alone.
The novel he was reading was one of his favorites. It was full of short stories, and poems, most of them about love and friendship. It was his comfort book, he always went back to it when he was going through a rough time.
He didn't advance very far into it when he heard the soft turning of a doorknob followed by some shuffling. Akaashi looked up from his book in the direction of Kenma's door. He could see it from where he was sitting. It was the closest to the front door, against the wall that was facing him. It was slowly opening, but only a bit.
Kenma's head poked out, and he scanned the room. Akaashi placed his bookmark in between the pages he was reading and set it back onto the side table. The movement caught Kenma's attention, he turned and their gazes met.
"Good morning Kenma," Akaashi said as he pulled the throw blanket off his legs. He pulled himself up from the chaise as gracefully as he could while holding his now empty mug.
"Good morning. You're up early, isn't today your day off?" Kenma asked. He pulled open his door fully and stepped out of his room. He was in his pajamas, a good sign that he had gone to bed early.
"Yes, the blind didn't go down last night so I was awoken by the sun." Akaashi made his way back over to the kitchen and to their station. He could hear Kenma's soft footsteps coming closer.
"I'll call the repairman and have him look at it," Kenma said. Akaashi heard the scrape of a chair being pulled back, then silence as Kenma sat down. Akaashi refilled the electric kettle and placed it back on its base before turning it on so the water would come to a boil.
"I appreciate that." He said as he reached up into the cabinet and pulled down another mug for Kenma. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yes. I finished my coding for the game we’re developing early and was able to get to bed early." Kenma said.
"That's good, you've been going to bed quite late for the past two months," Akaashi commented. He smiled, Kenma called it nagging but Akaashi called it being concerned for his health.
"Once the coding gets done, it'll be easier on my sleep schedule," Kenma said.
The tea kettle light indicated that the water was ready. Akaashi reached into the drawer below and pulled out one of Kenma's favorite morning teas and slipped a bag into the mug. Carefully, he picked up the hot mug and turned to set it in front of Kenma on the counter. Kenma was on his phone as he did, the frown and pull of his eyebrows suggested he was answering work notifications. He always made a sour face when he did.
Akaashi turned back to the station and refilled his own mug before turning and setting it on the counter across from Kenma. He excused himself momentarily and headed back to his room, where he retrieved his own phone from one of his bedside tables. He clicked the screen on as he made his way back, he had several message notifications.
He walked back over to the counter where he had been standing and leaned against it, his elbows resting against the hard surface as he slightly bent over the edge of it.
The message notifications were from their friend, Oikawa. He opened up their chat and began reading them.
"Oikawa sent me a message. Well, several. In one of them, he asked me if we have any plans for today." Akaashi told Kenma as he finished reading them.
"I have to keep working on the coding for the game." Kenma said, he picked up his mug and gently blew on it before taking a drink.
Akaashi began writing out his response to Oikawa, but he didn't get a chance to finish. His phone began ringing in his hand, Oikawa's contact picture and name filled his screen.
"Hello?" Akaashi said as he answered.
"Good morning! You're up early!" Oikawa said, his voice as chipper as always. Akaashi never could understand how he always woke up so cheerful and excited.
"So are you," Akaashi commented, even though waking up early was a regular thing for Oikawa. It was for Akaashi as well, due to his work, but never on his days off. Oikawa liked to wake up early even when he was on vacation.
"I'm calling to ask if you and Kenma have had breakfast yet. Is he awake?" Oikawa asked.
"Yes, he is. He slept early last night. And no, we haven't had breakfast. We're enjoying our morning tea and coffee right now." Akaashi reached for his coffee mug as he spoke.
"I'm in the neighborhood, I wanted to see if you two would like me to bring you some breakfast," Oikawa said.
"By, in the neighborhood, do you actually mean you're already on your way?" Akaashi smiled.
"I'm in the elevator," Oikawa confessed with a laugh.
"Come on in, we're already in the kitchen," Akaashi said.
"Thank you! See you in a moment!" Oikawa said before the call cut off.
Oikawa had always been like this. Back when they were in college and they had first become friends, Oikawa had immediately asked for Akaashi's apartment door code. Akaashi had politely declined, but Oikawa was persistent. Eventually, he gave it up and he would regularly come to check on him, he'd use the code to come in and would force Akaashi out of bed. He'd always bring him breakfast, lunch, or dinner, depending on the time of day he'd stop by.
Akaashi may not have many friends, but the two he had he cherished greatly.
"Oikawa is on his way up, he's bringing us breakfast," Akaashi said to Kenma as he set his phone back down on the counter.
"Do you think he got us breakfast from the cafe we like?" Kenma asked, his face lighting up at the thought.
"I hope so," Akaashi said although he knew it was most likely that he had. Oikawa was good at paying attention to small details like that, he'd notice your favorite things and would include them when he did little favors like this. He knew Kenma's favorite restaurants, as well as Akaashi's, so he’d always suggest them when they went out to eat. He knew their favorite drinks from different places, so he’d always be popping by with them. He even knew their favorite games, books, and movies, which Oikawa always tried to include in some way when they were together.
Oikawa was really good at paying attention to small details, nothing escaped his sharp eyes.
The familiar beeping of the electric lock on their apartment filled the room. It was followed by the click of the turning deadbolt and the soft sound of the door opening and closing. Some shuffling could be heard as Oikawa removed his shoes. Akaashi and Kenma both turned in the direction of the door, which wasn't visible from where they were due to the angle they were at from the hall. Just as they did, Oikawa appeared at the entrance of the small hall.
"Good morning everyone!" Oikawa said happily. He was carrying two paper take-out bags with the logo of their favorite cafe printed on the side. Kenma sat up a little straighter in his chair at the sight of them.
"Good morning." Kenma and Akaashi replied together, in equally tired, dull tones. Oikawa frowned at them.
"I always forget how you two are not morning people. Fear not, I have the cure for that. I bring pancakes and breakfast sandwiches." Oikawa's smile reappeared as he walked over and placed the bags on the counter.
Akaashi pulled one towards him and began pulling out its contents. There were two take-out boxes as well as two drinks that were being held in place by drink holders that fit perfectly in the bag.
"I didn't know if you had your coffee or tea yet, so I bought some," Oikawa said as he pulled out one more take-out box and another drink from his own bag. "One of these is hot chocolate, that one is mine."
Akaashi made a face at him as he glanced over at the cups. He reached for one and popped open the lid, inside was Kenma's favorite tea. He reclosed it and placed it in front of him before reaching for the second cup and popping it open as well. That one had his coffee.
He replaced the lid on his own and abandoned his mug, opting for the coffee Oikawa had brought instead. Oikawa in the meantime had opened all three of the take-out boxes and was placing everyone's designated breakfast in front of them. Akaashi's mouth watered at the sight of his breakfast sandwich.
"Thank you for this Oikawa," Akaashi said as he pulled the take-out container closer to him.
"Anytime. I enjoy sharing meals with you two." Oikawa smiled as he reached for a pair of disposable chopsticks from inside the bag. He brought out two sets and handed one to Kenma.
Akaashi put down his coffee and picked up his sandwich, taking a bite of it right away. He closed his eyes and relished in the flavor.
"So." Oikawa suddenly said in between a bite of his own food, "Do you two have plans for today?"
"I have work," Kenma said as he picked up a piece of his own food and popped it into his mouth.
"Oh, boo." Oikawa frowned at him, then turned to Akaashi, "It's your day off, isn't it?"
Akaashi narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "Yes."
"Do you have any plans?" Oikawa asked, he gave Akaashi a hopeful look. It made Akaashi's suspicions rise even more.
"I was planning on going to a bookstore, my favorite author came out with a new novel, I wanted to read it. Why do you ask?" Akaashi asked.
Oikawa took a sip of hot chocolate and took another bite of his breakfast before answering. He chewed it slowly, his eyes unfocused on the counter in front of him. The more time passed, the more anxious Akaashi became. The anxiety began pooling in his stomach, his foot tapped against the floor as he waited.
"Well, today is the last concert of Iwaizumi's band's tour," Oikawa began. The anxiety Akaashi was experiencing shifted, a new fear overcame his mind. Akaashi knew what Oikawa was getting at as soon as he mentioned his boyfriend, Iwaizumi, "And you promised you would go and see his band with me. This is the perfect opportunity, they're playing right here in the city! So we don't have to go far, the venue is just fifteen minutes away from here."
Akaashi had made that promised, a little over two years ago. He had made it when their relationship was just starting, Akaashi quite honestly hadn't expected it to last. Iwaizumi was constantly working in the studio and had left for tour for a couple of months last time. Akaashi had witnessed Oikawa's longing for him, the sadness that filled him when he was away, Oikawa had vented to him several times about Iwaizumi being too busy ever for a phone call.
He hadn't expected it to last at all.
But here they were, a little over two years later.
"I did promise you that." Akaashi slowly said, he avoided looking over at Oikawa as he spoke. "The genre of Iwaizumi's band's music is... not my personal preference."
"Akaashi." He could practically hear Oikawa's pout, "Please, I promise it's not that bad. You can take some headache medicine beforehand, just in case. The venue is close by, I'll make sure to get you home early. Iwa-chan really wants you to go!"
Oikawa was playing dirty, and he knew it. Over the past two years, Oikawa had made Kenma and Akaashi hang out with him and Iwaizumi as much as he could. They'd go out for group activities all the time, dinners, movies, shopping. Akaashi always asked them if it was alright, that he felt like he was intruding on their time together. It was already very limited, more so with him and Kenma around all the time. They insisted they didn't mind, and loved bringing him along. This resulted in them bonding pretty deeply with Iwaizumi. They had become very close.
He had feared that if Oikawa and Iwaizumi did break up, it would be painful for him too. He was thankful they were still going strong.
Saying no to Oikawa was easy for Akaashi. Iwaizumi on the other hand...
"Fine. I'll go, but I'm doing this for Iwaizumi." Akaashi said as he picked up his coffee. Oikawa's mouth popped open, he dramatically pressed his hand to his chest and scoffed.
"I'm offended. You'll go for my boyfriend but not for me, your best friend of several years?" Oikawa said in a fake offended tone.
"Of course." Akaashi teased. Oikawa reached over and gently pushed Akaashi's shoulder.
"Rude!" He said with a laugh.
"Help me choose a concert appropriate outfit," Akaashi said. "All I know how to style is my work clothes, which you find boring, and my casual clothes, which you've threatened to throw away my cardigans, so I doubt you want me wearing one to the concert."
"Please, anything but the cardigans." Oikawa visibly shivered at the word 'cardigan'.
Oikawa had always been the fashion-forward friend. He was constantly complaining about Akaashi's quote-on-quote stylish, but bland outfits, and Kenma's constant skinny jeans and hoodies. He had tried to restyle them once recently, but those clothes hung in their closets gathering dust, thrown to the end of the rack, and abandoned. Maybe they'd come in handy today.
"I'm finished eating, I'll go see what I have to work with." Oikawa finished off his hot chocolate before grabbing his now empty cup and food container and heading to the trash can. He dumped them in before turning and heading to Akaashi's bedroom.
"Are you sure you want to go?" Kenma asked as they watched Oikawa disappear into the bedroom. Kenma turned back to Akaashi, his eyes full of concern. "I know how you get about meeting new people."
"I promised him and Iwaizumi. Oikawa's right, this is the best time to go given the circumstances. I'll be alright." Akaashi smiled at Kenma, but even he could tell it was strained. Kenma held his gaze on him for a moment before hopping off his chair and grabbing his own trash.
"If you get too anxious, send me a text. I'll come up with something, an emergency, that requires you to come back." Kenma said as he walked over to the trash can.
"I appreciate that," Akaashi said. Kenma turned to him and gave him a nod. "I'm assuming the concert is in the evening, I still want to go out and get my book beforehand. Do you need anything while I'm out?"
"Not that I can think of, no. Thank you for offering." Kenma said, he turned towards the direction of his room, his work already calling to him. He complained about it, but he did enjoy it and loved doing it.
"Send me a message if you think of something," Akaashi said to his retreating figure.
"I will," Kenma said as he slipped through his door and gently shut it behind him.
Akaashi finished his breakfast in silence. He could hear the sounds of Oikawa rustling around in his bedroom. He finished his food and coffee and disposed of the trash as well before heading over. When he walked in, his eyes popped open at the sight before him.
Oikawa had pulled out what seemed like half his closet. Various outfit choices were spread around on his bed. Oikawa stood at the foot of it, his thumb and index finger on his chin as he inspected them.
"You're cleaning this up," Akaashi said as he walked over to his side.
"Of course I am," Oikawa said. He reached over and grabbed a few pieces of clothing and folded them neatly. He turned to Akaashi and offered them to him. He took them from Oikawa and pressed them against his chest, "Go shower and change, I'll clean up in the meantime."
Akaashi nodded. He headed over to his dresser and grabbed a few more items before heading to his bathroom. Once inside, with the door firmly shut behind him, his anxiety made itself known. His heart raced and his palms felt sweaty. A desperate feeling overcame him, the flight or fight response in his mind was making him want to flee.
Everything was going to be fine, he told himself. They're Iwaizumi's bandmates, he was sure they were great people. He couldn't see Iwaizumi working and touring with people he didn't like.
Everything was going to be fine.
He undressed and slipped into the shower. The water was hot, it burned his skin slightly. He closed his eyes and pressed his hands against the cold shower wall. One by one, he focused on each muscle in his body, from his legs to his neck, and even his jaw, and relaxed them. The tension was released and washed away with the water, going down the drain and away from him. He felt much better.
After washing up, he turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around himself. He walked over to his sink and ran his fingers through his curls. He gave up before he even tried and opted to brush his teeth instead.
He turned to the outfit that was waiting for him on the counter. The clothes were unfamiliar, so they were most likely from the style upgrade Oikawa had tried with them. He finished drying off before he pulled on his boxers and grabbed the jeans first. He slipped them on, they were dark and fitted. He didn't hate them, they were actually quite comfortable.
Next, he grabbed the shirt. He didn't mind it either, it was a dark navy blue t-shirt with a v-cut neckline. Oikawa kept it very within his comfort zone, he greatly appreciated that. He put his slippers back on and headed back out to his bedroom. Oikawa had been true to his word, the large mess of clothes that had once covered his bed was now neatly organized in his closet.
He walked over and grabbed his favorite pair of shoes before heading out into the living area of the apartment. Oikawa was nowhere in sight. He headed over to Kenma's bedroom door and lightly knocked against it.
"Come in." Kenma's soft voice called out. Akaashi opened the door and peeked in. Sure enough, Oikawa was sitting on Kenma's bed, behind Kenma himself, his eyes locked on the computer screen as he watched Kenma type out code at an impressive speed.
"Are you ready?" Akaashi asked.
"Yes," Oikawa said, still watching Kenma with fascination. He got up and finally pulled his gaze away as he turned to Akaashi, "Let's go out to your bookstore first, then we'll get lunch. Once the time for the concert nears, we'll drop off our things at my apartment and I'll change before we head out."
Akaashi nodded, "Sounds perfect to me."
They said their goodbyes to Kenma before heading out of his room. Akaashi gently closed the door behind them as they headed over to the entrance where they both slipped on their shoes before stepping out of the apartment.
Their first stop was, of course, Akaashi's favorite bookstore. His favorite author's new book had a huge display, right at the window. He made a beeline for it as soon as they stepped in and grabbed himself a copy. Oikawa grabbed one for himself as well, he didn't love reading as Akaashi did, but he did say that Akaashi always liked good books and that he enjoyed them.
They wandered around the bookstore for a while, each of them grabbing a few more books before deciding to leave. Or, more like Oikawa forcing Akaashi to leave before he grabbed more.
Afterward, they went to a shopping mall, where Oikawa browsed his favorite clothing stores. Akaashi browsed the clothes with him and would nod and give Oikawa feedback on the pieces he picked out to try on. They spent much more time there than they had at the bookstore, but Akaashi didn't mind. He only regretted his decision slightly when Oikawa forced him to try on clothes himself.
Oikawa chose a couple of things, and even bought Akaashi one or two pieces, despite his protests. Another attempt at updating his wardrobe.
It was a little past lunchtime so they decided to just grab some food at the mall and eat in the food court. Oikawa gushed about Iwaizumi's last tour while they did, he told Akaashi various stories of him and his bandmates. The more he heard about them, the calmer he was beginning to feel. They seemed like really great guys.
After they ate, they headed to Oikawa's apartment, which was close by, so that he could shower and change as well. Akaashi waited patiently in his living room, he pulled out the new novel he had gotten and started it while Oikawa got ready. He already knew it was going to be a while.
He got pretty far into the book by the time Oikawa stepped back out of his bedroom. His outfit was similar to Akaashi's but still very authentic to his personal style. His hair was styled and Akaashi could smell his cologne as he approached. He had been distracted by Oikawa and hadn't noticed that he was carrying something in his hand. He walked up to Akaashi and stood in front of him and held it out to him.
"To complete the outfit." Oikawa smiled.
Akaashi looked at what appeared to be a black leather jacket in his hand. Now that was out of his comfort zone.
"Oikawa, I don't think that really fits my personal style." Akaashi frowned as he continued to stare at the leather.
"Well, it's only for one night. Live a little." He responded. He swung the jacket closer and Akaashi sighed in resignation. He put his book back in the bag and reached for it. Oikawa stepped back, giving Akaashi room to stand. He slipped on the jacket and was surprised to see it was actually quite comfortable as well. Oikawa beamed at him, "Perfect."
"Well, now that we're both ready, when are we heading to the venue?" Akaashi asked, his anxiety spiking again, a little wave of panic shot through him. Oikawa pulled out his phone and checked the time.
"Iwa said we should be there by six. It's five-thirty, let's get going now." Oikawa said, he turned to Akaashi with excitement. Akaashi tried to return it, but he was sure he failed. His suspicions were confirmed when Oikawa gave him a soft look, "It'll be fine, they're all great."
Akaashi nodded and together they headed to Oikawa's apartment door. They took a cab to the venue, Oikawa insisted on it. The drive was short, the venue really was close to them. The cab was soon pulling up to the curb of the sidewalk, where Akaashi could see a line of people from the door and down the block already. They were slowly making their way inside.
"Wow," Akaashi said as they stepped out of their cab.
"They're quite popular now," Oikawa said proudly. He hooked his arm with Akaashi and pulled him over to one of the security guards that was standing by the door where everyone was entering. He turned to look at them when they got close, he visibly tensed as he turned to them.
"You have to get to the back of the line." He said firmly before they could get a word out.
"We're guests of the main band. Oikawa and Akaashi." Oikawa said with a smile. The guard looked them up and down before pulling out his radio from the belt around his waist.
"I've got an Oikawa and Akaashi out here, are they on the list for the main band?" He called through his radio. He shot them another side glance as they waited. Akaashi gave him a weak smile, his anxiety has his heart racing. He could feel his palms getting sweaty. What if they didn't let them in? The radio suddenly beeped and a voice spoke back.
"Confirmed, lead them to the band room." The voice said. The guard immediately untensed, his shoulders relaxing and his tense expression softened. Akaashi also relaxed a little, he felt silly, of course, they’d let them in. And if not, Oikawa would just call Iwaizumi and he’d come out personally to get them.
"Follow me." He said, in a noticeably nicer tone. He pulled open one of the other doors and held it open for them. They stepped inside, Akaashi could see the line continued inside. People were slowly shuffling in, the atmosphere was full of excitement.
The guard headed over to a hall next to the waiting line. Akaashi and Oikawa followed, they had to cut through the line at one point, which earned them a couple of glares. Akaashi's heart raced, he kept his eyes focused on the back of the guard. He led them down the hall and they made a couple of turns, left, then right, then left again. Finally, they reached a door that had a paper taped to the front of it that read 'Main Band'.
The guard reached up and knocked on the door. Akaashi's heart jolted, it felt like it had risen to his throat. He felt slightly lightheaded as they waited.
"Someone's at the door." Someone inside the room shouted.
"Go get it then." Another voice called out.
"It's probably your guest, you go get it." The first voice laughed.
There was a bit of silence before the door swung open. The guard stepped out of the way and they were met with Iwaizumi's smiling face at the door.
"Tooru." He said to Oikawa, his voice was sweet when he addressed him, it was lovely to hear. Then he turned to Akaashi, "Akaashi, you came!"
"He specifically said he was coming just for you." Oikawa laughed as he pulled Akaashi towards the door by their hooked arms. Iwaizumi stepped aside, making room for them to step in. He thanked the guard before closing the door behind them.
Akaashi took in the room before him. It was actually quite nice, it wasn't too small but not too big. There was a simple kitchenette against the back wall, with a small stove, an overhead microwave, and a small fridge next to it. There was a small bar in front of it, with some stools that were occupied by two other guys. Akaashi assumed they were Iwaizumi's bandmates. He avoided looking at them for the moment and continued looking around the room. There were two couches, one pressed against the right wall and the other was perpendicular to it, it was facing the direction of the entrance. There was a small coffee table in front of them as well.
To the left of the room were various clothing racks, filled with different changes of clothes and shoes. There was also a large mirror above what seemed to be a little vanity that was built into the wall as well. It was comfortable and clean.
"Hey, Oikawa. Who's your friend?" One of the men asked. Akaashi couldn't avoid it any longer, he glanced up at them, his eyes locking onto the one who had spoken.
Akaashi could tell he was tall even while sitting. His legs were long, they touched the floor despite the height of the chair he was sitting in, his black rustled hair making him appear even taller. His hazel eyes moved to Akaashi’s, his lips pulled up into a warm smile. His sleeveless shirt was red, it had some kind of band logo on it, but it wasn't their own. Akaashi would have recognized it if it had been their own. His arms were completely exposed, showing off the full sleeves of tattoos they had. Each one is just as intricate as the last. They flowed up his arms and spilled onto his neck as well. He wore a pair of black, tight jeans with holes in the knees, Akaashi could see a hint of a tattoo in one of them.
"Is this the friend you've been telling us about Oikawa?" The other spoke.
Akaashi turned to him next, he also had his eyes on him. They were large and had a golden hue to them. His eyebrows were large as well, and silver, along with his hair. Only, his hair had streaks of black in it as well and was styled up into spikes. He was also tall, his legs matched his friends, they touched the ground despite the tallness of the chair they were in. He also wore a pair of black jeans, he was wearing a regular t-shirt. The color of it was almost the same as Akaashi's. Unlike his friend, he had facial piercings. He had a nose piercing as well as an eyebrow one. His tattoos also flowed from the top of his neck all the way down his arms. Akaashi's eyes widened at the sight of his ears, the lobes had been stretched to at least an inch of circumference. Iwaizumi's ears were stretched as well, but nowhere near as much.
They were both also in very good physical shape. The silver-haired one was bigger than the black-haired one though, although that didn't mean the black-haired one wasn't muscular as well. He had broad shoulders and arms, his t-shirt was a bit stretched across his broad chest. His arms were impressive, Akaashi caught himself staring at them and quickly looked away, slightly embarrassed so he forced his eyes to look at his face again.
He didn't smile at Akaashi, instead, he had a strange expression on his face. Akaashi couldn't quite put a name to it, but it made him feel a little self-conscious. He blushed slightly at the attention.
"Akaashi, this is Kuroo." Oikawa pointed to the black-haired one, "And that's Bokuto." He pointed to the silver-haired one.
"It's nice to meet you Akaashi. We've heard so much about you. As Oikawa said, I'm Kuroo Tetsurou." Kuroo said as he got up from his seat. He walked over to Akaashi and offered his hand.
"I've heard a lot about you as well. It's nice to finally meet you, Kuroo-san. I'm Akaashi Keiji." Akaashi replied as he took Kuroo's hand in his. He hoped it wasn't too sweaty, and if it was, he hoped Kuroo didn't notice. They shook each other's hand before Kuroo released it and stepped aside.
"I'm Bokuto Koutarou," Bokuto said as he stepped up after Kuroo, his own arm extended.
"It's nice to meet you as well, Bokuto-san. I'm Akaashi Keiji." Akaashi reached for Bokuto's hand and held it in his own. They shook hands, Bokuto was still staring at Akaashi, the corners of his mouth were pulled up in a large grin that flashed his teeth. It was a welcoming smile, for some reason it made Akaashi feel at ease. Akaashi blushed again as he released his hand.
"Iwa told us his boyfriend was coming, but he didn't tell us he was bringing a friend," Kuroo said.
"Did I forget to mention that?" Iwaizumi asked, he had wrapped his arm around Oikawa, pulling himself closer to him. Oikawa wrapped his other arm around Iwaizumi's back, but still had his arm wrapped with Akaashi's as well.
"Yes, you did," Bokuto said, he crossed his arms against his chest and gave Iwaizumi a smirk.
"I'm sorry, I'm not causing any trouble am I?" Akaashi asked. Panic filled him again. Why hadn't Oikawa told them he was coming? Were they okay with that? What if they were going to discuss things he wasn't allowed to hear, and now they couldn't? Akaashi could feel a lump of panic rise in his throat.
"Nah, you're fine. Would you like something to drink?" Kuroo asked. Akaashi's heart rate slowed a bit, but the anxiety lingered.
"Yes, water would be nice," Akaashi said. Kuroo nudged Bokuto and gestured to him to go get it. Bokuto looked over at him one more time before turning and heading to the fridge.
"Let's take a seat," Oikawa said. He pulled Akaashi towards the couches, Iwaizumi let go of his waist and followed behind them. They sat on the couch that was pressed against the wall, Akaashi took the edge seat, Oikawa sat in the middle, and Iwaizumi sat on the other edge. Only then did Oikawa release Akaashi's arm. He leaned back against Iwaizumi's chest but kept a hand on Akaashi's upper back.
Kuroo had followed them as well, he sat on the other couch, on the far side. Bokuto walked up to them soon after and took the seat that was closest to Akaashi.
"Here you go." Bokuto smiled at him as he offered the water.
"Thank you, Bokuto-san." Akaashi smiled back as he took the water. He unscrewed the lid and drank deeply from the bottle, the water seemed to push down the lump in his throat. He resealed the bottle when he was done and placed it on the coffee table in front of them.
"Are you all excited for tonight's show?" Oikawa asked them.
"Oh yeah. I'm excited about our month-long vacation afterward as well." Kuroo said as he leaned back into the corner of the couch, one arm extended along the back of it, the other had his elbow resting against the armrest, his hand against his cheek.
"I'm excited about the afterparty. I overheard Suga talking to Daichi by accident, and I heard they rented a top-floor private nightclub for the party. Everyone's invited, even the stage people." Bokuto grinned. He leaned forward, his elbows resting against his open legs, his fingers locked together and his hands hung limp between his legs.
"You're both going, right?" Iwaizumi asked. Akaashi turned to look at him, confused. He looked over at Oikawa, who was actively avoiding his gaze. Oikawa slipped his hand off Akaashi's back and used it to slightly cover his face.
"Afterparty?" Akaashi asked. Iwaizumi's eyes moved from Akaashi to Oikawa, and back a couple more times.
"You didn't tell him?" Iwaizumi said to Oikawa, eyebrows raised.
"No, he did not," Akaashi said. He crossed his arms and turned to glare at Oikawa, who finally stopped avoiding his gaze. He dropped his hand and turned to give Akaashi a look of defeat instead.
"If I had told you, you wouldn't have come." Oikawa pouted. "And Iwa-chan had really been looking forward to you seeing the band play."
Akaashi's glare softened a bit. Oikawa wasn't playing fair again. Oikawa was partially correct. He would have still come to the concert, for Iwaizumi's sake, but he would have snuck away before the afterparty and gone home. But now that Oikawa was calling him out in front of Iwaizumi, he didn't want him to feel bad.
"I said I'd come, for Iwaizumi," Akaashi said.
"Will you go to the afterparty for Iwa as well?" Oikawa raised an eyebrow at him. Akaashi knew he was challenging him.
"Of course." Akaashi shot back. Although, his heart rate picked up a bit at the thought.
"Iwa-chan, you've stolen my friend from me." Oikawa turned to Iwaizumi, the pout returning.
"He's my friend now." Iwaizumi teased.
"It'll be really fun!" Bokuto said, "We'll make sure you enjoy yourself."
"Thank you, Bokuto-san. I'm sure I'll enjoy it." Akaashi smiled at him, which earned him a wide grin from Bokuto. He hoped his lie wasn't obvious.
There was a soft knock on the door, everyone's heads turned to look at it. The door slowly opened and in stepped a man with short, dark hair. Upon a first glance, Akaashi could immediately tell he was the shortest one in the room. But what he lacked in height he seemed to make up in physical build. He looked like he could go up against Bokuto.
He wore a simple red button-up dress shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His black, form-fitting slacks hugged his large thighs and he wore a pair of black dress shoes on his feet. His arms were visibly tattooed, but that was the only skin that Akaashi could see with ink. He had no piercings, or anything else.
He smiled warmly at everyone as he stepped inside.
"I brought drinks." He said as he walked over and set a bag down in the middle of the coffee table, "Take it easy though guys, this is the last concert of the tour. We have plenty of time for drinks after the show."
"Of course Daichi. We'll be on our best behavior. At least, until the show is over." Kuroo smirked up at Daichi, who gave him a stern look in response. He excused himself, saying he needed to go help out with prepping for their turn on stage, then hurried back out the door
"That's our manager Daichi. He's really busy right now, otherwise, he would have introduced himself. We'll introduce you at the after party if you'd like." Kuroo smiled at Akaashi as he leaned forward and reached into the bag Daichi had left.
"You don't have to go out of your way," Akaashi said.
"It's fine, he'll want to meet Oikawa's friend anyways. He talks a lot about you, it's like you're already part of our little group. Kenma too." Iwaizumi chuckled.
"I hope he only says all good things about me." Akaashi laughed nervously.
"Of course," Oikawa said, sitting up and resting his hand on Akaashi's arm.
"Would you like a drink, Akaashi?" Kuroo said, removing one of the beers from the bag and offering it to Akaashi.
"I'll stick to water, but thank you for the offering." Akaashi said.
"Loosen up Akaashi, have a beer." Oikawa leaned over and took the beer from Kuroo and offered it to Akaashi himself.
"One of us has to be the responsible one tonight. I already know you're going to be drinking." Akaashi smiled at Oikawa as he gently pushed the beer away.
"How about both of you let loose, and I'll be the responsible one. I want you to have fun too Akaashi." Iwaizumi offered.
Akaashi looked over at Iwaizumi, he was smiling at him. He turned to look at Bokuto and Kuroo, who were both also looking at him.
"This is peer pressure." Akaashi accused them all.
"Yes, it is. Have a beer." Oikawa chuckled as he offered the beer to Akaashi again.
It's not that Akaashi had anything against drinking, in fact, a beer sounded nice right now. Maybe it would help him loosen up a bit. The problem was, Akaashi's stomach felt like it was already full, but of anxiety. He could feel it all the way to the back of his throat.
"Alright." He eventually said. He took the beer from Oikawa and cracked open the can. He took a drink from it as he watched Kuroo hand everyone else a can, all except for Iwaizumi. Akaashi appreciated him volunteering to stay sober for them. He'd probably be the one to help them get home.
They each had a couple of beers, Akaashi could feel a pleasant buzz coursing through his body by the third. They all exchanged stories as they drank.
Akaashi learned that Bokuto and Kuroo had been friends since high school, which is also when they decided they wanted to start a band. They both worked hard on perfecting playing their instruments, but they struggled to find others to join them. At least, until they met Iwaizumi in college. Iwaizumi hit it off with them pretty quickly, and they were elated when they found out that he was a drummer. He joined the band almost immediately.
They began working hard on their music, but balancing college, music, and part-time jobs had been a lot. Eventually, they took a leap of faith and dropped out to work full time. They rented a small recording room for themselves and recorded their very first small album themselves. They posted it everywhere, and it got noticed by a rock music production company. They were signed on within months of its release.
That's when they were paired up with Daichi, who Akaashi had just briefly met, and someone else named Suga. They've been together for a couple of years now, they claimed they were perfect managers.
"This is actually our second tour since they joined us," Kuroo said proudly.
"It's been really fun, touring is great," Bokuto added.
"The only downside is having to live in close proximity with those two." Iwaizumi gestured to Kuroo and Bokuto.
"What are you talking about, we are a delight to live with." Kuroo laughed.
"Sure you are." Iwaizumi laughed with him.
"Another downside is that I don't get to see my Iwa-chan as much." Oikawa pouted as he leaned his head against Iwaizumi's shoulder.
"Come on tour with me, problem solved." Iwaizumi said as he ran his fingers through Oikawa's hair.
"Can you imagine having to tour and live with those two love birds?" Kuroo turned to Bokuto, a look of disgust on his face. Bokuto burst out laughing.
"Jealous?" Iwaizumi smirked at Kuroo, who in return flipped him off. They joined in with Bokuto's laughter.
There was another knock on the door, Kuroo called out for whoever it was to enter. The door swung open, a silver-haired man stepped inside. He was even shorter than Daichi, and his build was more slender. He also wore a dress shirt, his was a light baby blue and he had the sleeves rolled up to his elbows as well. His slacks were a khaki color, and his dress shoes were brown. His big, hazel brown eyes looked exhausted.
"You're on in thirty minutes." He said with a smile. Even as exhausted as he looked, his tone was still gentle and his smile genuine.
"Thanks, Suga. We'll head out now to get out mics and earpieces." Kuroo said as he stood up. Suga nodded at him and excused himself before turning and leaving, closing the door behind him as he did.
Iwaizumi and Bokuto stood up next. Bokuto gathered up the empty cans on the coffee table and put them into the now empty bag that Daichi had brought. He walked over to the kitchen and put them in the recycling bin.
"I'll tell security to take you to the front row." Iwaizumi said as he turned to Akaashi and Oikawa.
"Thank you, Iwa," Oikawa said as he stood up. He leaned over and planted a quick kiss on Iwaizumi's cheek, causing him to blush. It made Akaashi happy, to see them so in love.
"Gross," Kuroo said.
"Kuroo, you're just jealous." Bokuto laughed as he patted his friend on the back.
"That'd be you. I'm very happy being single." Kuroo grabbed onto Bokuto's shoulders, "Don't worry Kou, you'll find the one eventually."
Bokuto laughed, and for a moment Akaashi thought his eyes had flashed over to him, but he couldn't be sure. It was so fast, if Akaashi blinked he would have missed it. His face felt warmer, he blamed the alcohol.
Akaashi stood up, he was the last one to do so. They all headed to the same door Suga and Daichi had come and gone through, this time they were the ones to exit through it. Kuroo led the way through the maze of hallways. Akaashi was behind Iwaizumi and Oikawa, who were flirting with each other the entire time.
They eventually made it backstage. It was quite chaotic, people were running around and getting things set up.
"Come, I'll get someone to escort you." Iwaizumi turned and waited for Akaashi to catch up to him until they were standing side by side. He guided Oikawa and himself over to one of the security guards. He instructed them to take them to the front row, dead center. The security officer nodded, then asked Oikawa and Akaashi to follow them.
As they made their way backstage again and through a door that led to the crowd, Oikawa hooked his arm with Akaashi's.
"So, what do you think of the band so far?" Oikawa spoke in his ear, the noise of the crowd would have drowned him out if he hadn't. Akaashi turned and spoke his response into his.
"They're very interesting and quite fun. They welcomed me very warmly." Akaashi said.
"It's true, what they said. I do talk a lot about you. You were already part of the group even if you hadn't met them yet." Oikawa smiled.
"Thank you," Akaashi said sincerely. His anxiety was gone now, he felt welcomed and safe.
"I think you caught Bokuto's eye." Oikawa suddenly said.
"What do you mean?" Akaashi asked. The security officer suddenly stopped, they moved to the side so that Akaashi and Oikawa could slip by them and stand in front of the railing in a spot that they had cleared for them. They did get a few glares from those around them, but Akaashi didn't notice or care. He was more interested in Oikawa's response.
"He wouldn't stop looking at you. Kuroo kept teasing him about it when you weren't looking." Oikawa laughed.
"Oh," Akaashi said.
"What do you think about him?" Oikawa nudged him with his elbow.
"Bokuto-san seems very interesting," Akaashi responded. Truth be told, he was also incredibly handsome. And funny. The way he carried himself with confidence and made his presence known in the room was nice. Akaashi admired that.
The lights around them dimmed before Oikawa could say anything else. They were replaced with lights on the stage. The band was announced by someone they couldn't see, then the three of them ran onto the stage. Bokuto and Kuroo had instruments hanging from their necks. Akaashi knew enough about music to at least know that Bokuto's was a bass and Kuroo's was a guitar.
Iwaizumi stepped out with only two drumsticks, his drum set was already set up and waiting for him on the stage. Akaashi watched as he winked at Oikawa and blew him a kiss.
Oikawa pretended to catch it and placed it onto his lips. It was so sweet, Akaashi's heart fluttered at the sight. He remembered all the doubts he had about them, about Iwaizumi. They were all washed away when he saw just how in love they were, and every time they did something cheesy like that, it only reinforced his reassurance that they were going to be together for a long, long time.
Akaashi pulled his attention away from the two lovebirds, both to give them privacy and also to look over at Kuroo and Bokuto. They were both focused on their instruments, their fingers ready at the chords.
As he watched Kuroo, out of the corner of his eye, he thought he could see Bokuto glancing over at him again. But when he turned to check, he was focused on the crowd. However, this time he looked over at Bokuto, he noticed something else. He was the only one with a microphone in front of him. He turned to Iwaizumi and Kuroo just to confirm. Neither one of them had one.
"Bokuto-san sings?" Akaashi asked Oikawa, pulling him from the lovey-dovey staredown he was having with Iwaizumi. Oikawa glanced over at him, then up at Bokuto.
"Yes, he's the singer of the band. You didn't know?" Oikawa asked. Akaashi shook his head. Truth be told, he’d never actually listened to their music at all. Oikawa had given him one of their albums, but he never got around to listening to it. Oikawa opened his mouth to say something, but he was drowned out by the music. They both turned to look up at them, they had started playing.
This was not Akaashi's preferred music type, but even he could appreciate that they sounded good. Very in sync, each instrument producing sounds that intertwine with the others. He found himself tapping his foot against the ground, in sync with the beat of the song.
He turned over to look at Bokuto, who at the same time stepped up to the microphone. His eyes closed, his lips parted, and he sang.
Akaashi froze.
He had never heard a voice like Bokuto's. A full-body chill ran through his body, from the top of his head down to the tips of his toes, it raised goosebumps all across his skin. His heart raced, but unlike the other times it had raced today, this was different. There was no anxiety attached to the rapidly increasing beat. There were only butterflies.
His voice filled the venue, surrounding Akaashi completely. He couldn't stop staring at the way he gripped the microphone, the way his neck strained with each word, the way his eyes were squeezed shut as he sang.
It was like he was in a trance. Like he was hypnotized by each word that came out of Bokuto. With each chorus, he sank deeper and deeper.
The idle fleeting thought that he was a star crossed his mind.
Bokuto's eyes suddenly opened, there was a pause in his singing. Kuroo stepped forward, his fingers moving frantically over his guitar. Akaashi's eyes were still locked on Bokuto, who turned and caught his gaze. He flashed him a wide grin, and Akaashi's heart soared.
"What do you think?" Oikawa's voice was close, Akaashi vaguely registered that he was speaking into his ear. Akaashi reluctantly broke his gaze with Bokuto to turn and look at Oikawa.
"What?" He asked.
"Are you okay?" Oikawa asked, he looked over at Akaashi, concern filling his face.
"Yes, I'm alright. I just-" He turned back to Bokuto, who was now jumping around on stage as Kuroo continued his guitar solo. "I wasn't expecting that."
"He really is talented, isn't he?" Oikawa beamed.
"Yes," Akaashi said. Bokuto walked back up to the microphone, and Akaashi felt breathless as he sang again.
For the rest of the concert, Akaashi was stuck in that strange trance. The world around him was shut out, he wasn't aware of anyone around him, even though people were shouting next to his ear, or bumping into him.
It felt like it was just him and Bokuto.
But then, it was suddenly over. Bokuto thanked everyone on behalf of the band, then the stage lights shut off. Only then did Akaashi snap out of it. He watched as their darkened figures retreated backstage. The lights in the venue brightened, and the venue was filled with excited chatter from the fans. Akaashi felt hollow, the absence of Bokuto's voice hit him deeply, and in a strange way.
He wanted to hear more.
"Let's go." Oikawa called to Akaashi. Oikawa rehooked their arms and they both made their way back over to the same security guard that guided them to their spots earlier. The guard saw them coming and nodded to them. They helped push people aside, people who were trying to convince them to let them go backstage. Akaashi heard the complaints begin behind them as they were allowed in.
They headed back through the halls they had walked through earlier, guided by the guard. They made it backstage again, where Akaashi could see the three of them standing next to Suga and Daichi with towels around their necks. They wiped away the sweat that covered their faces from the exertion of being on stage.
"You were amazing, as usual," Oikawa called out as he and Akaashi made their way over. The guys turned to look at them, all of them had similar, happy smiles on their faces. Oikawa let go of Akaashi and headed over to Iwaizumi, who wrapped his arms around his waist and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.
"Come here Bokuto, you were amazing," Kuroo said, he turned to Bokuto and grabbed his face in his hands, and made kissy noises at him. Bokuto responded by throwing his towel at Kuroo's face. Akaashi laughed at the sight, which caused Bokuto to pull away from Kuroo's grasp and turn to Akaashi.
"Did you like the concert?" He asked Akaashi.
"Very much, Bokuto-san. I wasn't aware that you sang." Akaashi said.
"Yeah, I'm the singer." Bokuto laughed nervously, he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.
"You sing very well, Bokuto-san." Akaashi said. They were hollow words, they didn’t even begin to convey how Akaashi would describe Bokuto’s singing, but Akaashi's mind couldn't come up with appropriate ones at that moment.
"Thank you Akaashi." Bokuto grinned widely at him. Something inside Akaashi stirred.
"Come on guys, let's get you guys showered and changed so we can head over to the afterparty." Daichi walked over to them and began herding them towards a hallway, "Oikawa, you and Akaashi can go wait in the room you were in earlier."
"Thank you, Daichi!" Oikawa smiled. He hooked his arm with Akaashi's and they headed in the opposite direction, back down the hall they had come through earlier.
Oikawa chatted away as they walked, but Akaashi couldn't focus. His mind wandered back to Bokuto on stage. The memories of his singing already felt foggy and muted. He knew his memories would pale in comparison to the real thing. He wanted to hear more.
"Akaashi, are you listening?" Oikawa poked Akaashi in the ribs, which finally pulled his attention.
"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" Akaashi asked.
"The afterparty. Are you excited about it?" Oikawa said.
"Yes." The word slipped out of Akaashi before he could even think about his response, his mind wandered back to Bokuto. Would he see him at the afterparty? Or would he be too busy tending to everyone?
A large part of him hoped they'd be able to talk some more.
The room from earlier was suddenly before them. Oikawa turned the doorknob and they went inside. They both sat down in the same spots they had been sitting in earlier, Oikawa pulled out his phone and Akaashi did the same.
He had a few texts from Kenma, he was mostly asking how it was going, how he felt, and if he needed him to call with an emergency. Akaashi smiled as he responded. His reply was honest, he told Kenma he was having fun, and that he would be home late because he was joining Oikawa at the afterparty. Akaashi watched as the read notification appeared, but it took Kenma a couple of minutes to send back his reply.
Even through text, Akaashi could sense the confusion and shock. Akaashi wasn't one to party all night, or even go out late. Especially since he had work tomorrow, but he couldn't bring himself to say goodbye to the band, not yet.
Kenma told him he was glad he was having a good time, and to text him if he needed anything. Akaashi thanked him and then put away his phone.
He leaned back against the headrest of the couch and closed his eyes. Although he was having fun, he still felt a migraine coming on from the loud music.
"Are you alright?" Oikawa asked.
"I think I need some pain medication." Akaashi said, reopening his eyes. The lights above them sent a bolt of pain through them, it traveled from behind his eyes up to the top of his head.
"I'll go get you some," Oikawa said. Akaashi felt him lift himself from the couch, then the open and close of the door could be heard.
Once alone, Akaashi reclosed his eyes and let his mind race. The concert flashing before his closed eyes once more. He tried to put a name to the feeling that coursed through him at the memory, but he couldn't. All he knew was that he liked it. He liked the way his heart raced, but not because of his anxiety, he liked the way his cheeks seemed to blush softly, he liked the way his stomach seemed to fill with butterflies.
He liked it all. He held onto that feeling, letting it course through his body, making him feel a little like he was floating.
The door reopened, and he heard someone walk over to him. He opened his eyes and saw Oikawa, he held his hands out in front of him, a bottle of migraine pills in one hand and a water bottle in the other. Akaashi thanked him as he took both. He opened the pill bottle and removed two from inside. He popped them into his mouth and washed them down with water.
"You'll definitely be needing those since we're going to the afterparty," Oikawa commented as Akaashi drank deeply from the plastic bottle until he emptied it completely. He re-screwed the lid back on and placed the empty bottle on the coffee table in front of them.
"I'm happy I came. It's a nice experience." Akaashi said. Bokuto's face flashed into his mind. He pushed it away. Oikawa looked at him, slightly shocked.
The door reopened again before he could say anything, this time it was Iwaizumi and Bokuto who stepped inside. Akaashi's eyes fell upon Bokuto. His hair was no longer sticking up, all remnants of the gel had been washed away in the shower. Instead, now, it hung loose and damp, covering his forehead.
Something inside Akaashi stirred again. He felt himself blushing.
"Kuroo's not back yet?" Iwaizumi asked as he walked over to Oikawa. Bokuto made his way over as well, they both sat where they had been sitting earlier. Akaashi kept his gaze on the coffee table in front of him.
"No, you two are the first one's back," Oikawa said.
"Our cars are waiting for us, most of the fans have cleared out," Bokuto said, Akaashi saw from the corner of his eye that he had leaned back into the couch, his arm stretched along the backrest.
The door burst open, and Kuroo stepped inside.
"Who's ready for the afterparty?" He said excitedly as he stretched his arms out to his sides.
"Apparently, you." Iwaizumi chuckled.
"Damn right. We deserve it after three months of tour." Kuroo said.
"Let's go have fun then." Suga's voice came from behind Kuroo. They all turned to look at him, he was smiling happily at everyone. "The cars are waiting for us outside."
They all stood up and began making their way towards the door. Akaashi actually felt excited about this, it had been years since he'd gone to a party of this kind. In fact, the last time he had was probably in college. And back then, he had been forced to go with people he didn't even enjoy being around.
This was different. He enjoyed Bokuto, Kuroo, Iwaizumi, and Oikawa's presence immensely. They made him feel comfortable and welcome.
Suga and Daichi led the way, Kuroo was close behind and Oikawa and Iwaizumi followed. Akaashi and Bokuto were in the very back, both of them silently following everyone. Akaashi was expecting them to go to the front of the venue, but they were led to what appeared to be a backdoor.
Daichi pushed it open, Suga stepped out first, everyone else followed. He turned to everyone and smiled. "Everyone climb into a car, we're all going to the same location so it doesn't matter which you choose."
Akaashi turned to head over to Iwaizumi and Oikawa, but Suga was already walking away with them towards a car.
"You can come with us if you want, Akaashi," Kuroo said from beside him. He turned, Kuroo had his arm thrown over Bokuto's shoulder, both of them smiled at him.
"Alright. Thank you Kuroo-san." Akaashi smiled. They headed to another car, Kuroo opened the door and both he and Bokuto gestured to Akaashi to enter first. He did, he slid all the way down the seat so that he was next to the door. Bokuto followed suit, he also slid down until his leg was pressed against Akaashi's, their arms were also pressed together. Akaashi felt his stomach stir again.
Kuroo slid in last and closed the door behind him. The driver only took a moment before they pulled away and down the alley where they were parked.
Bokuto and Kuroo talked to each other as the car drove through the darkened city. They talked about the tour, their favorite parts. They talked about this last concert, about things they'd like to change for the next one, or things they thought they did well and worked well for them. Akaashi tuned them out, not wanting to eavesdrop on what felt like a semi-private conversation.
But he couldn't block out the feeling of Bokuto pressed against him. It felt like every part of their bodies that touched was warmer than the rest. Akaashi could feel the warmth of his leg pressing against his own. He was surprised when the realization that he liked the feeling hit him.
Eventually, the car pulled over. Kuroo got out first, then Bokuto. Akaashi slid across the seat to get out next. He was met with Bokuto's extended arm, his hand facing palm up towards him. Akaashi placed his hand in Bokutos, and Bokuto helped him come out of the car.
"Thank you, Bokuto-san." Akaashi smiled as he slipped his hand away.
"It's nothing," Bokuto responds. He shoves his own hands into the pockets of his jeans. Akaashi looked around, the other cars were pulling up as well, but Kuroo was already heading to the inside of the building in front of them. Bokuto follows, so Akaashi does too. They step into the lobby of the building and are greeted by a woman sitting behind a desk. Kuroo walks up to her and they exchange a few words before he thanks her then heads to the elevators, Bokuto and Akaashi following behind.
The elevators open as soon as Kuroo presses the button. They all step inside, Akaashi expects him to wait for everyone else, but he doesn't. He clicks the button with the highest number on the panel, and the elevator begins to move.
"Did Daichi and Suga also rent our rooms here? I really don't feel like having to get myself home. I'm going to be exhausted." Kuroo frowned
"And probably drunk." Bokuto added with a laugh, "Yes, they got us rooms."
"Sweet. This is going to be a fun night." Kuroo smirked.
The elevator continued to go up, Akaashi watched the numbers increase on a panel above them. He turned to look at Bokuto, who was also staring up at the numbers. Akaashi couldn't help but stare once more, the memories of Bokuto singing on stage coming back to him.
The elevator dinged, and the doors opened. Akaashi turned, his eyes widened at the sight before him.