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Bokuto asked him the week after graduation “Why did you never make a move on Konoha?”
Akaashi had spit out his drink on his mother’s carpet in response and frantically moved to wipe the juice out of the white fabric. He nearly missed what Bokuto had said next.
“Everyone knows you like him. Well, except him apparently.” Bokuto watched him with joking eyes as he scrubbed the carpet with a sponge. “He told Komi while we were lining up before graduation that he wished he kissed you after our last game. Oh, and apparently you’re pretty when you cry. I don’t see it though. You snot a lot when you cry.”
Akaashi had made a little screeching noise as he listened to Bokuto, lips sealed tight as he pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, mentally denying what his former captain was saying.
“Oh, and Komi slapped him for you. Called him an idiot too. We all gave him a slap at his going away party yesterday because he didn’t make a move before you left.” Bokuto popped his gum, head hanging backwards over the couch as Akaashi continued to die inside next to the carpet stain. “Guess it’s better like that huh? Since he’s already moved off to college.”
Akaashi chucked the sponge at Bokuto’s head, standing up before wringing his hair between his fingers. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
Bokuto grabbed the sponge and threw it back, cowering when he noticed it had left a rectangular juice stain on Akaashi’s shirt as well. “I don’t know, I’d thought you guys would’ve figured it out on your own. You and Konoha were always the smartest.”
Akaashi bit back another frustrated screech as he picked up the sponge again before throwing it at Bokuto. His mother walked in just as he noticed that it had spun off of his friend’s arm and printed a red stain on the light blue fabric of the couch.
----
Konoha kissed him after his last match as Fukurodani’s captain. All the old guys were there sitting in the front row of their cheering section. They had their old team jackets thrown over their shoulders like wings as they cupped their hands around their mouths and cheered. Akaashi had noticed Konoha first, the stadium lights shining off of his golden hair like a halo, illuminating him even next to the already exuberant presence of Bokuto Koutarou.
They had talked sparingly over the course of the past year, just enough so that neither forgot the other, though they never said in plain words what they were feeling until that moment. It was just never the right time. Konoha had college work and a new team to practice with. Akaashi had college applications and the current team.
But Konoha still kissed him and Akaashi kissed back, face wet as they stood out of the sight of any nosy onlookers. He wasn’t sure why he was crying as he knew that he had done well, and that there was nothing more that could have been done to ensure their victory.
Konoha kissed him and it was exactly what he had been dreaming of for the last year. It was different than he expected. Konoha’s lips were dry from licking them too much, and the grip on his shoulders wasn’t as tight as he thought it was going to be. He also had to tip his head further down than he imagined, but Konoha’s hands were still gentle as they wiped the tears from his face and pulled his head down so that he could kiss his forehead.
It was different than he expected but it was more than he could’ve ever dreamed.
Akaashi went to his college. Joined his team. They didn’t live together because Konoha had already moved into an apartment while Akaashi was required to live in the first year dorms. But still, they saw each other more often than not every day, whether it be at a too crowded coffee shop or squished together on Akaashi’s tiny dorm bed.
He started noticing things about him that he had never realized before, whether it was due to the distance or because Akaashi was too caught up in the whole essence of him. He was almost sad he missed them up until now, because he didn’t get to appreciate it for all this time. But, he supposed late was better than never, and he soaked up every ounce of the small parts of Konoha.
One of the first things he noticed was that Konoha had freckles on his cheeks. They were barely noticeable, and no one in their right mind would ever think to refer to him as freckled. But they were there none the less. They were easier to see when the sun came out, and they peppered the skin right under his eyes. Akaashi could still see them in the dark, when Konoha slept on the pillow beside him, and he traced them with his pinky finger. He memorized their exact placement and made sure to kiss each one every time he was given the opportunity.
He also discovered that Konoha had a method in studying. He had a small batch of headbands stashed in his desk drawer, and would wear them to push his bangs out of his eyes. He liked to chew on pens, but only the red ones, and he always had a highlighter tucked behind his ear, underneath the elastic of the headband, in case he needed a quick note. Konoha also wrote with his pinky finger sticking out, and he always smudged his ink if he let it get too close to the paper. If Akaashi commented on the entire side of his hand being black, Konoha licked the dry ink and smudged it some more on the side of Akaashi’s face.
He wore jeans that were (in Akaashi’s opinion) too tight, and had a wide range of plaid shirts that he always rolled up to his elbows. He often stole Akaashi’s shoes to borrow because they wore the same size, and tended to bring back the things he borrowed in big loads, instead of simply returning them the next day. He filed his nails impeccably and kept them neat, and even had a stint during the first semester to buff and paint the dance team’s nails before a competition. With that money, he bought music in languages Akaashi did not understand, but it always made Konoha smile and begin to dance in his seat.
Akaashi also realized just how beautiful he was, and he was kind of ashamed it had taken him so long to realize such a fine point. Sure, he had always thought Konoha was handsome because really, how could you not? But beautiful was not something Akaashi had ever associated him with until one morning. He had woken up in Konoha’s bed, muscles achey and skin sticky. He wanted to move, but Konoha had both an arm and a leg thrown across his body and was still sleeping without a care in the world. His hair was getting too long, and was dangerously close to slipping into his open mouth, so Akaashi brushed it away with the side of his hand. Akaashi’s breath caught in his throat as he watched him; his blonde hair spilling from the top of his head onto the pillow, his long neck merging so gracefully with his shoulder. His skin looked so soft and danced in colors of blue and purple as the morning light filtered through the thin curtains hanging over the window. His lips matched the light pink color of his cheeks, and they scrunched up in a smile every time Akaashi drew a line over his freckles with his thumb.
He was beautiful. Maybe it was the new environment. Maybe it was due to this being the first time Akaashi had ever spent a night so close to him, and the first morning he had woken up in his arms. His mother always told him that novelty was what kept things going, and renewed that awe factor over and over again.
And Akaashi wanted to see what sort of new things would make him love Konoha more.
He wanted to see Konoha in the winter; cheeks flushed red from the cold as he shook his gloves free of snow. So Akaashi took him to the mountains during their first Christmas break, and Konoha was nowhere near the winter enthusiast that this trip required. He whined when he got snow in his shoes when they stepped out of the car, and he face planted in the snow when they went skiing for the first time. His coat was too puffy and Akaashi couldn’t see his cheeks with his scarf wrapped up to his eyes, but Akaashi loved him all the more. Instead, Konoha’s cheeks flushed red from the heat of the fire, and his hands shook from laughter as Akaashi whispered a joke about the couple across the lobby into his ear. Konoha pressed to his chest as they watched the snow fall through a window in their hotel room, and they kept each other warm beneath the down comforter. He loved Konoha in winter.
He wanted to see Konoha under the midnight city lights, so they went to New York during the New Year. There were too many people, and Akaashi couldn’t hear his voice, but Konoha remained close and they held hands in the pocket of his coat. The lights were bright and reflected in his eyes, and his cheeks pinched up from the cold and from smiling so widely. He had forgotten to bring a hat, so confetti got stuck in his hair at midnight. He said something Akaashi couldn’t hear before pulling him down to kiss him in the middle of the loud roar of cheers. Konoha released him after whispering ‘I love you’ in his ear. God, he loved Konoha under the midnight city lights.
He wanted to see Konoha in dark colors, holding his hand as they walked through the streets of a new city. They traveled to Paris during spring break, and Konoha wore a bright green V-neck underneath a navy blazer on the day they visited the Louvre. He was so bright that Akaashi couldn’t focus on the centuries of artwork he had always dreamed of seeing. Konoha was respectful, quiet, as he made comments about the pieces Akaashi had gushed about seeing days in advance. He hooked an arm around Akaashi’s and they walked beside each other at a casual pace. Akaashi could only stare at the side of his face, wondering how he could have possibly gotten so lucky as to be here, in this city, with the only man he had ever loved. And oh how he loved Konoha in bright colors.
He wanted to see Konoha with flowers. So, he bought him some two years after he graduated from college.
It was summer, and he met him after work one day with a handful of forget-me-nots and pink gloxinias. Konoha had blushed, one of his hands running awkwardly through his hair as he accepted the bunch. Akaashi smiled when Konoha lifted them to his face to smell the flowers. He frowned when something metal bumped his nose. Akaashi could barely hear the gasp as Konoha pulled the gold ring off of a bunch of the blue flowers. He covered his mouth with the hand holding the bouquet, eyes darting back and forth from the ring to Akaashi who had already dropped to one knee and was waiting for Konoha to calm down long enough to ask the question.
Akaashi asked.
Konoha said yes.
And Akaashi decided, Konoha still looked beautiful, especially with flowers.
But he loved him, regardless of the context.