Work Text:
The bitter cold caused Akaashi to shiver and huddle deeper into his puffer jacket, making him desperately crave the warmth of a hot cup of coffee. The café was only a few feet away. He could make it. His fingers curled into his palms, trying to conjure up some warmth to his freezing hands. Beneath his feet, the leaves crunched loudly, reminding him that the temperature would only get colder from here on out.
“Welcome in!” A soft voice called as Akaashi hurriedly shoved open the door to the café, ducking into the blissful warmth. The strong scent of coffee lingered in the air and on cue his stomach grumbled.
With one finger, Akaashi slid his glasses back up his nose and leaned in closer to read the café menu. He’d be getting a coffee of course, but what should he get to eat? Today was his weekly coffee hangout with Bokuto. Should he get a pastry for the two of them to share? Although…Akaashi was craving umeboshi onigiri more rather than a sweet delicacy. But no one’s onigiri compared to Miy—
“Can I help you?” The barista behind the counter asked again, nervously.
Akaashi straightened immediately. He had let his overthinking abilities take over again. “May I please get a large hot coffee and a strawberry Danish?”
As the barista rang him up, Akaashi scanned the café, hoping to spot the familiar spiky hair that belonged to his best friend. He’d probably run a few minutes late since he was coming straight from practice, after all.
After collecting his drink and pastry, Akaashi slid into one of the booths towards the back. He pulled out his phone, sending a quick text to let Bokuto know that he had arrived. Akaashi’s fingers curled around the warm cup in his hands and he let out a little sigh, delighted to finally be sipping his favorite drink.
Around him, he could hear the soft murmurs of conversations and the gentle whirr of the bean grinding machine. This place was practically heaven. It was too bad he couldn’t stay here all day. He had to head back to the office to collect his next set of drafts from Tenma.
The door to the café flung open, the bells ahead jingling loudly. Almost immediately, as if he could sense him, Akaashi knew Bokuto had arrived.
Akaashi watched silently as Boktuo’s eyes scanned the café before landing on his. Almost immediately, a wide smile stretched across Boktuo’s face, and he bounded over, full of energy. “Hey, hey, hey, ‘kaashi!”
“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi smiled softly, motioning for Bokuto to take a seat across from him.
“Sorry I’m late,” Bokuto pouted. “Tsum-tsum insisted on extra practice and then Hinata got all excited and challenged me to a spiking contest and then we got carried away until Captain had to yell at us to stop.”
Akaashi’s smile grew fond as he listened to Bokuto’s morning practice story. He would never get tired of listening to his rambles. The way Boktuo’s golden eyes shone even brighter, the way his hands excitedly moved through the air, the way he leaned to make sure Akaashi was listening…God, Akaashi could listen to Bokuto forever.
Damn, he was whipped. For almost six years now, Akaashi had been pining after a certain volleyball enthusiast that somehow resembled an owl. He was pretty sure the moment he had laid eyes on Boktuo, when he had been mid-spike, before Akaashi had even been attending Fukurodani, he had become smitten.
“Anyway!” Bokuto finished, planting his hands firmly on the table. “How are you, ‘kaashi! I feel like it’s been forever since I’ve seen you even though it’s only been a week! I want to see you more!” Bokuto pouted again. “Maybe we should do this twice a week! Oh! You had a deadline, right? How did that go! Are you eating properly—you can’t just eat onigiri for the rest of your life, y’know! Maybe I should come cook for you…”
Akaashi chuckled. “I’m doing alright, Bokuto-san. And I promise, I’m eating more than just onigiri. Speaking of food, did you want to order a drink? I got us both a pastry we can share.”
“A pastry? Akaaaashi, you’re the best!” Bokuto beamed. “Let me go order and I’ll be back!”
Akaashi nodded, his eyes trailing after Bokuto as he head up to order. His former ace was wearing a dark blue sweater today, one that hugged the muscles of his body a little too well. Since high school, Boktuo had grown a bit taller and broader. And that was not good for Akaashi’s feeble heart.
“I’m baaack!” Bokuto announced a few minutes later, returning with a large cup that contained a frozen beverage. Of course, only Bokuto would drink an iced drink when it was freezing outside. “I got us a cookie we can share too. You like snickerdoodle, right?”
“Mm,” Akaashi agreed. He slid the pastry across the table to Bokuto. “Oh, did you have an interview today? Kozume mentioned that Kuroo-san had been trying to organize a special segment for the morning news.”
“Yeah!” Bokuto nodded enthusiastically. He took a loud sip out of his drink, wincing as the brain freeze hit. “We’re meeting in the evening at this studio and I’m not sure what we’re going to be doing, but Captain said that it’s going to be kind of an interview with well-known volleyball players.”
“I see,” Akaashi hummed. “Does that make you nervous? Being on live TV?”
“Nope!” Bokuto grinned. “If anything, I’m excited! I can’t want to see some of our fans at the studio. I’m glad volleyball is getting recognition!”
“Me too. It’s a great sport,” Akaashi agreed. Sometimes he missed the high school days where he had spent hours tossing to Bokuto. Had it been grueling? Yes. But seeing Bokuto’s triumphant beam after each successful spike was worth it. He was kind of jealous of Atsumu for being the one that tossed to Bokuto.
It was kind of silly and Akaashi blamed it on his pining.
“I wonder what we’re going to wear,” Bokuto hummed, leaning over and placing his chin on his palm. “I think maybe track suits from that one company that’s sponsoring us—Oh! Akaaashi, you’ll watch right? You’ll watch us live?”
Akaashi nodded. “Of course, Bokuto-san.”
“Yay!” Bokuto cheered. “I’ll send you a secret message through the TV…hmmm, oh I’ll tap my nose three times and then wink at the camera! That’ll be our secret message, okay?”
It seemed that with Boktuo, Akaashi couldn’t help but smile continuously. “That sounds like a very conspicuous secret message.”
Bokuto wrinkled his nose. “Conspicuous?”
“Meaning, that it will be obvious.”
“Hmm…then I won’t do the wink. Just the taps!”
“Alright,” Akaashi reached for his drink. “I’ll be watching you, Bokuto-san.”
“Always keep watching me, Akaashi,” Bokuto’s voice softened, and he reached across the table to grab one of Akaashi’s hand. His lips were curved into a fond smile as he squeezed Akaashi’s fingers. “When I know you’re watching, I’m able to perform my best because I don’t ever want to let you down.”
Akaashi felt a flush creeping up his neck and was thankful he could blame it on the hot drink before him. “You’d never be able to let me down, Bokuto-san.”
“Don’t you think it’s time that you move on to calling me by my name,” Bokuto all but whined. “Bokuto-san sounds so formal!”
“It’s force of habit now,” Akaashi chuckled. “You refer to me with my last name as well.”
“Welll, can I call you Keiji, then?” Bokuto wiggled his brows, eager to hear Akaashi’s response.
“If you would prefer,” it took all that Akaashi had not to stutter.
Bokuto grinned again and continued to spout off another story, strangely not mentioning anything more about the topic.
The two spent the rest of the afternoon catching up, the conversation trailing from the good ol’ days in high school to the present. Bokuto of course talked for majority of the time, his stories and jubilance filling up the space with cheer and comfort. Despite being the talker, Bokuto was also an incredible listener. Whenever Akaashi spoke, Bokuto would lean in, clearly attentive. He asked the right follow up questions and let Akaashi gripe about his stressful job.
Later, when Akaashi headed to his office job after his coffee meet-up, he felt lighter than he had the entire week. Sometimes, being in love was a blessing. Sometimes, being in love hurt. Whenever he laid awake on those cold nights, there was nothing more than he craved than Bokuto’s warm presence. The person he wanted most was right there. He could have the happy life he had daydreamed about since he’d been 16.
Him, Bokuto, their cozy apartment…maybe a pet or two.
But he couldn’t. If he spoke about his feelings, then he risked the friendship he had with Bokuto. And he would never want to do that. If it meant suffering in silence for the rest of his life, Akaashi was willing to take the risk if it meant that he would be able to remain close to Bokuto.
♥♥
“The show isn’t going to start for another ten minutes,” Kenma raised a brow. “Why are you watching the cereal commercial with such intensity? Don’t tell me Bokuto’s doing cereal commercials now.”
Akaashi shot Kenma a look. “I just don’t want to miss the beginning of it.”
Kenma had invited Akaashi over to watch the program at his house. Well, house was one way to put it. Ever since his popularity had skyrocketed, Kenma had a wealth of money at his disposal, and that was clearly obvious based on the size of his house. It was more of a McMansion, with wide rooms and four bathrooms. Who even needed four bathrooms?
“Mm,” Kenma’s gaze flickered up from his console, eyeing the TV screen with mild interest. “Kuro did tell me there’s going to be a special announcement in today’s program.”
“Let me guess—he didn’t tell you the surprise even after you badgered him for it?”
Kenma scoffed slightly. “I’m offended you think of me that way, Keiji.”
Akaashi turned his head, looking at the blonde-haired male in silence until he cracked. “Alright fine, Kuro refused to tell me anything. So did Shouyo. What’s the point of being a sponsor if you don’t get to stay in the loop,” Kenma mumbled.
“Bokuto-san didn’t know either,” Akaashi shrugged. “I think Hinata-kun genuinely didn’t know. The only one keeping secrets from you is Kuroo. I’m surprised you didn’t manage to get it out of him.”
His companion sighed and returned his attention to the console in his hand, his fingers rapidly pressing the buttons. “We’ll find out soon enough, won’t we?”
The cereal commercial finished with the mascot erupting into confetti—who even came up with these ideas anymore?—and then the screen switched back to the morning program. Himari-san, a pretty reporter who’s been the face of this program for two years now, sat at her chair with a bright smile directed to the camera.
“It’s starting,” Akaashi nudged Kenma.
“And welcome back!” Himari-san smiled, showing off pearly white teeth. “We left off right before we were about to announce our special guests for this program. The time you’ve been waiting for has now arrived. Everyone, please give a warm welcome to our very own, MSBY Black Jackals!”
The show’s theme song played on in the background as the camera zoomed out and panned towards the left, where five familiar members began to enter the set. The first to enter was Meian, the captain, who bowed politely in greeting before taking a seat on the sofa across from the reporter’s.
Atsumu and Sakusa were next, with the former waving his arm widely to the camera, his lips curved into what seemed to be a combination of a smile and a smirk. His companion was more subdued, putting his hand up once in a polite greeting.
And then there was Bokuto. He threw out his arms, pointing directly to the camera while letting out a loud hey, hey, hey!
“That’s your man?” Kenma said, unimpressed. If it wasn’t evident yet, Kenma knew all about Akaashi’s feelings towards Bokuto. He had figured it out all the way in high school, his keen eyes not missing the subtle pining on Akaashi’s part.
Akaashi ignored him, instead choosing to focus directly on Boktuo. In fact, he was so focused on his star that he barely even caught Hinata’s equally flamboyant entrance.
“Welcome, welcome,” Himari-san began. “I would like to thank you all for coming and joining us this morning!”
The rest of the program was slowly tuned out, as Akaashi’s gaze narrowed in on the white- and black-haired man, sitting sandwiched in between his captain and Hinata. Bokuto, as always, looked so eager to be there, his smile never leaving his face at all.
At the ten-minute mark, when the host was droning on about their previous game, Bokuto turned to the camera. He smiled softly, and then proceeded to tap his nose three times.
Akaashi felt his breath catch in his throat. To anyone else it simply looked like Bokuto was scratching his nose, but Akaashi knew otherwise. It was their own little secret.
“Was that meant for you?”
Okay, well. His, Bokuto’s, and Kenma’s secret.
“Yes,” Akaashi responded, annoyed that Kenma had caught on. But of course, he had. Nothing got past Kenma.
“Hm. You two are insufferable. Why don’t you just ask him out,” Kenma nudged Akaashi gently. There was no heat behind his words, only friendly encouragement. “He’s literally in love with you. Why else would he spend all his time with you?”
Akaashi sighed. “I don’t want to—”
“Ruin your friendship. I know. But what are the chances of that?” Kenma raised a brow knowingly. If anyone knew about the turmoil of confessing to your best friend, it was Kenma, who was currently in a relationship with Kuroo. The same boy he’d known since they were kids.
“We’ll miss the special announcement if we keep discussing my nonexistent love life,” Akaashi muttered. He adjusted his glasses and sank back into the cushion on the sofa. For a few minutes, Himari-san talked about the team in general, and congratulated them on their recent win.
“Alright!” Himari-san clapped her hands. “As you all might be aware, we have a special announcement. But before we go there, we wanted to have a quick little Q/A with the MSBY members! Our watchers have been sending in questions via our social media platforms all morning, and it is time for us to choose a few of the most popular ones to ask our stars of the day.”
“Oh, boy,” Meian chuckled on-screen. “The last time this happened, chaos ensued.”
“Let’s see where it takes us today, shall we?” Himari-san’s eyes twinkled. She turned to the tablet in her hand. “Alright. First question. Who is the loudest member?”
Almost immediately, all heads turned to Boktuo and Hinata, who had sheepish smiles on their faces.
“We know its mornin’ when Bokkun begins to sing the latest pop song at the top of his lungs while showerin’,” Atsumu shakes his head, laughing.
“I’ve contemplated moving out of the team dorms because of the sheer volume that Bokuto and Hinata’s conversations have,” Sakusa sighed.
“Hey!” Bokuto pouted. “I’ve been working on volume control! I think I’m getting better.”
“Ya’ll get there, Bokkun,” Atsumu patted him on the back. “Not now, but maybe someday.”
“Next question! Who’s the best cook?”
“That’s a tricky one,” Meian hummed. “Atsumu has a little bit of skill since his brother taught him some of his tricks.”
“A little bit?” Atsumu squawked in indignation. “Mind ya, I’m an excellent cook! And Samu has nothing to do with my skill!”
“Probably, Omi-san,” Hinata piped up. “He made us this Italian pasta recipe the other day and it was delicious!”
“Yeah, Omi!” Bokuto nodded. “He’s great at cooking.”
Albeit it being very subtle, Sakusa appeared smug at being ranked higher than Atsumu. “I would agree, that out of all of us, I am the most adept in the kitchen.”
Atsumu huffed, but before he could speak again, he was cut off by the host.
“One more before we move on to our announcement! This one was actually the most popular one,” Himari-san wiggled her eyebrows. “Who is currently in a relationship?”
“We all know that I’m married, right?” Meian joked. “So hopefully in a relationship with my wife.”
“That’s a funny one, Captain!” Hinata laughed, his bright eyes shining with excitement. “And I’m in one too. With my fiancé.”
“And that would be Kageyama Tobio of the Shweiden Adlers, right?”
“That’s right!” Hinata grinned even wider. “We’ve been dating for about two years, but we’ve been partners since high school. He proposed last month after the—”
“We all know the story by now, Sho-kun,” Atsumu interrupts, albeit a fond smile on his face. “We’re familiar with ya fraternizing with the enemy. And while it may pain my fanbase to know this, but I am also taken!”
“Your nonexistent fanbase,” Sakusa muttered under his breath. While he didn’t answer the question, the faint blush high on his cheekbones was enough to quench the audience’s curiosity. Any fan of the Black Jackals knew about the tension surrounding Sakusa and Atsumu. The number of edits, fanart, and even fanfiction about the two were enough evidence to prove that everyone had caught on about the spark between them. Atsumu confirming that he was in a relationship, along with Sakusa’s silence, was enough to cause a wildfire in the fanbase.
Akaashi would have to search their names onto Twitter later to see the damage. But for now, all of his attention was focused on Bokuto. His Bokuto, who was just about to answer the question.
“What about you, Bokuto-san?” the host asked, encouraging him to answer. “You’ve been surprisingly silent this entire time.”
“Ahah, well,” Boktuo sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, “I’m also in a relationship, actually. I just don’t know if I have the green light to spill all the details yet!”
What. Akaashi sat frozen, staring at the screen in shock. Had he heard that right? Bokuto-san was in a relationship?
“Uh—” Kenma blinked, clearly surprised as well. “Bokuto does know she means a romantic relationship, right?”
“Is that so?” Himari-san continued on-screen. She leaned in closer, eyes twinkling in anticipation. “This is a surprise! Is there anything you can tell us about your secret lover?”
Akaashi watched in horror as a slow blush crept up Bokuto’s neck. He had always been quick to turn red, another weakness teenage-Akaashi had scribbled into his notebook years ago.
“Well, he’s the best!” Bokuto sat up straighter, beaming. “He has the prettiest eyes and hair, and while I do most of the talking in the relationship, I could listen to him talk all day long! He’s got the sweetest voice and a gorgeous smile. My boyfriend’s basically perfect.” The boastful tone that Bokuto had picked up was unmistakable.
“Boyfriend,” Akaashi breathed. “Bokuto’s in a relationship with a boy. A boyfriend.” Akaashi’s head was spinning. This was the first he’d ever heard about Bokuto having a boyfriend. For how long? Where had they met? What was his name? His mind spat out a million questions per second, demanding that the host spend more time investigating this mysterious relationship.
Unfortunately for him, Bokuto’s answer had satisfied Himari-san and she began to move on to the special announcements.
One that Akaashi had no interest in anymore. It didn’t matter. Not when his heart was shattering in his chest. Was he being dramatic about this? Maybe. But in the many years that Akaashi had spent being in love with Bokuto, there had never been a relationship. There had been one-night stands and occasional flings here and there, but never a long-term commitment.
It was as if Akaashi were watching his hopes and dreams being snatched from his fingertips. While he had known that his chances with Bokuto had always been incredibly low, to hear that Bokuto was completely taken hit different.
“Keiji,” Kenma shifted, turning his focus to his dark-haired friend. Faint traces of concern and pity were present in his expression, and he leaned in. “Are you alright? I can close the program if you want me too.”
“Did you know?” Akaashi asked quietly. “Did Kuroo-san ever mention anything?”
Kenma shook his head. “This is the first I’m hearing about this too. If Kuro knew, then he kept it a well-kept secret.”
“If it were a secret, why is he broadcasting it now?” Akaashi’s fingers curled into his palm. “Why didn’t he mention anything to me?” Wasn’t Akaashi his best friend? Or maybe that had grown distant since high school and Akaashi just hadn’t noticed…how could he have missed Bokuto falling in love?
“Maybe his boyfriend told him it was alright?” Kenma winced. “It could have been a recent thing.”
Akaashi let out an exhale and sunk back into the sofa, his eyes fluttering closed. He was an adult. Having a crush on Bokuto had been his childish hope. It was time to let go of that now, to finally move on. He couldn’t harbor feelings for a man that was taken. Not only would it hurt too much, but it wasn’t fair to Bokuto’s boyfriend.
“Kozume,” Akaashi gnawed on his lower lip. “How does one get over the love of their life?”
Kenma sighed and placed a hand on Akaashi’s arm, patting it once. It had surprised him too that Bokuto’s relationship had escaped Kenma’s watchful gaze. But sometimes life threw you lemons, and other times it threw you boulders in the name of your long-time crush getting into a committed relationship.
Akaashi would just have to learn how to deal with it.
♥♥
“I swear, I didn’t know either!” Kuroo hissed. Akaashi had joined Kuroo, Kenma, and Bokuto at the ramen place near his apartment to discuss the special announcement from today’s news program.
Currently, Bokuto was picking up their order at the counter, after having insisted that he had the balance needed to carry four piping hot bowls of ramen. Akaashi didn’t want to be there. He wanted to be home, curled up in his duvet while eating his favorite onigiri. Kenma had practically dragged him out, insisting that they’d be able to find out some answers this way.
“That’s hard to believe,” Kenma frowned. “Bokuto tells you everything, doesn’t he?”
“Well, he somehow managed to keep this a secret,” Kuroo muttered, seemingly a bit bitter that his best bro had failed to mention something so important. “Maybe his boyfriend is some kind of high-profile guy?”
Akaashi bristled in his seat. “I suppose that would make sense—”
“Hey, hey, hey!” Bokuto appeared, beaming down at his friends with their tray of food. “I told you I could balance it here without spilling a single drop!”
“I’m so proud of you, Bo,” Kuroo snorted. He slid down the booth a bit to make room for Bokuto to sit. “Look at that coordination.”
Bokuto grinned and handed out the bowls. “Here ‘Kaashi! I got you some extra scallions because I know you like those in your ramen.”
“Thank you, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi swallowed. Did Bokuto know all of his boyfriend’s preferences too? Did he bring his boyfriend food when he felt down? Smile at him with the same force he smiled at Akaashi?
A hush of silence fell over the group as they enjoyed their food. And then Kuroo, the bane of Akaashi’s existence, had to open his mouth.
“Bro, we were just talking about your boyfriend,” Kuroo wiggled his brows. “How come you never told us about him? We found out when you answered the question on the program.”
Bokuto frowned, looking up at Akaashi. Akaashi immediately avoided eye contact and focused on his bowl of ramen, eyeing the noodles with more interest than necessary. He thanked his ability to control his emotions. If he hadn’t been able to, Bokuto would have seen the hurt evident on his face.
“Sorry guys,” Bokuto sounded a bit apologetic. “I don’t think he wants to go public right now. I think he might even be a little upset that I brought up being in a relationship in the first place.” If Akaashi hadn’t been staring at his bowl, he would have noticed the small glance Bokuto sent his way. “I think I’ll keep his identity anonymous until he’s ready. I don’t want to accidentally out him, y’know? I just wanted everyone to know that I wasn’t single!”
Bokuto’s soft tone sent shivers down Akaashi’s spine. He was always so loud and flamboyant…but when it came to his boyfriend, he was so fond and gentle. Akaashi couldn’t help the tendrils of jealously that uncoiled deep within his chest.
Kuroo nodded. “Makes sense.”
“That’s surprisingly considerate of you,” Kenma spoke up.
“Hey!” Bokuto protested. “I’m always considerate! Aren’t I, ‘Kaashi?”
“That’s right, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said quietly. “You’re one of the kindest people I know. You have a heart of gold.”
Maybe his tone had more weight and emotion that he had intended there to be, because all three of his friends turned to look at him. Kuroo seemed curious, his eyes narrowed in Akaashi’s direction as he squinted at him. Akaashi assumed Kenma hadn’t told Kuroo about his crush on Bokuto, and for that Akaashi was very grateful.
“Aghaaashii!” Bokuto cried. “You’re the best!”
Akaashi hummed and took another bite of his food.
“Anyway, guys!” Bokuto was practically vibrating in his seat. “What did you think about the special announcement? Don’t you think a Volleyball Fundraiser sounds like so much fun! I can’t wait until December now! Kuroo put me on the decoration committee but then he also said not to put any owl decorations beca—”
“Owls have nothing do with volleyball,” Kuroo interjected.
“They do!” Bokuto pouted. “My high school team’s mascot was an owl!”
Akaashi tuned out the rest of the conversation, Bokuto’s and Kuroo’s bickering fading into the background. The Volleyball Fundraiser. On Christmas Eve, the JVA was hosting a mixer of some sorts, where most of the players in the MSBY Black Jackals and Shweiden Adlers would be present. There were limited tickets available for the event, and an auction on signed volleyball and jerseys would be held that day too. The proceeds would be donated to a well known charity.
“You guys are coming, right?” Bokuto asked excitedly. He looked around the table, eyes lingering on Akaashi for a moment too long.
“I don’t know if I want to drop that much money for a fundraiser ticker,” Kenma sighed, the corners of his lips twitching. Everyone knew Kenma was joking—the man had enough money to buy out everything at the fundraiser, a ticket was no problem.
“Kenmaaa!” Bokuto whined, turning his attention to the blonde. “I want you guys to be there. You don’t have to buy anything! I’ll buy you the tickets!”
Unable to keep the ruse going, Kenma’s lips curled into a soft smile. “Don’t worry, Bokuto. I’ll be there. There’s no way Kuro would let me stay home.”
“You bet,” Kuroo grinned. “You’re coming too, right Akaashi? Without you there, Bokuto would spend the entire night whining and will refuse to pay any attention to his fans.”
Akaashi nodded once. Of course, he he’d be there. This was another big step in Bokuto’s career. He wouldn’t miss it…
Unless Bokuto would be inviting his boyfriend too. Akaashi stiffened. What if he would have to face the man that caused his dreams to shatter? Okay, that might have been pushing it. But seeing Bokuto with his boyfriend would hurt like a bitch.
“Yay!” Bokuto beamed. “I’ll be sure to save you guys special seats for the lunch buffet.”
Akaashi sighed. Well, it was too late to back out now.
♥♥
“You should get this too ‘Kaashi!” Bokuto called from an aisle down, his loud voice echoing through the empty store. “It says that its—its non-GMO?” His voice trailed off towards the end. “What’s a non-GMO?”
“It’s not genetically modified, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi exhaled softly, glaring at the cereal boxes in front of him. Ever since the group dinner at the ramen place, Akaashi had been trying his best to avoid his best friend. His responses to texts were short and whenever Bokuto tried to meet, he brought up being busy at work. He was spending too many hours at his office, and he didn’t like it. At least he was getting a heftier paycheck.
Maybe it was the lack of sleep, but he had slipped up that evening when Bokuto had asked, once again, to hang out and Akaashi had responded that he was grocery shopping. Almost immediately, Bokuto offered to join, claiming that he needed items too and they could do chores while hanging out.
It would be so fun Akaaashi! He had said. Yeah, right. So much fun. Akaashi was totally bursting with joy walking around with the man he loved—also the man who was currently in a committed relationship. He was having so much fun, he wanted to die.
“Do you think I should have confetti for decoration?” Bokuto hummed as he walked back to the cereal aisle, gripping a box of granola bars in his hand. He threw the box absentmindedly in the cart—that the two just so happened to share—and gripped onto the side. It was all so painfully domestic Akaashi wanted to scream. “What about star confetti?”
“Sounds good, Bokuto-san.” This week, Akaashi would try the new healthy multi-grain cereal instead of his usual sugary ones. He was getting older. He should be watching out for his health.
“And maybe I’ll get matching streams!” Bokuto continued excitedly. “Ones that are miles long and can cover the entire length of the ballroom!”
“Great idea.” But did he really want to start off his mornings like that? Despite his usual cereal having a lot of sugar, at least he was happy. He was already pretty miserable thinking about his unrequited love. He needed every crumb of happiness he needed.
“And then maybe we can have a balloon release towards the entrance? Oh! What about balloons filled up with confetti!” Bokuto’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he leaned over the cart, trying to catch Akaashi’s gaze.
“Mm. Nice.” Sugary cereal it was. He could worry about his health later, when he would hopefully be less heartbroken.
“Actually, you know what. I’m going to go buy a couple owls and let them fly in the ballroom and then bring them home with me so that I can keep them as pets.”
“Excellent idea, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi mumbled absentmindedly. He plucked the sugary cereal off the shelf and chucked it into the cart. At least he was looking forward to next morn—
A warm hand wrapped around Akaashi’s wrist, forcing him to whirl around on his feet. Bokuto stood a few inches away, his lips turned down into a very evident frown. He had pulled Akaashi so close that the shorter male could practically feel the other’s breath on his face.
“Bokuto-san?” Akaashi asked weakly.
“You’re not even listening to me, Akaashi,” Bokuto pouted. “You’ve barely even been talking to me either! It’s like—” Bokuto’s eyebrows furrowed in frustration. “It’s like you’re mad at me?”
“Oh.” Akaashi swallowed. Ah. So Bokuto had finally caught on. He was far more perceptive than Akaashi had given him credit for. Now that he knew, this could go a few different ways: Bokuto getting really upset and going into one of his dejected moods despite not being in one for a while, Bokuto gets suspicious and somehow figures out Akaashi’s feelings, or Bokuto gets really annoyed and decides he doesn’t want to be friends with Akaashi anymore.
“Are you? Mad at me?” Bokuto’s voice had softened, and his gold eyes had widened in anticipation. He looked so worried, so nervous at the thought of Akaashi being mad at him.
Damn those stupid feelings that sprung up from deep within Akaashi, causing his heart to swell with guilt and concern.
“No,” he finally sighed. “I’m not mad at you, Bokuto-san.”
“You promise?” Bokuto asked, almost sounding like a little kid.
“I promise,” Akaashi smiled softly.
“Okay,” Bokuto nodded. He looked relieved. “If you’re not mad at me, then what is it, ‘Kaashi? I know something’s up by the way you’ve been acting.”
“It’s nothing,” Akaashi reassured. How was he supposed to get out of this? “You know…you know more than anyone else, you know me more than anyone else, Bokuto-san.”
Bokuto stayed silent for a few seconds, his eyes tracing Akaashi’s features. “Is it the overthinking? Has something been stressing you? Making you feel anxious? Making your thoughts race? You can tell me anything, ‘Kaashi.” He squeezed Akaashi’s wrist once, his grip warm and comforting.
Once again, Akaashi felt as if he were bursting with the emotion that sprung through him. His eyes stung, his throat closing up and making it hard for him to swallow. Bokuto truly knew him more than anyone else.
Akaashi nodded once, hoping that would be enough to satiate Bokuto’s curiosity.
“Was it the program? Was it what I said during the interview I had with the rest of the team?” Bokuto asked, traces of worry in his tone. “Because I was nervous about saying what I said since I hadn’t talked to you about it first.”
“No, it wasn’t that…” Akaashi cleared his throat. Was Bokuto worried that he hadn’t told Akaashi about his boyfriend before announcing it publicly?
“Are you sure? I don’t know why I opened my mouth before thinking,” Bokuto griped. “And I hadn’t even gotten a chance to talk to you about what you felt since we’ve been so busy with the fundraiser preparation since then! I know I should have asked you first, but I really didn’t want anyone to think I was single and—”
“It’s okay, I understand, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi cut him off. “You did what you thought was best. I promise that I’m not upset at you. I’m just stressed about…work.”
Bokuto sighed. “Oh, that’s good. I mean not that it’s good you’re stress about work! But good that you’re not upset at me. I just really missed talking to you and spending time with you. Do you want to talk about your stress more? We can have a self-care night!”
Akaashi chuckled. “It’s okay, really. I just need some time until my deadline.”
“I’ll do whatever I can to help you!” Bokuto said, determined. “I’ll make all your meals!”
“There’s no need for that, Bokuto-san. I appreciate your concern, truly.”
“Still! The least I can do is to help you with a self-care night,” Bokuto placed his hands on Akaashi’s shoulders. “It’ll be so fun and relaxing, just you wait!”
Akaashi sighed, a fond look in his eyes. He would never be able to say no to Bokuto, would he?
♥♥
“A holiday party?” Akaashi blinked in surprise, looking up at Kenma. He was visiting to help Kuroo and Kenma with figuring out the starting price for the fundraiser bidding. Kuroo was the one managing everything, and Kenma was being roped into it.
“Kuro thought it would be a good idea to add even more onto our already packed schedules,” Kenma deadpanned. He was sitting on the sofa, fingers poised above the keyboard.
“Don’t be like that Kenmaa,” Kuroo teased. “It’ll be fun, and besides the holiday party is just going to be all our friends. Bokuto and Akaashi, Lev and Yaku, Yamamoto…who else am I missing?”
“Shouyou.”
“Chibi-chan and his grumpy setter!” Kuroo continued. “And the Karasuno captain…”
“That small list is growing quite rapidly, isn’t it?” Akaashi narrowed his eyes.
“Exactly what I’m saying,” Kenma frowned.
“It’ll be fun!” Kuroo insisted. “It’s not like this will be a formal get together. We’ll have some food, some beer, and then just chill for the rest of the night. And I’ll clean the entire place up afterward, promise.”
Kenma eyed his boyfriend warily. “You get setting up and cleaning duty. The only thing I’ll do is show up.”
“Of course you would, the party would be at your house after all!” Kuroo smirked, nudging Kenma softly. “You’ve got the best—and not to mention biggest—place of us all.”
“Stop complaining, you practically live here,” Kenma mumbled.
Akaashi watched the two bicker for a little while longer, noticing the subtle way Kenma leaned into Kuroo’s side and the way Kuroo’s hand lingered on Kenma’s thigh. Despite neither of them being too much of a fan of PDA, it was obvious to any onlooker that they were clearly in love. The way they were so in sync might have caused a spark of jealousy.
No, Akaashi chided himself. Kenma was one of his closest friends, and Kuroo was Bokuto’s best friend. He couldn’t be jealous of his friends. In fact, he should be happy that at least some people were enjoying a loving relationship, even if he himself was not.
“Keiji,” Kenma turned to him. “Did you ever confront Bokuto about his boyfriend.”
Damn Kenma and his mind reading abilities.
“Not really. We had a brief conversation about it, where he asked if I was upset at him to which I responded that I was not,” Akaashi adjusted his glasses. He looked down at the roster in his hand. “And I think the prices look fine.”
“I talked to Bo about his…lover boy,” Kuroo cleared his throat. He shifted his gaze to Akaashi then away again. “You’ll figure out who he is at the holiday party. There’s going to be mistletoe everywhere, and you know the hopeless romantic Bokuto is—ouch!” Kenma had dug his elbow into Kuroo’s side.
Akaashi stiffened. Of course, Bokuto had told Kuroo about his boyfriend’s identity. The two of them were best friends. It stung a little knowing that Bokuto had trusted Kuroo more…and it stung even more to know that he’d have to see the two of them being in love at the party.
“You should bring a date too,” Kenma suggested.
“No!” Kuroo yelped, causing the two former setters to look at him in surprise. “I mean—just wait until after the holiday party, okay?”
“You’re acting suspicious,” Kenma accused. “If Bokuto can bring a date, so can Keiji. Is he supposed to wither away due to unrequited love?”
“Kozume—” Akaashi sighed.
“Look,” Kuroo leaned forward, forearms balancing on his thighs. “It’ll all be fine. Just trust me. I talked to Bokuto and he’s going to sort things out…hopefully. At the party. And then Akaashi can mope about his unrequited love!”
“I’d really appreciate it if we could stop talking about my unrequited love,” Akaashi shot Kenma a glare. “And I thought I had told you about that in confidence!”
“Aww, c’mon ‘Kaashi!” Kuroo’s grin resembled the Cheshire cat’s and Akaashi didn’t like it one bit. “I’ll eventually know about anything you tell Kenma.”
“Besides, your pining is obvious,” Kenma huffed, returning his attention to the game. “Kuro might not be as intelligent as you think he is, but he picks up on things pretty fast.”
Ignoring the indignant cry from Kuroo, Akaashi let out another sigh. It seemed as if all he could do lately was sigh. He wondered what exactly Kuroo meant. His statement had been quite ambiguous. Why couldn’t he bring a date—not that he wanted to—to the holiday party? What was Bokuto going to clear up? His head throbbed and he slipped his glasses off to massage his temples. He couldn’t wait until the part and the fundraiser were over with.
♥♥
Despite his initial distaste for the holiday party Kuroo was planning, Akaashi did end up showing up on time, with drinks and snacks in tow. As usual, he was the first one there. Even Kuroo hadn’t returned from the place he was picking up the food from.
“Keiji,” Kenma greeted. He stood in the entry way, donning a hideous green and red sweater with reindeers and bright red pants.
“What are you wearing?” Akaashi couldn’t help but snort. He’d never seen his friend in such…bold attire before.
“Shut up,” Kenma grumbled. “Kuro forced me into this.”
Akaashi raised a brow and walked into the living room. He found it unbelievable that Kenma had been forced, but he wasn’t willing to spite the blonde today. He needed all the emotional support he could get before seeing the guy Bokuto had decided to date.
“Do you need me to do anything?” The glum tone must have been obvious in Akaashi’s tone because his friend merely rolled his eyes.
“You look like you kicked a puppy. Lighten up,” Kenma shoved a parcel at him. “And then go hang these mistletoes. If I’m being dragged into this, the least I can do is have some fun.”
“By causing chaos?”
“Of course. Put these up in the least obvious areas.”
Akaashi chuckled, grabbing a hold of the parcel that was shoved at him. This should be interesting. But also, it could backfire horrifically. Akaashi wasn’t going to think about that, though. The first place he strung the mistletoe was the entrance of the living room—an obvious choice. The next was hung near the bathroom entrance, and near the sliding door that led to the backyard. In the kitchen, above the sofa, in a random hallways…and scattered throughout the main hall.
“Bokuto’s going to be here soon,” Kenma’s soft voice jostled Akaashi out of his focus and he turned to glare at his friend.
“I know. Are you trying to rub salt on my wounds?” Akaashi raised a brow. He knew that within minutes he would be introduced to the very man that snatched away his hopes and dreams.
“I’m just mentally preparing you,” Kenma shrugged, eyeing the mistletoe that was stuck onto the huge flat-screen TV. “Tora and Lev have arrived. The rest should follow soon.”
Akaashi took in a shuddering breath. “Alright. Thanks for the heads-up.”
It would be fine. All he had to do was be polite. Look Bokuto’s boyfriend in the eye, force a smile, maybe shake his hand…engage in whatever conversation that Bokuto would start. Everything would be okay.
“All the mistletoe hung up?” Kuroo asked. He had entered the room, donning a similar hideous sweater like Kenma’s. Scents of garlic and spices wafted over from the kitchen and Akaashi deduced that all the food had been brought over. “Can’t delay the main event of this party any longer.”
Akaashi gave Kuroo a blank stare before turning back to Kenma. “Do you need my help in the kitchen or something?”
“Nope,” Kenma looked around, surveying the living room. “Everything is pretty much done and ready. All that’s left is for you to enjoy yourself.”
The faint sound of a holiday jingle flooded the room. Somewhere in the distance, the house doors opened again and Hinata’s enthusiastic greeting reverberated throughout. Akaashi found himself loitering in the TV room, eyes on the flat screen TV mounted on the wall, pretending to find the volleyball game that was currently playing interesting. As time passed by, more people trickled into the room, and like the polite person Akaashi was, he greeted them. He discussed the nature of his job with Sawamura, occasionally reminiscing the old high school days when they both had been captains at some point. Lev showed up with a cat swaddled in his arms, squishing himself next to Akaashi on the couch.
He accepted a glass of cranberry juice, forgoing the beer that Kuroo nearly shoved in his face. The scent of food was making Akaashi’s stomach grumble, but they couldn’t eat until everyone arrived.
The MSBY team showed up at some point, and Akaashi found himself discussing the best house cleaners in the market with Sakusa. When Atsumu walked in with his brother who carried a tray of onigiri, Akaashi found himself lighting up. He had been craving the onigiri for a long time. Osamu must have noticed Akaashi’s lingering gaze on the tray, so he snuck one over to his most loyal customer, smiling knowingly as he did so.
“Mya-saam!” Bokuto’s booming voice echoed in the hallway, jolting Akaashi out of his onigiri-driven stupor.
“Bokuto,” Osamu greeted. “It’s been a while.”
Akaashi’s throat grew dry, and he was having difficulty swallowing the bite of rice that was currently lodged in his throat. Bokuto. For almost an hour, Akaashi had been trying his best to forget about his best friend entirely. His phone had buzzed multiple times in that hour, yet Akaashi had ignored it, opting to focus on the present. Even now, he didn’t want to turn around to see Bokuto for fear that his boyfriend would be following close behind.
“You’re late!” Kuroo chastised, stumbling a little as he greeted Bokuto. Had he already overdone the alcohol? It was barely six.
“Sorry,” Bokuto’s tone grew sheepish. “I didn’t want to come empty handed so I went to go buy a cake, but then when I was walking over I actually dropped the cake and it got smooshed! So, I went to buy a different one, but I couldn’t choose so I asked for taste tests and—”
“As long as you’re here now!” Kuroo threw an arm around Bokuto.
“Bokuto-san!” Hinata waved from the couch.
“Hinata!” Bokuto walked over to the sitting area, coming directly in Akaashi’s line of sight. He stiffened, taking in the slightly wrinkled button-down shirt Bokuto was wearing and the dark pants that seemed to fit just too nicely. As he walked over to Hinata, Bokuto’s gaze locked on Akaashi and, if possible, he brightened even more.
“Aghasheee!” He cried, throwing his arms around Akaashi. “You’re already here! Why weren’t you responding to any of my texts?” A pout began to form on his lips and Akaashi stifled a fond sigh.
“Hello Bokuto-San,” he smiled softly. “And I apologize, I was unable to check my phone since I had arrived early.”
“Oh! That’s right!” Bokuto nodded. “Makes sense!” He stepped back, beaming down at Akaashi. His mouth opened, presumably to retell his cake finding tale, but this time in even more detail, but Atsumu beat him to the chase.
“Bokkun!” He crowed, plopping down on the sofa besides Akaashi. “Where’s yer boyfriend? Weren’t ya going ta bring him today?”
Akaashi’s glare was barely concealed. Everything had been going fine. What had possessed Atsumu to speak?
“He’s already here,” Bokuto beamed.
Akaashi swallowed and glanced over the room, trying to find the stranger that had stolen Bokuto’s heart. When he was met with all familiar faces, he looked back at Bokuto, confused.
“He actually arrived before me,” Bokuto continued.
“Aren’t ya ganna introduce us?” Atsumu raised a brow.
“You’ll see him soon enough,” the grin on Bokuto’s face grew wider. Oh. He was probably somewhere in the house. Kenma’s place was huge, and somehow many people had shown up—despite Kuroo’s promise of keeping it small. Bokuto’s boyfriend could be anywhere.
“Excuse me. I need the restroom,” Akaashi mumbled. He stood to his feet, edging past people to head over to…he wasn’t quite sure where he was going, he just wanted to be alone and decompress. Social gatherings were tiring—especially when he was trying to get over his long-time crush on his best friend.
Seems like Bokuto didn’t get the idea because he followed Akaashi out.
“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi’s eye twitched.
“Hmm?” Bokuto exclaimed jovially, following Akaashi through the maze of people, out into the empty hallway.
“Do you also need to use the restroom?” He sighed.
“Nope!” Bokuto smiled down at him. “Thought I’d just accompany my favorite person!”
“To the bathroom?” Akaashi deadpanned. Bokuto calling him his favorite person was not good for Akaashi’s heart. Or for Bokuto’s relationship. Did his boyfriend know all of the things that Bokuto said about Akaashi?
“I just missed spending time with you,” Bokuto whined a little. “I haven’t seen you in a full day! I was getting Akaashi-deficient.”
Akaashi couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped him. “I enjoy spending time with you as well. But I also like alone time. Especially when it comes to using the bathroom.” Akaashi looked at him knowingly, hoping that Bokuto would get the hint and leave him be for just a couple of minutes.
Bokuto wilted momentarily, his shoulders slumping and his eyes dimming, but just as quick as his dejected mood came, it left just as fast. “Oh, ‘Kaashi, I actually had an ulterior motive when I followed you out!” Bokuto beamed.
“Is that so?” Akaashi hummed. The two had walked down the hallway, loitering in front of the bathroom door. The darkness enveloped them, keeping them in their own little bubble, away from the jousts and shouts of their friends that were just a few doors away.
“Mhmm!” Bokuto tugged at his fingers, edging towards Akaashi nervously. “Kuroo actually gave me this idea and told me that it’d work—oh, but don’t tell him I said that! I’m supposed to have come up with this by myself.”
Akaashi narrowed his eyes, stilling completing as Bokuto edged closer and closer.
“Bokuto—” Akaashi breathed, lost in the shine of the familiar gold eyes before him. His eyes traced Bokuto’s features, lingering over the sharp lines of his jaw, the softness of his cheeks, the way his eyes stared directly at him with interest.
“Look up, Keiji,” Bokuto whispered.
At the sound of his given name, Akaashi stiffened. The moment was getting far too intimate, way too much to be considered platonic and friendly. His eyes flickered to the ceiling, and it felt as if the world froze when he noticed the mistletoe. The same ones he had been in charge of hanging out.
“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi swallowed nervously. “This doesn’t apply here.” Oh, how he wished it did. If only Bokuto hadn’t been in a relationship. If only this exact scenario had happened last year, when neither of them had a partner. If only Akaashi hadn’t been too much of a coward to keep his feelings in. If only.
“Why not?” A brief flicker of hurt passed over Bokuto’s features. “Do you not want to kiss me?”
Akaashi stared at Bokuto incredulously. Bokuto…was willing to kiss him despite being in a relationship? No, Bokuto had too much of a pure heart to cheat on his boyfriend. Would this even be considered cheating? Either way, Bokuto’s boyfriend would not appreciate Bokuto kissing other people.
“I felt like something was off between us for a few days,” Bokuto continued, a small frown tugging at his lips. “And I feel like its all connected to the interview. Are you still mad at me? I really am sorry, ‘Kaashi. I would have asked you first if you were comfortable, but it was so sudden! And I don’t want people to think that I’m single ‘cause that means flirting and—”
Akaashi held up a hand, confused. Where was this conversation even going? “Bokuto-san, like I said the other day, I’m not mad at you. I don’t have any right being upset at your decision to come out with your relationship. Speaking of—”
“Of course, you have a right!” Bokuto interjected. “You have an equal say in this, as much as I do!”
“What?” Akaashi blinked. “I’m afraid I do not understand.”
Bokuto let out a noise of frustration. “You were the one who told me that both people in a relationship have the right to express their opinions!”
“Exactly, and this is something you should be discussing with your boyfriend,” Akaashi rubbed his temples, feeling the familiar throb of a headache. This conversation was one of the more bizarre ones he’s had in his life—and he spent a solid chunk of years being Bokuto’s best friend.
“And that’s exactly what I’m doing!” Bokuto exclaimed again, gesturing to himself and then Akaashi.
What.
Wait.
Huh?
Akaashi’s eyes widened, his lips parting in surprise. “Uh…what do you mean by that?” He finished lamely.
Bokuto exhaled, raising a shaky hand to rest on Akaashi’s cheek. His palm was warm and rough, a stark contrast to Akaashi’s cold and soft skin. At that moment, it appeared as if Akaashi’s heart had stopped working and he gaped at Bokuto in disbelief. Nothing was making sense.
“As my boyfriend, Keiji, I respect your feelings and opinions. Please tell me if you’re upset since we didn’t have a chance to talk about going public with our relationship.”
“Your boyfriend?” Akaashi croaked. His brain had stopped working, a cycle of Does Not Compute repeating instead of his usual barrage of thoughts. Everything was empty and quiet.
It was then that Bokuto began to realize that something was off. His hand left Akaashi’s face, and the latter immediately missed the warmth.
“Akaashi,” he said quietly, studying Akaashi’s features closely. “You are my boyfriend, aren’t you?”
It was as if the universe was playing a cruel prank on him. Akaashi was Bokuto’s boyfriend? Suddenly the pieces of the puzzle fit together—the strange way Bokuto had been acting, the questions he asked, the way Akaashi had never even heard of Bokuto’s boyfriend before…yet, despite the pieces fitting together, there was a gaping hole. A question that repeated again and again in Akaashi’s mind.
Since when had he been Bokuto’s boyfriend? Not that he minded. It was just so—
“Bo!” Kuroo’s loud voice reverberated through the hall as he clumsily walked down the hallway. “I was looking for ya!” Kuroo paused when he sensed the tense atmosphere, his eyes flickering between Bokuto and Akaashi, and then finally to the ceiling. “Ah. It didn’t go well—did it?”
Boktuo inhaled sharply and reached out quickly, wrapping his fingers around Akaashi’s wrist and tugging him towards the house’s entrance.
“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said, pleadingly. He followed Bokuto’s rapid pace, dodging Lev and the platter of food he was holding. The tall man’s shouts were indecipherable as all of Akaasih’s focus was on Bokuto. The door to the house was flung open, the cold breeze causing Akaashi to shiver.
“Akaashi,” Bokuto turned to him once they were all alone outside, surrounding by looming trees and the occasional car driving down the street. “You are my boyfriend, right?” His eyes boring straight into Akaasih’s own, his grip growing tighter. There was the slightest of hope in his tone, a tinge of desperation, as if he hoped that Akaashi was simply pulling a prank on him.
Akaashi closed his eyes. “I’m afraid there’s been a big misunderstanding.”
Bokuto swallowed. “We’re…we’re not dating?” His voice broke at the last syllable, and he seemed so dejected that Akaashi felt his own heart ache.
“Please talk to me,” Akaashi said carefully, trying to tread lightly. He needed to be strategic. While he was absolutely confused at this turn of events…he was also quite delighted. Bokuto’s boyfriend had been him. He had been his own enemy. He could fix things. As long as he was careful. “We can sort this out just…let’s just talk?”
“You—we really weren’t dating?” Bokuto looked crestfallen. He tugged at his fingers; his brows furrowed together. Akaashi wanted to reach out, to cup his face in his hands, to assure Bokuto that despite not dating, Akaashi would love only him.
“I didn’t know,” Akaashi’s response was hoarse. “I hadn’t realized—when did we…how did we start dating?”
“You don’t remember?” Bokuto asked, surprised. “And all this time…how could you not know? I spend all my free time with you. I adore you, Akaashi! We hold hands and cuddle and go on dates!”
Akaashi swallowed. Okay, so some of that was true. But dates? Did Bokuto mean the weekly coffee shop hangouts? The hangouts that Akaashi had thought was simply catching up with a dear old friend? But that wasn’t entirely enough though, after all didn’t couples partake in more romantic affairs?
“We’ve never kissed,” Akaashi’s face burned. “We’ve never gone farther than holding hands and cuddling, Bokuto-san.”
“But I had said I loved you!” Bokuto protested. And he was right. Almost a year ago, on Akaashi’s birthday, when they had been star gazing atop the hill, they had frequented a lot as teenagers, Bokuto had whispered him those words. I love you, ‘Kaashi, was what he had said. At that time, Akaashi had squeezed Bokuto’s hand, not thinking too deeply behind that statement. He had thought Bokuto had been straight, with absolutely no interest in men, and was just declaring his platonic love to his best friend. Although, it should have made sense the next year, when he had come out publicly. That was when the two had started to become even more close. Long night calls, routinely meeting up…spontaneous movie nights and a clingier Bokuto.
For all the overthinking he had done in his entire life, Akaashi had failed to think twice about the one sentence that meant the most.
“I…” Akaashi trailed off. His breath puffed out in small tufts in the air before him and he stared wide eyed at his former ace. “Bokuto-san—”
“Oh,” Bokuto’s shoulders began to wilt. “That had—that hadn’t meant anything to you, did it? My confession? To you it was just an everyday occurrence…all this time, I had thought that we were in a relationship. That you were my boyfriend.”
“Wait,” Akaashi said desperately, taking a step closer. The sun had practically set by this point and somewhere in the distance he could hear Hinata’s boisterous laugh followed by Kageyama’s shouts. The party was still raging, and none of their friends knew about the turmoil between the two of them. “Bokuto-san, please just hear me out—”
“All this time,” Boktuo’s voice grew hoarse, his wide golden eyes growing glassier with each second. “I loved you. And I thought you loved me too. You’re telling me that I’ve been dating someone who doesn’t feel the same way?”
“But I like you too!” Akaashi pleaded, reaching out again. His hand grasped Bokuto’s but the contact only lasted for a second before Bokuto pulled away. “We might not have been dating, but I really do like you!”
“I’m sorry,” Bokuto mumbled. Throughout the years, Akaashi had witnessed almost every deviation of Bokuto’s ‘emo modes’. He’d see Bokuto yell and cry, mope and whine. But this was different. Boktuo looked absolutely crushed. “You don’t need to say that in order to make me feel better.”
“I’m not, please believe me,” Akaashi insisted. “I’m deeply sorry that I had never realized your true feelings, what you had truly meant. I will hold that with me forever. But please believe me when I say I feel the same.”
Bokuto looked up, dull eyes that once shone so brightly meeting Akaashi’s. His lips curved into a wobbly smile and he took a few steps back. “It’s okay, ‘kaashi. I know that you sometimes say sweet things you don’t mean to prevent me from spiraling. I’m the one in the wrong here. Sorry again.”
“Boku—”
But Akaashi hadn’t been able to finish his sentence as Bokuto turned around and left, leaving him standing there on the snow-covered grass in front of Kenma’s mini mansion. Of course, Akaashi wanted to follow. He wanted to pull on Bokuto’s sleeve and insist that he had been in love with Bokuto for years. But he knew his words would fall short. He knew that now wasn’t the time since Boktuo was still hurting from learning that the relationship he had spent nearly a year in…didn’t really exist.
♥♥
The next day, Akaashi spent his entire morning in his apartment staring at his phone screen. Within the span of five hours, he had probably sent Bokuto dozens of text messages, expressing his true feelings while also repeatedly saying sorry. How had he messed up this bad? All that he had ever wanted, all that he had ever cared for, had been within his grasp. Yet because of his utter stupidity, it had slipped through his fingers. Akaashi could have been happy.
No. He will be happy. He will fix things. Akaashi’s grip tightened on his phone, his eyes stinging as he stared at the dimly lit screen. He would be damned if he let Bokuto go again. Now that he knew that his love wasn’t unrequited, that Bokuto felt the same, he’d go to any lengths to convince Bokuto of his devotion.
A slight buzz from his phone jarred Akaashi from his thoughts and he eagerly looked to the screen, hoping to see a reply from one person. Disappointment settled in when he realized it was just Kenma.
Kenma: want to talk about it?
Keiji: Not really. Has Kuroo-san mentioned Bokuto-san yet?
Kenma: kuro told me that he hasn’t heard from Bokuto since last night.
Keiji: Can you ask him to go to his apartment and check on Bokuto-san? I’d do it myself, but I think I’m the last person he’d want to see right now…
Kenma: i did. he’s going to leave in an hour to check up on Bokuto.
Keiji: Tell him to bring melon bread with him. That won’t fix things, but sometimes sweet food can make Bokuto’s mood a little better.
Kenma: alright. oh, also I’m coming over.
Keiji: You don’t have to, Kozume.
Kenma: i know. but i want to.
Keiji: Thank you.
Kenma: be there in twenty.
Half an hour later, there was a knock at the door and Akaashi dragged himself over to open it. Kenma stood on the other side, one hand gripping a plastic bag and the other holding onto his PSP. He stepped into the apartment, shrugging off his parka.
“I brought some nanohana. Kuro questioned my ability to pick out a comfort food. Tell him it’s your favorite so he can get off my back,” Kenma mumbled, holding out the bag towards Akaashi. “He bought the melon pan but also a bunch of meat for Bokuto. Neither of them knows how to cook meat. I hope his place will still be intact after they’re done.”
Akaashi gave Kenma a small smile. “Is this a dual intervention? Kuroo-san with Bokuto, and you with me?”
“You could call it that.” Kenma treaded over to the sofa after he had finished taking off his shoes. He plopped down, curling into the soft decorative pillows Akaashi kept since the owl design reminded him of Bokuto. “Wanna play Smash with me? I brought my switch too.”
“You’re not going to ask me about what happened yesterday?” Akaashi Joined Kenma on the couch, eyes flickering to the other gaming console that appeared out of thin air.
Kenma shrugged, handing one of the controllers to Akaashi. He slid the switch into the dock and settled back onto the couch. “We don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
Akaashi trained his eyes on the screen, mindlessly tapping through the character options to choose his team. “You’re going to think I’m an idiot, Kozume.”
“No one can beat Kuro in that department,” Kenma hummed.
Akaashi chuckled, wondering if Kuroo knew about what Kenma said about him. Well, it wasn’t like Kenma had any malicious intent. In fact, his tone had softened at the mention of Kuroo, as if he were remembering his boyfriend fondly.
“At least Kuroo-san’s your idiot,” Akaashi sighed.
“If it helps, I already know the gist of the story.” Kenma finalized his team, beginning to start the first round of the game.
A few minutes of silence passed as Kenma completely annihilated Akaashi, his facial expression remaining the same throughout his factory. Akaashi placed the controller on his lap and inhaled deeply. “Bokuto-san’s boyfriend was me. I was the one he had been talking about during the interview. Apparently, we had been dating for practically a year. And last night, he finally learned that he had been dating no one. I think I broke his heart, Kozume.”
Kenma paused. “Had he ever explicitly asked you to date him?”
“He had told me he loved me. On my birthday. I had responded similarly,” Akaashi fiddled with his fingers, mind focused on the sad expression Bokuto had given him last night. “I had thought everything was platonic.”
“Hm. I don’t think either of you is at fault?” Kenma shrugged. “It all just seemed like a misunderstanding.”
“But he’s hurt, and I’m the reason why. If only I hadn’t brushed his confession off as something platonic. If only I had taken him seriously…” Akaashi’s jaw clenched. “I spent ages griping about my unrequited love. The universe is playing a cruel joke on me.” Perhaps he was catching Oikawa’s flair for dramatics. He’d have to remind himself not to spend too much time with the flashy setter.
“Did you tell Bokuto you still love him?”
“I tried. He thinks I’m just trying to make him feel better by telling him that I do like him. It’s like he doesn’t believe me.”
“Maybe he’s just in disbelief and hurt?” Kenma nodded towards the food on the counter, realizing that this conversation probably needed some ounce of comfort. “Perhaps if you accompany your words with a grand gesture he’ll understand.”
“I don’t know, Kozume…he seemed pretty hurt this time. I’ve never seen him like that,” Akaashi grabbed the bag and a plate form the cupboard, offering some of the food to Kenma who declined. “What if he doesn’t want to see me again? What if he hates me?”
“Oh, come on, Keiji. This is Bokuto. The same man that’s head over heels in love with you. He just needs some time, but he’ll come around. Just trust me on that,” Kenma stated firmly, his fierce tone surprising Akaashi.
Akaashi sighed and leaned back into the couch. He thought about what Kenma had just said—a grand gesture? Bokuto did enjoy spontaneous and extravagant acts. But what could Akaashi do to convince him?
“The fundraiser is next week,” Kenma spoke up, as if reading Akaashi’s mind.
Oh.
The fundraiser.
Slowly, an idea unfurled in Akaasih’s mind, and he sat up straighter. He had just come up with a plan that could possibly work. Was it farfetched? Yes. Would Akaashi have never even thought about doing such a thing if he hadn’t been desperate? Of course. Was it a plan that forced Akaashi to shred up his dignity? Yep. It might be a complete disaster and he might not be able to show his face ever again after he completes it…or it might make everything alright.
Either way, all he had to do was try.
“Thanks, Kozume,” Akaashi nodded at his friend, a determined glint in his eyes. “I think you’ve just given me the push that I needed.”
♥♥
The day of the fundraiser arrived. Everything was going smoothly, despite Akaashi not having had a proper conversation with Bokuto for a whole week. He missed Bokuto greatly. Now, of course he could have sent Bokuto a barrage of texts, insisting on meeting him. Knowing Bokuto, he would probably cave after the tenth message and agree to meet Akaashi.
But Akaashi had a different plan. Because of his obliviousness, he had accidentally hurt Bokuto. A simple apology wouldn’t be enough. He had to fix this…Bokuto style.
“The look on your face is giving me anxiety,” Kenma spoke. The two were sitting in Kuroo’s car, waiting for the aforementioned chauffeur to finish his outfit check and to start driving. Bokuto had told Kuroo he would be going with the rest of the MSBY team and would meet them there. Akaashi was a little nervous. It wasn’t like Bokuto was actively avoiding him…well, okay, maybe he was. But he wasn’t furious at Akaashi. Actually, he was hurt, which made things work.
Akaashi’s brain was not being very helpful today.
“Relax,” Kenma nudged him softly. “I have no idea what’s going on in that mind of yours, but it’ll be okay. Really.”
“I second that statement!” Kuroo slid into the driver’s seat, adjusting his mirror quickly. If they didn’t leave at that moment, they were going to be late to the fundraiser.
Akaashi sighed a little, leaning his forehead against the cool glass of the window. Did he even have the guts to pull this whole stunt off? Would Bokuto hate him after this? So many thoughts and concerns swirled through his mind and Akaashi felt like his brain was about to explode. He wished there was an off button. Bokuto had once been that. Being around the dual-haired man had always been soothing for Akaashi.
The ride to the fundraiser hall was shorter than Akaashi anticipated, and before he knew it Kuroo was pulling open his door. Akaashi tugged at the lapel of his blazer, hoping that he hadn’t over, or underdressed.
“Wanna go in?” Kuroo raised a brow. He probably wanted to meet up with Bokuto before heading over to his designated spot as the emcee.
“I’ll go in with you, Keiji,” Kenma nodded at him reassuringly.
Akaashi nodded and walked towards the entrance. The entrance to the building was swamped with reporters and their respective video cameras. Was that Himari-san? Akaashi gnawed on his lower lip, following Kenma through the throngs of people that were lingering about. Everyone wore some sort of formal wear, suits and fancy dresses shimmering under the milky night sky.
For a volleyball fundraiser, there seemed to be a lot of people.
“We’re table number 4,” Akaashi glanced down at the tickets. Bokuto had done whatever he could to get their group the closest tickets to the stage.
“It’ll help during the bidding time!” Bokuto had insisted, despite Akaashi telling him that one, proximity did not help bidding at all. And two, why would he bidding for his own autographed volleyball?
Either way, the proximity was going to help Akaashi implement his current plan. He mentally thanked Bokuto for his child-like insistence of having the best everything—including seats.
“Tickets please,” a bored looking security officer drawled, glancing briefly at the slips of paper that Akaashi provided before letting them through.
The hallway was decked with volleyball-themed decorations, and about a hundred tables were artfully decorated. He spotted Hinata and Kageyama towards the back, their loud voices echoing through the hall. Once again, they were arguing about something trivial, but the fond look in both of their eyes displayed the affection they held towards each other. On both of their hands, Akaashi could catch the faint glimmer of a gold ring. He smiled, happy for his younger friends. They truly were meant for each other.
“There’s table four,” Kenma pointed, leading the way to the table. Each table sat six people, and along with their group, Atsumu and Sakusa shared their spot.
“Omiii,” Atsumu was whining, head leaning against Sakusa’s forearm. “Let me switch spots with ya, the only thing I can see from here is that old guy’s bald head!”
“Good,” Sakusa mumbled, taking a sip from his champagne flute. He looked clearly uncomfortable being out in public, but despite that, he didn’t shove Atsumu off of him at all. In fact, he welcomed the close proximity of his setter.
“Hello, Atsumu-san, Sakusa-san,” Akaashi greeted as he took his seat. A placard with his name scrawled was placed before him.
“Akaashi! Tell Omi-omi to switch spots with me!” Atsumu shifted his attention to the newcomer.
“I would rather not,” Akaashi responded. “Osamu-san promised me a discount if I never take your side.”
“Hey!” Atsumu protested, and much to his chagrin, Sakusa let out a small chuckle.
Akaashi shifted his attention once more, looking towards the stage where the main event would be taking place. The pamphlet in his hand told him that there would be a brief documentary of all the best moves throughout the leagues served with a fancy meal, followed by an auction. There was some sort of other entrainment planned—a dance perhaps, but Akaashi hadn’t read much farther than that.
His eyes flickered up to the items that were displayed for the auction, his gaze falling on the one particular item he needed. He hoped his bank account would be able to bear the weight of his upcoming actions.
Half an hour later, Kuroo showed up, Bokuto in tow. Akaashi felt his heart leapt to his throat when he took in the outfit Boktuo was wearing—a dark blue button-down shirt that hugged his body perfect, and black slacks. His lack of hair-horns was jarring, since Akaashi had rarely seen Bokuto with his hair pulled back like that.
“Hey Kenma! Akaashi!” Bokuto’s eyes flicker towards him for a second before looking away. His seat was right next to Akaashi’s, something he had probably planned a month ago.
“Hi Bokuto-san,” he said softly. “You look great.” He couldn’t help the compliment that slipped out. Bokuto did look amazing.
Akaashi wasn’t sure if he imagined the way Bokuto’s chest puffed up slightly, the way his eyes brightened just a smidge.
“Thanks, ‘Kaashi!” He gave Akaashi a small smile.
Akaashi inhaled. Then exhaled. He could do this.
The first part of the fundraiser passed by like a blur. The food was good, the compilation interesting to watch. His fingers tapped on the table repeatedly, The time for the auction was nearing, and so was his anxiety. Bokuto must have noticed because he cast a sideways glance at Akaashi’s fingers and then up at his face, features contorting into one of concern and curiosity. But before he could even open his mouth, Kuroo stood, gesturing for Bokuto to follow.
Akaashi could hear Kuroo mutter something about being up on the stage during the auction to encourage audience participation. Bokuto brightened a little at the idea of being the center of attention, but then looked back towards Akaashi, hesitating.
“We’ll be fine,” Kenma spoke finally, urging the spiker to go take his spot on stage. Atsumu and Sakusa followed, and Hinata and Kageyama joined. Soon, all of the volleyball players were lined up on the stage, waving to the audience below.
The sounds of cheers and claps filled the ballroom and Bokuto dipped into an extravagant bow. Kuroo took his place near the microphone, his lips curled into a small smirk.
“Now, now, everyone, this is the moment you’ve all been waiting for!”
Another eruption of cheers went off, and Akaashi smiled a little, joining in. The plays deserved all the encouragement and recognition for all the hard work and effort they poured into the sport. Their passion and dedication was admirable.
“As mentioned in the program, it is time for our auction. What will be auctioned you ask?” Kuroo’s smirk grinned. “Well, we’ve got volleyballs, game tickets, and jerseys…and even individual training sessions with our star players themselves!”
The cheers grew louder. Wow. An opportunity to have a volleyball training session with some of the best players? That was amazing.
“But for those that are less athletically inclined,” Kuroo leaned towards the microphone. “We’re also auctioning off dates.”
Akaashi’s eyes widened. He hadn’t been expecting that, considering the fact that half the team were in relationships.
“Of course, these will be more so platonic dates, but you never know with our single players! Someone might be looking for love,” Kuroo’s raised his brows suggestively.
Hinata shouted something incomprehensible that caused Kageyama to turn a fierce shade of red.
The auction continued at full force. The first object that Kuroo presented was an official MSBY jersey, signed by all of the members. Immediately, paddles were thrust into the air and numbers were shouted out, and the crowd fought for the jersey with a ferocity that scared Akaashi. Eventually, it was sold off for a very high price that had Akaashi wincing.
Next was a Shweidan Adlers jersey, and the same process continued. Kuroo seemed to enjoy his spot on the stage, carrying out the auction and repeating bids. He seemed animated and energetic, pointing to people as they spoke and was very effective in riling the crowd up. The fond look in Kenma’s eyes was unmistakable.
“And now for a ticket to an upcoming MSBY game, versus our very own Adlers! Now, this isn’t just your average ticket, folks…this gives you a pass to the floor to sit on the bench, and to join the team for their post-game dinner!”
Once again, the bidding carried out with a terrifying ferocity. Akaashi sat still, watching as the people around him fought for a chance for the tickets. The popularity of the team never ceased to amaze him.
“Keiji,” Kenma murmured. “I think I know what your plan is by now. Do you think that it’ll be a good idea?”
Akaashi swallowed to wet his dry throat. Probably not. But he wanted Bokuto. And that want was enough to drive him towards desperate measures. The event droned on in the backround, and Akaashi’s gaze narrowed in on Kuroo, waiting for him to say the sentence he had been looking out for the entire time. And then he finally did.
“We’re getting into the swing of things,” Kuroo grinned at the crowd. “Now, we’re going to move onto something more…intimate.”
There was a mix of whoops and whistles from the crowd as everyone anticipated Kuroo’s next words.
“As I promised earlier, a few lucky people will have a chance to be able to go out on a date with some of the players,” Kuroo winked. “And the first player that had been willing to offer up a date is none other than our very own Hinata Shouyou!”
“Shouyou?” Kenma raised a brow. “Impressive. I thought he and Kageyama were practically one at this point.”
Behind Kuroo, Hinata was beaming out at the crowd, one of his hands entangled with Kageyama’s. Kegaeyama looked a little grumpy, but gazed affectionately at his fiancé. He seemed to want to keep Hinata all to himself…but also wanted Hinata to have a very high bidder because he deserved it.
“As a reminder, Hinata is engaged and soon to be married,” Kuroo stated lightly. “But he is willing to have a platonic date with anyone who is willing to do so! Now, do we have any takers?”
The bids started off low but escalated rapidly, with the prices skyrocketing up to the five hundreds.
“And the final bid, going to the gentleman with the white hat, for five hundred, any takers—”
“One thousand.” Kenma’s soft voice was somehow heard over the rumble of the crowd, and Akaashi felt his jaw drop. Kuroo turned to their table, wide eyed. Kenma smirked up at him, raising his paddle suggestively. Hinata’s grin grew even wider, and he waved excitedly at Kenma.
“O-one thousand…any other takers?” Kuroo glanced furtively at Kenma. Following Kenma’s bid, there was a silence with occasional grumbles. “Then the date with Hinata Shouyou…goes to Kenma Kozume for a thousand.”
Murmurs of Kodzuken and Hinata echoed throughout the crowd and Kuroo cleared his throat lightly. The MSBY members looked entertained, whispering to each other up on the stage. Akaashi’s gaze returned to Bokuto, taking in the slight excitement and nervousness. Despite appearing like his usual self, it was obvious that Bokuto was down. His eyes didn’t hold the same light and his shoulders caved in, as if he were tired. Akaashi’s fingers curled into his palm, his nails digging into the flesh. He was going to fix that. He was going to make things right.
“Didn’t want Shouyou to be forced into a platonic date with someone awful,” Kenma explained, leaning back into his seat as if he were satisfied.
“And onto our next player,” Kuroo glanced down at the placard in his hand, the familiar smirk once more gracing his lips. “This player actually had quite a few requests and seems to be popular with the fans.”
Akaashi stiffened.
“Our next bid is for a date with Bokuto Koutarou,” Kuroo’s gaze flickered to Akaashi. A silent apology was clear on his face as he continued. “He happens to be single, folks, so who knows what the potential of the date could hold!”
Bokuto smiled at the crowd, lifting a hand to wave. A loud scream erupted from somewhere near the back.
Akaashi’s heart ached. Single. Just a few weeks had changed Bokuto’s dating status to single. It hurt knowing that they could have been together all this time. He inhaled shakily, steadying his grip on his paddle. Kenma eyed him warily.
“Any takers for a date with Bokuto Koutarou?”
Immediately, Akaashi stood. His fingers wrapped around the paddle tightly. “Five hundred.” His voice was loud and steady, the opposite of the emotions that were whirling through him.
For a beat, the hall was quiet. Bokuto stared at him, mouth agape. Even Kuroo seemed to be frozen. And then everything spurred into motion.
“Five hundred sixty!” Someone called out.
“Seven hundred!”
“Eight hundred!” Akaashi called again, staring Bokuto dead in the eye. The outside hitter gaped back at him, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. Wide golden eyes flickered from Akaashi to Kenma and then to Kuroo. His surprised expression was endearing as he sat there frozen.
“One thousand!” Only one voice called out loudly, voice reverberating through the hall. Akaashi’s competitor seemed to be a young girl, and she was the only other one standing. She gazed up at Kuroo fiercely, grip unwavering on her paddle.
Akaashi frowned. Of course. Out of everyone, Bokuto had to be the one with the most passionate fans.
“One thousand two hundred!” Akaashi called again. Bokuto’s eyes flickered from him to the girl. Besides him, Atsumu was chortling as if this were the funniest thing that could have ever happened to him.
“Keiji…” Kenma warned. He knew of Akaashi’s dwindling bank account. It’s okay. This was for a good cause. The money was for a fundraiser. It would help people. And besides, Bokuto was worth every drop Akaashi had.
“One thousand four hundred!” The girl smirked triumphantly. She seemed to be a young girl, no older than seventeen. Where on earth had she gotten that kind of money?
“One thousand five hundred.”
Akaashi was not going to back down. Even if he had nothing to eat for the rest of the week. Kenma let out a sigh as he watched the event unfold.
“One thousand seven hundred,” the girl’s voice wavered slightly. Beside her, and older man—presumably her dad—whispered something in her ear, his face set into a deep frown. Akaashi didn’t think she’d be able to keep going much further. The whole ball room was silent, watching the two of them go back and forth in awe.
Akaashi inhaled deeply. He could feel the gazes of everyone in that hall, yet none of them mattered. None besides Bokuto. The beat of silence that passed had everyone believing that the girl had won, that she had finally stated the winning price.
But then Akaashi squared his shoulders. He looked straight up at Bokuto. His voice clear as day. “Two thousand five hundred.”
Bokuto’s eyes seemed to bulge right out of his head. Everyone was stunned into silence—even the girl.
“Two thousand five hundred,” Kuroo cleared his throat, seeming hesitant. This date with Bokuto had been the most expensive bid during the auction. “Any other takers?” Silence.
“Okay, then…” Kuroo blinked. “A date with Bokuto Koutarou, for two thousand five hundred, going to Akaashi Keiji—”
“Bokuto-san.” Akaashi licked his lips, his confidence faltering now that he was so deep into his plan. “I’m sorry. I made a mistake, a really stupid mistake, and I hope that you’ll be able to forgive me for hurting you this way. But please believe me when I say that I love you. I always had felt the same. You are worth everything that I have. I can’t imagine my life without you, my star, Koutarou.”
“Akaashi…” Akaashi was able to somehow catch Bokuto’s hushed whisper. It was at that moment that he remembered that the eyes of around a hundred people were on him. His fingers twitched and he bowed once before sinking back onto his seat, looking at Kuroo and silently pleading for him to continue the program.
“Onto our next player, Atsumu Miya,” Kuroo stated a little loudly and Akaashi leaned backwards into his chair, eyes flickering closed.
“That was quite impressive, Keiji,” Kenma nudged him. “Bokuto hasn’t been able to take his eyes off of you since you spoke. But don’t you think the end was a little cheesy? My star?”
Akaashi let out a little groan. “Please, Kozume, I already feel mortified.”
“And you used his first name too. Have you ever done that before?”
“Kozume—”
“Please believe me when I say that I love you,” Kenma raised a brow. “Very passionate of you, Keiji. In front of the entire JVA and its fans, nonetheless. You’ve inspired us all to—”
“Enough,” Akaashi snapped, his cheeks aflame. He couldn’t bring it to look at Bokuto, to maintain eye contact after that stunt he pulled. What if Bokuto didn’t feel the same anymore? What if Bokuto was embarrassed? What if he thought Akaashi was a pain?
“It’ll be fine,” Kenma’s tone reverted back to his supportive friend tone (which was just like his regular one, except a smidge nicer). “He’s still staring at you…as if you strung the stars in the night sky or whatever.” Knema’s expression flickered into one of mild disgust. “You both are so cheesy it hurts.”
“I haven’t said anything about you and Kuroo-san getting it on while we’re in the next room—”
“Okay. I get it,” Kenma cut him off, the faintest tinge of red on his cheekbones. “But that doesn’t negate the fact that Bokuto hasn’t been able to take his eyes off you. Look at him, Keiji. I think he wants you to look at him.”
Akaashi exhaled shakily and slowly shifted his gaze to the stage, seeking out the familiar warmth of his best friend. One whom he’d missed greatly over the past week. Hues of golden pierced directly into his own and he shivered lightly. Bokuto seemed to be studying his face, his eyes tracing Akaashi’s features. Akaashi gave a tentative smile, hoping that his face didn’t portray the anxiety that was coursing through him at that moment.
Abruptly, Bokuto stood. Akaashi’s faint smile, the slight terror on his face, was the last push Boktuo needed. Kuroo’s slight ramble of Atsumu’s qualities faltered and he turned back to look at his friend quizzically.
“I love you too, Keiji!!” Boktuo practically yelled, pointing directly at him.
Oh.
Oh.
“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi breathed, too stunned to even move.
“And its okay! We all make mistakes! It was my fault too, probably!” Bokuto beamed down at him from the stage. “You’re my world, Keiji, I will always love you.”
If Akaashi could melt, he would have at that spot. He was overwhelmed with the feeling of adoration and belongingness…and a little bit of embarrassment from the way everyone was staring at the two. None of it mattered. No one else mattered…not when Bokuto was staring at him like that.
Akaashi’s fingers twitched. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and feel Bokuto’s skin under his touch. After years of pining, he had finally received the confession that he had been dreaming of. If only Bokuto wasn’t so far away, atop a stage. If they hadn’t had an audience, Akaashi would have rushed to him, pulling him into a hug. Bokuto seemed to be holding the same sentiment as well as he was practically vibrating in his seat, gaze solely focused on Akaashi.
“Moving on with the bids for Atsumu,” Kuroo cast a slightly annoyed, slightly fond look at both Bokuto and Akaashi and continued on with the program.
♥♥
It seemed like ages until the auction ended, and it was quite successful. A surprising amount of funds had been raised, and everyone seemed to be in good cheer. The volleyball players all stood on the stage, thanking their fans one last time. Akaashi stood up quickly and rushed towards the stairs of the stage, waiting for Bokuto to come down. He thought he had heard Kenma call out from behind him, but he paid it no mind.
“Keiji…” Bokuto’s eyes widened when he saw that Akaashi was waiting for him. Atsumu whistled and Hinata excitedly nudged the former ace, all while simultaneously teasing him.
“Bokuto-san, please come with me,” Akasahi reached out, encircling his fingers around Bokuto’s wrist and tugging him towards the ballroom exit. He could feel the heat of the stares directed towards them, but he ignored those all. Right now, he just really wanted to talk to Bokuto alone.
Bokuto, for once in his entire life, was rendered speechless and let Akaashi pull him along. They dodged guests and other JVA members, struggling for a bit with the fancy doorknobs, before Akaashi pulled him into a nearly empty lobby.
They were surrounded by darkness and a faint hum from the next event that had begun in the ballroom. Akaashi didn’t stop walking until the two were in a remote area, away from the prying eyes of an audience.
“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi breathed, finally looking into the golden eyes that had been piercing him since his confession. “I’m so—”
Akaashi was unable to get another word out before strong arms wrapped around him, pulling him in abruptly. He was met with warmth love, enveloped in the feeling of pure bliss. His face was pressed against Bokuto’s practically chiseled chest, and he wrapped his arms around Bokuto’s waist, squeezing to convey how much he didn’t want to leave the embrace. Everything that he had ever wanted was finally within his reach.
“Keiji, it’s okay,” Bokuto murmured into the soft curls of Akaashi’s hair. “I believe you.”
“Thank you,” Akaashi whispered. He pulled back to look at Bokuto, letting out a soft chuckle. “I didn’t know if I went overboard with the whole bidding thing…”
“Maybe just a little,” Bokuto teased, his arms staying secure around Akaashi. “Where’d you get all that money from, ‘Kaashi?”
Akaashi’s features softened. “I had some saved up. And I’d do it all over again. You’re worth every penny.”
“You didn’t have to do all that if you wanted a date with me, I’ve always been yours and yours only,” Bokuto murmured, his nose brushing against Akaashi’s ear. “But now that you did, you’ve won a lifetime of dates with me. There’s no way you’re going to get rid of me anytime soon.”
“Good,” Akaashi responded, shifting so that his hands cupped Bokuto’s face. “I wouldn’t want anything else.”
Bokuto beamed, his forehead pressed against Akaashi’s. His gaze flitted from Akaashi’s eyes to his lips, clearly wanting to make a decision but not wanting to step over a boundary.
Akaashi made the decision for him, closing the small gap between their lips by fitting his own over Bokuto’s. Bokuto’s lips were surprisingly soft, his hands firmly gripping Akaashi’s waist. A minute later, they broke apart, chests heaving with exhilaration.
“Bokuto Koutarou,” Akaashi stated firmly. “Will you be my boyfriend?”
Bokuto looked surprised before laughing a little. “Of course, Keiji!”
Epilouge
“So, Bokuto-san,” Himari-san leaned over her seat, eyeing Bokuto with interest. “Your single status has changed back into taken! Mind telling us more about your new lover?”
“Of course!” Bokuto beamed. “My boyfriend is the best person ever! He’s a manga editor, and he’s worked on some pretty big projects before! You must have heard of him—Akaashi Keiji? Well, he’s insanely pretty and super duper smart. Did you know he used to be my setter in high school?”
Kenma and Akaashi stared at the television in amusement, watching as Bokuto prattled on about Akaasih’s achievements.
“You really think it’s a good idea to let Bokuto tell the world that you’re his boyfriend?” Kenma asked, raising a brow as Bokuto’s ramble droned on. “That’s the title that people are going to see you as now—boyfriend of Bokuto, star volleyball player.”
Akaashi smiled softly, remembering the way Bokuto had woken him up with kisses that morning. “There’s no other title that I’d rather have.”