Chapter Text
Bokuto’s final class of the day ended early but he hung back, letting everyone else leave first. His classmates seemed eager to get back to their dorms or apartments, but Bokuto was reluctant despite being up early in the morning thanks to a morning volleyball practice. He was feeling his energy run out, but going back to the dorm meant going back to him .
Akaashi Keiji.
When Kuroo had first told Bokuto that he’d be moving in with his friend-turned-boyfriend Kenma this year, their senior year , instead of renewing their roommate contract, he’d been happy for his friend! But he was also sad for himself. Kuroo was the best bro, the best roommate, and Bokuto had no idea what he was going to do without him. Thankfully, Kenma had had a friend who was also looking for a roommate. He was a year younger than Bokuto and Kuroo, but being Kenma’s friend, that made sense. Bokuto also thought that since he was Kenma’s friend and he liked Kenma, he’d like this guy. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad!
And then he’d met him.
Bokuto stopped walking and groaned, rubbing a hand down his face as thoughts about his roommate flooded his mind. His stupidly, ridiculously, pretty roommate. Bokuto had never known that boys could be so pretty until he met Akaashi. He was absolutely smitten but, unfortunately, Akaashi absolutely hated him. He never said more than two words to Bokuto and he stared at him all the time! Bokuto had finally decided to ask him why he was staring once, but Akaashi closed his book, told him he wasn’t staring in the most monotone voice ever, and then went to his bedroom! Bokuto hadn’t meant to upset him, but he apparently had and things had been awkward ever since. They still had a ton of time left together in the school year, and while Bokuto was determined to make it work, he wasn’t sure how.
“Maybe I’ll get some onigiri, as a peace offering?” Bokuto mused aloud. It seemed to be Akaashi’s favorite, as Bokuto always caught him eating some. He nodded to himself for a good idea and veered off the path to a nearby konbini.
A short while later, onigiri in hand, Bokuto was heading back to his dorm, re-energized, when he heard a faint cry. Frowning, he stopped at the mouth of the alley and the cry continued. He entered the alley and saw a cardboard box that held a small gray and white cat.
“Hey, little guy,” Bokuto cooed as he dropped to his knees, placing the bag with onigiri to the side. He slowly reached one hand out to the cat, who cautiously sniffed at it before rubbing its head against it. “Are you alone?” Bokuto asked, giving it some gentle scratches. The cat cried again and Bokuto felt his heart break. “Do you want to come with me?” He picked the cat up, holding it in one arm while he slung the onigiri bag over the other. The little cat was warm against his chest, and Bokuto felt the beginning tell tale vibrations of a purr. “Let’s go get you some food,” he told it before turning back towards the konbini.
After picking up some basic food and supplies for the cat, Bokuto was finally outside the door to his dorm when he stopped dead in his tracks. If Akaashi already didn’t like him, how would he feel about Bokuto bringing home a cat? Did Akaashi even like cats? He liked things clean and neat, and sure cats cleaned themselves, but there was still the litter box, and what if the cat knocked things over, cats do that don’t they, or oh no what if he was allergic to cats? The cat in his arms let out another cry and Bokuto shook his head, steeling himself. He was going to walk into that dorm, have a conversation with his roommate like an adult and things would work out. They would probably work out. Akaashi was surely a reasonable person and as long as he wasn’t allergic, he’d probably be fine with it, right? Right.
Decided, Bokuto opened the door. The dorm was silent.
“At Kozume-san’s,” was written on a note on the refrigerator. Two words, no more, no less, as was usual. Bokuto let out a relieved sigh and rushed into his room, his previous determination dissipating. At least he had a little more time to figure out an actual plan.
“Okay, little guy, welcome to your new home,” Bokuto told the cat, putting it down. “I think I’m going to call you Ace.”
~~~
For the next week, Bokuto kept the cat confined to his room. If Akaashi had noticed that he’d kept his door shut all day when he never had before, he hadn’t mentioned anything. Bokuto made sure to clean the litter box daily and dispose of it outside of the apartment immediately in order to avoid a smell lingering. Despite crying so much that first day, Ace turned out to be a quiet cat, and drew no attention to himself. Bokuto found that he loved to play with a feather toy and snuggle on his chest when it was time for bed. It had been the best week Bokuto has had since Kuroo moved out.
A week to the day after Bokuto brought Ace home, he’s eating breakfast with Akaashi. He was feeling good after a morning snuggle session with the cat and he was determined to make a connection with his pretty roommate, but every conversation topic he tried was met with a disinterested “hm” and he eventually gave up. They ate in silence apart from the spoons clicking in their cereal bowls, until Bokuto couldn't handle it anymore and stood abruptly. Akaashi stared at him, startled, but said nothing. “I’m going to be home late today,” Bokuto told him as he gathered up both empty bowls and spoons. “We’re in the middle of the volleyball competition season and we have a match this evening.”
Akaashi nodded, moving to stand as well. “Very well.”
Two words. No more. No less. Bokuto smiled anyway, kill them with kindness and all that, and he left for his day.
~~~
Bokuto was not wrong, he was home late . They had won their game, and his teammates had wanted to go out to celebrate. It was nearing midnight when Bokuto found himself once again outside of the door to his dorm, tired, but full of good food and satisfied from a game done well. He was ready to go to bed and snuggle with his cat, while pretending that his homework didn’t exist.
He carefully and quietly opened the door, not wanting to wake Akaashi who was surely already in bed asleep. He slipped his shoes off and pushed the door shut, finally turning to survey the room, and he stopped dead.
Akaashi was asleep on their couch.
Akaashi was asleep on their couch with Ace on his chest.
His pretty roommate was asleep on their couch with his secret cat sleeping on his chest.
Bokuto looked towards his bedroom. The door was ajar just enough that a cat could have slipped through. Had he forgotten to close it this morning? He couldn’t remember, it was so long ago and so much had happened during the day. He had been good about shutting it the last few days so surely he had closed it? How did Ace get out? And, oh no, was Akaashi mad? Surely not or he wouldn’t be sleeping with the cat? Did he know he was sleeping with the cat? Maybe he had fallen asleep and Ace broke free and settled on the first warm chest he had found Akaashi didn’t realize? Maybe it wasn’t too late to hide him again?
In his panicked state, Bokuto didn’t notice that those gorgeous slate blue eyes had opened and were staring at him once again.
“Welcome home.”
Bokuto nodded. “Th–thanks. Yes, thanks. Um,” he choked, but Akaashi silenced him with another look before nodding his head at the cat.
“His name?”
“I’ve been calling him Ace,” Bokuto admitted, carefully taking in the picture of Akaashi with the cat. He didn’t sound or look too mad, so Bokuto continued. “I found him outside of a konbini last week. He was crying and hungry!” He accidentally raised his voice in his rush and Ace opened his eyes, letting out a trill at the sound.
Akaashi nodded. “You’re home late.”
Bokuto blinked. That was more than two words. “Yeah, I told you I would be,” Bokuto reminded him. He was sure he had told him that at breakfast!
“Ace-chan was crying and hungry,” Akaashi explained, and Bokuto nearly died on the spot at the sight of Akaashi reaching out to pet the cat’s head. So cute . “I heard him crying through your door. Bokuto-san,” his heart skipped at hearing his name, “I hope you don’t mind that I went searching for your cat food stash.”
Bokuto shook his head and moved closer to the couch. He slowly sat down on the floor, not wanting to further disturb Ace or Akaashi. “Of course I don’t mind,” he reassured Akaashi, also reaching out to pet Ace’s head. Akaashi dropped his hand to allow Bokuto access. “I didn’t even think about him missing dinner time because of my game. Thank you.”
Akaashi was staring again, brow furrowed. “What were you going to do when you had an away game?”
“What?” Bokuto stopped petting Ace, caught off guard at the question.
Akaashi gestured to the cat as he elaborated. “You have occasional away games, especially when you get into the tournament season. What were you going to do with your secret cat when you had an away game?”
Bokuto thought through Akaashi’s question and couldn’t help but laugh. “Bold of you to assume I thought that far ahead,” he finally got out. Ace was staring at Bokuto with the exact same look Akaashi was giving him. “I dunno. Kenma likes cats, I think. Maybe I would have asked him? He probably would have been lonely since Kuroo would be at the games with me, you know?”
“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi sighed, and despite not drinking, Bokuto thought maybe he had a contact buzz through osmosis or something because was that a smile on his roommate’s face? Was he imagining things? “Why didn't you tell me you had adopted a cat?”
Ace stood up on Akaashi’s chest, turning around once before jumping down, leaving the two alone by the couch. “I was afraid you wouldn’t like him or want a cat,” Bokuto admitted, keeping Akaashi in his peripheral vision while watching Ace begin to explore a corner of the living room. “I didn’t exactly think it through, if I’m being honest.”
“Clearly,” Akaashi commented. “I can help, Bokuto-san,” he said as he sat up and stretched in a way that lifted his shirt just high enough that Bokuto couldn't help but turn to fully stare at him. His roommate was hiding a body just as pretty as the rest of him.
“Bokuto-san?”
Bokuto shook his head and forced himself to look at Akaashi’s eyes. “Wh-what?” he stammers, as if he hadn’t been distracted by the view his roommate had given him.
“I said, I can help,” and Bokuto was sure there was amusement in his voice that time.
Bokuto felt a grin light up his face and threw his arms around Akaashi. “Thank you, ‘Kaashi!” He felt Akaashi momentarily stiffen before relaxing into the hug. Bokuto was able to mentally count to five until he was being pushed away.
“I will see you in the morning, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi choked out suddenly, jumping up from the couch, and disappearing into his bedroom.
Bokuto watched the door shut behind him, still smiling as he also stood. “Come on, Ace,” he called to the cat, heading into his own room. Maybe Akaashi didn’t totally hate him, after all.