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Chapter Text

Bright lights. Hardwood floors. Cheers from the crowd. A number 12 jersey standing out amongst the players on the court. Time slowed down. Everything was dull compared to him. He was a star, and all Akaashi could do was orbit around him and hope he wouldn’t fall in.

An alarm blared loudly, cutting through the silence. Akaashi groaned, squinted open his eyes and fumbled around to turn off the offending noise. He lay flat on his back, blinking as his eyes slowly adjusted to the dim morning light of his bedroom. He wasn’t in the Tokyo Metropolitan Gym. He wasn’t watching Bokuto play for the first time. He really needed to stop dreaming about his senpai like this.

Akaashi dragged himself out of bed and went through the motions of his morning routine on autopilot. Get dressed, wash face, eat breakfast, pack bag, brush teeth. He left the house and walked the short distance to the train station. Once he arrived at the platform, he didn’t have to wait long for the next train, and he was lucky enough to get one of the last remaining free seats.

He allowed himself to take a breath and close his eyes. The train ride was about ten minutes, then another couple of minutes’ walk to Fukurodani, and then he would see Bokuto at morning practice. Bokuto; his teammate, his senpai, his crush.

They had only known each other for a few months, but Akaashi was already head over heels. They weren’t even that close; they hardly saw each other outside of volleyball so he couldn’t say they were friends. Akaashi was still trying to build the ace’s trust as a first-year setter. But still, Bokuto was something special.

Soon, the train arrived and Akaashi walked the rest of the way to school, through the gates and to the clubroom.

“Good morning,” he said as he entered the room. There was a chorus of greetings from the few other first and second years getting changed. He walked past them to an empty spot at the back of the room and started changing into his gym clothes.

Just as Akaashi was finishing up, a loud voice at the doorway made his breath catch in his throat.

“Hey! Morning everyone!” Bokuto called with a smile, walking down to the end of the room towards Akaashi. “Morning, Akaashi!” Bokuto threw his bag down next to Akaashi’s.

“Good morning, Bokuto-san.” Akaashi tried his best to look indifferent while his stomach did flips. He zipped up his bag and headed for the door. He really didn't need to stay and stare at his crush while he changed.

Once everyone had gathered in the gym, practice went as normal. The team all did warm-ups together and then they split off into a few groups to do drills. Akaashi set for the group of second years to practice spiking, while their official setter, a third year named Morioka, took the other group.

Akaashi felt like he was starting to sync up well with the first- and second-year spikers, while the third years seemed to prefer to stick with the setter they already knew. Akaashi didn't complain, he didn't want to step on any toes, but he did aspire to be Fukurodani’s starting setter one day.

He set for Konoha, then Washio, and then it was Bokuto’s turn. Akaashi knew exactly what kind of tosses he liked. Partly because he sometimes stayed behind for extra spiking practice with him, and partly because Akaashi paid close attention so he could impress Bokuto. It seemed to be working, as Bokuto hit a powerful shot over the net and turned to look at Akaashi with his big, bright eyes.

“You always have the best tosses, Akaashi!”

“Thank you, Bokuto-san,” he replied, trying not to smile.

***

After morning practice, Akaashi headed straight to class. He liked this day in the timetable. He had maths, Japanese and then art class before lunch. While he was a good all-rounder academically, he was much more inclined towards literature and art than maths and science. He just found thinking outside the box much more interesting than rigid calculations.

So far in their art class, they had gone over a few different mediums so they could try them out and see which ones they enjoyed. Akaashi didn't any exceptional talent with a brush or a pencil, but he really enjoyed photography. He even had his own DSLR camera – a gift from his parents for his birthday last year.

The art teacher Yamada-sensei, a young woman with blue rimmed glasses, called the class to attention and started to explain the new assignment.

“Alright everyone, since you're all high school students now, I think you're ready to take on a bigger project. For the rest of the year, you're all going to be working on making a cohesive art portfolio using the medium of your choice.” There were some groans and mumbling from the back of the class. “Now, I know not all of you are aspiring artists, but I want you to think of this as an opportunity to build something over a long period of time. I won't just be grading you on artistic skill, but also the composition of how you put your portfolio together and what message or story you can tell with your work.”

This was sounding interesting to Akaashi. He had never really done anything with the photos he had taken for fun. There was a folder on his laptop with some of his favourite photos that he had thought about printing out to stick on the wall, but a portfolio was an entirely different challenge.

“Since this is probably the first portfolio any of you have done,” Yamada-sensei continued, “I’m going to give you a theme and help you through the process of putting everything together throughout the year. I want you all to focus on contrast. We’ll be studying some examples over the next few weeks and your assignment for the end of the semester will be to create a collection of work that shows strong contrast. Then we will use these pieces to build your full portfolio from there.”

She turned on the projector to bring up a slide show with different examples. “Dark and light, high and low, hot and cold, hard and soft. Notice the use of colour and lighting and shape in these examples. You will need to pick one or two of these contrasts to focus on in your work. 

“Now, for the rest of class today, I want you to brainstorm. Think about what medium you want to use, how you can show contrast, and what your subject material could be. And remember, I want you to tell me a story through your work! I’ll give you twenty minutes or so, and then I’ll come around and talk to you individually.”

Quiet chatter filled the room as the students shared their thoughts with their neighbours. Akaashi opened his sketchbook to a blank page and started jotting down some thoughts. He definitely wanted to do photography. What would be an interesting subject? He had taken a lot of nature and cityscapes around his neighbourhood, but if he really wanted to be able to tell a story, focusing on people would probably be more interesting.

Dark and light. He thought of the Fukurodani team colours; black, white and gold. Bokuto’s black and white hair, his bright, golden eyes. Black knee pads against pale skin.

High and low. Akaashi tossing a volleyball high in the air, Bokuto jumping to reach it, the ball slamming down on the ground. Looking down at the players on the other side of the net as they dive for the ball in vain.

Hot and cold. Bokuto’s mood swings? No, that one doesn’t even really work. Something other than Bokuto or volleyball. A… hot cup of tea on a cold winter morning. Steam fogging up a window.

Hard and soft. A skyscraper cutting into the clouds. Harsh lines, soft curves. Bokuto’s spiky hair, his toned muscles. They look hard, but if he could reach out and touch them, would they be soft?

Ugh. Why do his ideas always come back to Bokuto? Akaashi knew why – he was always thinking of Bokuto. He was just so interesting to look at. Akaashi couldn't get the image out of his head of Bokuto paused in mid-air, about to hit a spike, everything else fading away. He could tell a story with Bokuto. Show the world – or just his art teacher – how much of a star he was.

Akaashi looked up from his sketchbook. Yamada-sensei had started going around the room to hear everyone’s ideas. There was no way Akaashi could use this idea. It would be revealing too much about himself and his dumb crush on his senpai. And what would Bokuto think if Akaashi said he wanted to take photos of him? But all of his other ideas were so dull in comparison.

“Akaashi-kun,” Yamada-sensei said as she approached his desk. “What ideas have you got so far?”

Akaashi glanced between his sketchbook of scattered notes and back at the teacher. “Um, well I want to do photography,” he started.

“That's great. Do you have a camera?”

“I do.”

“Brilliant. And what are you thinking for your subject matter?”

“Well, I like taking photos around the city, of buildings and people on the streets. I was thinking there could be some contrast there.” 

Yamada-sensei nodded. “You could certainly do something there. Man-made versus organic. It could be a commentary on city life. Any other ideas?”

Akaashi hesitated for a second but decided to share it. This was just a brainstorm after all. “I was also thinking about doing something with portraiture. I have a friend from the volleyball club, and I was thinking about a story I could tell about him through photography. I could also use contrast with the colours and angles.”

“Yes, that sounds very interesting. You could get some great shots with that. And I like that you're already thinking about a story. You have a good artistic eye, Akaashi-kun. I can't wait to see what you do with this.” Yamada-sensei smiled and moved on to the next student.

Akaashi looked back at his sketchbook and tapped his pencil on the page. Maybe it was actually a decent idea if Yamada-sensei thought it had potential, and not just an excuse to take photos of Bokuto. Both could be true. But Akaashi still wasn't sure if he could do it; if he could ask Bokuto, if he would say yes, if it would turn out to be anything good or just purely self-indulgent. He would keep brainstorming for now.

***

During afternoon practice, Akaashi kept thinking about his photography portfolio. They were playing a practice match with the team split in two, and Akaashi had ended up on the other side of the net from Bokuto. He probably should have been paying more attention to the spikers on his side, but his eyes kept being drawn to Bokuto.

Bokuto hit a sharp cross shot that whizzed right past Akaashi, and he was reminded how glad he was that they were on the same team. It was an interesting view though, from the other side of the net. Akaashi imagined a photo looking through a blurry net, crisp focus on Bokuto’s face after scoring a point.

The ball was in Akaashi’s side of the court now, he needed to focus. He watched the ball travel in an arc high above him, took a couple of steps to line himself up, and tossed the ball towards Sarukui. The spiker hit the ball, but it was blocked and sent right back down on their side.

It was Bokuto’s serve next. Akaashi watched him throw the ball up, run, jump, swing his arm down to hit the ball. His form was magnificent, it would make for a great photo if Akaashi could capture it right. The serve receive was off, too close to the net for Akaashi to get a good set up, so one of the first-year middle blockers jumped to hit it directly over the net. The ball got past the block this time, Bokuto tried to save it from the back line, but it veered off course when it hit his hand. His annoyed pout was cute – another thing Akaashi wanted to take a photo of.

Bokuto’s side ended up winning the set, and they played a few more until practice ended. Akaashi took a long drink from his water bottle while people started to filter out of the gym to head home.

“Hey, Akaashi?”

He lowered his water bottle to see Bokuto cautiously approaching him. “Yes?”

“Could you stay for extra practice? I really want to get some more spikes in.”

“Sure, I can toss for you,” Akaashi replied, his heart rate quickening as he put his bottle back down on the bench. He always felt nervous, being alone with Bokuto, no matter how often they practiced together.

“Yes!” Bokuto cheered, his body language opening back up. He bounded over to the net and dragged a cart of volleyballs into place. Akaashi walked over to join him.

“I’ll leave you two to lock up if you’re staying longer!” the captain called out, leaving the keys on the bench.

“Okay!” Bokuto replied.

Once the captain had gone, the gym was empty apart from the two of them. It seemed that Akaashi was the last person willing to stay late with him at this point. Akaashi had never seen any of the third years stay, and occasionally Bokuto could convince one of the second years, but he really needed a setter to practice his spikes with. Akaashi was happy to fill that role so he could be near Bokuto for a while longer.

“Ready, Akaashi?” Bokuto asked, holding a ball ready to throw to him.

“Yes.” Akaashi focused himself on the task at hand. If this extra practice was going to be any use to Bokuto, he needed to make sure his tosses were perfect.

Bokuto threw the ball up high towards him and Akaashi set up a toss along the net. Bokuto ran up, jumped, and hit a sharp cross shot. He was really getting good at those.

Bokuto was grinning when his feet landed back on the ground, and he turned to look at Akaashi. It took all his willpower to not smile back like an idiot.

“Nice kill,” he managed.

“Right?” Bokuto turned back to the ball cart. “Give me another one, Akaashi!”

As they continued practicing, Bokuto filled the silence between hits by telling Akaashi about his weekend. Something about hanging out with his friend Kuroo, the story was a bit jumbled and hard to follow. All Akaashi could do was focus on setting and not get too distracted by Bokuto’s attention on him, alone in the gym together.

Eventually, Bokuto said they could stop for the day, or evening at this point. They tidied up, locked the gym, and went to the clubroom to change. Akaashi got changed quickly, while Bokuto took his time. Akaashi hesitated, he was never sure if it was more polite to wait for him or leave straight away so he didn't end up staring. He thought about telling Bokuto about his portfolio assignment, about asking if he would be a model for him.

Bokuto looked in his direction, and Akaashi chickened out. He quickly grabbed his bag and turned towards the door.

“See you tomorrow, Bokuto-san.”

“See you!”

***

Over the next few days, Akaashi continued trying to think of other ideas for his portfolio. Nothing else was sparking much inspiration, though. He just kept thinking of more photos he wanted to take of Bokuto.

When he next had art class, Akaashi had the chance to talk to Yamada-sensei about his ideas again. The teacher encouraged him to explore the one he felt the most inspired by and try to do a test shoot to get an idea of how it could work.

Akaashi stayed behind for extra practice with Bokuto again that afternoon. He thought that maybe when they were alone together, he would have a chance to ask about doing a test shoot. He was fully prepared for Bokuto to say no – it was a strange request after all – but at least if he got an outright rejection, it would force Akaashi to move on and come up with another idea.

The longer Akaashi put off asking, the more his anxiety grew, until he started to find it hard to focus on tossing for Bokuto. He squeezed his eyes shut for a second after Bokuto hit another spike. He should just do it and get it over with.

“Bokuto-san,” he heard himself say.

Bokuto paused, volleyball in hand ready to throw. “Oh, do you want to stop now? I guess we have been going for a while.”

“No, that’s not it. I… have something I wanted to ask you about.”

“Oh? What is it?” Bokuto tilted his head curiously.

“Well, I’m doing a photography portfolio for art class and… I was wondering if I could take some photos of you?” Akaashi could hardly believe he was actually saying this.

“Of me?” Bokuto’s eyes widened.

“Yes, um…” Akaashi felt like he needed to come up with some kind of reason. “My theme is about volleyball, and you’re the ace, so I thought I should get some good shots of you.”

“Oh, cool! So, are you taking photos of the whole team?”

“No, just you. We’re supposed to only have one subject for the portfolio.” That was a blatant lie, but it felt safer than the truth.

“So, I’ll be the star of your portfolio?”

“I guess so.” Akaashi let a small smile slip. That was exactly what he wanted to show in his portfolio – how much of a star Bokuto was.

“Woah, that would be so cool!” Bokuto’s eyes were almost sparkling. “I’d love to!”

“Really?” Wait, was this actually happening?

“Of course! You can count on me.” He smiled and puffed out his chest proudly.

“O-Okay. Then, do you want to do a test shoot? Maybe tomorrow after practice?”

“Sure!”

Akaashi was taken aback at how easy it was to get Bokuto to agree, he was even excited about the idea. Akaashi started to let himself get excited as well. He was actually going to take photos of Bokuto for his portfolio.

“I can keep tossing for you if you want, Bokuto-san.”

“Oh right,” Bokuto seemed to remember that he was still holding a volleyball. “Let’s go!” he said, throwing the ball up for Akaashi.

***

When Akaashi entered the clubroom the next morning, Bokuto was already there. Bokuto waved when he saw him, and Akaashi walked over.

“Morning, Akaashi!”

“Good morning, Bokuto-san.”

“We're taking photos today, right?”

“Yes, I've got my camera.” Akaashi took his camera bag out to show him.

“Ooh can I see?”

“Sure,” he said, passing it to him.

Bokuto opened the bag and carefully took out the camera, turning it around in his hands.

“Wow, it's such a fancy camera! It's like you're a professional!”

“I'm definitely not a professional, Bokuto-san. Please don't get your hopes up too high.”

Bokuto passed the camera back to Akaashi. “I'm still excited though! I bet the photos are gonna look so cool!”

Konoha and Sarukui came over to see what was going on. Bokuto’s excited voice was certainly hard to ignore.

“What are you taking photos of?” Konoha asked.

“Akaashi’s taking photos of me!” Bokuto grinned.

“Why would he want to take photos of you?” 

“Because I'm awesome!”

Konoha folded his arms and narrowed his eyes. “No, that can't be it… Akaashi, is this guy forcing you to take photos of him to inflate his ego?”

“No,” Akaashi smiled. “I'm doing a photography portfolio, and I asked Bokuto-san to help me.”

“Oh, do you have Yamada-sensei for art?” Sarukui asked. “I had to do a portfolio last year too.”

“Yes.” Akaashi hoped they wouldn't ask too many follow up questions about his choice of subject.

“Well, if he gets too annoying don't hesitate to ask one of us to take over,” Konoha offered.

“Hey, I'll be a great model!” Bokuto looked offended. “Don't listen to him, Akaashi.”

“Thank you for the offer Konoha-san, I'll keep it in mind.”

“Akaashi!”

Akaashi couldn't help smiling at Bokuto’s pout. He was glad that Bokuto seemed to be excited about the photoshoot, anyway. He turned back to his school bag to get out his gym clothes. They still had to get through the day before they could start taking photos.

***

Maybe it was just Akaashi’s imagination, but he thought that Bokuto was trying to show off during afternoon practice. Every time he would score a point, he would turn to Akaashi to see his reaction, as if to say, ‘did I look cool there?’. 

Akaashi was always watching, but he kept his face neutral. He didn’t want to let slip how much he was enjoying watching Bokuto, and Bokuto watching him. He gave out his compliments sparingly, saving them for the best plays that really deserved them.

Bokuto was certainly in good form, though. It seemed like he was jumping higher, hitting sharper crosses. He looked good. Akaashi was selfishly looking forward to the photoshoot, so he could have photos of Bokuto playing volleyball to stare at as much as he liked.

Once practice ended, Bokuto bounded over to Akaashi with a big smile on his face.

“We can do the photoshoot now, right?”

“Yes, I just need to get my camera from the clubroom.”

“Okay! I guess I’ll just wait here.” Bokuto bounced on the balls of his feet idly, watching Akaashi as he headed for the gym door.

When Akaashi returned with his camera, he entered the gym to see Bokuto passing a volleyball to himself. Bokuto was facing the other way and concentrating on keeping the ball in the air, so he didn’t seem to notice Akaashi returning.

Deciding to take advantage of the situation, Akaashi turned on his camera and snapped a few shots. He could really get a good sense of height with a portrait shot from this distance, and he liked how candid it felt. Bokuto turned to catch a ball that was slightly off, and noticed Akaashi standing there, looking through his camera.

“Oh, hey! You’re back!” Bokuto smiled at him, taking his eyes off the ball and letting it fall to the ground. “Did you already take some photos?” He asked, jogging over to look.

“Yes, just a couple.” Akaashi showed one to Bokuto.

“Ooh, nice!” Bokuto leaned in close to see, making Akaashi’s heart beat just a little faster. “So, what do you want me to do now?”

“We could start with some jump serves,” Akaashi suggested.

“Okay!” Bokuto turned around to pick up a ball and walked over to the back line of the court.

Akaashi stood a couple of meters away and lined up his camera. “Ready when you are,” he said, and Bokuto nodded.

As Bokuto tossed up the ball, Akaashi started pressing the shutter button in quick succession. He captured Bokuto’s run, the swing of his arms back, and up as he jumped, finally slamming the ball to the other side of the court.

“How was that?” Bokuto asked.

“I think it was good.” Akaashi checked the photos and adjusted some settings. He thought they were decent, but there was something different from the image he’d had in his mind. “Bokuto-san, do you happen to have your uniform with you?”

“No, sorry, it’s at home. But I can bring it next time if you want.”

“Okay.” So, he would be willing to do another photoshoot? That was a good sign. “Can you do a few more serves, and I’ll take photos from different angles.”

Bokuto agreed and took another ball from the cart to do a jump serve again. This time, Akaashi knelt down to get a lower angle. For the next serve, he took photos from behind Bokuto, and the next, he took some from in front.

Akaashi then directed Bokuto to stand in front of the net so he could take some photos from the other side. Bokuto waited, watching Akaashi as he adjusted the focus to get it looking just right. He snapped a photo of Bokuto watching him, his golden eyes standing out between the strings of the net.

There were some limitations with not having any other players to help, so Akaashi just had Bokuto dig the ball over the net, or jump for a block, or pretend to do a spike.

Back on the other side of the net, Akaashi took more photos of Bokuto playing pretend volleyball. Some from low angles, some close up, some far away. He looked rather lonely, all by himself on the big empty court. But when he turned to look at Akaashi, he was smiling brightly.

“What do you want me to do next?”

“I think that might be enough for now, Bokuto-san. It’s just a test shoot, so I don’t need to get everything today.”

“Okay,” Bokuto walked over to meet him. “Can I see some photos?”

“Sure.” Akaashi flicked through some of the recent ones to show him.

“Ooh, I look cool in that one! Can you send it to me?” Bokuto leaned in excitedly, placing a hand on Akaashi’s shoulder. Akaashi stepped away, startled by the sudden touch.

“Um, yes,” he recovered his neutral expression. “I’ll sort through them tonight and pick out the best ones for you.”

“Great! You should come sit with me and the other second years at lunch tomorrow so we can show them too!”

“Oh, okay. As long as I won’t be bothering you.” They had never spent their lunch break together, what if it was awkward?

“Of course not! We all know you. Plus, I want to prove to Konoha that I was a good model!”

“Okay, then.” Akaashi smiled, and so did Bokuto.

“Hey, if it’s not too late, do you wanna toss for me for a bit?”

“Sure, I can stay a bit longer.” It was the least he could do to thank Bokuto for agreeing to take photos with him.

“Yes! Doing all those pretend spikes was making me want to hit a real one so bad!”

Akaashi chuckled slightly to himself as he put his camera back in its bag and off to the side of the gym.

As he tossed for Bokuto and watched him spike up close, he wished that he could take photos with his eyes. That way, he could toss for Bokuto at the same time and capture every detail from this angle. Bokuto seemed to shine brighter though Akaashi’s eyes.

***

After going home and having dinner with his parents, Akaashi looked through the photos he had taken that day. He saved them all onto his laptop and went through deleting the terrible ones and moving the rest into different folders.

He had a folder for the ones that would work well for his portfolio, ones he thought Bokuto would want to see where he looked cool, and some of Akaashi’s personal favourites.

He had taken some close-ups of Bokuto’s strong arms and his broad back, those went into his favourites folder. The ones of him smiling at Akaashi went in there too. While Akaashi would like to think those smiles meant something, he knew that Bokuto was just a cheerful person and would be smiling the same no matter who he was with. He could imagine, though.

Akaashi’s eyes lingered on the photos longer than he probably needed to. He wondered if it was because the photos themselves were interesting, or if he was just so gay for this boy that he couldn’t take his eyes off him. Probably mostly the latter, but hopefully a bit of the former too. Bokuto was just so interesting to look at, surely Akaashi couldn’t be the only one to think so.

Akaashi was feeling more optimistic about his portfolio now, too. Not only did Bokuto agree and not think it was weird, but he was using it as an opportunity to show off. That meant Akaashi was able to get some great shots. He thought he had some interesting high and low shots, but the colour contrast wasn't quite what he had imagined. Bokuto wearing his uniform would probably help – then he could get some close-ups of the black and white patterns. Akaashi wished he had more control over the lighting, but maybe with some editing, he could get close to the effect he wanted.

He picked a selection to show to Bokuto and emailed them to himself so he would have them on his phone. He had forgotten to ask for Bokuto’s email address, so this would have to do for now.

***

It wasn’t until Akaashi was sitting in science class before lunch, letting his mind wander, that he realised he didn’t know where Bokuto and the other second years sat for lunch. He didn’t have Bokuto’s number either to ask. That might be a problem.

Akaashi supposed that if he couldn’t find them, he could just show Bokuto the photos after practice. But then they wouldn’t get to spend lunch together. Despite his apprehension that it might be awkward for him to randomly join their group, Akaashi had been looking forward to seeing more of Bokuto outside of volleyball. There might be other opportunities to see him, maybe, if Bokuto wanted to be friends with him.

When the bell rang, Akaashi took his time putting his books away. He still wasn’t sure what he was going to do exactly. Maybe he could check the cafeteria – he seemed to remember that Bokuto usually bought lunch from there rather than bringing something from home like Akaashi did.

With his bento in hand, Akaashi headed out of his classroom. He stopped dead in his tracks when he looked up to see Bokuto standing at the end of the hallway. Was Bokuto waiting for him? Why else would he be by the first-year classrooms?

Akaashi realised he was probably in the way of people trying to get past, so he mentally shook himself and started walking. When Bokuto saw him through the crowd, he smiled and waved to him.

“Hey!” Bokuto greeted. “I guessed you wouldn’t know where to find me, so I came to get you. I hope that’s okay.”

“Of course. Thank you, Bokuto-san.”

“Great, let’s go then!” Bokuto bounced on his feet and started leading the way. “You should give me your number so I can text you next time.”

Next time… what else would Bokuto text him about? “Okay.”

Bokuto made a new contact on his phone and handed it to Akaashi to fill in his number. Once he had done so, he handed it back and watched Bokuto type something. Akaashi’s phone buzzed in his pocket, and he opened it to see an owl emoji from an unknown number. He smiled and looked back at Bokuto who was smiling too.

Akaashi put his phone back in his pocket and looked forward again. “Can you send me your email address so I can send you some photos?”

“Oh yeah!” Bokuto typed something again, and Akaashi’s phone buzzed a few seconds later.

They continued walking and ended up outside the cafeteria. It seemed Akaashi’s first guess had been pretty close.

“You've already got lunch right? I'm gonna get something from here, I'll be quick!” Bokuto got in the line and Akaashi followed beside him. 

Akaashi looked around the room, but he couldn't see the other second years, so he concluded that he should stay with Bokuto for now. When they made it to the front of the line, Bokuto got a yakisoba pan and juice. 

They then went out of the cafeteria, and out of the building entirely, to some tables just outside. Akaashi saw the other second years as they approached, and his nerves shot up again.

“Hey hey hey!” Bokuto called as he sat down.

“Sorry for intruding,” Akaashi said, trailing a few steps behind before sitting next to Bokuto.

“Hi Akaashi,” Sarukui greeted.

“Don't worry about it! You're welcome to join us,” Komi assured.

“What about me? Why don't I get a warm welcome?” Bokuto frowned.

“You're here every day, man,” Konoha pointed out. “You don't need a special greeting.”

“It might be nice once in a while…” Bokuto mumbled.

“Hello Bokuto, nice to see you. How have you been these days?” Sarukui said with an edge of sarcasm.

“Great, thank you!” Bokuto perked up, and the others laughed.

Akaashi eased a little; it was just like the banter in the clubroom before and after practice. He wasn't a total outsider.

“Oh, Akaashi! Show us the photos!” Bokuto grinned at him.

And the nerves went back up. Everyone looked at Akaashi expectantly as he got out his phone and opened the folder of photos he had downloaded to show to Bokuto. And everyone else, apparently. He clicked on the first photo, one of Bokuto mid jump serve, and handed it to Bokuto.

“They're not the best quality because I had to download them onto my phone, but here.”

Bokuto’s eyes lit up. “Woah, I look so cool!” He turned the phone to show Washio beside him. “Look at my cool jump serve!”

Washio took the phone to take a closer look and nodded in approval. “Very nice,” he said, passing it on to Konoha.

“Wow, you're a pretty good photographer, Akaashi.” Konoha said. “You actually make him look like the ace.”

“Hey, I am the ace!” Bokuto cried.

“I'm just joking,” Konoha laughed, passing the phone to Komi.

“Why are you taking photos of Bokuto again?” Komi asked.

“For my art portfolio,” Akaashi said.

“Right. What's your theme?”

“Well, the theme for the class is contrast, and my idea for the subject matter is, like, showing the story of the ace. I guess.” It sounded better in his head but saying it out loud made Akaashi second-guess himself.

“How are you showing the story?” Sarukui asked, taking the phone from Komi to have a look.

“I'm not really sure yet, this is just a test shoot so I'm still figuring out what I'm doing.” Maybe Akaashi needed to think more about what he wanted to show through his photography, other than just ‘Bokuto is really cool and I have a crush on him’.

“Well, I think it's looking good so far,” Sarukui said, passing Akaashi’s phone back to him.

“Thank you.” Akaashi swiped to the next photo and passed his phone to Bokuto again. “You can scroll through the rest.”

Bokuto looked at the rest of the photos while they ate lunch, occasionally pointing out his favourite ones and showing the others. Akaashi could tell he was genuinely excited, even if the other second years were just saying nice things out of politeness. Bokuto’s opinion was the one Akaashi cared about the most.

When he finished looking through the photos, Bokuto gave Akaashi’s phone back. “Thanks for showing me, Akaashi. They look really good!”

“Thank you. And thanks for being my model.”

“Of course! I'll be happy to do more whenever you want!”

“Okay.” Akaashi smiled slightly, trying to not look as excited as he felt on the inside. Bokuto liked his photos; and even wanted to take more.

Akaashi stayed with the group of second years for the rest of their lunch break, mostly just listening to the conversation. It didn't end up being too awkward, thankfully. Bokuto even seemed to be trying to include him in the conversation by asking him questions occasionally.

Akaashi expected it to be a one-time thing, but Bokuto showed up outside his classroom again the next day. Every day the next week too, Akaashi ended up sitting with Bokuto and the other second years. He thought, optimistically, that they might be becoming friends.

Chapter Text

With the Inter High tournament coming up soon, the first overnight training camp with the Fukurodani Group was taking place over the long weekend. They had done a few practice matches and group training days before, but this was Akaashi’s first time going overnight. He was a bit nervous, but excited too.

The night before the camp, Bokuto had texted Akaashi about how he was so excited that he couldn't sleep. Akaashi told him to try to get some sleep so he would have plenty of energy for the coming days.

Bokuto had been texting him occasionally since they had exchanged numbers. Akaashi loved it – he cherished even the most mundane thoughts Bokuto would share. He was too nervous to initiate a conversation, though.

Akaashi arrived at school a bit earlier than usual in time for the bus that would take them to Shinzen for the next few days. He picked an empty seat near the back of the bus, out of the way.

The rest of the team filed onto the bus; the captain and the third years near the front, the others sitting behind. Akaashi stared out of the window, just waiting for the time to pass, when someone sat down next to him.

“Hey,” Bokuto said. The other second years were a couple of seats in front of them, but Bokuto had chosen to sit here instead.

“Hey,” Akaashi replied. He didn’t know what else to say, or where to look, so he just stared out of the window again.

Bokuto settled back in his seat, letting out a sigh. “It’s so early. I think I got, like, four hours of sleep.”

“I did tell you to go to sleep earlier.”

“Yeah, but I just couldn’t! I’ll be fine though. I always have energy for volleyball.”

The bus started moving, and Akaashi watched the neighbourhood scenery pass by. Bokuto stayed quiet most of the bus ride. When Akaashi looked over, he saw Bokuto with his eyes closed and arms folded, his chest moving up and down gently. Akaashi wasn’t sure if he was fully asleep, but he must be tired. He looked peaceful.

When the bus arrived at Shinzen and people started moving and talking, Bokuto opened his eyes, blinking as though taking a second to register where they were. He soon perked up and leaned over Akaashi to look out of the window where there were a few people gathered outside the school.

Bokuto grabbed his bag and joined the rest of the team in getting off the bus, Akaashi trailing behind. He saw Bokuto run ahead to see his friends from Nekoma, greeting the taller one, Kuroo, with a hug and the shorter one, Kenma, with a double high-five. Akaashi felt a twinge of jealousy at their closeness, but he tried not to dwell on it. He wouldn’t be able to handle a hug from Bokuto anyway, his brain might just short-circuit.

Akaashi turned his attention to the coach, who was explaining what was happening for the day. They would rotate playing sets with the other teams, have free practice time, dinner in the cafeteria, then sleep and repeat the next day. They were led to the room they would be staying in and dropped off their luggage before heading to the main gym.

Akaashi was mostly on the bench as the substitute setter for the first part of the day, so he spent his time watching how Bokuto and the other spikers interacted with their starting setter, Morioka. Akaashi had already committed to memory what kind of tosses each player liked, but it was still useful to pay attention to the specific ways the setter tossed to each spiker.

Akaashi watched for when Morioka would decide to toss to each of the different spikers. What did each side of the court look like, what was the condition of the spikers, what kind of pass went to the setter. He was building a detailed picture of Morioka's play style and how it fit into the team’s strategy as a whole.

But Akaashi didn't want to just copy what their current setter was doing – if he wanted to be the new official setter, he needed to do something different. He imagined how the game might play out differently if he made different decisions. He imagined being the one to carry their team and their ace to victory. He imagined Bokuto turning to him, smiling brightly, and lifting him up in the air in celebration. Then he forced himself to stop imagining things.

Akaashi kept a close eye on Bokuto’s condition as well. He had seen enough of his so-called ‘emo modes’ to know that they could seriously affect the outcome of the game. They had enough strong players to cover for him when he was in a downward spiral, but Akaashi was sure there had to be a better way of dealing with it than just letting it run its course.

Akaashi was starting to get a sense of what might trigger an emo mode, but stopping it was another story. Bokuto had been doing alright so far, Akaashi saw his form slip a little once or twice, but he seemed to recover on his own once he scored another point.

If watching Bokuto this closely meant that his eyes drifted to his biceps and his thighs a little more than necessary, nobody had to know.

***

When the time for free practice came in the afternoon, the teams split off into different groups to work on whatever they wanted. Akaashi stood around for a minute, unsure of what to do or where to go.

He saw Bokuto go over to Nekoma and talk to Kuroo. Akaashi looked to his own team, maybe some of them would need a setter. Before he could say anything though, he heard his name being called.

“Akaashi!” It was Bokuto, walking over to him with Kuroo by his side. “Can you set for us?”

“Yes, sure.” Akaashi was surprised that they would want him when there were plenty of other setters around to choose from. “Is Kenma-kun not joining you?”

“No,” Bokuto deflated. “I tried to get Kuroo to convince him, but he said he was too tired. It would be so much fun if we could play 2-on-2 though!”

“I’m sorry to crush your dreams, bro, but I told you it wasn’t gonna happen,” Kuroo said, putting a hand on Bokuto’s shoulder in consolation.

“I know… but spiking practice will be fun anyway! Come on, let’s go!”

Bokuto led the way to a smaller gym that was mostly empty, and they set up at one of the nets.

“Are you still working on your cross shot?” Kuroo asked.

Bokuto paused dragging over the ball cart to narrow his eyes at his friend. “Yeah… why do you ask?”

“You don't need to be so suspicious,” Kuroo laughed. “That just means I'm working on blocking your cross shot,” he said with a grin.

“We’ll see about that,” Bokuto countered. “Akaashi and I have been practicing it a lot recently.”

“Have you now?” Kuroo turned his eyes to Akaashi. “Show me what you've got, then.”

Akaashi was happy to accept Kuroo’s challenge. With how much Bokuto had been practicing, he was sure they could get through one measly blocker, even though he had quickly learned from past practice matches how troublesome Kuroo could be.

They were off to a strong start, Bokuto hitting the first few shots easily past Kuroo. However, Kuroo was no stranger to Bokuto’s cross shot and soon started to adjust. He moved slightly to the side to block off the angle that Bokuto was most comfortable with and shut him out.

“Wooo,” Kuroo cheered with a smug grin, and Bokuto returned a glare.

Bokuto got the next one in, but Kuroo blocked the one after. They continued back and forth, Bokuto trying to hit at a sharper angle and Kuroo adjusting close behind. Akaashi could tell that Bokuto was starting to get exasperated, even hitting a few into the net. If they were in the middle of a game, Akaashi might be worried, but Kuroo’s teasing banter seemed to keep Bokuto from getting too down. That didn’t mean he didn’t want to get one over on his friend, though.

After four blocks in a row, Bokuto huffed particularly loudly and took a few steps back. He gestured for Akaashi to come closer, and he did. Bokuto leaned in and whispered in Akaashi’s ear, sending a shiver across his skin.

“Let’s do a time lag attack next.”

Akaashi nodded. They hadn’t practiced it much, but the training camp was the perfect opportunity to practice new things. He stepped away from Bokuto before he could blush too noticeably from their proximity.

“What are you two scheming over there?” Kuroo asked with his hands on his hips.

“Nothing!” Bokuto lied.

He threw up another ball for Akaashi to set and started his run up. Bokuto paused right before he jumped, baiting Kuroo to jump for the block first, before Akaashi tossed to him. It worked – Kuroo fell for his feint and Akaashi managed to match Bokuto’s timing so he could slam the ball right over Kuroo’s hands.

“Woohoo! Take that Kuroo!” Bokuto cheered and turned to Akaashi to give him a high-five. Akaashi couldn’t help smiling at Bokuto’s excitement and Kuroo’s annoyed look.

“Alright, alright. I’ll give you that one,” Kuroo conceded. “Looks like your setter isn’t just a pretty face after all.”

“Excuse me?” Akaashi raised his eyebrows at Kuroo. He didn’t appreciate the back-handed compliment. He normally tried to ignore Kuroo’s button pressing, but he wasn’t just going to let this one slide.

“I’m just impressed you could pull that off on the fly. And you do have a pretty face.” Kuroo grinned the way he did when he had figured out how to effectively tease someone. It rubbed Akaashi even more the wrong way.

“Don’t you have a boyfriend, Kuroo-san?” Akaashi deadpanned.

“What? So, I can’t compliment anyone if I have a boyfriend?”

Akaashi just sighed and shook his head, not wanting to engage any further. Kuroo was not the person he wanted to be called pretty by. He glanced in Bokuto’s direction, who was looking between the two of them cautiously.

“Okay,” Bokuto clapped, breaking the tension. “Let’s keep practicing, yeah?”

“Yes,” Akaashi agreed, more than happy to move on.

***

After a couple hours of free practice, the three of them headed to the cafeteria for dinner. Kuroo sent a text to Kenma, who said that he would be down to join them soon.

They collected their food and found a free table to sit at. Akaashi followed along, not completely sure whether he was welcome, but neither of the other two commented on his presence, so Akaashi assumed they were at least expecting him to be there.

A few minutes into eating, Kenma came into the cafeteria and joined the line for food. Kuroo waved to him when he saw him so Kenma could see where they were. With a tray in hand, Kenma walked over and sat next to Kuroo, across from Akaashi.

“Hey baby,” Kuroo greeted, leaning over to kiss Kenma’s forehead.

“Hey,” Kenma replied. He looked briefly at Bokuto and Akaashi, seemingly to acknowledge their presence, before looking down at his food.

“How was your afternoon?” Kuroo continued.

“Fine. I just played games in our team’s room.”

“Of course you did,” Kuroo laughed gently and ruffled Kenma’s hair, his hand lingering on his shoulder before removing it.

Akaashi looked down at his food, taking another bite. He felt awkward watching Kuroo and Kenma casually touch each other in public. He supposed that Bokuto was probably used to it, as would be the rest of Nekoma. Maybe Akaashi was just envious that they could be openly gay and in love with each other, while Akaashi was here pining over a crush that would likely never amount to anything. Bokuto had never looked at him the way Kuroo and Kenma looked at each other.

Kuroo told Kenma about what they did for free practice, including all the spikes that Kuroo managed to block. Bokuto made sure to counter with the ‘super cool time lag attack that totally caught Kuroo off guard’.

“Oh!” Bokuto seemed to suddenly remember something. “Kuroo, did I show you the photos Akaashi took of me?”

“Yeah, you sent me some.”

Bokuto was already pulling up the photos on his phone, seemingly not caring what Kuroo’s answer was. “Here, look at all of them. And show Kenma too!”

Kuroo took the phone, holding it so Kenma could see as well, and scrolled through the photos.

“Very cool, bro,” Kuroo said when they reached the end of the album.

“What’s your favourite?” Bokuto asked excitedly.

“Hmm.” Kuroo looked back through the photos and decided on one. “Maybe this one.” It was one of Bokuto from behind, mid jump. Akaashi liked that one, too.

“Yeah, that’s a cool one,” Bokuto agreed.

“You look hot in that one,” Kuroo said as he passed Bokuto’s phone back to him. Akaashi raised an eyebrow at the comment. He glanced at Kenma, but he didn’t seem to have any reaction.

“Really?” Bokuto asked.

“Yeah, bro.” Kuroo turned to Akaashi and held his gaze for a second. Akaashi wondered for a moment if Kuroo had seen through him. If he had noticed Akaashi’s massive crush on Bokuto. “So, why are you taking photos of Bokuto?”

“For art class. I’m doing a photography portfolio,” Akaashi answered.

“Why choose him?”

Akaashi held Kuroo’s gaze firmly, not wanting to show any weakness. “I wanted to show a story about volleyball. Bokuto-san was the first person I asked, and he said yes.”

Kuroo hummed, a glint in his eyes. “Not just because he’s nice to look at, then?”

“No. I think you’re just projecting, Kuroo-san.”

Kuroo sighed, giving up. “You’re no fun.” He turned back to Bokuto, “I was just trying to hype you up, bro.”

“Thanks, bro.” Bokuto smiled. “But Akaashi, didn’t you say you picked me because I was the ace?”

“Well, yes. That was part of it,” Akaashi admitted. It was a fine line between acting nonchalant and keeping Bokuto’s spirits up.

Kuroo looked in his direction again, he might have still been suspicious, but he didn’t push any further. Akaashi caught Kenma’s eye too, watching him for the first time, at least that Akaashi had noticed. He did not like how observant these cats were.

They soon finished their dinner and headed back to their respective teams’ rooms. They parted ways on the second floor and then Akaashi and Bokuto walked together down the hallway, alone for a brief moment.

“That was fun, huh?” Bokuto reminisced. “We should do more spike practice with Kuroo tomorrow.”

“Yeah, we should.” Akaashi smiled to himself, happy to be included in Bokuto’s fun.

Bokuto opened the door to Fukurodani’s room, and they were met with the tired chatter of the rest of the team. Akaashi followed Bokuto to the group of second years sitting in a circle talking, who made some room for them to join.

Not long after they arrived, the third years returned from the baths and said that the second years could go next. They all got up, grabbing a change of clothes before heading to the baths. Akaashi was left alone, sitting awkwardly by himself as he looked around the room. He didn’t know anyone else on the team well enough to join in a conversation, so he dug around in his bag for the book he had brought with him. Akaashi hadn’t been sure if he would get a chance to read, but he was glad he had brought it just in case.

Akaashi read a few pages until the door opened, signalling the return of the second years. He looked up, his eyes immediately drawn to Bokuto. His hair was down. Akaashi had never seen Bokuto with his hair down before. Without the harsh lines of his regular spiked hair, his whole face looked softer. He looked more relaxed, like his guard was down along with the energy of the day. It was a side of him that Akaashi had never seen before, and it drew him in like a moth to a warm, flickering flame.

Akaashi must have been staring like an idiot, because he barely noticed the other first years moving until someone called out to tell him to get ready. He tore his eyes away from Bokuto to quickly grab his things and follow the first years to the baths.

Akaashi quickly washed himself, his mind elsewhere. He didn’t wait for the other first years to be done, just dried off, put on some fresh clothes and went back to their room.

The rest of the team were starting to set up the futons, so Akaashi put away his old clothes and got one out for himself. Akaashi looked towards Bokuto and the other second years, hesitating. He didn’t want to intrude, but he had been hanging out with them quite regularly, so maybe it would be normal for him to join them. He walked over and Bokuto caught his eye.

“Hey, Akaashi! You can set up next to me if you want!”

“Okay,” Akaashi said, putting down his futon.

“Be warned,” Komi said with an ominous look. “He moves around a lot in his sleep. You should move a little further way unless you want to be woken up by an elbow in the face.”

“That’s not true!” Bokuto cried in defence.

“Really? You wanna say that to my face? My poor, elbowed face?” Komi looked dead serious, and Akaashi was inclined to believe him over the defendant.

Bokuto looked between Akaashi and Komi with a guilty expression. “It was one time, I swear!”

“If you say so,” Akaashi said with a sceptical tone. He moved his futon another meter away, deciding to follow Komi’s advice.

Bokuto pouted and turned back to Komi accusingly. “Why did you have to say that?”

“I’m just looking out for my kouhai.” Komi shrugged.

Akaashi was a little disappointed to have to create more distance between him and Bokuto, but he didn’t want to seem strange if he ignored Komi’s warning. He didn’t particularly want to get hit in the face either.

Once it was fully set up, Akaashi sat cross-legged on his futon and watched the other second years. Bokuto – with his adorably fluffy hair – wasn’t really joining in the conversation, he just sat staring into space. Akaashi wondered if he was trying not to fall asleep.

He picked up his book again and continued reading. If Bokuto wasn’t going to join the conversation, then Akaashi wasn’t that interested either. After another chapter or two, it was time for lights out.

Akaashi put away his book and got in his futon. He stared at the ceiling for a while, unable to get to sleep, listening to the quiet movements of his teammates. There was a heavy sigh beside him, and Akaashi turned his head to see Bokuto rolling over. His eyes were closed, fast asleep, with his arms and legs spread out towards Akaashi’s side.

Akaashi stared at Bokuto’s peaceful sleeping face. In the dark and quiet room, time seemed to still, almost like a photo. No one would know how long Akaashi watched him. His eyes moved to Bokuto’s hair, the white-grey and black streaks almost blending together in the low light. It looked messy, still a bit spiky, but soft.

Akaashi slowly moved his hand up, out from under the blanket and inching closer to Bokuto. His fingertips gently brushed a strand of Bokuto’s hair, twisting a clump between his pointer finger and thumb. It was soft, like a feather.

He didn’t linger too long, not wanting to disturb Bokuto. He probably shouldn’t be doing this anyway. Akaashi moved his hand back, resting his arm on the floor between them. Bokuto moved his arm, bumping into Akaashi’s and ending up with his hand resting on top of Akaashi’s forearm. Akaashi held his breath, bracing himself in case Bokuto had woken up, but it seemed that he had just moved in his sleep. His eyes were still closed, his breath still slow, his hand was warm against Akaashi’s arm.

Not daring to move, Akaashi just stayed lying on his side, looking at Bokuto’s hand or his hair or his face. Eventually, Akaashi resigned himself to close his eyes, letting Bokuto’s warmth lull him to sleep. He was pretty tired, after all.

***

When Akaashi woke up the next morning, Bokuto wasn’t next to him anymore. He was already up, gelling his hair into his signature spikes in front of the mirror on the other side of the room. He was sticking his tongue out in concentration, making sure each spike was just right. Akaashi smiled to himself as he got up too, quickly changing his clothes and getting ready for breakfast.

They were playing more rounds of sets with the other teams again today, so Akaashi was back to observing the team as they played.

About halfway through the day, during a set against Ubugawa, Akaashi might have been the first to notice something off with Bokuto. The opponent’s serves were targeting just the right spot to throw off the timing of the set ups, so Bokuto and the other spikers couldn't hit as freely. That alone would have been troublesome, but Bokuto was particularly struggling to match up with Morioka and kept getting blocked.

He was getting frustrated, his form was all over the place, and he wasn't listening to the setter’s instructions. Any moment now, things were sure to go downhill fast.

Akaashi ran through some scenarios in his head. If he was there on the court, how could he bring Bokuto’s mood back up? A time lag attack worked to get past Kuroo yesterday, but Bokuto probably couldn't get the timing right in this state. Maybe Akaashi could make up for the muddled timing if he was fast enough, in the exact right place. Even then, Bokuto would need a boost of confidence to get over the line.

The coach called for a timeout, and Akaashi jogged over to join the rest of the team. They talked about how to deal with the serves, changing where people were standing to give Komi a wider range, and getting the ball high to give them more time.

“And Bokuto, we need you back in the game,” Coach Yamiji said.

Bokuto mumbled a response, and Akaashi knew that wasn't going to fix anything. Akaashi fidgeted with his hands, took one step forward. He needed to do something.

“Um, Coach.” Akaashi spoke up for the first time in a timeout. He felt everyone’s eyes on him. “I have an idea to help Bokuto-san. Could you please sub me in?”

Akaashi wasn't used to speaking so boldly, so he was nervous that his idea would just get shut down instantly. Coach Yamiji looked surprised, he looked to Morioka who just shrugged.

“If you want to try, be my guest.”

“Okay, then,” Coach Yamiji agreed. “You're up next Akaashi.”

“Thank you, Coach.”

Akaashi looked towards Bokuto, who was looking back at him curiously. He didn't want to say what he had planned to in front of everyone, so Akaashi just waited.

The coach informed the ref of the player change before the timeout was over, then the players all returned to the court. Akaashi took Bokuto aside before the game started back up.

“Bokuto-san, look at me.” Their eyes met, though Bokuto’s weren’t as bright as usual. “And take a deep breath.” In… and out. “I want you to just focus on your spikes, don't worry about anything else for now. Pretend it's just the two of us doing extra practice. I want you to show me your coolest spike. Can you do that?”

Bokuto considered for a second, then nodded.

“Good.” Akaashi smiled.

They both took their positions on the court, then the whistle blew. The new positioning of the back line seemed to work, as Komi managed to get the ball up high. Now Akaashi had to keep his side of the deal and get a good set to Bokuto. He looked at what Bokuto was doing – he was standing there watching Akaashi, waiting for his toss. There would probably be three blockers waiting for him, but Bokuto could push through them if he was in top form.

Akaashi decided to put his trust in Bokuto – once the ball was out of Akaashi’s hands, it was up to him. He knew he could do it.

Akaashi tossed the ball just as he would for their extra practice, just how Bokuto liked. He ran up, tracking the arc of the ball. He jumped and hit a powerful spike right through a gap in the block.

Bokuto turned to Akaashi with an impossibly bright smile. A whistle sounded somewhere in the distance. For that moment, it felt like they were the only ones on the court.

Akaashi came back to reality with a slap on the back from Konoha.

“Nice toss, Akaashi. And nice kill Bokuto!”

“Akaashi!” Bokuto came running over to him. “That was so awesome! Wasn't my spike super cool?”

“Yes, it was very cool Bokuto-san.” Akaashi had to catch his breath, overwhelmed by Bokuto’s bright energy.

“Nothing beats the ace, after all!” Bokuto laughed proudly.

Akaashi could hardly believe his plan had worked. This feeling, this rush, it was amazing. It felt like more than just a point in a practice match.

Akaashi ended up staying on for the rest of the set. He got a chance to serve, receive, and toss for the other spikers too. Bokuto kept his eyes on him whenever they weren't on the ball.

Six more points, and they won the set. During the debrief, the coach and captain both commented on how well Akaashi performed. Maybe he would be able to play more often if they thought he was useful.

Bokuto seemed to be following Akaashi around for the remaining day and a half of the training camp. He would tell Kuroo and Kenma and anyone who would listen about Akaashi’s great tosses and how he could get through any block with Akaashi as his setter. It was a bit embarrassing – he was definitely exaggerating Akaashi’s part in what happened – but it felt nice to know that he had been able to lift Bokuto’s spirits so much.

Chapter Text

Going back to school after the training camp felt strange. For three days straight, volleyball was the only thing that existed in the world, but now Akaashi had to think about going to school, doing his chores, and studying for his maths test.

During art class this week, Akaashi continued to plan out the photos for the first assignment focusing on contrast. They only had a few weeks left before it was due, so Akaashi wanted to do another shoot soon.

He had printed out small copies of some of the test photos to rearrange. These were just placeholders, he wasn't planning on using them for the final project, but they were useful guides. Akaashi liked some of them well enough that he wanted to re-take them when Bokuto was wearing his uniform with not much else adjusted.

He tried to come up with new ideas too, drawing rough sketches to fill in the gaps. The training camp had provided some inspiration. He really wanted to try to capture the energy he had felt on the court when he and Bokuto had worked so well together, building each other up.

For some of his ideas, Akaashi was going to need an extra hand. As much as he wished he could, he couldn’t set for Bokuto while also taking photos. He decided he would have to ask one of the second years at lunch. Even though none of them were setters, Akaashi didn’t feel like he could ask Morioka, so it would have to be one of Bokuto’s friends. Maybe Akaashi could call them his friends, too.

Akaashi waited until he was standing in line with Bokuto at the cafeteria before he brought up the idea.

“Bokuto-san, I’m going to need to do another photoshoot soon. Are you still interested in helping?”

“Oh yeah! Of course!” Bokuto grinned at him. “When do you wanna do it?”

“How about Friday? I still have to do a bit of planning.”

“Sure!”

Now that the first hurdle was out of the way, Akaashi could bring up his next concern. “I was thinking of doing some shots where I’ll need someone to be setting to you. Do you think any of the second years would help?”

“Hmm,” Bokuto considered. “Probably. I used to be able to get Konoha to set for me sometimes last year. He wasn’t very good, but he would do it.” Bokuto laughed. “Washio would sometimes join to practice blocking, or Komi would practice receives, but they probably wouldn’t set for us.”

“Okay, maybe I’ll ask Konoha-san then. And can you bring your volleyball uniform?”

“Yeah, sure!”

Once they had made it to the front of the line, Bokuto bought his food. They then went out to the tables and sat with the others. Akaashi was considering when the best time was to bring up the topic and how he was going to ask, when Bokuto spoke up for him.

“Konoha, will you set for me on Friday?”

“Huh?” Konoha raised his eyebrows at Bokuto and glanced in Akaashi’s direction. “What do you need me for?”

“Akaashi wants to take photos, but we need someone to set too.”

“Oh,” Konoha thought about it for a second, then shrugged. “Sure, why not, I guess.”

“Yes!” Bokuto pumped his fist and looked over at Akaashi excitedly.

“Thank you, Konoha-san,” Akaashi said politely and then met Bokuto’s smile. He seemed much more outwardly excited than Akaashi was, but they were probably pretty evenly matched on the inside.

***

Friday, after practice, Akaashi waited in the gym with Konoha while Bokuto changed into his uniform. He took out his camera from its bag and made sure the settings were all okay. There was a piece of paper in the bag too – a page from his sketchbook on which he had made a list of the shots he needed to get that day. Akaashi had planned to do the ones that required a setter first, so he wouldn’t hold up Konoha for too long.

Bokuto returned to the gym with his uniform on – black and white with gold stripes, long black knee pads, the ace’s number four proudly in the centre.

“Hey! Are you ready, Akaashi?”

“Yes,” he replied, standing up from the bench with his camera in hand.

“Are you sure it’s okay that I don’t have my uniform?” Konoha asked.

“Oh, yes, that's fine. You won’t really be in the photos,” Akaashi explained.

“Yeah, Akaashi only wants photos of me!” Bokuto stuck his tongue out playfully.

“Oh right, I see how it is. I’m just the hired help for the star of the show.” Konoha rolled his eyes in response.

“I really do appreciate your help, Konoha-san.” Akaashi didn’t deny the rest of it.

Akaashi double checked his list, then he was ready to get started. “Okay, Konoha-san, if you could stand to the right by the net, and Bokuto-san can you do some spikes for me?”

“Okay!” Bokuto got in position to hit a spike down the centre of the court, Konoha standing by the side in the setter position.

Akaashi set himself up behind Bokuto so he could get some shots centred on his back as he spiked. Bokuto threw a ball up for Konoha, who set it more or less in the right place, and spiked over the net while Akaashi clicked the shutter in quick succession.

Akaashi moved to stand next to Konoha, and they went again for another spike. Looking over the photos, Akaashi wasn’t sure he had captured the perspective he was going for, so he tried something else. He dragged over a bench and stood on it so he was right behind Konoha, holding the camera above his head.

“Can you put your hands up like you’re about to set?” Akaashi asked. Konoha gave him a look over his shoulder but followed the directions.

Akaashi took a test photo to make sure the camera was lined up properly and nodded in Bokuto’s direction. “Another spike please, Bokuto-san. And make sure you don’t hit the camera.”

Akaashi watched the path of the ball through the viewfinder – into Konoha’s hands and up in an arc to meet the peak of Bokuto’s jump. This was much better. It was as close as Akaashi could get to a POV shot of him setting to Bokuto, capturing the feeling that they were the only ones on the court.

Konoha did a few more tosses for Bokuto while Akaashi took photos from different angles. Checking his list, Akaashi made sure they had all the shots that needed a setter before telling Konoha that he could go home.

“Thank you again, Konoha-san. That’s all the shots I need your help for.”

“Okay, no worries, Akaashi. I hope my mediocre tosses weren’t too much of a hinderance.”

“Not at all.”

“I’ll see you guys on Monday, then.”

“See you, Konoha!” Bokuto waved as he left the gym, then turned to Akaashi. “What else do you need?”

“I still have quite a few shots left to get. I’m sorry to keep you, Bokuto-san.”

“It’s okay! I’m having fun!” Bokuto smiled.

“Okay,” Akaashi smiled back, trying not to blush. Bokuto was having fun. “Um, can you just stand still with your hands on your hips?”

Bokuto did as he said and Akaashi took a few close-ups of his uniform. The view of Bokuto’s back, standing proudly with his number four jersey was going to be one of Akaashi’s favourites. While he was grateful for Konoha’s help, Akaashi was glad to be alone with Bokuto again. There was no way he would be able to be so voyeuristic in front of someone else.

He then got Bokuto to do some of the same things he had done in the test shoot so Akaashi could re-create some shots. Jump serves, digging the ball high, standing on opposite sides of the net. He crossed the shots off his list as he went, until everything was completed.

Akaashi snapped another candid photo of Bokuto, watching him, waiting for more instructions. Bokuto smiled when he realised what Akaashi was doing and posed with a peace sign.

Akaashi chuckled as he put his camera down. “I’ve got everything I need now. Thanks for your patience.”

“My pleasure!”

Getting ready to leave, Akaashi put everything back in his camera bag and slung the strap around his shoulder. Bokuto didn’t look ready to go, however, he was looking at Akaashi expectantly.

“Do you wanna do a bit more spike practice?” he asked.

“Oh, are you sure? It’s getting quite late.” Akaashi already felt bad for making Bokuto stay so long.

“Just for a bit, please? Your tosses are way better than Konoha’s. I don’t feel like I’ve had enough practice yet.”

“Okay, I can stay a bit longer.” Akaashi smiled, put down his camera bag and joined Bokuto back on the court.

***

Over the weekend, Akaashi sorted through the new set of photos. He was quite happy with them overall – there were a lot he could use for his portfolio. At least to him, the feeling of Bokuto standing out on the court came through in the photos.

Akaashi emailed some photos to Bokuto. He didn't have to ask to know that he would want to see them. There were plenty where he looked cool.

Not only did Bokuto's uniform provide colour contrast, but there was another unexpected advantage. Akaashi had never noticed before, never had the chance to notice, but the photos captured it. Sometimes, at the right angle, when Bokuto jumped and his shorts rode up a little, a small sliver of skin was visible between his long knee pads and his shorts. It felt wrong, like he had seen something that was never meant to be seen, but Akaashi couldn't help staring at it when he noticed.

The contrast between the black knee pads and shorts and the pale skin drew his eye in. Akaashi wanted to run his fingers along that line. He wanted to leave a mark there, to claim that space in between as his own.

Akaashi shook his head, trying to erase the thoughts. It was going too far; he was letting his imagination run too freely. Nothing like that would ever happen. Akaashi was lucky if Bokuto thought of him as a friend.

He scrolled back to the last photo he had taken – the one where Bokuto was smiling and holding up a peace sign. Bokuto seemed happy, like he enjoyed spending time with Akaashi. Maybe being his friend was a more realistic thing to hope for. At least, he could still be close to him that way.

***

Midway through the next week, as Akaashi was walking with Bokuto to the cafeteria, he noticed something was off. Usually, Bokuto would be rambling about volleyball or classes or something random as they walked, but this time he was quiet. Akaashi didn’t know how to fill the silence, or even if he should. Bokuto was always the one to set the pace of their conversations, so maybe if he didn’t want to talk, Akaashi should let it be.

He worried, though, that Bokuto might be upset. It reminded him of the times on the court when Bokuto went quiet, and an emo mode came shortly after. Only, off the court, Akaashi had considerably less data to figure out what the cause was.

Once Bokuto had bought some food and they left the cafeteria, Bokuto hesitated in the hallway.

“Do you… wanna sit somewhere else today?” he asked, shifting nervously.

“Okay,” Akaashi agreed, thinking it best to go along with what Bokuto wanted.

They walked in the opposite direction of their usual lunch spot, Bokuto seeming to know of another place they could go. They went through some hallways, up some stairs to floors that Akaashi had never been to before, around a corner and up another set of stairs that seemed to lead to nowhere. Bokuto sat down at the top of the stairs and Akaashi sat next to him.

“It’s nice and quiet here, right?” Bokuto commented.

“Yeah.” Akaashi wondered how Bokuto knew this place. Maybe he had discovered it when he needed to get away from everything. Akaashi wondered if that happened often.

Bokuto unwrapped the packaging of his yakisoba pan and slowly took a bite. Akaashi opened his bento, his fingers resting on his chopsticks without picking them up.

“Are you okay, Bokuto-san?”

There was a pause while Bokuto looked down at his food. “Yeah… it’s just something dumb.”

“You can tell me.”

Another pause, and Akaashi wasn’t sure if Bokuto was going to answer until he finally met Akaashi’s eyes. “Do you think I’m annoying?”

“No,” Akaashi was surprised – Bokuto was on his mind most of the day, he looked forward to every moment they spent together – how could he find him annoying? “Why do you think that?”

“Sarukui said I was annoying yesterday. He was joking, but I know there's some truth behind it. The third years think I'm annoying, and so do my classmates. Even Kuroo gets annoyed at me sometimes. We've been spending more time together recently, don't you find me annoying yet?”

“I never find you annoying. I like you. I like spending time with you.” Akaashi assured. He didn't have to stretch the truth to make Bokuto feel better.

Bokuto paused while he took another bite. “Can I tell you a secret?” he asked quietly.

“Of course.”

Bokuto took a breath. “I feel lonely a lot of the time.”

Akaashi could certainly relate to feeling lonely, but he was surprised that Bokuto would feel that way. “Even though you're so outgoing?”

“Yeah. It's like, I have friends, and I like being around people, but I never seem to be on the same wavelength as other people. I'm always too much or too loud or too sad for no reason and people don't want to deal with me anymore.”

It was heartbreaking to hear, but Akaashi would be lying if he said that he hadn't noticed other people's reactions to Bokuto sometimes. Like when Morioka would get annoyed and start ignoring him, even during regular practice. Or when everyone was tired and wanting to go home, but Bokuto was still full of energy and trying to keep things going.

“I try not to care about what other people think,” Bokuto continued. “I try to just keep doing what I want, but it's lonely if no one is willing to keep up with me. It's nice to have someone who will stay for extra practice with me. Or not get bored when I ramble about things. Or understand when I go emo mode and actually find a way to help me.”

Oh. Bokuto was talking about Akaashi. Did it really mean that much to him to just have someone who would stick beside him?

“I don't think you're too much, Bokuto-san. I can't say I understand everything about you yet, but I know I want to see more.”

“You're not just saying that?” Bokuto looked at him, his eyes round and hopeful.

Akaashi shook his head. “My experience might not be quite the same as yours, but I haven’t had many close friends in my life. I understand how hard it can be to make a meaningful connection with someone. But maybe you just have to wait for the right person to come along.”

Bokuto nodded and stared down at his feet. “I feel like, maybe you understand me a little more than most people.”

Akaashi didn’t know how to respond. He didn’t think there was anything particularly special about his ability to understand Bokuto. If anything, it was probably just because he spent so much time watching him and thinking about him. But maybe Bokuto needed someone to do just that.

“Can I hug you?” Bokuto asked.

Akaashi’s heart stopped for a second. He had imagined what it would be like to hug Bokuto, but he never thought it would actually happen.

“Okay,” he managed to say. He forced himself to move, putting his lunchbox to the side and turning towards Bokuto.

Bokuto shifted closer and wrapped his strong arms around Akaashi. His head nestled in the crook of Bokuto’s neck, his hands rested on Bokuto’s back, their chests pressed together. The pounding of Akaashi’s heart was so loud that he was sure Bokuto must be able to hear it too.

Akaashi soaked in everything of Bokuto. His warmth, his smell, his touch. It was the best hug of his life, not that Akaashi had hugged many people apart from his parents, but he couldn’t imagine anything beating this. The only thing that could improve it was if the context wasn’t that Bokuto was upset and looking for a friend to console him.

“Thanks, Akaashi,” Bokuto said when he finally pulled away. “I feel better now.” He smiled for the first time that day. “I hope you don’t mind hugs, because you’ll get a lot of them if you’re gonna be my new best friend.”

Best friend? That was a big upgrade.

“I don’t mind. But it might take a little getting used to.” Akaashi hoped his blush would come across as a normal level of awkwardness.

“Good!” Bokuto smiled before taking another bite of his lunch. Akaashi followed suit, returning his bento to his lap and finally picking up his chopsticks.

They sat together at the top of the lonely stairs for the rest of their lunch break. There was no sight of anyone else as Bokuto chatted, back to normal again. This corner of the school belonged just to them.

***

Akaashi heard footsteps running behind him as he walked down the hallway after classes had finished for the day. They stopped beside him, and Akaashi turned to see Bokuto.

“Hey!” he smiled, slightly out of breath.

“Hi, Bokuto-san.”

“Are you excited for practice?”

“I guess so. We have practice every day though.”

“But it’s the best part of the day, right?” Bokuto waved his hands around as he talked, trying to hype Akaashi up. “And the Inter High is coming up, so it feels extra important!”

“Yes, I suppose you’re right.” Akaashi smiled lightly at him, Bokuto’s excitement was infectious.

They walked the rest of the way to the clubroom and opened the door to see half of the team already there. Akaashi wondered how Bokuto was feeling about seeing the other second years after what Sarukui had said earlier. He followed Bokuto’s lead, heading to an empty spot near the back, past Konoha and Washio.

“Where were you two at lunch?” Konoha asked as they walked by.

“Oh…” Bokuto glanced at Akaashi, unsure of what to say. “We went to sit somewhere else.”

Konoha gave them both a questioning look.

“I asked Bokuto-san to help me plan my portfolio.” Akaashi stepped in to provide an excuse.

“Yeah!” Bokuto agreed. “We’re gonna be spending more time on it until it’s due, right? So we might not sit with you guys for a while.”

“Oh, okay. I hope it goes well.” Konoha said, going back to tying his shoes.

Bokuto gave Akaashi a grateful look. He clearly didn’t want to cause drama with the others, but it might be awkward for a while. Akaashi would do his best to mediate the situation.

Once they had gotten changed, they went to the gym and did some warm-ups before practice officially started. Coach Yamiji soon called everyone over and instructed them on the drills they would be doing to start with.

They needed to split into pairs for the drills so Bokuto, already standing next to Akaashi, grabbed his arm to claim him as his drill partner. Akaashi really wasn’t used to Bokuto touching him, the contact seemed to burn into his skin as he remembered the hug from earlier that day.

He was happy to be Bokuto’s drill partner though. It was nice to have someone to pair up with instead of awkwardly waiting to see who was left. They hit the volleyball back and forth – digging it up and spiking it down. Bokuto wasn’t trying to hit the ball that hard, but Akaashi could still feel the heavy force behind it. He could hardly believe that someone this talented, this cool and funny and attractive, really wanted to be his friend. He could hardly believe that such a person would trust him enough to confide in him, and even hug him. Akaashi really needed to stop thinking about that hug, it wasn’t good for his heart.

They did a casual practice match for the second half of practice. Akaashi was on the same side as Bokuto this time and they were synching up well, better than they had before. Maybe becoming closer friends with Bokuto had more benefits than Akaashi had initially thought.

Bokuto wanted to stay for extra spike practice too. It felt like they had nearly spent the entire day together at this point. Akaashi wasn’t complaining one bit.

After they had finally finished, they went back to the clubroom to change. Akaashi was ready first and this time, he waited. The empty clubroom was quiet, but it didn’t feel so awkward anymore. They were two friends, staying late and getting ready to go home together.

Bokuto threw his bag over his shoulder and Akaashi stood to walk towards the door with him. The sun had gone down, and a chill evening wind blew past them as they walked through the dimly lit school grounds. They talked about their days to pass the time as they walked down the block to the train station.

Akaashi realised he didn’t know how Bokuto usually went to and from school. He had never seen him on the same train line, but they were walking in the same direction. They entered the station and passed through the ticket gates, still walking side by side.

“Do you normally take the train, Bokuto-san?”

“Oh, no, I normally walk. I only live two stops away so it doesn’t take that long to walk. Even faster if I run.”

“I see.” Akaashi smiled to himself imagining Bokuto running because he was late for school even though he could take the train instead.

“Are you on this train line too?” Bokuto pointed towards the stairs leading to the platform of Akaashi’s train line.

“Yeah. I’m six stops away.”

“Really?” Bokuto smiled. “Maybe I should take the train more often.”

“Yeah.” Akaashi would like that. Every day, to and from school, sitting next to Bokuto.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, there was about two minutes until the next train. And so, they waited, standing together on the platform.

A gust of wind rushed into the platform along with the arriving train. It stopped with a slight screeching sound, and then the doors opened. The train wasn’t fully packed at this hour, so they were able to easily find two seats beside each other to sit in.

As the train started moving, Akaashi stared at the advertisement on the wall across from them. He had seen it a hundred times before, but he was only really looking at it for the first time now. A perfume ad, it seemed. He was taking everything in, like it was happening for the first time. His eyes moved down to his hands in his lap, nervously twisting his fingers together. Bokuto’s hand was mere inches away. Close enough to touch, if only he were so bold.

The train stopped, a few people getting on and off. Only one more until Bokuto got off. Only another minute or two together.

The train car was quiet – it would have been rude to start a loud conversation, and even if they did talk, it wouldn’t be long before they were cut off. So, Akaashi stayed quiet, just sitting next to Bokuto.

As the train started to slow again, Bokuto stood up, grabbing a handle and swinging around to face Akaashi.

“See you tomorrow.” He smiled, held eye contact for a second while the doors opened behind him.

“See you tomorrow, Bokuto-san.”

And then he was turning around, leaving through the doors. Their eyes caught for another brief moment through the window before the train started moving again. Then Akaashi was alone on the train, without Bokuto’s warm presence beside him for the first time in a few hours. He didn’t know how he was going to last until tomorrow morning, nor how he had lived without this for so long.

***

The next couple of weeks went by quickly. The team was preparing for the Inter High, playing practice matches against the Fukurodani Group teams and solidifying the starting members’ teamwork. Akaashi spent most of practice with the other non-starting members, but he still stayed for extra practice with Bokuto often. They saw plenty of each other outside of practice too; spending lunch together and seeing each other on the train, so Akaashi wasn’t too lonely.

Apart from volleyball, the rest of Akaashi’s attention was mainly on his photography. The first assignment was due right before the Inter High started, so he had been diligently working to get it done on time.

Yamada-sensei had suggested that Akaashi select around ten photos to submit and arrange them so they looked good together. There were a lot to choose from, so Akaashi thought carefully about which ones to use. He wanted to focus on the feeling of him and Bokuto being the only ones on the court, so any that didn’t quite fit that theme got cut.

Akaashi included a few to show the scale of the empty court – Bokuto small in the frame with the wide net stretching across the photo, or a photo trimmed to be tall and thin of Bokuto digging a ball up high.

He included a sequence of shots with Konoha’s hands in the foreground of the frame. These ones were important for communicating the story, so they took up a decent amount of space in the submission.

The rest was made up of various shots of Bokuto doing spikes or jump serves from different angles and at different points in the movements. Akaashi added one of Bokuto smiling at him, holding a volleyball in one hand. He liked that it added a bit more softness to the collection of photos. If they were all too serious, it wouldn’t feel like Bokuto.

Akaashi also did a bit of colour correcting to exaggerate the contrast. He didn’t have a lot of experience with it, but he did his best to find a good balance – not going too far but making enough of a difference to improve them from the original.

When he finally got to a point that he was happy with, Akaashi sent a high-resolution PDF to his teacher for submission. With all the work he had put in and the personal subject matter, Akaashi had gotten quite attached to this project. He hoped the results would be good.

Chapter Text

It was the first day of the Inter High qualifiers, and the excitement was high. It was Akaashi’s first high school tournament with his new teammates, and even though he wasn’t a starting member, he was going to do everything he could to support his team.

Bokuto’s excitement was infectious, hyping up the rest of the team as they prepared for their first match. Akaashi was looking forward to seeing him play – the rush of seeing him on the court for the first time last year was still fresh in his mind, but this time it would be different. This time, they were teammates, and friends.

The atmosphere in the gym was intense; the crowds of people gathering to watch, the courts set up for all the upcoming games, the different teams warming up or scoping out the competition.

Fukurodani headed to the court to prepare for their first game, showing off their skills during the warmup. Akaashi hadn’t heard of their opponent – apparently they were an average school, nothing especially noteworthy. But that didn’t mean they could let their guard down. They had a reputation to uphold.

Once the game started, Akaashi watched closely from the sidelines. Bokuto was doing well, and so were the other players. The points slowly ticked up on their side. The other team couldn’t do much to stop Fukurodani’s spikers despite their best efforts.

As the final whistle blew, Fukurodani winning 2-0, Akaashi cheered alongside his teammates. Bokuto ran up to him, giving him an excited high-five. Akaashi hadn’t even done anything to contribute to the game, but Bokuto beamed at him like he was the one who had given him the ball for the final point.

They had a break before their next game in the afternoon, so after cooling down, they were free to wander around the stadium for a while.

“Akaashi!” Bokuto called out to him. “Let’s go and see if Nekoma’s match is still going.”

“Okay.”

They walked over to the other court and saw that Nekoma was still playing. The third set had just started, so Bokuto and Akaashi went to find some seats in the stands so they could watch the rest. A few of their teammates had been curious as well, so they joined them in the stands, sitting a row behind.

Akaashi leaned forward, immediately going into analysis mode. Their opponent had won the first set, Nekoma the second. It wasn’t unusual for Nekoma to have a slow start as they figured out a strategy for the latter half of the game.

He watched Kenma controlling the flow of the game, deciding where to send the ball. Knowing him, he had probably directed the other players to assist in his plans. Akaashi was impressed at how well they worked as a team and trusted Kenma’s strategic leadership despite being a first year. He supposed that Kuroo must have played a role; he was much more of a people person than Kenma, but the two of them had a lot of trust in each other from playing together for so long.

Kenma hit a setter dump lightly over the net, evading the opponent’s blocks. The next point was scored by Kuroo hitting a feint, and the next another feint from Kai. It was a very bold strategy; if they did too many feints and their opponents knew to expect it, they would easily get picked up.

“Are they slowing down?” Bokuto asked, his eyebrows furrowing together slightly.

The feints would help to conserve energy in the third set, but… “I think they’re about to speed up,” Akaashi said.

A chance ball flew back over to Nekoma’s side of the court, and before the opponents could adjust, Kenma and Kuroo hit a quick right back into the ground. It was a good hit in its own right, but the slow pace of the last few plays made it seem even faster.

They kept switching between feints and powerful spikes, not giving the other side a chance to predict what they were doing. It wasn’t fool proof, but it seemed to be working in their favour.

“What an interesting strategy. I wonder what happened earlier in the game to lead them to it,” Akaashi mused, his eyes fixed to the court.

“They’ve been playing for three sets so Kenma’s probably pretty tired. He’s good at coming up with ways to conserve energy. They’re still holding up a good defence though, that takes a lot of work.”

Akaashi appreciated Bokuto’s insights, having known them for a year longer than Akaashi had. Kenma wasn’t very talkative, so most of what Akaashi knew about him was from watching how he played and hearing stories third-hand from what Kuroo told Bokuto.

Nekoma had always excelled in defence, and true to Bokuto’s words, now was no exception. Along with their feints and quicks, they were able to keep their opponents muddled enough to take the third set from them.

The Fukurodani team members cheered along with Nekoma’s supporters when they scored the final point. As the players shook hands with their opponents across the net, Bokuto stood up and grabbed Akaashi’s arm, sending a shiver along his skin.

“Come on, let’s go say hi.”

Akaashi let himself be led along by Bokuto, weaving through the stands and groups of people moving in different directions. They made their way to the foyer where the players came off the court, just in time to see Nekoma coming through the large double doors.

“Hey! Kuroo!” Bokuto called out to his friend.

Kuroo waved when he saw him and broke off from the rest of his team to come and talk to them. Kenma trailed behind, not really paying attention to where he was going, just holding onto the corner of Kuroo’s shirt as he led the way.

“Nice game, bro! We caught the end of it.”

“Thanks,” Kuroo smiled, putting his arm around Kenma. “Did you guys win yours too?”

“Yeah! We won 2-0. You should have seen my spikes, the other team could barely touch them!”

“Nice!” Kuroo and Bokuto high-fived each other.

“You played well out there, Kenma-kun,” Akaashi added. “I was surprised by your strategy.”

Kenma looked up at him, like he wasn’t expecting to be spoken to. “Oh. Thanks. It didn’t work exactly as I had planned, but it was worth a try.”

Kuroo grinned fondly, squeezing Kenma. “You did well for your first official match. I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks.” Kenma avoided eye contact, but a small smile crept onto his face.

“Who are you playing next?” Kuroo asked, turning his attention back to Bokuto and Akaashi.

“Did you see who won the last game?” Bokuto asked Akaashi.

“Nohebi.” He had managed to catch a glimpse on their way to see Nekoma.

“Ugh, those fucking snakes!” Kuroo screwed up his face like he had smelled something foul.

“What? What’s so bad about them? I haven’t played them before.” Bokuto looked concerned.

“They play dirty. Don’t let them get to you, bro. They act all nice with the refs but they’re really nasty. Especially Daisho, one of the spikers. Stupid face, stupid hair, you’ll know him when you see him.”

Akaashi wasn't sure exactly why Kuroo was so concerned. It seemed like a personal grudge, but without having seen them play before, he didn't know what to expect.

"We'll be fine, right Akaashi?" Bokuto looked to him.

"Well, I probably won't be on the court much, but I'm sure your spikes can get through them."

Kuroo hummed and folded his arms in exasperation. "You guys are definitely better than them on merit. I'm just warning you, they're gonna make your life difficult."

Kuroo met Akaashi's eyes for a moment, like he was trying to communicate something. Akaashi turned his gaze towards Bokuto. He looked concerned now, maybe Kuroo's warning had made things worse. But at least Akaashi could be on the lookout for things to help.

"Come on, Bokuto-san, we should probably meet back up with the team before the game starts. Coach might have some useful strategies."

"Yeah, you're right." Bokuto stood up straighter.

"We should catch up with the others, too," Kuroo said, nudging Kenma. "Good luck guys!"

"See you later!" Bokuto waved as they parted ways to meet back up with their respective teams.

Akaashi walked beside Bokuto through the halls of the stadium, back to the area where the team had set up. They still had a bit of time to rest before their next game, so they sat and ate some food while they waited.

Once everyone had gathered together, Coach Yamiji started a meeting to run them through the strategies. They talked about their starting rotation, the playing style of Nohebi and useful counters, but nothing like what Kuroo had said about them playing dirty. Maybe it wasn't as big of a deal as Kuroo had made it out to be, or maybe no one really knew what they were getting into. Akaashi hoped for the former, but he had a bad feeling. Kuroo must have warned them for a reason, and he knew Bokuto well enough to know what was likely to give him trouble.

Neither Akaashi nor Bokuto brought up what Kuroo had said to the rest of the team, but Bokuto gave Akaashi a meaningful look as they made their way to the court. Akaashi thought that they would have to just count on their volleyball skills until they had more information.

Fukurodani scored the first few points of the game with some strong hits from the wings. Nohebi seemed to be a decently good team, but nothing they couldn’t handle. It wasn’t until someone on Fukurodani’s side made a mistake – their captain hitting a serve out of bounds – that it started.

“So much for a captain. He can’t even get a serve in,” one of the spikers sneered. He had slightly green-ish brown hair and sharp eyes. Akaashi wondered if this was the Daisho that Kuroo had mentioned.

A few of the other Nohebi players snickered along with the one who had made the comment, while Fukurodani’s captain pretended not to hear. He wasn’t one to be baited easily.

After that, the Nohebi players picked up on every miss that Fukurodani made, prodding until they found somewhere that really hurt. When one of Bokuto’s spikes got blocked, the ringleader of the taunting, who Akaashi thought must be Daisho, latched on.

“Number four is no big deal. He’s easy to read.”

Bokuto frowned at him through the net. “You just got lucky.”

Akaashi’s stomach turned at the smile that spread across Daisho’s face. Bokuto shouldn’t have responded, he had just shown that he was susceptible to taunting. Unlike Kuroo’s friendly teasing, this was sure to turn bad quickly.

The other Nohebi players quickly caught on that Bokuto was going to be a good target. They slowed down on taunting the others, focusing on Bokuto instead. Not only did they point out his misses, but they made nasty comments on his general performance. 

“Number four is weak.”

“Target number four for serves. He’ll miss.”

“Number four can't hit a straight.”

“They don't have a reliable ace, this is gonna be an easy win.”

Even if most of the comments weren't true, they were chipping away at Bokuto’s confidence, baiting him to slip up more, and it was working.

Nohebi broke 20 points first. The atmosphere was grim on Fukurodani’s side. Morioka was tossing to Bokuto less often, Akaashi could tell he was getting frustrated with him. That only seemed to make things worse, though, as Bokuto kept getting in people's way in an attempt to stay in the game.

Bokuto kept glancing in Akaashi’s direction as Nohebi got closer and closer to set point. There wasn't much he could do from the bench, but Akaashi tried calling out encouraging words. Only they didn't seem to reach Bokuto, instead being drowned out by the negative atmosphere.

Nohebi took the first set, and the teams had a timeout before switching sides of the court. Bokuto dragged his feet and stood beside Akaashi while Coach Yamiji addressed the team.

“We may have lost the first set, but we can turn it around. We need to be more aggressive, start getting more spikes in. What's going on out there, Morioka?”

The setter scoffed, sending a pointed look at Bokuto. “Why don't you ask him?”

Bokuto looked down at his feet, too upset to give an answer.

“Akaashi, do you have any suggestions?” Coach Yamiji asked.

“Oh, um,” Akaashi wasn't expecting to be asked for his opinion. “I think we need to show Nohebi just how powerful Bokuto-san is. If we clear the way so he can get some good hits in, then they won’t stand a chance.”

Akaashi turned to see Bokuto looking at him with cautious hope in his eyes. If there was one thing that Akaashi understood about Bokuto, it was that how other people thought of him greatly affected how he saw himself. Hopefully with a little confidence boost, they could tip the scales back in his favour.

“That's a good idea, Akaashi. Let's give it a go,” Coach Yamiji said.

There were a few nods and worried glances from the rest of the team. It was always pretty hit or miss whether they could get Bokuto back from an emo mode mid-game.

Morioka still didn't look convinced, but he shrugged and said, “Fine. I'll try.”

The next set started, and Coach Yamiji called Akaashi up to sit next to him on the bench. He asked Akaashi to keep an eye on Bokuto’s condition and make any suggestions for strategy improvements. Akaashi would have been doing so privately anyway, but he appreciated that the coach seemed to value his input.

The reset didn’t seem to do much to improve Bokuto’s mood. He was still moving slowly around the court. Morioka avoided tossing to him for the first few plays, but eventually he had to make an effort to get him back in the game.

There soon came a perfect chance – a clean receive from Komi, Washio drawing the blockers’ attention to the right, Bokuto free to spike down the left. Morioka sent him a toss, nice and high to give him plenty of time to react. It took Bokuto an extra second to move, running up slowly towards the net, and jumping for a spike. Bokuto hit the ball over, but he had miscalculated the jump and hit the net on his way down. He had caused a foul, losing their chance for a comeback. Akaashi’s heart sank.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Morioka yelled, causing everyone else to fall silent. “I couldn’t have given you an easier shot, and you still screwed it up!”

Bokuto stared at him in shock. “I’m… sorry.”

“That isn’t good enough. I can’t fucking deal with this anymore! Get off the court if you can’t play. We already lost the first set because of you.”

Akaashi could almost feel the shame and guilt emanating from Bokuto as he turned away from Morioka, jaw clenched tight. Coach Yamiji cursed under his breath and Akaashi watched him sift through the number cards to call for a player change. The dread inside of Akaashi grew deeper. If Bokuto was subbed out now, that was going to be it for the game, there would be no chance to get him out his emo mode.

The coach stood up, holding a number card tight in his hand. It wasn’t the number four though – it was the number two. Morioka’s number.

“You’re up, Akaashi,” Coach Yamiji said, placing his hand on Akaashi’s shoulder. “I’m counting on you to turn this around.”

He handed the number card to Akaashi and signalled to the ref. Akaashi walked over to the side of the court and held up the card, his adrenalin-filled heart pumping loudly in his ears. Bokuto was stuck in a spiral, and it was up to Akaashi to bring him back, or they might lose this match, and it would all be over.

The whistle blew and Morioka stormed over to the side of the court, glaring at Akaashi as he took the card from him. Akaashi brushed it off and stepped onto the court, taking Morioka’s place. He needed to stay calm.

“They’re bring out the back-up setter? Things must be going rough,” said Nohebi’s setter with a sly smile.

“It’s not going to make a difference anyway. He’s just a sub. Can’t be anything special,” Daisho added.

Akaashi ignored them, turned his attention to Bokuto instead. He walked up to him and placed his hands on Bokuto’s shoulders.

“Bokuto-san, it’s okay. I know you’re struggling but it’s not over yet. I’m going to make a path for you.”

Bokuto looked back at Akaashi with big, round eyes. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

Akaashi smiled. “Do you trust me?”

“Yes.”

“I want you to hit a straight shot next, as hard as you can. I know you can do it.”

Bokuto looked nervous, but he nodded. Akaashi was nervous too, he didn’t have much of a plan, but he needed this to work.

The next play started, and it was Nohebi’s serve. Konoha got the ball up cleanly, and Akaashi moved quickly. Bokuto seemed to be more focused now as he watched what Akaashi was doing and where the blockers were.

Akaashi tossed the ball to the far side of the net, setting Bokuto up for a straight. Just as he had thought, the blockers were preparing for a cross shot since Bokuto had been relying on those for the first set, leaving a space wide open for him.

Bokuto hit the ball down, right along the line, finally scoring a point. Bokuto turned to Akaashi with a bright smile and ran up to high-five him. A weight lifted off Akaashi’s chest.

“That was amazing! Your plan worked great!”

“It was all you, Bokuto-san. That was a great shot.”

Bokuto grinned, and the cheers from the rest of their teammates drowned out any sarcastic comments from the other side of the court.

With Akaashi as his setter now, Bokuto’s spirits seemed to have lifted considerably, although his form wasn’t quite back up to 100%. Akaashi knew he couldn’t just rely on his presence to keep Bokuto from an emo mode. The novelty would wear off eventually and Akaashi would need a better strategy than a positive mood and encouragement. For now though, the contrast between him and Morioka’s outburst was enough to get them back in the lead.

Now that Akaashi was on the court, he understood more about what Kuroo had said about Nohebi playing dirty. Even without the constant taunting, they liked to bait their opponents with dumps and decoys to an annoying degree. There were also a couple of times when Akaashi swore they made fouls, but the refs didn’t seem to pick up on them.

Akaashi stayed on for the rest of the second set, which they managed to win with a safe margin. Bokuto had gotten back to normal by the end of the set, and Morioka had calmed down, so they switched back to their official setter for the third set.

Watching from the sidelines again, Akaashi kept his eyes on Bokuto. He was able to switch up between his crosses and straights to keep the blockers on their toes. He didn’t seem to have much of a problem scoring points anymore. It probably helped that the other second years kept up with the encouragements to counteract any negativity from Nohebi.

When they finally scored the match point, Akaashi ran over to the court. Bokuto met him with a hug, lifting Akaashi up off the ground slightly. They broke apart, and Bokuto cheered with his arms high in the air. Akaashi couldn’t stop smiling.

***

With their games finished for the day, the atmosphere in the stadium slowed down to a tired pace. Some teams were disappointed, having worked so hard only for it to all be over on the first day. Other teams were excited about the days ahead but well worn out.

Akaashi helped pack away Fukurodani’s luggage into Coach Yamiji’s car, before picking up his own gym bag. Bokuto appeared beside him, with his bag swung around his back.

“Hey, Akaashi! Do you wanna go get some bubble tea to celebrate?”

 “Sure,” he replied, his heart warming at Bokuto’s specific invitation. It was a bit early in the tournament to be celebrating, but after what they had managed to pull off, Akaashi thought they deserved it.

“Great! I know a place close by. It’s about a ten-minute walk.”

“Okay. That sounds good.”

Akaashi let Bokuto lead the way. As he realised that none of the others were joining, Akaashi suddenly felt a flutter of nerves. It would just be the two of them, together. As they walked side by side down the streets, he wondered how passers-by might perceive them. Teammates, best friends, something more? It was just wishful thinking, but Akaashi had imagined going out with Bokuto like this many times before. Maybe on the weekend, or after school, wanting to spend just a little longer together. Lingering touches disguised as something else.

But that wasn’t the reality that Akaashi was living in. Bokuto was excited about the tournament, about how they had overcome challenges together, and now they were getting a cold drink to treat themselves after.

They soon made it to the bubble tea shop and looked over the menu to decide on their orders. Akaashi reached for his bag and paused with his hand on the zipper.

“Oh. I didn’t bring my wallet. I didn’t think I would need it.” He mentally cursed himself for only remembering now.

“Oh, that’s okay! I can pay for you,” Bokuto offered.

“No, you don’t have to. I’ll be fine without one.”

“It’s okay, really. I’m the one who invited you.”

Akaashi stared at Bokuto’s smiling face for a moment while he considered. “Alright. Thank you. I’ll pay you back tomorrow.”

“You don’t have to pay me back, it’s not that much.”

Akaashi didn’t want to argue too much to undermine Bokuto’s kind gesture, but he would feel bad leaving it uneven. “Okay, but I’ll treat you next time,” he compromised.

“Sure!” Bokuto smiled. Now they would have to go out again together. Akaashi smiled at the thought.

Bokuto ordered a taro milk tea, and Akaashi ordered a regular milk tea for himself. Once their drinks were ready, they sat at one of the tables inside together.

As they drank their tea, Bokuto excitedly recounted the details of the day’s matches, making sure that Akaashi didn’t miss anything from the sidelines. Akaashi nodded along, but his mind drifted in and out of focus. He kept thinking about how Bokuto had hugged him after they won, in front of all those people in the gymnasium. Their teammates, their coach, their friends, people who didn't even know them. Bokuto didn't seem to think anything of it, no embarrassment, no second thoughts. Like it was totally normal and expected for them to hug.

To Akaashi, though, it was a big deal. Hugging Bokuto, it made his heart and his mind race. It made him feel like everything was good in the world. It gave him a glimpse into what it might be like to be with Bokuto. But he knew there was nothing romantic behind it. There was no way that Bokuto would like him back.

Bokuto took a long drink from his tea – it was nearly halfway done already – before he continued talking. Akaashi couldn't help thinking that if they were a couple, this would probably be a date. They had just hugged in front of all their teammates, gone to get a drink together afterwards, Bokuto had even paid for them both.

Akaashi focused back on what Bokuto was saying. He could imagine scenarios about their bubble tea date as much as he liked in his free time, but for now, he should enjoy his time with Bokuto in this reality.

***

The Inter High qualifiers continued over the week, with Akaashi getting a chance to play a few more times. He had now become known as the Bokuto expert, so he would get subbed in whenever Bokuto started to slip.

There still seemed to be a bit of tension between Morioka and Bokuto, so it was good to have someone to come in and cool down the situation. Akaashi worried sometimes that he might be stepping on Morioka’s toes, or that the problems between their setter and ace would escalate. But Coach Yamiji and the rest of the players seemed to understand the importance of keeping Bokuto in top condition, so Akaashi trusted that he was doing the right thing.

Fukurodani made it to the semifinals, but they lost, just short of a spot in nationals. Their opponents ended up winning the finals, so it was an unlucky match up. They were all disappointed, but it motivated them to work even harder for the Spring Tournament later in the year.

After the Inter High, they had another week of summer holiday. Akaashi spent most of it at home, but Bokuto invited him to hang out with him and the other second years a couple of times.

The new semester started up and they were back to the usual schedule of practice and classes. On Wednesday, Akaashi had his first art class, and they got their results back for their first assignment.

Yamada-sensei handed out everyone's work. Most students had drawings or paintings, but Akaashi was handed a printed copy of his submission with a page of feedback stapled to the back. Flipping to the feedback page, Akaashi's eyes were drawn to the number written in bold, red letters at the top of the page: 90. It was a good score, Akaashi's momentary twinge of anxiety released. He had been happy with his work, but getting approval from his art teacher was a great feeling.

Akaashi read through Yamada-sensei’s feedback in more detail. There were comments on his use of composition, colour contrast, and subject matter. The comments were all quite positive, then there were some suggestions of things to focus on for his full portfolio. The main point Akaashi took away was that he needed to expand his concept for the portfolio, add new ideas, and get more creative.

Akaashi opened his sketchbook and looked back on his previous ideas to see if there was anything worth going back to. He had some sketches and photos that he ended up cutting out of the first submission that he might be able to use. He had thought briefly about different stories he could tell with his photography. The idea about showing how Bokuto was a star player had morphed with Akaashi’s perspective to show the feeling of being on the court together. The other ideas he had put to the side were to tell a story of a volleyball match, or to show Bokuto’s highs and lows. Maybe he could incorporate one of those into the second half of the portfolio.

As Yamada-sensei was walking around the room talking to some of the students, she stopped at Akaashi’s desk.

“Well done, Akaashi-kun. I really enjoyed your submission.”

“Oh, thank you,” Akaashi said, closing his sketchbook.

“I wanted to talk to you about your next steps for your portfolio. Have you thought about where you want to take it next?”

“Well, I haven’t given it a lot of thought yet, but I have more ideas about different shots or showing more aspects of a volleyball game.”

Yamada-sensei nodded. “You’re a good student, Akaashi-kun, so I want to encourage you to push your ideas further, think outside the box a bit more. I think you would benefit from developing a story for your portfolio. I can feel your perspective coming through in these photos, maybe you could explore that further. Who are these characters? What are their motivations? What is their relationship?”

It was a good question, but probably a more personal one than Yamada-sensei was imagining. Akaashi had tried to keep a bit of distance between his feelings and his photos, but some of it must have come through. He was nervous to take it any further, he might be revealing too much about himself to Bokuto, or his teacher. But maybe, under the guise of some fictional characters, he could do something. It didn’t have to be fully truthful.

“I think you could push the contrast further too,” Yamada-sensei continued. “Maybe you could add another element, something more abstract. Don’t be afraid to branch out from your original idea to add something more to the story.”

“Thank you for the advice. I’ll think of some more ideas,” Akaashi said.

“Great. I look forward to seeing them.” Yamada-sensei smiled and moved on to talk to another student.

Akaashi spent the rest of class doing more brainstorming, but he was struggling to come up with ideas. He needed a story, or some kind of different angle. He went back to the idea of Bokuto’s emo mode; there was definitely some contrast there, and there could be a simple story of getting Bokuto back up to peak performance. But Akaashi wasn’t sure if he wanted to tell that story. It didn’t show Bokuto in the best light, and his goal so far with his photography was to highlight Bokuto’s good aspects, the things that Akaashi liked the most about him. He wanted the portfolio to be something that both he and Bokuto could be proud of.

Who were these characters? Were they just Bokuto and Akaashi, or were they more idealised versions? What would the idealised version of Akaashi do in this situation? Maybe he would be more bold, more willing to step outside his comfort zone, more able to meet Bokuto at his level. But that wasn’t the real Akaashi.

***

When Akaashi met up with Bokuto for lunch, he seemed to be in a strangely good mood. Bokuto was smiling even more than usual and kept looking at Akaashi like he wanted to say something.

“What is it, Bokuto-san?” Akaashi asked as they walked to their usual spot at the quiet staircase.

“Huh? Oh, nothing! It’s just a good day, isn’t it?” Bokuto replied, swinging his arms back and forth as he walked.

“I suppose so.”

Akaashi was sure there was something else to it, but he didn’t push it. It wasn’t until they were sitting by themselves and Bokuto was still acting strange that Akaashi asked again.

“You look like you want to say something.”

Bokuto scrunched up his face and tilted his head to the side. “I want to… but I can’t.”

Akaashi tried not to smile at Bokuto’s adorably frustrated yet happy expression. “Why not?” he asked.

“It will ruin the surprise. You’ll find out later, but it’s a good thing, promise!”

“Okay…” Akaashi’s mind ran fast trying to think of what it could possibly be. Bokuto seemed normal at practice that morning, so it was probably something that happened between then and now. There wasn’t much that could have happened during a few hours of classes. And he would find out later? Why, and how?

He couldn’t think of many plausible scenarios, but his mind kept going back to one thing. What if Bokuto was going to confess to him? It was completely unlikely, there was no point giving the idea any credence, but… what if? What if he had something planned for after school, some romantic gesture where he planned to ask Akaashi out? He tried to shove the thought down, not wanting to let his calm demeanour slip in front of Bokuto.

“So… how has your day been?” Bokuto asked, probably trying to change the subject so he didn’t let whatever it was slip. He still looked excited though, tapping his fingers on his knees and smiling brightly. Excited, not nervous, Akaashi noted.

“Well, I got my results back for my photography assignment,” Akaashi said, the first thing his distracted brain could think of.

“Oh! How did it go?” Bokuto perked up, suddenly interested.

“I got a 90.”

“Woah, that's so good! I really liked your photos, but I don’t know anything about art. Did your teacher think I looked cool?”

“Thank you.” Akaashi’s cheeks grew warm at the compliment. “She didn’t say those words in particular, but she liked the composition and the contrast.”

“I don’t really know exactly what that means, but that sounds like I look cool.”

“Whatever you say.” Akaashi smiled, holding back a laugh. “She also gave me some suggestions for my full portfolio, but I don’t know what I want to do for that yet.”

“Hmm,” Bokuto rested his hand on his chin, like he was really thinking hard. “I don’t know what else you could do. We already got lots of cool pictures. I’m sure you’ll think of something, though!”

“Probably. I just don’t know what it will be yet.”

They continued their lunch, and the conversation topic moved on, but Akaashi found himself staring at Bokuto a little more than usual. He looked so happy and cute and handsome. He shone like a star even off the volleyball court. Akaashi wanted to find a way to capture that in his photography, too.

***

By the time afternoon practice started, Akaashi still hadn’t figured out what the surprise was that Bokuto had referred to. There wasn’t a lot of time left in the day, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Akaashi didn’t even know if it would happen today.

Bokuto was still looking at him excitedly though, sending smiles and getting fired up during practice. There must be something going on.

Practice ended with a quick match amongst the Fukurodani members. Akaashi was on one side with Bokuto and a few others, Morioka setting for the other side. With Bokuto in such a good mood, it wasn't hard to score points quickly. Komi was on the other side of the net though and managed to receive a few of Bokuto’s straight shots.

The attacks from the other side were slow and predictable, which gave Akaashi's side another advantage. It was unusual, though, for that combination of players to not do so well together. They had the captain, the official setter and libero, some strong spikers. After a few plays, Akaashi noticed what was throwing them off. Morioka was getting lazy, a couple of steps behind the others and not running very far for the ball. It was almost like he didn't care about how well they played. It wasn't like him, even during practice, to be like that. 

Akaashi decided not to dwell on it for too long. It wasn't his problem if Morioka wasn't giving 100%. He turned his focus back to his own side of the net, checking where all the players were before the serve entered their court. He caught Bokuto’s eye again, shining bright with energy. Akaashi faced forward and tried to suppress his smile. When the ball went up from the back line and towards Akaashi’s waiting hands, he knew who to toss to.

Before long, Akaashi’s side had won the set and Coach Yamiji called everyone in for a meeting before they went home. He thanked everyone for their hard work and made comments on areas to work on. And then, “I also have some quick announcements. A few of our third years are going to be retiring to focus on studying now that the Inter High has finished.”

Akaashi noticed Bokuto shifting beside him out of the corner of his eye. Did Bokuto know something about this?

“Unfortunately, we will be saying goodbye to Sato, Nakamura, and Morioka.” Coach Yamiji continued, and Akaashi's eyes widened in surprise. “Thank you for your commitment to the team and we wish you luck for your university exams.”

The two non-starting members made sense, but Morioka? Akaashi had expected all the starting members to stay until the end of the year, as did most of the top teams in the area. Did that mean… Akaashi glanced towards Bokuto, who was already smiling at him.

“That means we will be making some adjustments to the starting line-up for the Spring Tournament. After discussing with some of the players, I have decided that our new official setter will be Akaashi. Congratulations.”

Akaashi was too stunned to say anything for a second as everyone looked at him and said their congratulations. “Thank you very much,” he managed. “I will do my best.”

Despite already being the back-up setter and having played in a few official matches, Akaashi could still hardly believe that he would become the new official setter. He had been working towards this goal, but he didn't expect it to happen this year. Did Morioka really just retire to focus on studying? Or had he already given up for another reason?

Bokuto’s hand hitting his shoulder drew Akaashi’s attention back to him. “Isn’t this great? You’re the official setter now! I told you it would be a good surprise.” Bokuto said excitedly.

“Yeah.” Akaashi smiled back, realising that this was the thing Bokuto had wanted to tell him at lunch. So, he did know about it earlier. Why? Akaashi vaguely remembered Coach Yamiji asking Bokuto and some of the third years to stay behind after practice that morning, was that when he found out?

Akaashi wanted to ask more questions, but there were too many people around still discussing the news and saying goodbye to the retiring players. Eventually, their captain got everyone to start tidying up and the gym quietened down as people went home.

Bokuto was hanging behind, standing by the net, so Akaashi assumed he wanted to stay for extra practice. He walked over to join him, just as the last people were leaving the gym.

“Hey! Looks like I get to do some extra spiking with my official setter!” Bokuto grinned. His setter. Akaashi liked the sound of that – belonging to Bokuto.

“Yeah,” Akaashi agreed, trying not to blush. “How did you know I was going to be the new setter?”

“I was talking to Coach about it this morning. He was asking me and Captain and Morioka for advice. I recommended you. I mean, there’s no way it could be anyone but you!”

Bokuto had recommended him? “What did the others say?” he asked cautiously.

“Well, they agreed it should be you. But Captain was trying to encourage Morioka to stay. He seemed like he’d already made up his mind, though.”

“Oh, I see.” Akaashi wasn’t sure how to feel about this. He was happy that Bokuto believed in him enough to recommend him, but did he really deserve it? Did Bokuto just recommend him because they were friends and liked playing with him more than Morioka? Akaashi wanted to feel like he had earned his place as Fukurodani’s setter, but this kind of felt like it was just handed to him on a silver platter.

Akaashi tried to ignore the knot of anxiety in his stomach as he started setting for Bokuto. He tried to focus on Bokuto, on how well he was spiking and how excited he was for Akaashi to be the new official setter. He should be happy.

Weighed down by his running thoughts, Akaashi grew tired faster than normal. They stopped after half an hour, much to Akaashi’s relief. He usually wanted to prolong their time together as much as possible, but right now, he just wanted to go home.

Akaashi didn’t respond much to Bokuto’s chatter as they headed back to the clubroom and got changed. While he waited for Bokuto to get ready, Akaashi stared at the space in front of him, thinking about what the other team members might think of him.

“Akaashi?”

He looked up to see Bokuto looking at him with concern, waiting for him to respond. Akaashi thought he must have missed a question while he wasn’t paying attention. “Sorry, what did you say?”

Bokuto’s brows furrowed together. “Are you okay?” he asked for the first or second time, Akaashi wasn’t sure.

“Yeah. I’m just tired.”

“Are you sure?” Bokuto walked closer and put his hands on his shoulders, looking directly into his eyes.

Akaashi tensed at the proximity, trying to hold his gaze without wavering. “I’m sure.”

“Do you need a hug?” Bokuto asked, like it was the easiest solution to all of Akaashi’s problems. Maybe it would be, but Akaashi couldn’t let himself get carried away.

“No, it’s okay.” Akaashi looked away from Bokuto’s piercing eyes and pushed away his warm, comforting hands. Bokuto backed up, looking defeated as Akaashi stood and picked up his bag. “I’m just gonna go home, if that’s alright.”

“Okay. See you tomorrow,” Bokuto said quietly.

Akaashi didn’t look back as he walked out of the door, not wanting to regret his decision. He didn’t quite know why he was breathing so heavily, or why he couldn’t let himself be happy about the news. He was probably overthinking, getting worried about something no one else was thinking about, but he didn’t think he deserved to be the official setter.

As he rounded a corner, Akaashi was stopped by a voice calling out to him. He thought for a second it might be Bokuto following after him, but the sound was coming from the side, and it was a different, harsher, voice. One that made his stomach drop when he recognised it.

“Morioka-san?” What was he still doing here? Was he waiting for Akaashi?

“Congrats on getting official setter,” Morioka said, although it didn't sound genuine.

“Thanks.”

“Just a word of advice,” he folded his arms and looked down at Akaashi. “Just because you're all buddy-buddy with Bokuto doesn't mean you have what it takes to be the setter of a powerhouse school.”

Akaashi tensed up. So, he wasn't the only one who had doubts about his place on the team. “I know. I won’t let the team down,” he responded, trying to remain level-headed.

Morioka sighed, a frustrated look on his face. “Look. You’re a decent player. But you don't have to waste so much time on him, you know. Focus on the rest of the team, or your own skills. I'm sure you've got better things to do with your life.”

Is that what Morioka thought? Did he quit because he thought he had better things to do than waste his time with Bokuto? Akaashi’s anxiety turned to a twinge of anger; doubting his own abilities was one thing, but their ace, their star player? All the time he had spent with Bokuto, on or off the court, not a second was a waste. Anything Akaashi could do to bring out Bokuto’s 100%, or help push him even further, was worth the world.

“Bokuto-san is the centre of our team. I don’t think it’s a waste of time to nurture that. Maybe you don’t see his value, but I do. And so does Coach and many of the other players.”

“I think he’s reached his limit of usefulness. He’ll always be a double-edged sword. But if you can prove me wrong, I’ll be watching.”

With that, Morioka turned and walked away, leaving Akaashi to process what just happened. He didn’t know if Morioka was the only one who felt that way, but there was at least one person he had to prove himself to. Still, the entire team, the coach, and Bokuto were relying on him to fill Morioka’s shoes. If he were to truly earn his place, Akaashi would need to be even better than their previous setter. Was that even possible?

“Akaashi?” Bokuto rounded the corner, finding Akaashi standing alone in the corridor like he’d lost his mind. “I thought you’d already gone home.”

Seeing Bokuto there – so kind and genuine and handsome – hit Akaashi with a wave of solace. This was what everything he was doing was for. With Bokuto happy, and Akaashi together with him, everything was good in the world.

“I think I do need that hug after all,” Akaashi said, letting himself be vulnerable, just for a second.

There was a flash of surprise and concern in Bokuto’s eyes before he smiled softly and held open his arms. Akaashi stepped into the hug, letting Bokuto’s warmth surround him. His stress seemed to disappear instantaneously. He didn’t care that they were out in the open, where anyone still at the school could walk by and see them. He didn’t care what anyone thought of him, as long as Bokuto was beside him.

Chapter Text

Akaashi decided to have a well-deserved rest day on Saturday. He had spent the last few weeks working himself twice as hard during volleyball practice. The Spring Tournament qualifiers were still months away, but Akaashi felt like he had to catch up on the two-year experience gap between himself and their previous setter before then. It was impossible, but that didn’t stop Akaashi from trying.

Even after sleeping until nearly midday, his body still felt heavy with exhaustion and stress. He couldn’t let his club activities hinder his academic performance, so he had been working himself hard studying in every spare moment as well. Not today, though. Today, he needed to rest.

Akaashi particularly wanted to give his brain a break so he could have the chance to think about other things. He still hadn’t decided what he was going to do for the rest of his portfolio. He hadn’t had a chance to get inspired by anything. Volleyball was mostly just giving him stress at the moment, so he didn’t feel like using it for his art as well.

While Akaashi was lying in bed on his phone, he got a notification. A text from Bokuto. He immediately opened the message, staring at it for a few seconds as his heartbeat returned to normal. The text read ‘What are you up to today?’ – a totally normal, platonic thing to say. He sent a totally normal, platonic reply: ‘Nothing really. How about you?’

Akaashi watched the typing bubble pop up and disappear a couple of times before a reply finally came. ‘Same here. I was thinking about going to the park later, do you wanna come with me?’

Bokuto was inviting Akaashi to hang out? Alone? On the weekend? That had never happened before. Akaashi’s mind whirled at the possibilities of what could happen.

He sent a reply; ‘Sure, the park sounds nice’ and got himself out of bed. It didn’t matter that he had planned to do nothing that day, this was more important. Maybe hanging out with Bokuto was just what he needed – he already felt a boost of energy.

Bokuto suggested a time and sent the address of a nearby park. Akaashi only had a couple of hours to get ready, emotionally and physically, so he spent the rest of his time trying to decide what to wear and how to behave.

When the time eventually came, Akaashi left the house and took the train a few stops. It seemed like the park was a small spot near Bokuto’s house, one that he could go to often quite easily if he wanted to.

When Akaashi arrived, a little earlier than they had planned to meet, he had a look around the park while he waited. It was a small, unassuming city park with a swing set, a slide and a grassy area with some trees and benches. There was no one else there, despite it being a Saturday afternoon. Akaashi supposed it must not be a very popular spot with the locals; there were plenty of other things to do in Tokyo on a Saturday after all.

Akaashi sat on a bench, watching the trees sway gently in the wind while he waited. Before long, Bokuto arrived, calling out to him with a wave and a smile. Akaashi stood up from the bench to greet him, trying not to smile like an idiot. Bokuto was dressed casually, in a t-shirt and track pants that Akaashi had never seen before. He held up a volleyball and Akaashi felt a knot forming in his stomach.

“Do you wanna throw a ball around for a bit?” Bokuto asked.

Akaashi really didn’t want to think about volleyball today, but maybe that was the only reason Bokuto had invited him here. Their whole friendship was built around volleyball, if they didn’t have that, what else was left? He might have shown some resentment on his face, because Bokuto lowered the ball and looked at him curiously.

“I think I need a break from volleyball today, if that’s alright. Can we do something else?” Akaashi said.

“Yeah, of course! I just usually bring a ball with me when I’m here by myself.” Bokuto put the ball down on the ground near a bench before turning back to Akaashi. “Are you okay, though?”

Akaashi couldn’t have been doing a very good job of keeping his stress hidden if Bokuto had noticed. He thought back to the last time Bokuto had asked if he was okay, how he had offered a hug to make him feel better. If he said he wasn’t okay, maybe he would get another one of those warm, comforting, life-changing hugs. But he didn’t want to seem too desperate, or make Bokuto worry about his insignificant problems, so he needed to be careful about how often he took advantage of Bokuto’s kindness.

“I’m fine,” he decided.

“Good!” Bokuto smiled, looking relieved. They stared at each other for a second before Bokuto thought of something to do. “Do you wanna go on the swings, then?”

They were definitely too old to be playing on the swings, but there was no one else around, and there wasn’t much else to do at the park, so Akaashi agreed. They each took one of the two swings and started building up momentum. Akaashi tried to ignore how silly they must look and just enjoyed the motion of swinging back and forth, higher and higher. He watched Bokuto from the side; as they got into a rhythm, they fell into a synchronisation for a while. Bokuto kept going higher though, leaving Akaashi lagging behind.

“Watch this!” Bokuto called, sending a shot of worry through Akaashi. At the top of his arc, Bokuto jumped off the swing, gaining a few seconds of airtime before he landed on his feet with a slight wobble.

“Ta-da!” Bokuto grinned and turned to Akaashi to see his reaction.

“Wow, very impressive, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said with a smile. “Though, it does look quite dangerous.”

“Nah, it’s fine! I do it all the time!” Bokuto said as he got back on the swing. It didn’t do much to comfort Akaashi, it still looked like he could get injured if he wasn’t careful.

Bokuto built up his momentum as high as he could again, while Akaashi stayed at a reasonable pace. He watched as Bokuto jumped off again and was struck by how he looked like he was flying. He could reach much higher than he could on the volleyball court, it almost looked like he could touch the sky. Akaashi wanted to watch it in slow motion, take a photo and examine the details of his movement.

After a few more jumps, Bokuto seemed to get bored and returned to his swing with a sigh. He flopped down so he was lying with his stomach on the swing, his arms and legs hanging down over the sides. He kicked off the ground, so he swung back and forth slightly. He looked so silly in that position, that Akaashi couldn’t help himself from chuckling. Bokuto looked at him, like he was surprised by the sound, but then he smiled and joined in the laughter.

Akaashi slowed down his swinging, distracted by his laughing and watching Bokuto. When Bokuto had caught his breath, he slid off the swing and went back to sitting on it normally.

“It’s nice to see you smiling again,” Bokuto said in a soft voice, with equally soft eyes staring straight into Akaashi’s.

Akaashi immediately felt heat rising in his cheeks, and he turned forward, away from the source of the emotions swelling up inside his chest. He swung higher, so Bokuto wouldn’t be able to see him so clearly. He hadn’t realised how much Bokuto had been paying attention to him. Had he been trying to make Akaashi feel better this whole time? It was certainly working if he had been – just being around Bokuto made him happier. Why was Akaashi’s crush the sweetest guy in existence?

Bokuto caught back up to Akaashi’s swinging pace and they continued for a while longer. When Bokuto jumped off again, he didn’t go back to the swing this time, going to lie down on the grass instead. Akaashi slowed down, glancing at Bokuto as he hesitated. He saw Bokuto look towards him briefly, then back up at the sky. When he had slowed down his swinging enough, Akaashi jumped off the swing and went to join Bokuto.

Bokuto had his arms and legs outstretched on the grass, so Akaashi lay down beside him, an arms-length apart. The grass was cool against his skin, a warm breeze blew through his hair, the clouds slowly drifted by. Akaashi turned to watch Bokuto as his chest moved up and down gently and his eyes scanned the sky above. He looked so peaceful.

Akaashi was reminded of the training camp, seeing Bokuto asleep with his hair down, so relaxed and gentle. It was a side of him that Akaashi didn’t get to see much at school or during practice, a side that Akaashi longed to see more of. As they had become better friends, Akaashi had begun to see a fuller picture of him. Not just the star player, the energetic cheerful friend, but everything else too. The real person behind the bold exterior. Akaashi wanted to get to know who that really was.

Bokuto suddenly moved, pointing his hand up to the sky. “Do you think that cloud looks like a dog?”

Akaashi tore his gaze away from Bokuto to see where he was pointing. There were a few blobby looking clouds, but none that Akaashi thought looked particularly like a dog.

“Hmm, not really.”

“Yeah, it does, look!” Bokuto shifted closer and pointed again so Akaashi could see better. “There’s the head, the body, and that’s the tail.”

Akaashi was more distracted by how close Bokuto was, but he could kind of see what he was referring to. “Maybe… vaguely.”

“Oh, come on!” Bokuto sighed with a hint of laughter. “It’s so dog-like! You’re just being picky.”

“If you say so.” Akaashi smiled and looked back at the sky.

They stayed lying on the grass for a while, talking about whatever came into Bokuto’s head. Akaashi watched the dog cloud as they talked, seeing it drift and morph in the wind until it eventually lost its shape. The world was calm, slow and gentle when he was staring up at the sky, lying next to Bokuto.

The passage of time eventually broke the spell when Bokuto sat up, saying that he should get home soon. Akaashi checked the time and realised that they had been at the park for a few hours already, and his parents would start to wonder where he was. He begrudgingly stood, brushing himself off to make sure there was no grass sticking to him.

They left the park and walked down the street, side by side, in the direction of the train station. A couple of blocks passed by before Bokuto paused at an intersection.

“My house is this way,” he said, pointing down the side street. He didn’t make a move, though.

Akaashi hesitated, glancing down the street. Bokuto’s house was so close; Akaashi wondered which one it was, what it looked like on the inside, what Bokuto’s life was like at home. Were they close enough to the type of friends who visited each other’s houses? Maybe Akaashi wasn’t the best one to judge that, when he wanted so much more.

“Okay. I’ll see you on Monday, then.”

“Yeah. See you Monday.” Bokuto smiled at him, walking backwards for a few steps before turning around and continuing down the street.

Akaashi let out a heavy breath as he resigned himself to walking back to the train station. If he could, he would spend all his free time with Bokuto. If he was a different version of himself, he would do something to make it happen.

***

Akaashi had an idea. It might not be the perfect, ground-breaking, artistically inspired idea that he was hoping for, but it was something. It was something different, something that he was excited about, if possibly for the wrong reasons.

“Bokuto-san,” he asked in a break in the conversation at lunch, “I’m thinking of trying something different for my photography. Are you free this weekend?”

Bokuto perked up, his eyes shining with excitement. “Yeah, of course! It’s been a while since we took photos, huh?” Bokuto raised his arm for a pretend spike, as if warming up for the big event.

It wasn’t Bokuto’s spikes that Akaashi wanted to take photos of this time though, and he was worried that Bokuto might lose interest if he couldn’t show off like before. What else was he getting out of helping Akaashi if not that?

“I was wondering if we could do the photoshoot at your house?” Akaashi asked nervously. Not only was the subject matter of his idea revealing, but he had to invite himself to Bokuto’s house as well. That was sort of the point, though.

“Oh, okay.” Bokuto seemed surprised, despite agreeing. “You don’t want to do it in the gym again?”

“I’m not focusing on volleyball this time,” Akaashi explained, his palms becoming increasingly sweaty. “I want to try something more casual, just parts of your normal life.” He wanted to capture the softer, more human side of Bokuto, and keep it for himself.

“Oh…” Bokuto looked less excited, more curious instead. “Okay. You’re the artist.” He shrugged and smiled at Akaashi, like he was putting his trust in his hands.

“I guess so.” Akaashi let out a small smile. An artist. Did Bokuto really think he deserved that title? Akaashi hoped that he wouldn’t disappoint him.

“It’ll be fun to hang out on the weekend again,” Bokuto said, mostly to himself it seemed.

Akaashi hummed in agreement. It would be fun, especially if Bokuto had a good time too. Two days without seeing each other was starting to feel like too long. Akaashi was relieved that Bokuto agreed to keep helping, of course he was being so nice about it. Maybe Akaashi didn’t have to worry so much about taking up Bokuto’s time. He seemed to like having Akaashi around.

Now that they had arranged to do a test shoot, Akaashi needed to flesh out his idea a little further. He was planning on mostly just experimenting on the day, see what worked well like he did for the first test shoot in the gym. He wanted to remain on theme though, so he could end up using some if they turned out well.

Akaashi wanted some photos of Bokuto in his room, winding down after a long day. Partly because that side of him was what he was most interested in at the moment, and partly because he thought it could work as thematic contrast to the photos he already had. Yamada-sensei had encouraged him to think outside the box and explore who the characters were, so Akaashi hoped this idea might bring him a little closer to the final vision. He still wasn’t entirely sure what the story was going to be yet, but he might find something along the way.

***

Akaashi arrived at Bokuto’s house on Saturday, clutching his camera bag tightly in his hand. He knocked on the door and waited an excruciatingly long moment before he heard footsteps and the door opened wide.

“Akaashi!” Bokuto greeted him with a smile.

“Hello.”

“Come in!” Bokuto turned sideways to give Akaashi a space to walk through into the house. Bokuto put a hand on his shoulder as he went past, guiding him ahead and sending a warm sensation through Akaashi’s body.

Akaashi quickly removed his shoes while Bokuto watched him, practically bouncing with excitement.

“Come on, I’ll show you around,” Bokuto said once Akaashi had properly stepped into the hallway.

Bokuto showed him to the living room, where Akaashi said hello to his parents, trying to make a polite first impression. Bokuto pointed out the kitchen, the bathroom, his parents’ room and his sisters’ rooms as they walked through the house, Akaashi following quietly as he tried to take everything in. Akaashi hadn’t heard much about Bokuto’s sisters, but apparently the house had become a lot quieter since they both moved out for university.

They finally made it to the last door, the one that made Akaashi’s heart beat faster as they approached. “And this is my room,” Bokuto said, opening the door and stepping inside.

Akaashi assumed that he was supposed to follow, but he hesitated as he looked in from the doorway, not sure if he was ready. Waiting any longer would start to get awkward, so he forced his feet to move, and then he was in Bokuto’s room.

Bokuto closed the door behind them and Akaashi looked around, taking in every inch of the place. This was Bokuto’s private space, where he spent most of his time outside of school. That was the bed he slept in, the wardrobe where he kept his clothes, the desk where he did his homework.

Akaashi didn’t know what he had been imagining, but the room was unequivocally Bokuto. It was a little messy, with some clothes in a pile on the floor, books scattered on the desk and no apparent method of organisation. There were some posters on the walls of volleyball teams and movies that Akaashi only vaguely recognised, and there were little trinkets scattered around the room from owl keychains to gacha toys to movie tickets.

As he finished his first scan over the room, Akaashi’s eyes met back up with Bokuto’s. It seemed like he had been watching him, waiting for Akaashi to be ready.

“So,” Bokuto started with a smile. “Do you wanna get straight to it or hang out first?”

Akaashi reached for his camera, remembering why he was here in the first place. “Let’s get started,” he said, glad for something to focus on instead of letting his mind imagine something outrageous like Bokuto pushing him down on the fluffy-blanketed bed right in front of him.

He fumbled with the buttons on the camera, trying to clear his mind. When he was ready, he turned back to Bokuto who was still watching him in anticipation.

“What do you want me to do?” he asked.

“Um,” Akaashi didn’t really know where to start and his nerves certainly weren’t helping him think. “Maybe just sit on the bed.”

“Okay.” Bokuto sat down on the edge of his bed and looked back at Akaashi.

Looking through the camera, Bokuto seemed stiff, awkward, like he didn’t know how to hold himself. Akaashi took a photo, but he knew it wasn’t going to be a good one.

“Relax a bit more, Bokuto-san,” he said, lowering the camera to meet his eyes.

Bokuto shuffled around, trying to get more comfortable, but it still looked unnatural.

“Try sitting against the headboard,” Akaashi suggested. Bokuto did as he said, sitting with his legs outstretched and his hands resting together on his lap. He looked back at Akaashi for approval.

“Maybe sit cross-legged. And relax your arms.” Akaashi waited for Bokuto to follow his instructions and then looked through the viewfinder again. Bokuto looked like he was posing for an awkward family photo. “Don’t smile. And don’t look at the camera.” That looked a bit better, so Akaashi took a few photos.

It was a lot harder to get Bokuto to relax than Akaashi had expected. On the volleyball court, he just knew what to do, but here he needed much more instruction. Akaashi wasn’t sure what instructions to give to get the desired outcome.

He put down the camera and took a step closer to Bokuto. “Imagine you’ve just come home from a long day after practice. You’re tired, but you can’t sleep yet. You need to take a moment before you continue with the day.”

Bokuto nodded slowly, his gaze distant like he was really imagining the scenario. His shoulders opened up a little more and his legs became less rigid. Akaashi put his hand on Bokuto’s shoulder and gently pushed him back so that he slouched against the headboard. He felt a flutter in his chest – was that the first time he had touched Bokuto like that? Bokuto’s hand had been on Akaashi’s shoulder a few times, but Akaashi had never felt bold enough to reach out himself.

Bokuto’s head leant back, his eyes half closed. He unfolded his legs, bending them into a more relaxed, natural position. Akaashi just started for a moment, entranced by the sight of his crush in front of him, before he quickly grabbed his camera with sweaty hands. He snapped a few photos while Bokuto patiently waited, occasionally glancing Akaashi’s way to check if he was done.

When Akaashi lowered his camera, Bokuto immediately sat back up. “I can show you what I normally do when I get home, if you want,” Bokuto said, and Akaashi nodded, not sure what to expect.

Bokuto stood up and walked to the door, spinning around to pretend he had just walked in. He took a few large steps until he reached his bed, then turned around and flopped backwards onto the bed. His arms and legs paused, outstretched for a moment before he let them drop so his hands lay flat and his feet swung over the edge.

Akaashi smiled, trying not to laugh as he imagined Bokuto doing that every day. He picked up his camera instead. “Can you do that again?”

This time, Akaashi captured the movement in a series of photos as Bokuto flopped onto his bed again. While he stayed lying there, Akaashi took some more photos from different angles, like a wide shot of the room and a close up of his legs hanging off the edge.

Bokuto seemed to be a little more relaxed now, but Akaashi still wanted to bring out more of his playfulness. He spotted a volleyball in the corner of the room and went to pick it up. Bokuto was still lying on his back, so he didn’t see what Akaashi was doing until it was too late, and he was hit with a volleyball in the stomach.

“Hey!” Bokuto laughed as he caught the ball before it rolled off the bed. He sat up to see Akaashi smiling behind the camera as he took advantage of the situation. Bokuto pretended to throw the ball back at Akaashi, making him flinch.

“Don’t make me drop the camera.”

“You started it!”

“True,” Akaashi conceded and sat down next to Bokuto. They smiled at each other for a second, until Bokuto looked down to the volleyball he was still holding. He spun it around in his hands, threw it up gently and caught it again.

Akaashi took some photos as he watched Bokuto play with the ball. From this angle, sitting next to each other, the framing was quite close. It really looked like he was leaning over Bokuto’s shoulder, so close that they could touch, if they wanted.

Suddenly, Bokuto stopped and turned to Akaashi, his golden eyes inches from his face. “What do you wanna do next?”

For a second, Akaashi forgot the camera in his hands, getting lost in Bokuto’s gaze. His mind ran through all the things he wanted to do, sitting this close to his crush. Before the heat in his cheeks could give him away, Akaashi quickly stood up and mentally shook himself.

He looked around the room for something to focus on and chose the desk beside him. “Come and sit here,” he said, and Bokuto hopped off the bed to join him. “Just pretend to do some homework.”

“Really?” Bokuto looked up at him from his seat with a puzzled expression. “Isn’t that a bit boring?”

“It’s not about the homework,” Akaashi said simply. He didn’t have a better explanation than that, so he was glad when Bokuto shrugged and went along with it.

Akaashi took photos of Bokuto writing and doodling in a notebook. He had a bored expression on his face, but Akaashi found it rather interesting to look at. He told Bokuto to rest his chin on his hand, to lie his head on his desk, and to lean back in his chair.

Akaashi liked the photo of him leaning back, so he directed his movements a little more. One leg bent up, one leg stretched out. One hand holding the edge of the desk, one hand hanging down. He wanted Bokuto’s arm at a particular angle to get the balance looking right, so Akaashi took his wrist and moved it himself until it was perfect.

Posing Bokuto like this, Akaashi felt a strange sense of power. He could tell Bokuto to do almost anything and he would listen. How far could he push it? Would Bokuto let Akaashi touch his hands, his biceps, his chest, right over his heartbeat? Would it be beating as fast as his own?

“Woah!” Bokuto nearly slipped, still leaning back in his chair, and fell back into an upright position. “Sorry, did you get the photo?” he asked with a sheepish grin.

“Yes, that’s okay.” Akaashi brought his attention back to the reality in front of him.

He flipped back through the photos he had taken to see where he was at. Akaashi wasn’t sure about a lot of them, but he really did like the one of Bokuto leaning on the chair. Something about the way he was positioned reminded Akaashi of the shots of Bokuto in mid-air before a spike. Maybe he could lean into that more.

“Can you lean back on the chair again, but this time put your arm up?” Akaashi asked and Bokuto complied, leaning back and doing his best to be in the same place as before except with his free hand sticking up in the air.

“Like you’re about to hit a spike.”

Bokuto’s arm moved into the familiar position, just as Akaashi had hoped. The framing wasn’t quite perfect though, so Akaashi guided his hand into just the right place before he snapped a few photos.

Akaashi tried to think of some more volleyball parallels they could do in Bokuto’s room. He made Bokuto stand on a chair and touch the ceiling, evoking a tall block. Taking photos from a low angle, he could mirror the sense of scale and height from some of the photos in the gym.

He made Bokuto sit on the bed on his knees with his hands out like he was receiving a ball. Akaashi directed him so the movement gradually became more natural, like he was just leaning on his bed. Akaashi eventually got him to fully lie down like he was doing a diving receive, but he really just liked how the photo looked like Bokuto had just woken up, watching Akaashi with lidded eyes.

“Don’t look at the camera,” Akaashi said softly as he knelt beside Bokuto’s bed. As much as he liked the photos, he was more likely to use ones where Bokuto wasn’t looking directly into his eyes for the portfolio.

Bokuto’s eyes drew slowly away from Akaashi, trying to find something else to look at. Akaashi was having to remind him quite often to look away. Maybe he didn’t know what to do with his eyes, like how he didn’t know what to do with his body without any direction. Akaashi found it quite cute. Bokuto usually had an air of confidence around him at all times, but in this strange mix of familiar and unfamiliar environments, something was different.

They continued taking photos in different places around Bokuto’s room, reflecting different aspects of his daily life or volleyball or random things that Akaashi might ascribe meaning to later. Eventually, Akaashi had run out of ideas and sat down on the edge of the bed to flick through his photos.

“That’s probably enough for today,” he said, glancing up at Bokuto who was still watching him.

Taking the cue to join him, Bokuto sat down next to Akaashi and leaned over his shoulder to look at the photos too. The room was quiet as the photos rolled by and it made Akaashi uneasy. Usually, Bokuto was excited by the photos Akaashi took.

“What do you think?” he asked, keeping his voice as neutral as he could.

Bokuto leaned back, hesitating before he met Akaashi’s eyes. “They’re good.” He paused, tilting his head as he formulated his next thought. “I just… don’t really get why you want these kinds of photos when you have so many cool ones of me playing volleyball.”

Akaashi felt his heart drop. Even though it was irrational, even though it wasn’t the best thing for his portfolio, he wanted more than anything for Bokuto to like the photos. It wasn’t as if the kind of photos he took would influence whether Bokuto liked him back or not. But still, the whole reason he was doing this was because he had a crush on Bokuto.

He needed to explain, to make Bokuto understand. Akaashi was in love with him, that was why he liked these photos. Akaashi wanted to be closer to him, and this was his excuse. No, he couldn’t say any of that.

“It’s part of the story of my portfolio. I’m exploring the characters in a different context. I haven’t figured out exactly what the story is yet, but I’m hoping this will help.”

“Oh, I see.” Bokuto nodded like he was deep in thought. “Am I playing a character?”

“Well, it’s mostly just you, but an idealised version. I suppose.” Akaashi could see it was starting to become more than that, though.

“Are you a character, too?”

“Sort of. I’m not really a part of it, though. I’m just an observer.”

“Aw, but it would be more fun if you were in it!”

“That would be a bit difficult considering I’m the photographer as well.” Akaashi pointed out.

“True… but you did use Konoha’s hands to replace yours that one time.”

“I did…” Only out of necessity, though. Akaashi wouldn’t want to use someone else’s hands for… whatever this was. “I’ll consider it.” A non-committal answer would do for now.

“Good!” Bokuto smiled, taking the answer as a positive.

Akaashi was glad that Bokuto still seemed to be having a good time, even if he didn’t think the new set of photos were as cool as the others. He was glad to have an excuse to spend time with each other. Maybe, he could hope, that Bokuto was too.

They continued talking for a while, sitting in the same place beside each other. Bokuto eventually suggested they watch a movie, and Akaashi requested one of the ones from the posters on his wall so he could get to know what Bokuto liked better.

It turned out to be an action movie, full of drama and mystery with a happy ending. Akaashi enjoyed it well enough, but he was more interested in the soft warmth of the person beside him. Their hands seemed to get closer throughout the movie, but never touching. It was by coincidence of course – through small adjustments here and there – but Akaashi would be lying if he said he didn’t help fate along.

***

In art class the next week, Akaashi brought in his laptop so he could arrange his new set of photos alongside the old ones. He went through pairing up some of the ones that he had taken in Bokuto’s bedroom as parallels with the ones on the court. There were a few gaps that could be filled on the court side and Akaashi tried to think of some more for the bedroom side as well.

Akaashi still wasn’t sure if he was happy with the new direction of the test shoot, though. He had doubts, since Bokuto wasn’t as excited about these ones, but he didn’t want to let that stop him if it was actually a good idea. He didn’t feel like he could trust his own judgement. Did he just like these photos for what they represented – the two of them getting closer? Did he just like having a window into Bokuto’s home life, one that he could revisit whenever he wanted? Or was his idea actually worth something outside of that?

Akaashi threw together a rough collage of both the new and old photos to try to get a sense of how they felt together. He could start to see the vision coming together, but it wasn’t quite like he had imagined in his head. Maybe if the lighting was different, or if he could think of something more to add to the series in Bokuto’s room.

Yamada-sensei was making her way around the room checking up on the students’ progress and Akaashi caught her eye. Maybe her opinion would help him make up his mind.

“Akaashi-kun, how are you going?” Yamada-sensei asked when she made it to Akaashi’s desk.

“Well, I did a test shoot to try something different, but I’m not sure if I like it,” he explained, turning his laptop to show the teacher.

Yamada-sensei knelt down to have a closer look at the collage of photos. “Hmm, very interesting. I like that you’re trying something new. Can I see the rest of them?”

Akaashi opened the folder of the test shoot and slowly scrolled through them. He still wasn’t sure if she thought they were good or not. When they reached the end, Yamada-sensei paused before looking carefully at Akaashi.

“This is good, Akaashi-kun. I think you should explore this direction further. I’m getting a clearer picture of the observer character; what he sees, what he wants, what their relationship is like.”

The observer character? Akaashi had been trying to expand Bokuto’s character, but had he been inadvertently showing too much of himself in the process?

“Okay. Thank you for your feedback,” Akaashi said, keeping a polite smile on his face.

Yamada-sensei moved on to another student and Akaashi was left to reflect on his situation. If she had noticed some of Akaashi’s feelings through the photos, would others? Would Bokuto? Did Akaashi really want to leave himself open for anyone to read?

But Yamada-sensei did say that she liked the new direction. If it really was a good idea, maybe it was worth pursuing. Maybe Akaashi really wanted to pursue it, to see what would come next for this version of him and Bokuto.

***

Bokuto had asked if he could come over to Akaashi’s house the next weekend, insisting that it was only fair since Akaashi had already been to his. Akaashi had agreed of course, even though he was nervous to have Bokuto at his house.

It had been years since he had invited someone over, probably since elementary school. It felt strange asking his parents for permission, like they might interrogate him as to why he suddenly had someone he wanted to invite over, but they just agreed without asking any questions. They might have been a little surprised, but in a good way.

It had been a while since Akaashi had felt this close to someone. A best friend, or maybe something more one day. Explaining that to his parents was not going to be easy. But he would cross that bridge if he ever got to it.

Akaashi spent Saturday morning alternating between pacing around his room and lying on his bed staring at his phone, waiting for the time to pass. He had tidied his room at least five times over at this point. He had vacuumed the floor, wiped the dust off every surface, straightened all the books. Even Akaashi knew it was overkill – his room was already far more clean and tidy in its natural state than Bokuto’s, there was no way he would care if something was out of place. But Akaashi’s idle hands kept finding more things to move into drawers or furniture to straighten.

As their agreed upon time approached, Akaashi listened out for the doorbell, ready to answer it as soon as it rang. He waited and finally, three minutes after the hour, the doorbell rang. Within a second Akaashi was on his feet and running down the stairs, not wanting to leave a moment for his parents to think they should answer the door first.

After rounding the corner at the bottom of the stairs, he paused in front of the door to catch his breath. His heart was pounding fast from running, or the thought of seeing his crush, or both. Once he had composed himself, Akaashi reached forward and opened the door to reveal Bokuto standing outside.

“Hey!” Bokuto said, smiling when he saw Akaashi.

“Hi.” Akaashi smiled in return.

Bokuto stepped inside the house and took off his shoes before looking at Akaashi in anticipation. He was supposed to do something. Bokuto had shown him around the house when he had first visited.

“Follow me.” Akaashi willed his heart rate to go back to normal as he led the way to his room, pointing out the living room, kitchen and bathroom as they passed them.

When they made it up the stairs and to his bedroom, Akaashi opened the door and gestured for Bokuto to go in ahead. Closing the door behind them, Akaashi watched Bokuto closely as he looked around the room.

“Your room is so tidy,” Bokuto commented. There didn’t seem to be any positive or negative connotation to the observation, just something different, maybe even expected.

Akaashi looked around at his room again. Where before he had been looking for things to put back into place, now he just saw it as sterile and cold. He didn’t really have any decorations, nothing to show his personality. Compared to Bokuto’s room, it probably didn’t look lived in at all.

If Bokuto thought the same thing, he didn’t show any judgement. He looked at Akaashi’s things as if they were fascinating. He picked up the book on the top of the stack beside Akaashi’s bed and inspected the cover before putting it back slightly askew. Akaashi didn’t mind, though.

As Bokuto picked up other things, his touch left behind a trail of things out of their careful placements, bringing a bit of life back to the room. Akaashi decided that it looked better that way. Anything could be improved with Bokuto’s touch.

When Bokuto saw Akaashi’s camera sitting on his desk, he reached out his hand before looking back at Akaashi for permission. “Can I have a go?” he asked.

“Yeah, sure.” Akaashi took a few steps closer and pointed out the power button. “Press this one.” The screen lit up a second after Bokuto pressed it, then the floor underneath them appeared in the screen.

“You can look through the screen or the viewfinder here.” The default camera mode would probably be fine for Bokuto to use, so Akaashi pointed to the shutter button. “Hold this halfway down to focus, then fully to take the photo.”

Bokuto nodded, looking very serious as he carefully held the camera. He lifted the camera up to look through the screen and took a photo of the view of Akaashi’s room in front of him. Once he had figured it out, he looked for something more interesting to photograph. He turned to the window above Akaashi’s desk, taking a photo looking outside. Then he turned to Akaashi and took a photo of him.

Akaashi blinked, unprepared to suddenly be the subject of Bokuto’s photo. He probably looked strange, just his unfiltered self on the screen. Akaashi supposed that Bokuto had only seen him taking photos of people, so that must be why he thought of it.

“How do I see the photos I took?” Bokuto asked.

“Here.” Akaashi showed him what buttons to push to change to viewing mode, scroll through the photos, and go back to the camera mode. He saw the photo of himself alongside the others that Bokuto had taken so far. It was candid, but he did look awkward. It could be worse, Akaashi thought.

He stepped back to where he was standing before, and Bokuto lifted the camera again, still pointing at Akaashi. How many was he planning to take? Akaashi could feel heat rising in his face, he did not expect to be looked at so closely. He didn’t know how to hold himself or where to look or how to be normal in this situation. Was this how Bokuto felt when Akaashi took photos of him?

Akaashi put on a smile, trying to pose how he normally would for a photo. It wouldn’t be anything interesting, but it didn’t matter. These photos wouldn’t be used for anything. He would probably just delete them later.

After taking a few photos from front on, Bokuto moved to Akaashi’s left side. Akaashi turned to look at him, hoping he was finally moving on to something else.

“No, no, stay looking that way,” Bokuto directed.

“Right, sorry.” Akaashi smiled to himself as he turned back.

Bokuto circled around Akaashi, taking photos from high and low, turning the camera to strange angles as he went. He had a serious look on his face, sticking his tongue out like he was concentrating hard.

“What are you doing?” Akaashi laughed. The photos were sure to be blurry, unflattering messes.

“I’m being a cool professional photographer!” Bokuto paused to look at him like Akaashi was the one being silly. He took a few more, then sat down on Akaashi’s bed and started looking through the photos he had taken.

After a moment’s hesitation, Akaashi sat down beside him. He glanced at the screen as the photos of him flicked past, then up at Bokuto’s face. He watched Bokuto’s reactions to the photos; a small smile on his lips as he checked each one, his eyes bright with inspiration. Akaashi noticed his eyelashes as he blinked, the slight imperfections in his skin, the colour of his lips.

Bokuto suddenly moved, jolting Akaashi back to where they were. “You should send me these,” he said, lifting the camera up to take more.

Akaashi just stared for a second as Bokuto took another photo of him from the close distance they were sat apart from each other. He couldn’t control the heat rising to his face as he thought about Bokuto keeping the photos of him, pouring over every detail like Akaashi did with the ones of him. Why else would Bokuto want all these photos? Akaashi had come up with many excuses for his own reasons to want photos of Bokuto, but they were all second to his attraction. There must be legitimate reasons, Akaashi told himself. Bokuto must just be excited about taking photos on Akaashi’s camera, it didn’t matter what they were of.

Bokuto was so close to him, Akaashi wondered how much he could see through the camera. He felt watched, under the gaze of Bokuto’s lens. How did he look through Bokuto’s eyes? It felt almost… intimate. Akaashi wondered if it was all in his head, or if Bokuto could feel it too.

Bokuto moved the camera even closer to Akaashi’s face which was surely bright red by now. It wasn’t just Akaashi’s imagination, the camera really was so close that it was probably only capturing a small area of his face, and Bokuto kept moving closer still.

“Why are you so close to my face?” Akaashi asked, leaning back. Even though he wouldn’t mind Bokuto being so close in another context, it would be strange if he didn’t acknowledge it.

“I want to take a photo of your eye. I like your eyes. Stay still.”

Akaashi blinked, his face growing even hotter. Bokuto liked his eyes? A cold, blue-grey, Akaashi’s eyes were nothing like the bright golden ones that he liked to stare into. But Bokuto liked them. What else did he like about Akaashi?

He was frozen long enough for Bokuto to take a few close-ups of his eye before he couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t handle Bokuto looking at him like this. He was going to get carried away and think that Bokuto really liked him back.

“I think that’s enough for now.” Akaashi stood up quickly, willing his blush to go down.

“What? Really?” Bokuto sounded disappointed. He stood up to join Akaashi, still holding up the camera. “Just a few more?”

Akaashi shook his head, trying to control his expression. Stop smiling. Stop blushing. Just be neutral. He put his hand in front of the camera to block Bokuto’s view.

“Seriously, Bokuto-san.”

Bokuto lowered the camera enough to look at him directly. After a pause, he said “Alright,” and handed the camera back to Akaashi.

Akaashi turned off the camera and put it back in its place on his desk. He would have to ignore it for now, think about what was on there later.

“Do you want to watch a movie?” Akaashi asked, still staring at his desk so he didn’t have to face Bokuto yet. He needed something to distract himself.

“Okay,” Bokuto agreed.

Akaashi grabbed his laptop and sat back on the bed next to Bokuto. He let Bokuto look for something to watch and agreed with whatever he chose. It didn't really matter what they watched, Akaashi just needed to think about something other than how much he wished he could kiss Bokuto.

By the time the movie had finished, Akaashi was able to function normally again. They continued talking for a while until it was getting close to dinner time and Bokuto had to go home.

As they said goodbye, they lingered in the doorway for a moment and Akaashi wondered if Bokuto might hug him like he had seen him do with some of his other friends. The moment passed though, with nothing more than an awkward pause before Bokuto finally made a move to leave.

***

Later that night, Akaashi was sitting at his desk absentmindedly on his laptop. He glanced at his camera, calling for his attention out of the corner of his eye. He had been thinking about the photos non-stop since Bokuto left.

It shouldn’t have been that much different, Bokuto taking photos of him instead of the other way around. But Akaashi wasn’t used to being on the other side of the camera and the feelings that it had evoked in him. It was turning into something else in his head, something more overt. It was almost like this was their way of flirting, taking photos of each other.

He looked at his laptop, then back at his camera again. He had been avoiding looking at the photos, unsure what evidence he would find there. He would have to look eventually, to send them to Bokuto and then delete them or file them away somewhere in the depths of his hard drive.

Screw it, he thought, and popped the SD card out of the camera and into his laptop. The folder opened, and slowly all of the photos appeared on the screen. Akaashi found himself staring back at his own pixelated face of varying shades of red. He looked awkward in a lot of the photos, most of them really. The lighting and angles weren’t doing him any favours, either.

But the worst part was how obviously flustered he was. It started out with shy looks at the ground or just beyond the camera to where Bokuto would have been, then as his blush got progressively darker, he looked more embarrassed and hopelessly in love until the last two photos of his hand in front of the camera when he had told Bokuto to stop.

It couldn’t be more obvious, the photos were practically captioned with ‘Akaashi Keiji, 15, ginormous crush on Bokuto Koutarou’. Akaashi rested his forehead on his desk, hiding his face from the empty room. How was he supposed to send these photos to Bokuto without sending a confession right alongside? He wished he could just delete everything and pretend it never existed. But Bokuto had been there, he had already seen how Akaashi was acting in the moment. Was he already screwed, or did Bokuto not pay it any close attention? Would he look at the photos a second time and come to the same realisation Akaashi did?

He sighed as he sat back up straight in his chair. He needed a break. Akaashi minimised the folder, going back to the YouTube video he was watching before. The video played through to the end, and he felt himself calm down a little.

Akaashi tried again, going back to the SD card folder. This time, he imagined how Bokuto might look at the photos, without the prior knowledge of Akaashi’s obvious crush. He looked awkward and embarrassed, nothing was going to change that, but maybe it was just because he was uncomfortable on camera. Bokuto would be looking at how each photo came out, deciding on his favourites. Akaashi really hoped he wouldn’t show them to anyone else.

Some of the photos didn’t look too bad. Akaashi looked happy when Bokuto made him laugh – the more natural smiles were better than the fake posed ones. Most of the ones where Bokuto was spinning around Akaashi were blurry, but at least he was having fun. If it had been intentional, it could pass as an interesting artistic choice.

The close-ups of Akaashi’s eyes actually turned out pretty good. While the camera had trouble focusing on the closest ones, the ones that were slightly further away could be cropped and still show a lot of the details. Maybe some photos of Bokuto’s eyes could work well in his portfolio.

As Akaashi looked closer at the patterns of his iris, he noticed that there was a reflection visible. He could make out the camera, Bokuto’s hands, and his hair sticking out over the top. Bokuto, through Akaashi’s eyes. It was a bit on the nose, but really that was the heart of Akaashi’s portfolio.

The concept had been blurry before, but with Akaashi’s feelings and perspective starting to have a stronger influence, it was getting clearer. He hesitated to commit to it though; he never intended for the theme to get so personal. But maybe if he could turn this idea into a narrative, let it guide his decisions, the portfolio might be stronger in the end.

Akaashi went over the photos once more, picking out the best ones to send to Bokuto. There was only so much editorialising he could do before Bokuto might notice some were missing, but he didn’t need all the repeats and unflattering angles. There were still plenty of him blushing, though.

Under Bokuto’s gaze, Akaashi was a mess. It didn’t seem fair that he would get to have these photos when Akaashi didn’t have any of Bokuto being flustered. Why didn’t Bokuto react the same way? Did he not feel the intimacy that Akaashi felt being in front of the camera?

It was most likely just that Bokuto didn’t like him the way that Akaashi did, so it didn’t affect him. He didn’t blush or get nervous around Akaashi. Bokuto was just helping with Akaashi’s portfolio or playing around when they hung out together as friends do. Bokuto was used to being the centre of attention, he liked to stand out. So this wasn’t anything special to him.

All that Akaashi wanted was to be special to Bokuto.

Chapter Text

As the humid heat of summer started to cool down, Fukurodani were starting to gear up for the Spring Tournament qualifiers. They had a practice match with Nekoma one afternoon, the first one where Akaashi was starting as the official setter. He was nervous to say the least – taking this as a chance to prove himself before his first official match.

When the other team arrived in the gym, Bokuto ran over to talk to his friends while Akaashi stayed behind. He continued warming up, trying to keep his head clear and focused for the game. He could do this. He just needed to not mess it up.

“Akaashi!” Bokuto called his name from across the court, waving at him to come over.

Akaashi hesitated, he didn’t think a distraction would help him right now, but he couldn’t ignore Bokuto. He sighed, giving in and crossing the court to join them. Bokuto smiled at him as he approached and briefly touched Akaashi’s shoulder in greeting, leaving a warm sensation on his skin.

“We were just talking about you!” Bokuto said, as if that explained why Akaashi was there.

“Really?” He glanced between Bokuto, Kuroo and Kenma, shifting uncomfortably under all the eyes on him.

“Yeah! I told them this is your first practice match as official setter.”

Oh, right. It seemed silly now that he thought about it, but Akaashi had assumed that no one else would really care about this milestone except for him, unless to critique his performance. But Bokuto was paying attention.

“I wanted to say good luck,” Kuroo said in a rare moment of sincerity. “Even though we’re still going to do all we can to defeat you. Right, Kenma?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Kenma rolled his eyes at his boyfriend. “But seriously, though, good luck. And don’t be too hard on yourself.”

“Thank you,” Akaashi said, and he really did appreciate it. Kenma was a first-year setter too, even though he had been the official setter since the first time they had played against Fukurodani. He must understand somewhat, the pressure that Akaashi was feeling.

“Don’t worry, Akaashi’s the greatest, so you’ll be no match for us!” Bokuto stood proudly with his hands on his hips.

“No pressure, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said sarcastically, trying to not let the full extent of his anxiety show.

“Sorry.” Bokuto smiled sheepishly. Akaashi would probably let anything slide for that smile.

“So, how’s your photography going, Akaashi?” Kuroo asked, changing the subject.

Akaashi tensed. He didn’t really want to talk about his photography when he was unsure of the direction it was going, especially not when Kuroo was bound to tease him about it. Why couldn’t he just step back and listen to someone else talk about themselves instead?

“It’s going alright. I got a good grade on my first assignment.” Akaashi kept his answer short and vague.

“Yeah! We just took some more photos, too!” Bokuto had to pipe in with more details.

“Oh cool. More of you playing volleyball?” Kuroo asked.

“No, we just went to my house.”

Akaashi looked at Bokuto in a way that he hoped communicated please don’t say any more. Don’t mention that you came over to my house and took photos of me, too. Don’t mention how much I was blushing.

“Did you now?” Kuroo asked in a teasing tone directed at Bokuto and thankfully not Akaashi. If anyone could see his motivations behind the photos, it would be Kuroo. Akaashi vowed to never let him see them.

“Yeah, it was fun! Right, Akaashi?” Bokuto asked, seemingly oblivious to Kuroo’s teasing.

“Yes.”

Kuroo hummed, eyeing the two of them suspiciously. Akaashi wasn’t sure what he was thinking; he couldn’t have enough information to know the extent of the situation or Akaashi’s feelings… could he?

“Alright, let’s go get ready for the game.” Kuroo suddenly broke the staring contest between them and put his hand on Kenma’s back. The pair turned around to join the rest of their team, leaving an awkward air between Akaashi and Bokuto.

“I guess we should get ready, too,” Bokuto said, and Akaashi nodded in agreement.

They went back to their teammates and joined them for a few more minutes of warm-ups before they were ready to start. As the players got into their starting positions, Bokuto crossed paths with Akaashi, catching his eye.

“You’re gonna be great,” he said, like it was the surest thing in the world.

Akaashi held his gaze for a moment, not wanting to let go. In that moment he really felt Bokuto’s trust in him and Akaashi wanted to give him all his trust in return. Together, they could take on the world.

The whistle blew to signal the start of the game and Akaashi returned his focus to the task at hand. The first few points were slow and steady, evenly spread across both teams as they got warmed up. Akaashi had been working with his teammates for a while now, even though he hadn’t always been the starting setter, so he knew how each of them played. He hoped he could bring out the best in each of them, but he knew that they probably hadn’t reached their highest potential yet.

They were still good – they were Fukurodani after all. Bokuto was in excellent form, too, scoring hit after hit. Akaashi tried to keep an even balance between all the spikers, but the way that Bokuto glowed after each time he hit a spike made Akaashi want to go back for more every time. Sometimes, Bokuto would turn to him after a spike and give him a high-five. Bokuto would squeeze his hand tight, and they would linger like that for just a little longer than normal.

Maybe Akaashi was imagining the spark of energy between them, but it motivated him to keep pushing further. He could nearly reach the stars if he tried hard enough. As he watched Bokuto play, when they caught each other’s eyes, the only thing in the world that Akaashi wanted was to be by his side.

The game flashed by in a whirl of spinning volleyballs and jumps and sweat, and before Akaashi realised, they had won. He heard cheers and whoops from his teammates and suddenly he was surrounded by people patting him on the back. Even Kuroo and Kenma looked across the net with reluctant smiles.

“Awesome first practice match as official setter, Akaashi!” Komi cheered.

“Thank you,” Akaashi breathed with a smile.

“I told you that you’d be amazing.” Bokuto smiled brightly at him. Akaashi was lucky to have such an incredible ace to bring out the best in him, in all of them. Bokuto really could be dependable when he needed to be.

Akaashi reflected on how much progress he had made since taking over the official setter role, not just physically, but with the team dynamic as a whole. Providing a supportive environment for Bokuto really had a positive impact on the team, bringing everyone’s energy up to match his. Akaashi felt vindicated. He wished Morioka was here to see this. But that would have to wait for an official match, and there was plenty of work to do before then.

After a quick debrief from the coach, everyone was free to go home. Akaashi turned to Bokuto out of habit, expecting that he would want to stay for extra practice. He wasn’t looking back at Akaashi though, instead he was attempting to catch Kuroo’s eye before Nekoma left.

Bokuto sighed in exasperation after his attempts at silent communication failed. Turning back to Akaashi briefly, he grabbed his arm to pull him along.

“Come on!” Bokuto said as he ran across the gym. He called out to Kuroo, waving his arm dramatically.

Kuroo laughed when he saw them approach. “Yes, hello? Did you need something?”

“I was trying…” Bokuto leaned his hands on his knees as he caught his breath, “to get your attention.”

“I can see that.” Kuroo smirked and waited for Bokuto to continue.

“Do you wanna hang out this weekend? All four of us?”

“Sure, bro.” Kuroo replied, then turned to Kenma for his response. It looked like he hadn’t been paying attention to the conversation, but he shrugged in a way that must have meant yes, because Kuroo nodded in confirmation. Akaashi didn’t understand their communication style in the slightest, but it seemed to work for them.

“You’re coming too, right Akaashi?” Bokuto’s eyes shone with excitement, and Akaashi couldn’t say no to that.

“Okay.” He had only just started hanging out with Bokuto on the weekend and now he was being invited alongside his other friends. Was that a good sign?

“Great! There’s this arcade in Shibuya I’ve been wanting to go to.”

“That sounds fun,” Kuroo agreed, “and Kenma will like the games, right?”

“Yeah,” Kenma said quietly, looking up briefly at his boyfriend.

Kuroo and Kenma started to head towards the door as the rest of their team were gathering outside the gym. Bokuto walked alongside them, continuing to talk about his plans, Akaashi following close behind.

“Looks like we have to go now,” Kuroo said, as the Nekoma players started boarding the bus to head back to their school.

“Aw, okay,” Bokuto deflated. “See you later.”

Akaashi stood beside Bokuto as they watched their friends get on the bus and waved them off as they departed. Bokuto turned to Akaashi, still looking a bit disappointed.

“I guess we should go home, too.”

Akaashi nodded and followed Bokuto in the direction of the clubroom. He wondered why Bokuto didn’t ask to do extra practice with him. It wasn’t like they couldn’t do any if Kuroo and Kenma went home, and playing a practice match wasn’t usually enough to tire Bokuto out completely.

Maybe he was just in a bad mood because he didn’t get to see his friends for very long. Maybe Akaashi alone wasn’t good enough. What was it going to be like hanging out with them all on the weekend? Akaashi wasn’t really friends with Kuroo and Kenma, did Bokuto actually want him there?

He tried not to dwell on it too much as they got changed and started making their way home. Bokuto had invited him, so he must want Akaashi to be there. Despite the awkwardness of their weekend hang outs so far, they had still been fun. It would be fine. Probably.

***

The days passed by quickly, hardly giving Akaashi enough time to emotionally prepare for the big event. He arrived a bit too early at their meeting spot outside Shibuya station, waiting around while nervously fiddling with his phone. Did he look strange standing here? What exactly was going to happen on their day out? Akaashi had never been to an arcade before, so he didn’t really know what to expect.

When he glanced up from his phone once more, Akaashi could see Kuroo and Kenma in the distance. He put his phone in his pocket and corrected his posture, trying to look natural.

“Hey, Akaashi.” Kuroo waved to him when they were close enough.

“Hello,” Akaashi responded politely.

Kuroo and Kenma joined him standing against the wall. Akaashi avoided making awkward eye contact by continuing to look in the direction of the station exit.

“Have you been waiting long?” Kuroo asked.

“Not really.” He had been waiting for around fifteen minutes already, but it was his own fault for arriving so early.

A few more minutes passed with occasional awkward small talk as they waited for Bokuto, the centre of their social group, to arrive. Finally, Akaashi saw the familiar black and white spiked hair appear in the crowd of people.

“Hey hey hey! Everyone’s here!” Bokuto cheered.

“Hey, man.” Kuroo greeted his friend with a smile and something halfway between a hug and a handshake.

“Let’s go to the arcade, this way!” Bokuto pointed down the street and got everyone moving. He hung back though, letting Kuroo and Kenma go first so he could catch Akaashi’s eye with a smile.

Bokuto’s warm hand was suddenly on Akaashi’s back, gently nudging him forward. They ended up walking in two sets of two down the footpath, Bokuto making cheery conversation and pointing out directions as they went. Akaashi was already feeling better now that Bokuto was there.

Before long, they arrived at a tall, unassuming building. If not for Bokuto’s excitement, Akaashi wouldn't have thought there was anything special beyond the simple lobby with a floor map and a few machines lining the walls.

Bokuto went up to one of the machines and took out a thousand-yen bill from his wallet. After feeding it into the machine, a handful of hundred-yen coins clinked into the tray below.

“Does anyone else need coins?” Bokuto asked, stepping aside to free up the machine.

“Yeah, we’ll probably need more,” Kuroo said. He put a couple of notes into the machine and Kenma emptied the exchanged coins into a coin purse.

Akaashi took out his wallet too; if everyone else was getting coins he probably should as well. Bokuto stood beside him while he used the machine. Luckily it was pretty straightforward, so Akaashi couldn’t mess up and embarrass himself while his crush was watching.

“Alright! Which floor do we wanna go to first?” Bokuto clapped his hands and looked closely at the floor guide.

“The third floor has the best games,” Kenma said after briefly scanning the guide.

“Yeah… but I wanna see what they have in the claw machines.” Bokuto tapped his chin as he considered the options. “What do you think, Akaashi?”

“Oh, um,” Akaashi fumbled. Bokuto was staring at him. “I don’t know, I’ve never really been to an arcade before.”

“What?” Bokuto’s jaw dropped. “Never?” Akaashi shook his head. “Well, we have to make the most of it then. You need to have the best time ever!”

“Okay…” Akaashi gave an apprehensive smile.

“I guess we should play some games first then,” Bokuto decided, “We can look at the claw machines after.”

The others seemed to be happy with that decision, so they headed up the stairs to the third floor. As they got closer, Akaashi could hear the mixture of music and sound effects and voices grow louder. He stepped through the door behind Bokuto and suddenly they were in another world.

The dimly lit room was filled with colourful screens and flashing buttons and people all around. The game machines were packed in closely together in such a way that it looked like the room went on forever with something to be discovered around every corner. It was all a bit overwhelming, so Akaashi was glad that he had some experienced friends to show him what to do.

Bokuto smiled at Akaashi, watching his reaction. “Alright, what game should we play first?” he considered, looking around the room. “Mario Kart?”

“Okay,” Akaashi agreed. He was familiar with the game, though he had only played a few times at friends’ houses as a kid.

The arcade version looked a lot more impressive than any home console set up, with a whole steering wheel, accelerator and brake for each player. Bokuto rushed to claim his seat in the middle, leaving one space to his left and two to his right. Kuroo and Kenma took the two seats next to each other, leaving Akaashi on the end beside Bokuto.

They each put a coin into the machine and selected their characters and cars before they were ready to start the game. It took Akaashi a little while to get used to the controls; he was mostly focusing on not crashing into things on the track. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Bokuto’s exaggerated movements, leaning to the side around the bends, loudly reacting to all the ups and downs of his race.

After three loops around the track, Kenma came in first place, Bokuto in third, Kuroo close behind in fourth, and Akaashi trailing in eighth.

“So close!” Kuroo cried. “I’ll get you next time, bro.”

“We’ll see about that!” Bokuto accepted the challenge and put in another coin for a rematch.

Bokuto leaned over to Akaashi’s side to try to give him some advice before the next game started, but Akaashi had a hard time processing it all. Aside from the jumble of information, Akaashi was more distracted by the attention on him, and by Bokuto’s excited expression lit up in neon colours from the screens in front of them.

They played a few more rounds, and Akaashi slowly crept up from his low ranking, even getting a respectable third place one time. Kenma won all of the games except for one where Kuroo hit him with a blue shell right before the finish line, which earned him a punch in the arm. Akaashi had heard that Kenma liked games, but this was the first time he realised how good Kenma really was. Bokuto and Kuroo seemed to have a long-standing rivalry as they spent most of their energy competing for second place and yelling at each other. Akaashi found it quite endearing, reminding him of their competitiveness at the training camps.

Once they had played enough of Mario Kart, Bokuto looked around the arcade for another game. He was drawn to a drumming rhythm game, Taiko no Tatsujin, one that Akaashi had heard of but never played. It was a two-player game, so Bokuto and Akaashi played first while Kuroo and Kenma watched from the side.

Bokuto handed Akaashi a pair of drumsticks and explained how each of the symbols corresponded to hits on the drum. Bokuto scrolled through the list and picked a song, then they were thrown into the game.

The drum symbols rolled across the screen, slow at first but soon picking up speed. Akaashi did his best to match the rhythm, but he was getting a lot of ‘OK’s and a few misses throughout the song. It was fun though, especially as Bokuto was really getting into it and adding some flare to his drumbeats.

The song finished, and the screen announced their scores. Akaashi 73%, Bokuto 88%. Not bad for a first try, Akaashi thought.

“Do you guys want to have a go?” Bokuto offered his drumsticks to his friends.

“No, that’s okay, you two can keep playing,” Kuroo said. “I think Kenma wants to look at some other games.”

“Oh, okay. We’ll catch up later then?”

“Yeah. See you soon.”

Kenma dragged Kuroo by the arm towards another game, an eager look in his eyes that Akaashi had never seen before.

“Well, just us then!” Bokuto smiled brightly.

“Yeah.” Akaashi’s heart skipped a beat. Spending time alone with Bokuto was one thing, he should be used to it by now, but Akaashi would never get over how Bokuto would smile at him when they did.

They played a few more songs on the Taiko game and Akaashi felt like he had gotten the hang of it by the end. Bokuto wanted to play some other games too, so Akaashi happily followed him around the arcade watching him play and occasionally having a turn himself.

While Bokuto was having a pretty good run on a space invader style game, Kuroo and Kenma joined back up with them.

“Hey, how’re you going?” Kuroo asked, making Bokuto jump.

“Hey! You ruined my game!” Bokuto attempted to continue for a few seconds before giving up and letting his character die.

“Sorry,” Kuroo grinned, not apologetic in the slightest.

Bokuto pouted. “You saw how well I was doing, right Akaashi?”

“Yes, Bokuto-san. It was a very impressive run.” Akaashi obliged, happy to see that his comment cheered Bokuto up slightly.

“Well…” Kuroo glanced between them. “Kenma wanted to play a dancing rhythm game, but I don’t want to embarrass myself and break an ankle. Do either of you two want to play?”

“I’ll play!” Bokuto volunteered, and Akaashi was happy to let him take the opportunity. Breaking an ankle didn’t sound fun.

Kenma led them to the other side of the arcade where there was a large machine with arrows on two dancing pads set up like a stage. Akaashi hadn’t expected Kenma to be interested in something so attention-grabbing.

Bokuto and Kenma each took their places on the stages and inserted some coins to start the game. Kenma seemed to have a specific song in mind, so Bokuto let him choose. Kenma set his side to the highest difficulty, while Bokuto went for a medium level.

The music started playing and arrows rolled across the screen like the drumming game, but this one seemed a lot harder. It was a totally different skill set. Bokuto was barely keeping up with his, but Kenma’s screen looked insane. His feet were moving so fast that Akaashi wouldn’t be able to tell if he was hitting the right arrows if not for the screen lighting up with positive messages.

“He’s good, right?” Kuroo smiled smugly at Akaashi’s reaction.

“Yeah.” There was no denying it; it was genuinely impressive.

“He’s got the perfect mix of gaming concentration and athletic ability.”

The song was over in a couple of fast-paced minutes and the scored tallied up on the screens. Bokuto did pretty well on his medium difficulty, but Kenma had an impressive 96%. He didn’t look happy though. He clicked his tongue, unsatisfied with anything less than perfect.

“Can we try again?” Kenma asked.

“Sure,” Bokuto agreed. “But do you even need me here? We’re on totally different levels.”

“I don’t want to do it by myself,” Kenma muttered as he selected the restart button.

Akaashi and Kuroo watched as they did the same song a few more times. Bokuto increased his difficulty to hard, getting slightly closer to Kenma’s level, but he had no chance of ever catching up. Only when Kenma was satisfied with his score did they pick a different song to try.

Akaashi glanced at Kuroo beside him. He watched Kenma play with a soft smile, one that showed how proud he was of his boyfriend. Despite how impressive Kenma’s skills were, Akaashi couldn’t help being drawn to watching Bokuto move instead. He felt the same kind of fondness in his heart that he had seen in Kuroo’s eyes. Perhaps, from an outside perspective, there wouldn’t be any difference between them.

When the song ended, Bokuto slumped down to the ground, sweaty and out of breath like he had just been practicing spikes for an hour. Kenma looked exhausted too but gripped onto the handrail with a fierce determination.

“One more try,” Kenma said, reaching for a coin with a shaky hand.

“No, have mercy!” Bokuto cried. “I can’t keep up anymore.”

Bokuto pulled himself up off the stage and joined Akaashi and Kuroo on the sidelines. After a moment of hesitation, Kenma sighed and joined them as well.

“Why can you play volleyball for hours with no problem, but ten minutes of dancing knocks you out cold?” Kuroo laughed, and Akaashi couldn’t help chuckling as well.

“You’re so mean! And Akaashi, you don’t even back me up?”

“Sorry, Bokuto-san, but he’s not wrong.”

Bokuto folded his arms and glared at both of them, but there was no real anger behind his eyes.

“This game requires a lot of mental effort as well as physical,” Kenma piped up, collapsing against Kuroo’s side. “That’s why it gets tiring so fast.”

“Are you saying that I don’t put any mental effort into volleyball?”

Kenma shrugged. “I don’t know… it’s just different.”

“Hmph, whatever.” Bokuto pouted, trying to change the subject. “Can we look at the claw machines now?”

“Sure,” Kuroo agreed.

Akaashi was happy to go along with whatever, so he followed Bokuto and the others down to the first floor where the claw machines were.

This room was much more brightly lit, with rows packed full of machines snaking up and down the room. Bokuto walked down the first row, scoping out what goods were inside. He stopped at one, and Akaashi caught up to see what he had found.

There were a bunch of keyrings of different characters lined up in a grid. Akaashi didn’t recognise what they were from, but some of them looked similar to ones that he had seen in Bokuto’s room.

After inspecting the keychains closely, Bokuto put a coin into the machine and gave it a go. He used the controls to move the claw to the right, stopping precisely where he wanted. He then moved the claw up the grid to the keychain he wanted and let go of the controller.

“Damn it, too far!” Bokuto cursed. It seemed like the machine wouldn’t let him correct, he only had one chance. He sighed and pushed a button which made the claw move forward and hook up to grab a keychain, only it was a bit too high and to the left for it to catch onto anything.

“You were so close, Bokuto-san. I’m sure you can get it if you try again,” Akaashi encouraged.

Bokuto looked at him with a determined expression and nodded firmly. He inserted another coin, took a deep breath, and placed his hand on the controller. He was silent as he moved the claw sideways, focusing all his energy. Akaashi didn’t dare breath either. The claw moved up and Bokuto stopped it right at the loop of the keychain. He pushed the final button and stepped back, still tense right up until the keychain was hooked onto the claw and dropped to the tray below.

“Yes!” Bokuto cheered and excitedly retrieved his prize from the machine. He held up the keychain of a stylised chibi character for Akaashi to see with a big smile on his face.

“Well done, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi smiled back.

Bokuto looked very pleased with himself as he went back to looking at the machines. As he passed Kuroo, he showed off his keychain again, though Akaashi was pretty sure Kuroo and Kenma had been watching too.

“Nice, bro,” Kuroo said with a grin. Once Bokuto had passed, Kuroo met Akaashi’s eyes for a second. He gave a look that was probably supposed to mean something, but Akaashi didn’t know what.

Kenma drew back Kuroo’s attention with a machine he was interested in, and Akaashi followed Bokuto around the corner to the second row, where he had found another machine.

“Akaashi! Come look!”

When Akaashi got closer, he saw that this machine was a drop-down claw with a collection of boxes inside. They appeared to be small animal figurines holding various fruits in a cute cartoonish style that would fit right in with Bokuto’s collection.

“Look, there’s an owl with an apple on its head!” Bokuto excitedly pointed out a box in the middle of the pile.

“Oh, yes.” Akaashi leaned closer to get a better look. “It’s very cute.”

Bokuto looked happy with Akaashi’s approval. “Okay, I’m gonna get it,” he said determinedly.

Bokuto shook out the last few coins in his wallet and put two into the machine. He positioned the claw as accurately as he could and waited for it to stop swinging to check. After pushing the button, the claw dropped down and knocked into the side of the box but didn't close around it.

“Ah, too far to the left!” Bokuto frowned at the machine. “I need more coins, too.”

He looked around for the nearest place to exchange coins and found one in the middle of the row. It was a good business model, Akaashi thought. Easy access to change all your money into coins, 200 yen per try on the bigger machines. Most people would probably spend more money than the prizes were worth.

Back with another handful of coins, Bokuto was ready to try again. He lined up the claw, looking from every angle possible to make sure it was exactly where he wanted it. He tentatively pushed the button to drop the claw, and it clipped the corner of the box, not enough to pick it up.

“No!” Bokuto cried, gripping his hair in his hands.

Akaashi watched him try again a few more times, always close but he could never seem to get the right angle to pick up the box for more than a brief second. Akaashi tried to think of some advice to give, but he was no expert by any means. Maybe they needed to try a different approach.

“Bokuto-san, how about if you try moving the one next to it out of the way? Then you might be able to get a better grip.”

Bokuto’s eyes lit up. “That’s a good idea! Let’s try it.”

Putting another 200 yen into the machine, Bokuto lined up the claw again, aiming for the box next to the owl that he wanted. This time, when the claw dropped down, it grabbed onto the side of the box and lifted it slightly before it slipped out of the claw’s grip.

It had certainly changed the positioning of the boxes, but Akaashi didn’t know whether it would be that helpful or not. Bokuto seemed more confident though, as he took another try at the owl. He nudged the claw into place, checked the angle from all sides of the machine, and pushed the button.

Bokuto stepped back, closer to Akaashi, as he watched the claw drop down. It closed around the top half of the box and slowly lifted it into the air. Akaashi could hear Bokuto take in a sharp breath and felt him press into his shoulder. The box swayed back and forth with the movement of the claw, threatening to fall at any moment. Bokuto kept holding his breath until the box finally made it over to the side and dropped into the tray.

“Woohoo!” Bokuto jumped up with his hands in the air. “Akaashi, you’re a genius!”

Heat rose in Akaashi’s cheeks at the compliment, and he was glad for a moment to compose himself while Bokuto collected his prize. He hadn’t really contributed anything, it was Bokuto’s skill at the game that had made him win, if not just pure luck. But just like in volleyball, Bokuto insisted on giving Akaashi at least half the credit. He really didn’t need to do it, Akaashi was happy with Bokuto being the star, but it did make his heart spin.

Having retrieved his prize from the machine, Bokuto turned back to Akaashi to show him.

“Ta-da!” He held up the box with a big smile.

“Well done, Bokuto-san.” Akaashi smiled softly.

They held eye contact for a moment longer, and if Akaashi believed his runaway mind, it almost looked like they could have kissed. If there was any possibility Bokuto liked him back, that is.

“Hey guys.” Kuroo’s voice came from the end of the row.

Their eyes broke apart as they were distracted by the sound. Kuroo and Kenma walked towards them, Kenma holding a small collection of things from the claw machines.

“Hey, there you are!” Bokuto ran a few steps to catch up to them and showed off his prize. “Look what I got!”

“Nice! Kenma got a few things too.”

Bokuto leaned in to see what Kenma got, and Akaashi caught up with them so he could see the collection of prizes as well.

“Looks like we both had success!” Bokuto said. “Is there anything else you guys want to see here, or maybe we could get lunch?”

“I’m keen to get lunch,” Kuroo said, and Kenma nodded as well.

“Akaashi?” Bokuto turned to him.

“Sure,” he agreed.

“Alright, let’s go!” Bokuto led the way to the stairs and down to the exit of the arcade. They walked down the street, looking for somewhere to have lunch. There were plenty of options in the middle of Shibuya, so something soon caught Bokuto’s eye.

“Ooh, how about ramen? This place is really good!”

“Sounds good to me,” Kuroo said.

Everyone seemed to be in agreement, so they went inside and had a look at the menu. After each putting their orders in at the ticketing machine by the front, they looked for a place to sit.

There was a free booth towards the back of the restaurant, so Bokuto went ahead to claim it. Akaashi hung behind, letting Kuroo and Kenma take the seats opposite, then he took the last open seat next to Bokuto.

“So, Akaashi,” Bokuto turned to him, “Did you have fun at the arcade?”

“I did.” Even though he wasn’t that good at the games, Akaashi did have a good time seeing what it was like and watching Bokuto have fun. If he could contribute even a little to Bokuto’s happiness, Akaashi was happy. It was nice to hang out with Kuroo and Kenma for the first time outside volleyball, too.

“Great! We should go again sometime,” Bokuto smiled brightly, and a small smile crept onto Akaashi face as he nodded in response.

“Yeah, it was fun, bro,” Kuroo added, “A great idea for a double date.”

Akaashi tensed. Even if he might want to imagine something similar, those thoughts weren’t supposed to be said aloud.

“What?” Bokuto looked at Kuroo in shock. He turned back to Akaashi, his face going red and his hands up in defence. “I didn’t… that wasn’t my intention, really!” he stammered. “Kuroo! Why would you say that?”

“Relax, man. I was just joking.” Kuroo’s grin dropped a little, maybe his joke didn’t get the reaction he was expecting.

Bokuto let out an exasperated breath and looked down, his face still red. Akaashi didn’t know where to look. At the table. At Bokuto, embarrassed by the implication of Kuroo’s comment. He never got embarrassed. Akaashi’s mind wanted to jump to every possible conclusion, but there was no way… was there?

“I need to go to the bathroom,” Bokuto mumbled.

It took Akaashi a second to realise that he needed to move for Bokuto to get out of the booth. He stood up robotically and stared at Bokuto as he got up and disappeared behind the bathroom door.

Akaashi sat back down, staring at the table as his mind raced. What if Bokuto was disgusted by the idea, embarrassed to even consider the possibility? But if not – and he hadn’t shown any negative feelings about gay people before – then could he be embarrassed because there was some truth to it?

Akaashi glanced at Kuroo and Kenma, still sitting across from him.

“Do you think I went too far?” Kuroo quietly asked Kenma.

“Maybe.”

Kuroo smiled sheepishly at Akaashi. “Sorry.”

Akaashi decided to try to play it off. Kuroo had been pretty reasonable so far today, so maybe he wouldn’t keep pushing. “You don’t need to apologise to me,” Akaashi said. If the comment was directed to Bokuto, it shouldn’t bother him.

Kuroo hummed, like his response was very interesting. That was probably a bad sign. Kuroo glanced at Kenma, then back at Akaashi with a glint in his eye. “So… do you like him?”

Shit. Akaashi froze. He really didn’t want to answer that question. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Come on. You know.” Kuroo stared him down.

Akaashi sighed and folded his arms, trying to make himself smaller. “It’s really none of your business, Kuroo-san.” Akaashi could only imagine what Kuroo would do with that information. He had probably already given away too much from his reluctance to answer.

“Well, he’s my best friend, so I think it does fall under my business.”

Akaashi didn’t know how to respond, so he looked in the direction of the bathroom door. Now would be a great time for Bokuto to come back.

“Kuroo, just leave it,” Kenma said quietly.

“Okay, fine. You don’t have to tell me.” Kuroo put up his hands and Akaashi felt safe enough to make eye contact again. “I’m just saying… I think you two would be cute together.”

What did Kuroo know, exactly? He and Bokuto were good friends, it wouldn’t be unlikely that they would tell each other about their crushes if they had any. But why would he say something in front of Akaashi if Bokuto would react like that? And why would Kuroo be trying to get something out of Akaashi if he already knew how Bokuto felt? Akaashi still couldn’t seriously entertain the possibility that Bokuto might like him back, so what else could it be?

Movement drew Akaashi’s eyes to the bathroom door, and Bokuto finally emerged. Akaashi stood up to let him get back to his seat and noted that he seemed to have calmed down. His face was back to its normal colour, but it was still awkward at the table. Akaashi much preferred this to being questioned by Kuroo, though.

Luckily, it didn’t take much longer for their food to arrive, and the lack of conversation could be explained by them being distracted by their noodles.

Akaashi paid half attention to the pair across from him, for lack of anything better to look at. Kenma swapped the toppings he didn’t like into Kuroo’s bowl, taking an extra egg in return. They shared a drink between them, without even having discussed it when they ordered. Akaashi couldn’t tell for sure, but it looked like they were holding hands under the table.

Akaashi glanced at Bokuto beside him. If he really did like him back, maybe they could do some of those things. Would Bokuto ever reach out and take his hand?

A double date. Kuroo’s words echoed in his mind. Now that he had time to really think about it, it did feel like one. They were going out together, but Kuroo and Kenma were doing their couple-y things, and Akaashi felt like he and Bokuto were getting closer too. All those smiles directed at each other, everything else fading into the background.

Could he really dare to hope that he wasn’t the only one feeling it?

By the time they had finished lunch, the conversation had picked back up to normal with Bokuto and Kuroo bantering and the occasional comment from Akaashi and Kenma. They left the restaurant and headed back to the train station, ready to go home after an eventful day. Kuroo and Kenma were on a different train line, so they said goodbye where they needed to turn off.

Bokuto and Akaashi walked side by side to their train platform. Everything seemed normal, like it could have been any day going home from school together. But maybe normal wasn’t enough anymore.

Shibuya station was always busy on the weekend, so there were no free seats when they got on their train. They stood close to each other, holding on to the handles as the train started to move.

Akaashi let his eyes wander around the carriage. All these people, going about their business, but the person in front of him was the only one that really mattered. Bokuto had the owl figurine tucked under his arm, still safe in its box. There was a light sprinkling of hair across his strong arm, and Akaashi could picture the other muscles hidden beneath his t-shirt.

He looked away. He didn’t want Bokuto to notice him staring. But if Bokuto did like Akaashi back… how would he react if he noticed?

The train continued passing through the stations, people getting on and off around them. They stayed quiet to match the volume of the crowded train, until the speaker announced Akaashi’s station next. Bokuto looked up at the screen displaying the station name, then back at Akaashi.

“I might get off here with you and walk the rest of the way,” he said.

“Okay.” Akaashi was happy to see Bokuto for a little bit longer.

The train soon slowed to a stop and the doors slid open. Akaashi weaved through the crowd of people off the train, Bokuto following behind. Once they were out in the open space of the station, Bokuto skipped a couple of steps up to Akaashi’s side. Bokuto filled the silence with chatter as they walked the few minutes from the station to Akaashi’s house. It would have been faster for him to walk down the main road to get home, but it seemed like he was going to walk all the way to Akaashi’s house with him.

They paused when they reached the front of Akaashi’s house. They would have to say goodbye now. Unless Bokuto wanted to come inside for a bit. He was looking at Akaashi, hesitating like he wanted to say something.

“Um,” Bokuto started, eyes darting between Akaashi and the ground. “This is for you.” He held out the owl figurine that he had been carefully looking after all day.

“What?” Akaashi reflexively held out his hand but hesitated to take the box. “But… you spent so long trying to get it.”

“Yeah,” Bokuto sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. “I thought you would like it when I saw it. And I already have lots of stuff like this, but I thought you might like to have something cute to decorate your room.”

Akaashi smiled. Bokuto was so sweet. He took the box and looked at the little owl with its head tilted to the side, balancing an apple on top. It was quite cute.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Bokuto smiled, looking proud that Akaashi had liked the gift.

They hesitated again for another moment, now there were no more excuses to stay. Akaashi glanced in the direction of his house.

“I guess I should probably go.”

“Okay.”

Before Akaashi made a move to leave, Bokuto stepped closer. He wrapped his arms around Akaashi tightly in a hug. Akaashi closed his eyes; his heartbeat was loud in his ears, and everything melted under the warmth surrounding him.

He didn’t want to let go, but they couldn’t stay here hugging on the street in front of Akaashi’s house forever. They broke apart slowly and Akaashi took a small step backwards.

“I’ll see you on Monday, then,” Bokuto said.

“Yeah.”

Akaashi stepped towards his house, even though he didn’t really want to leave. When he reached the door, he turned back one last time and waved to Bokuto. He waved back, still standing on the street, waiting until he was out of sight.

Akaashi closed the door behind him and leaned against it. He smiled to himself, overcome with the feeling swelling up in his heart. He lined his shoes up neatly by the door and went up to his room.

Sitting on his bed, Akaashi looked at the box in his hand again. He slid open the top of it and pulled out the figurine inside. He removed the layer of plastic around the owl and looked at the real thing for the first time. Its tawny brown feathers were painted with speckles; its round eyes covered with a glossy layer. Bokuto had thought of him when he first saw it, and now, Akaashi would think of him every time he looked at it.

He placed the owl on his bedside table and rotated it on an angle, so it was looking across the room. Akaashi lay down on his side and watched the little owl.

“Does Bokuto-san really like me?” He whispered to the owl.

You’re asking an inanimate object, how should I know? He imagined the reply.

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Akaashi sighed and rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. After all this time harbouring a hopeless crush, could he really hope to have a chance?

Chapter Text

A couple of weeks had passed since the possible double date at the arcade, and nothing else outside of the platonic realm had happened. Akaashi kept looking for signs that Bokuto really did like him back, but he was such an expert at reading into Bokuto’s kindness that he wasn’t sure if any of it could be counted as evidence. Certainly nothing as overt as Bokuto getting flustered at the idea of them on a date had happened again.

Akaashi was foolishly optimistic that Bokuto might just ask him out any day now, but it had been long enough that he was starting to accept that it wouldn’t happen. Shouldn’t Kuroo be pushing Bokuto to make a move if he was as supportive as he made himself out to be? Or maybe Akaashi’s standoffish response made them second guess their approach.

It was still equally as likely that Bokuto didn’t even feel the same way. Akaashi wasn’t fond of the uncertainty. If it was up to him, he might just leave things as they were. He had already accepted long ago that his crush was unlikely to go anywhere. But that was before he had allowed himself to really consider the possibility. They were closer now, best friends even – maybe dating wasn’t as much of a leap as Akaashi had previously thought.

During art class at the end of a long day, Akaashi channelled his feelings through sketching out ideas for his portfolio. His longing, his doubts, his hopes, shown by the way he saw Bokuto through the camera lens.

Yamada-sensei had been talking to the class about how to tell a story through their work, showing examples and encouraging them to plan out their storytelling. Since they couldn’t use words, they needed to make sure there was a clear beginning, middle and end expressed through the visual language.

Akaashi knew he needed to work on his story more. He had a beginning and a middle, but he didn’t know what the end would be yet. He knew what he wanted it to be, but he didn’t know if he could do it.

The bell rang to signal the end of class, and Akaashi slowly put away his things as the other students filed out of the classroom. He hung back until everyone else was gone and lingered by the teacher’s desk.

“Sensei, could I ask for your advice on my story?” he asked tentatively.

“Yes, of course! Bring over a chair.” Yamada-sensei smiled kindly.

Akaashi slid a chair over and took a deep breath as he sat down, thinking carefully about how he was going to word his question.

“So, what I have so far is the development of the relationship between the two characters. At first, they’re just teammates, then they start to become closer friends, but I’m not sure how to end the story. Or maybe I could add something else to make it more interesting.”

“If you think of something that you’re inspired by, then by all means, explore it,” Yamada-sensei started. “But just telling a simple story about the relationship between two characters is interesting on its own. Simple stories are often better for art portfolios – things can easily get overcomplicated and unclear if you try to add too much.”

Akaashi nodded. Even though it might feel safer to add more things to mask his feelings showing through, he knew it probably wouldn’t be his best work.

“As for how to end your story,” she continued, “I can think of a few directions for something character focused. There could be a personal conflict that gets resolved or left broken. There could be a shared goal that they achieve together. Or there could be a romance.”

Akaashi tensed at the word. Did she know that was what he really wanted it to be?

“Would a romance be… inappropriate for a school project?” He wasn’t sure if he was looking for reassurance or an excuse to not do it.

Yamada-sensei paused and gave him an empathetic look. “Akaashi-kun, I’m an art teacher. Do you think I haven’t seen my fair share of gay kids trying to figure out how to express themselves?”

Akaashi looked away, embarrassed by the truth of the statement.

“It’s perfectly fine in my classroom. But I might not be the only one who sees your work, your friends and family will probably want to see it too. If that’s something you’re concerned about, you might want to take it into consideration.”

That was definitely a concern. If he didn’t have the confidence to tell Bokuto how he felt, he certainly didn’t have the confidence to show everyone who saw his photography. But if he wasn’t the first one to take that leap, if it was the fictional character instead, maybe it would give the real version of himself a chance to catch up.

“Thank you for your advice. I’ve got some more things to think about now.” Akaashi stood up and bowed politely.

“Anytime.” Yamada-sensei smiled.

***

Akaashi went to Bokuto’s house a week later to take more photos. He had a list in his head that he needed to stick to, a story for these characters that was going to play out.

When Bokuto opened the door to let him in, Akaashi’s eyes were immediately drawn to his bright smile and his hair down in a soft, fluffy mess of black and white. Akaashi had requested it, so he should have been prepared, but still couldn’t stop staring.

“Hey Akaashi! Come in!” Bokuto stepped back to let him past.

They went straight to Bokuto’s room and Akaashi tried not to look around too much. He already knew what it looked like, if he stared any more it would just seem nosy. He focused on his task instead, taking his camera out of its bag.

“Are we starting already?” Bokuto asked, sitting on his bed. He almost seemed disappointed that Akaashi didn’t want to hang out first. While he was tempted to agree, especially with Bokuto looking at him like that, Akaashi didn’t want to give himself a chance to get too much in his head and back out of his plans.

“If that’s alright. I can stay for a while after though.”

“Okay,” Bokuto smiled. “Are you sure you don’t want me to spike up my hair though? It feels weird having it down.” He ran his hand through his hair, making it even messier.

“It’s good how it is. It matches the theme of this section of the portfolio.”

“And what is that again?”

“A sleepover,” Akaashi gave his prepared answer. There was more to it though – he wanted to lean more into the soft side of Bokuto as the story progressed. There was a sense of longing building up as the two characters got closer, but not too close just yet.

“That would be fun,” Bokuto considered. “We should have a sleepover sometime. You can stay tonight if you want!”

Akaashi’s heart skipped a beat. As much as he wanted to, he was not emotionally prepared for something like that out of the blue. “I didn’t bring anything with me,” he said as his excuse.

“You could borrow some of my stuff or go home and come back. But it’s okay if you don’t want to.” Bokuto almost looked shy as he dismissed the idea. “Think about it.”

“Okay.” Akaashi was determined to not blush, to not think about borrowing some of Bokuto’s clothes to sleep in or waking up next to him in the morning. He looked down at his camera instead and fiddled with the buttons just to keep his hands busy while he went over the list in his head again.

He looked at Bokuto through the viewfinder to orient himself. “Smile for me.”

Bokuto smiled widely, his head slightly tilted and his eyes closed, still sitting casually on the bed. Akaashi took the photo and checked how it looked on the screen. He liked how Bokuto looked more casual than he had last time they took photos in his bedroom. Maybe both of them were starting to get more used to it, more used to each other.

Akaashi thought something was missing though, so he stepped towards the window. “Can I close the curtains?” he asked, and Bokuto nodded. The room dimmed as he slid the curtains together; not fully dark but enough to distinguish the lighting from the previous sets of photos.

He changed a few settings to work better with the new lighting before looking through the viewfinder again. There was a sliver of light peeking through the curtains, creating a bright line across the room. Akaashi took a couple of photos from his position by the window while Bokuto still sat on the edge of the bed, turned halfway to look at Akaashi. He didn’t really want the light to be there for all the photos, so he adjusted the curtains to get rid of the small gap.

“Okay, Bokuto-san. Can you sit on the middle of the bed with your legs crossed?”

Bokuto followed his instructions, shuffling into place, and Akaashi took a photo.

“Can you hold onto a pillow?”

Bokuto reached behind him, grabbed a pillow and hugged it loosely in front of him. It was silly, but for a brief moment Akaashi was jealous of the pillow’s position. Akaashi continued to take photos as Bokuto tried different arrangements with the pillow. He rested it on his lap and leaned his elbows on top, held it under one arm, put it around his shoulders.

Akaashi thought that would be enough variation, so he moved on to the next thing. “Now, can you lie down with your hands behind your head?”

Bokuto did so, putting the pillow back and then folding his arms and resting his head on top. Akaashi moved to the side to take some photos while Bokuto looked up at the ceiling, pretending he wasn’t there. Akaashi wanted Bokuto to see him.

“Look at me.”

Bokuto turned, his golden eyes shining through the lens. “I thought I wasn’t supposed to look at the camera.”

“Usually, yes, but it’s good to have some variation,” Akaashi replied. In past shoots he had thought it better for Bokuto to look away from the camera to seem more natural, but this time it made sense for him to be looking at Akaashi behind the camera. His character was starting to get more involved, Bokuto should be seeing him. Akaashi wanted Bokuto’s full attention.

“Roll onto your side, facing away from me,” he directed.

Akaashi had a good view of Bokuto’s back, similar to some of the shots behind him on the volleyball court. He turned the camera on its side like how the view would be if he was lying beside Bokuto. He rested one of his hands on the bed so it was visible in the edge of the frame and clicked the shutter with his other hand. Akaashi reached out towards Bokuto’s back, like he was about to give in to the temptation and touch him. He wouldn’t though – only going as far as the narrative allowed him to.

“You can sit up now,” Akaashi said, standing up himself. “Do you have a book or something to look at?”

“My school books are on the desk,” Bokuto said, sitting against the headboard.

Akaashi looked through the pile of books thrown onto the desk and picked out a small notebook.

“Take this and pretend like you’re reading it.” Akaashi passed the book to him and Bokuto held it up in front of his face. “Hold it lower,” he paused for Bokuto to follow, “that’s good.”

Akaashi positioned himself at the opposite corner of the bed. He sat down with one knee up so he could rest his arm on top, and then the camera. There was just a bit of his arm along the bottom edge of the frame, out of focus, watching Bokuto from a cautious distance. He gingerly reached out his hand like before, trying to keep the camera steady. Akaashi – the character he was playing – wanted to be closer to Bokuto, to reach out, but didn’t know how.

Bokuto glanced up from his notebook and Akaashi tried to awkwardly lower his hand, but he had already seen it. Bokuto tilted his head slightly and held up his hand.

“High-five?”

“Um, that’s not what I…” Akaashi started to explain, but Bokuto moved closer with his hand still raised and a growing smile.

Akaashi gave in and yielded a smile, moving forward to complete the high-five. They held their hands together for a beat and just as they were about to move away, Akaashi had an idea.

“Wait, stay there for a second,” he said, bringing his camera back up to his eye. He took a few photos of their hands together – an excuse to keep touching for a little longer.

“Are your hands bigger than mine?” Bokuto asked, looking closely at their hands pressed together.

Akaashi put down his camera and looked at Bokuto in surprise. He had spent plenty of time looking at Bokuto’s hands and imagining them intertwined with his own, but he hadn’t noticed if there was a size difference. He would have assumed Bokuto’s hands would be slightly bigger since he was taller, but Akaashi did have reasonably long fingers.

They adjusted their hands to make sure they were lined up at the bottom and compared the length. Sure enough, Akaashi’s fingers extended about a centimetre over Bokuto’s. The temptation to lock his fingers around Bokuto’s was strong, but Akaashi resisted.

“That’s so not fair! Why are your hands so big?” Bokuto pouted.

“I don’t know.” Akaashi laughed lightly as their hands parted. He didn’t know whether he should be embarrassed or amused. Bokuto’s gaze was comforting, though.

“Are you taking more photos with yourself now?”

“Oh, yeah,” Akaashi still had to explain why he had his hand out in the first place. “I thought it might add to the story a bit more.”

“That’s good! I like it,” Bokuto said softly, and the way he was looking at Akaashi made his mind run in circles. Bokuto didn’t even know what the story really was, he just liked that Akaashi was a part of it. Maybe he just liked Akaashi, too.

“I can take some photos of you if you need me to!” Bokuto offered, grinning like he wanted to show off his camera skills.

“That’s okay, Bokuto-san, I’m supposed to be in the background. You’re the main focus.” Akaashi hoped that didn’t sound as obviously smitten as he thought it did.

“Oh, okay.” Bokuto took the flattery with a shy smile.

Akaashi stepped back from the bed, trying to focus on his photography again. He ran through the list in his head and started giving Bokuto more instructions. Stand by the window, lean against the desk. Look at me like you want me. He didn’t say it out loud, but Bokuto delivered something close without much direction.

As he continued taking photos, Akaashi tried to really get into the headspace of his character at this point in the story. He wanted to show off how good Bokuto looked through his eyes. Akaashi could feel his character’s longing through the photos. He wanted to connect with Bokuto, to touch him, to kiss him. He wanted Bokuto to like him back. He wanted the signs he thought he was seeing to really mean something.

His mind kept coming up with ways to get closer to Bokuto. Touching his arm, fixing his messy hair, taking lots of close-ups.

Maybe a shot of Akaashi’s hand touching Bokuto’s back would look good… running his hand down his bare skin…

He was getting carried away. Akaashi sighed and forced himself to take a break, looking through the album of photos while his mind was elsewhere. This character he was playing; it wasn’t him. This wasn’t his story. The real Akaashi wasn’t doing anything to reach out to Bokuto. He didn’t even have the confidence to agree to a sleepover, let alone make a real move on his crush outside of the pretence of a photo shoot.

He thought that there was a glint of a chance that Bokuto might like him back, so he had been waiting for him to make a move, but nothing had happened. They were just spending time together as normal, with shy smiles and butterflies and wanting to be just a little closer.

How did Akaashi want his story to end? Waiting on a chance that might never come, or taking a leap that just might pay off?

“Bokuto-san,” his voice started before he had really decided if he was going to say anything. He looked up from his camera screen to see Bokuto looking back at him attentively. His stomach twisted with nerves, but he forced himself to continue. “Can I tell you a secret?”

“Yeah, of course!”  Bokuto perked up, shifting closer on the bed and waiting for Akaashi to continue.

Akaashi’s brain ran through all the possible negative reactions that might result from what he was about to say. But he had to say something now. “Promise you won’t judge me?”

It was unfair to make him promise without knowing any context, but Bokuto nodded seriously.

Akaashi took a deep breath and looked into the golden eyes across from him. “I like you,” he finally said.

Bokuto’s eyes widened, and he smiled brightly. “I like you too!”

It took Akaashi a second to process what he said. It was too fast, too easy, too happy to be real. “I mean… romantically,” he clarified, just in case.

“Yeah!” Bokuto slid off the bed to stand in front of Akaashi. “So… can we be boyfriends?”

Boyfriends. Akaashi had dreamed about it for so long, was it really happening? Bokuto really liked him back?

“I’d like that,” Akaashi breathed, like it might disappear if he said it too loud.

Bokuto’s smile grew even wider. He opened his arms, inviting Akaashi in. Akaashi moved reflexively, and before he could fully process it, he was wrapped up in a tight hug. He held on close, melting into Bokuto’s warmth.

Something felt different about this hug, compared to the others they had shared before. Their bodies felt closer, holding on to as much as they possibly could. It kept going after they normally would have broken away. Bokuto swayed them gently back and forth. Akaashi relaxed his head against Bokuto’s shoulder. He felt like he was exactly where he belonged.

The emotions swelled up slowly in Akaashi as he took it all in. Bokuto liked him. He had confessed and it went smoother than he could have ever hoped for. They were boyfriends now. The most amazing, kind, talented, gorgeous boy he had ever met was his boyfriend.

Akaashi found himself laughing into Bokuto’s neck. He could have just as easily been crying with the amount of control he had over his emotions. Maybe it was okay to let go when he was in Bokuto’s arms.

Bokuto leaned back just enough to make eye contact, arms still wrapped around each other loosely.

“Are you okay?” Bokuto asked, moving a hand to the side of Akaashi’s face.

“Yeah,” Akaashi breathed between laughs, “I’m just really happy.”

Bokuto’s look of concern turned into a genuine smile. “I’m happy too!”

Akaashi loved that smile, and he hoped that he would be able to see a lot more of it. “Don’t move,” he said, and picked up his camera from the bed.

He had to take a step back to get decent framing, but Bokuto’s hand still rested on Akaashi’s waist, an arm’s length away. Bokuto kept up the same smile, and finally Akaashi knew what he had been wanting to capture for the past few months.

“You still have more portfolio photos to do?” Bokuto asked, ready to take more direction.

“Oh, no, that’s probably enough for today.” Akaashi put his camera down again. “That one was just for me.”

Bokuto looked at him curiously. “How many photos have you taken just for you?”

“Um,” Akaashi looked away shyly. “More than I care to admit.”

Bokuto laughed softly, the corners of his eyes crinkling. Revealing something embarrassing was worth it for that laugh, Akaashi thought.

“Do you wanna just sit and talk?” Bokuto suggested.

Akaashi nodded and followed Bokuto to sit beside him on the bed. His hand had left its spot on Akaashi’s waist, and it felt cold. Now that the possibility was there, Akaashi wanted to be touching all the time. He didn’t want to seem clingy this early, though.

“So… how long have you liked me?” Bokuto asked.

“Pretty much since I met you.”

“Really? You should have said something sooner!”

“I thought you would say something if you liked me.” Akaashi didn’t know why he had to be the one to do it.

Bokuto was quiet for a second, looking down at his hands. “I didn’t know if you liked me or not. You’re just so cool and unbothered by everything. And I’m sure you’d be popular with girls or guys or whoever you wanted 'cause you’re, like, the perfect guy.”

Akaashi just stared in shock for a moment. “You think I’m out of your league?”

“Well… yeah. Kuroo said I was being stupid and I should just ask you out but I was too nervous.”

“No way, if anything it’s the other way around. You’re the ace of the volleyball team! You’re attractive but also kind and the best friend I’ve ever had…” Akaashi suddenly felt embarrassed by the way Bokuto was smiling at him. “And if you’re fishing for compliments then I’ve fallen for the bait.”

“I wasn’t, but I still like it.”

Bokuto leaned into his side, and Akaashi let himself relax into the touch, smiling lightly to himself. They both had their hands in their laps, and Akaashi stared at Bokuto’s, tempted to close the short distance between them. There was nothing stopping him now.

He slowly slid his hand closer and reached out his pinkie finger until it gently touched Bokuto’s. Without hesitation, Bokuto hooked his finger around Akaashi’s so they were linked together at that small point of contact. Akaashi smiled, he thought it was sweet, their small attempt at intimacy. It was new, it was vulnerable, but they knew they both wanted it now.

Akaashi reached for his camera, still close by. He couldn’t help himself, it would make a great photo. Once he had taken a few, Bokuto suddenly moved his hand on top of Akaashi’s and threaded their fingers together. Akaashi looked away from the camera back to Bokuto, who gave him a smile and squeezed his hand gently. Blushing slightly, Akaashi looked back through the viewfinder and snapped a few more photos of their hands.

He put the camera down, telling himself to stop thinking about his photography and just take in the moment. He leaned into Bokuto’s side and ran his thumb along Bokuto’s hand. His boyfriend’s hand.