Chapter Text
Akashi took his seat on the train, and prepared for the long ride to Tokyo.
He’d lost count of how many times he’d taken this trip over the past year. The frequent travel between Kyoto and Tokyo was one of the stipulations he was willing to live with in order to attend Rakuzan. It was well worth it, in his opinion. Even if the long rides did tend to get rather dreary after so many trips.
Thankfully, he always had plenty of work to keep himself busy. As the train left the station, Akashi took out his laptop and began setting everything up on the tray in front of him.
He wanted to finish his work for the weekend by tonight, so he’d be free for the office tomorrow morning. Not that he wouldn’t have plenty of spare time there, he thought, rolling his eyes. Akashi wasn’t entirely sure what his father intended for him to learn in only a few hours a day, but he assumed pushing papers and retrieving coffee wasn’t part of it.
To be honest, he didn’t really mind the easy work. It made his father leave him in relative peace, so he was free to spend the remainder of the day however he pleased. Which was rarity for him these days, especially with exams looming on the horizon.
Normally, Akashi didn’t expect much from these trips. It was usually much of the same, with the occasional exception of a meeting with his former teammates. He looked forward to those days the most, enjoying any amount of time they got to spend together.
This weekend, however, Akashi found himself looking forward to it for a very different reason.
Tomorrow he would be spending the afternoon with Furihata again. At least, he assumed they were. He had texted Furihata that morning to verify their plans, and he had responded that yes, he was still willing to meet at their usual time.
Despite that, Akashi couldn’t shake the worry that Furihata would cancel, and decide that he didn’t want to spend time together. Their first meeting had gone well enough, but Akashi hadn’t been sure that Furihata would want to meet again.
Last weekend, however, had gone significantly better than Akashi expected. Furihata seemed far less uncomfortable around him, and as the afternoon progressed, he even seemed to be truly enjoying himself. Which was rather unexpected, given their history.
Stranger still, Akashi had found himself enjoying it as well. There was something oddly refreshing about the way he expressed himself. It was different from what Akashi was used to experiencing, but not in a negative way. The opposite, actually.
Akashi still remembered how Furihata had looked at him while they were practicing. In a spur of the moment decision, Akashi had run off for a layup on a whim. When he landed and turned around, Furihata was watching him, his eyes wide, but with a soft smile on his lips.
“You really like basketball, huh.”
Furihata had sounded a little surprised, like he didn’t expect Akashi to feel that way. But it hadn’t felt judgmental. Instead it was the opposite, more like he finally understood something important.
And for Akashi, the more the day went on, the more he found himself struggling to remember that last time he had played basketball, simply for the fun of it. Practice at Rakuzan revolved more around his duties as captain than actually getting to play. And even when he did, he couldn’t shake the invisible pressure he constantly felt, knowing that his teammates were relying on him to lead them to victory.
After his mother passed away, the little free time he had to play basketball by himself disappeared, replaced by more tutoring or some other private lesson. There were times now when a few of his teammates would get together for a game outside of practice, but Akashi was never invited, presumably under the assumption that whichever team he was on would have an unfair advantage.
Which was why it was strangely freeing to play with someone like Furihata. There were no expectations in place, for one. Furihata was not a teammate, nor was he a classmate who might look up to him for a myriad of other reasons. Akashi was there to lend his assistance, but had no obligations other than that.
Akashi had also been pleased to see that Furihata didn’t seem nearly as uncomfortable around him as he had last time. After the initial awkwardness had worn off, the two of them had actually conversed quite a bit. In an unexpectedly kind gesture, Furihata had even gone as far as to bring him a drink to repay him from last time.
Furihata had even extended the offer to play a real game sometime, if Akashi desired. At first Akashi assumed that Furihata had only done so out of politeness, but by the end of the day, he was beginning to think it was genuine.
Akashi had to admit he was curious to see how that would turn out. During the Winter Cup, Akashi’s other self had written Furihata off as a weakling, making the assumption that he would be unable to score under the insurmountable pressure. He paid the price for that later, when Furihata broke away and did exactly that.
Akashi’s other self had been annoyed at his oversight, but looking back on it now, Akashi was undoubtedly impressed. He couldn’t begin to fathom the amount of courage it must have taken for someone as timid and anxious as Furihata to perform under that pressure. And he had gone up against Akashi’s other self, of all people.
He truly was talented, Akashi couldn’t help but think. Even if it wasn’t in a form that most people expected.
Akashi wasn’t sure why Furihata had such a hard time believing him when he said as much. There again, perhaps Akashi had spent too much time around individuals who were explicitly aware of their own talents.
He couldn’t help but think of a certain group of his former teammates.He smiled to himself as he set about his work, spreading papers around his laptop. His fingers flew over the keys, and before long he lost himself in a series of spreadsheets and reports.
The sun was beginning to set on the horizon when his train pulled into Tokyo station. Akashi closed his laptop and gathered up his things. He made his way swiftly off the train, easily finding the sleek black car that was awaiting him.
His father was gone when he arrived at the apartment. He tried not to notice the relief he felt upon that discovery. If he was lucky, perhaps he’d be able to avoid his father for the duration of the weekend.
He showered and changed clothes, and made his way to the dining table for dinner. A meal was already prepared and laid out. He ate in near silence, with the exception of him thanking the staff.
Afterwards he returned to his room, settling in at his desk to finish a few more things. It was quiet and peaceful, and if he had to admit it, a little lonely. He quickly pushed the thought away with a shake of his head. These were exactly the kinds of thoughts his other self was keen to roll his eyes at.
More than once, he found his eyes wandering to his cell phone. His thoughts kept drifting off, wondering what his friends and former teammates might be doing at this hour. He flipped his phone open and clicked on his messages.
He paused. There, at the top of the list, was his most recent message with Furihata.
Akashi briefly contemplated sending him another text, to double check about their arrangements tomorrow. Perhaps he could even ask if there was anything in particular Furihata would like for him to bring, or if he had any other areas of training he’d like to work on.
His finger hesitated over Furihata’s name. The gesture seemed harmless, but he’d hate to cause an interruption in Furihata’s home life. The few messages they’ve exchanged so far had been rather brief, particularly on Furihata’s end. Akashi didn’t want to intrude, and possibly make Furihata any more uncomfortable.
In the end, he put his phone down without messaging anyone. It was already getting late, and he should be heading to bed soon himself, given the long day he had ahead of him.
He got up and dressed down for bed, making his way to the bathroom. He stood in front of the mirror, running through his nightly routine. He was just lifting the toothbrush to his mouth when he drew to a pause.
The thin red string wrapped around his finger caught his eye. Typically, he didn’t pay much attention to it. It was easy to ignore, given the size of it.
He hated to admit it, but it bothered him to a certain degree. It put quite the damper on all his logical explanations, for one thing. No matter how hard he wracked his brain, he failed to come up with a sound reason to explain the possibility of what he was seeing.
So he chose to pretend it didn’t exist. It was easy enough to keep his mind occupied with other things.
Still, he couldn’t help but wonder about Furihata on occasion. He’d been relieved to learn that Furihata held a similar opinion about the whole ordeal. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Furihata’s feelings. That could be incredibly awkward.
The timing was rather inconvenient. Of course all this would happen around the same time he would run into Furihata.
Akashi frowned, and shook his head. In the end, perhaps he was just bitter because he knew there was no chance of a soulmate for him, even if there was some legitimacy to the myth. When it came to romance, Akashi felt like that was a world he had no part in. He’d long stopped waiting for the moment to come when he felt the pull of attraction that his peers did. If he hadn't felt it now, it was easy for him to assume that he never would.
He tried to convince himself that it was for the best. He already had enough on his plate as it was. His father was unlikely to approve of anyone he might wish to date regardless…
Akashi finished getting ready for bed. He returned to his room and flipped off the lights, and took his time pulling back the bedclothes.
He climbed under the covers and closed his eyes, and tried to squash the hollow feeling in his chest.
------------------------------------------------
“Thank you for your hard work, Akashi-kun!”
Akashi bowed respectfully as he made his way towards the front doors. He wore a polite smile, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. He wasn’t sure which part of his day constituted as ‘hard ‘work’, but he supposed it wasn’t his place to complain.
Once outside, he checked his watch. He was right on schedule for his meeting with Furihata. His mood lightened at the thought, already putting the dull morning at the office behind him.
Akashi slid into the backseat of the car that was waiting for him. He instructed his driver to take him back to the apartment so he could change clothes before heading to the court.
The apartment was relatively close, so it was a short ride. Akashi had the driver wait while he hurried up to his room, changing out of his dressier clothes and into a pair of shorts and a loose-fitting t-shirt. He switched his shoes, grabbed a few bottles of water to drink, and slung his Rakuzan bag over his shoulder.
He made it back down to the car in record time. Akashi gazed out the window, watching as they left downtown Tokyo and entered one of the residential areas he was more familiar with.
His driver dropped him at the court, and Akashi made his way onto the asphalt. There was a group of kids playing at the nearby playground, but the basketball court was empty.
Akashi set his bag on one of the benches and checked his watch again. He still had around twenty minutes or so before he was due to meet Furihata, so he decided to warm up and take a few shots while he waited.
He stood at the freethrow line, dribbling absentmindedly. He had a few plans in store for his lesson with Furihata, but he couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy.
Furihata tended to doubt his own abilities, to a point where his nerves severely affected his gameplay. He remembered Furihata saying something once about how unworthy he felt, to even stand on the same court as Akashi.
He hoped Furihata wouldn’t be uncomfortable with his plan. He tried to remain optimistic. After all, they had parted on fairly friendly terms last weekend, with Furihata in a much brighter mood than the previous week. Perhaps he was overly concerned for nothing.
Akashi took a shot, watching as the ball effortlessly sailed through the hoop. It bounced back towards him, and he caught it and shot again. And then again, falling into an easy rhythm.
He felt an odd sense of peace. His head felt clear, full of nothing but the thought of dribbling and shooting. He found himself wishing, not for the first time, that he could simply play basketball like this more often.
Suddenly, he became aware of the sensation of someone watching him. He paused in his shooting and glanced over his shoulder.
Furihata stood at the edge of the court, watching Akashi. His mouth hung open slightly, and his eyes looked even wider than usual.
He met Akashi’s gaze, and quickly lowered his head. His shoulders bunch up towards his ears.
“S-Sorry,” he stammered. “I just, u-um… that was really cool?” He gave a timid smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone make that many in a row before.”
Akashi blinked at the unexpected compliment. He wasn’t sure why it made him feel any different. People said similar things to Akashi all the time…
But there was something inherently different when Furihata said it. With other people, the compliments were often laced with envy or resentment. No matter their intention, Akashi often got the idea that they were more annoyed with his skill than truly impressed.
But with Furihata, there was nothing but genuine appreciation in his voice, like he was simply admiring Akashi’s skill and nothing more. He’d noticed it before, during one of their first conversations.
It was… odd, to say the least. But certainly not unwelcome. Actually, Akashi found himself strangely charmed by it.
“Thank you,” Akashi said politely. “I apologize for getting carried away.” He returned Furihata’s smile. “Did I keep you waiting long?”
Furihata fluttered his hands in front of him. “No way, not at all!” he said quickly. “It, uh, it was nice getting to watch you have fun? So there’s no need to be sorry or anything.”
Akashi made his way over to Furihata. “Well, thank you for humoring me,” he laughed. “I appreciate it.”
Furihata laughed along, a little awkwardly. He fidgeted with the shoulder strap of his bag, eyes on the ground.
“Shall we begin?” Akashi asked, taking the lead. He nodded his chin towards his own bag.
“Sure,” Furihata said. He hesitated a moment. “Are you sure you don’t want to keep shooting though? I don’t mind watching, honest.”
Akashi opened his mouth, preparing to decline Furihata’s offer. But then he paused.
It couldn’t hurt to go a little longer, he decided. He truly had been enjoying himself. And even better, if he could get Furihata to join him, it would still serve a training purpose.
“Very well,” Akashi said after a moment. He gave Furihata a somewhat sly smile. “Only on the condition that you join me, of course.”
Furihata blanched. “O-Oh, uh… are you really sure?” He shifted uneasily. “I don’t want to get in the way or anything.”
“Absolutely,” Akashi said. He gave an encouraging nod, asking Furihata to join him on the court. “I insist.”
Furihata took a shaky breath. “Yeah. Okay, s-sure. Um, let me set my bag down and I’ll be right back.”
He set off in a jog across the court. Akashi watched him with a slight frown. This wasn’t part of his plan, and he hoped he wasn’t making Furihata uncomfortable.
Furihata set his bag down and took out his basketball. He dribbled back over to Akashi, and already Akashi was able to pick out minute improvements in Furihata’s form.
Akashi gave him a knowing smile. “You’ve been practicing again.”
He ducked his head, in that shy way of his. “Only a little,” he said. He hesitated a little. “We played a practice match on Wednesday. Riko had me on the starting lineup.”
“Really?” Akashi tilted his head, intrigued. “How did that go?”
Furihata rubbed the back of his neck. “Better than I thought,” he allowed. “I scored a couple of times. And I didn’t, you know, fumble the ball or anything, so that was good.”
“Sounds very good indeed,” Akashi smiled.
Furihata lowered his gaze, his face falling slightly. “I don’t know. There was a lot I could have done better.” He kept his eyes on the ball as he began dribbling. In a soft voice, he added, “I just get so nervous, it’s hard for me to focus.”
Akashi’s chest gave a pang at his disheartened tone. While he couldn’t exactly relate to how Furihata was feeling, he understood enough to know how it felt, to feel like you were letting everyone down.
“I have an idea about that,” Akashi said lightly. When Furihata glanced up at him, Akashi gave him a reassuring smile. “But for now, how about we warm up?”
Furihata agreed, a little apprehensively. Akashi turned and took a shot, the ball sailing through the hoop. He retrieved his ball, and stood out of the way for Furihata to take his.
He could tell Furihata was nervous as he lined up his shot. Akashi tried not to watch too closely, to give him his space, but it wasn’t really possible, all things considered.
Furihata dribbled a few times, and took the shot. The ball caught the edge of the rim, rolling around once and falling through the hoop.
Furihata stared, sort of dumbfounded. Akashi couldn’t hold back a laugh at his expression.
“Seems to me like someone needs to have a little more faith in themselves, wouldn’t you agree?” he teased.
He gathered Furihata’s ball, and passed it back to him. He caught it between his hands, giving Akashi a wide-eyed look.
Finally, he laughed, his cheeks turning a shade of pink. “Y-Yeah, maybe.”
Akashi jerked his chin towards the hoop. “Go again,” he encouraged.
Furihata took another shot, and then so did Akashi. Soon they were taking turns, moving around the court and changing angles. Furhata missed a few here and there, and Akashi was careful to keep his spirits up each time.
As Akashi jumped for a three-pointer, he noticed Furihata watching him again. When he turned to face him, Furihata ducked his head sheepishly.
“Sorry,” he murmured. He looked almost embarrassed. “It’s just, um… really impressive, watching you do that.”
There it was again, that genuine compliment. Akashi stood in silence, not sure what to say.
Furihata gave an awkward laugh. “Sorry, I’m being weird.”
“Not at all,” Akashi rushed to reassure him. “I appreciate it, honestly.”
He came up alongside Furihata. “Would you like to move on to something else?” Akashi asked, hoping to alleviate some of the odd tension in the air.
Furihata nodded. “Yeah, sure.” He seemed curious. “So what are we doing next?”
Akashi was pleased with how comfortable he seemed. He hoped what he was about to suggest wouldn’t ruin it…
He set his own ball on the ground and rolled it towards the fence, where their bags were resting. He then took a few steps back, placing himself between Furihata and the hoop. He took a defensive stance.
“I want you to try and make it past me.”
Furihata staggered a step back, some of the color draining from his face. If he didn’t know any better, Akashi would say he almost looked offended.
“You— you c-can’t be serious, right?” He asked incredulously. “I mean, we both know there’s n-no way...”
Akashi stopped him before he could panic further. “Furihata-kun, I’m not asking you to pass me in a game setting.” He winced, hoping Furihata wouldn’t take that the wrong way. It was meant to be reassuring. “This is strictly for training purposes. There’s no pressure whatsoever.”
Furihata hesitated, chewing on his bottom lip. His eyes flickered frantically between Akashi and the hoop. Akashi was certain he was going to decline…
Then, all at once, Furihata squared his shoulders, his brows furrowing in determination. Akashi vaguely remembered seeing him with a similar look during the finals, through the lens of his other self.
He stepped forward, and began dribbling the ball. Akashi tracked his movements, waiting to see what his first move would be.
Furihata seemed to be doing the same. Their eyes met, and Furihata fumbled the ball slightly, the rhythm breaking. He clenched the ball between his hands and lowered his head.
“S-Sorry,” he stammered weakly. “I just— I don’t r-really know how to…”
“It’s alright,” Akashi said gently. He stepped forward, so he was standing directly in front of Furihata. He shifted his weight to his right leg. “Look at my feet. Which way am I shifted towards?”
Furihata studied his feet intently. ‘Um… your right?”
“Good,” Akashi nodded. “Now, if my weight is centered to my right, which way should you go?”
“Left?”
“Exactly. So I want you to fein to the right, and then quickly pivot and pass me on my left.” He met Furihata’s eyes. “Ready?”
Furihata took a deep breath. “Yeah, okay.”
He began dribbling again. Akashi could tell he was still incredibly nervous, but his hands were steady.
Moving quickly, Furihata faked to the right. Akashi played into it and shifted his weight to match. Following his instructions, Furihata twisted back to the left and easily passed by Akashi.
Furihata drew to a halt, looking back at Akashi with raised brows. Like he was genuinely surprised that Akashi had let him pass.
“That was very good,” Akashi praised him. Furihata laughed a little, and Akashi could hear the skepticism in it. “You don’t believe me?” he asked teasingly.
Furihata gave a start. “No, it’s not that.” He reached up to rub the back of his neck. “But I mean, I only did what you said.”
“True,” Akashi allowed. “But it was a flawless execution, in my opinion. And now you know what to look for, and how to deal with it. It’s all about reading your opponent and planning around them.”
“Right,” Furihata nodded. He still looked doubtful. “So… should I try again?”
Akashi moved back into position, and they repeated the exercise. This time he let Furihata figure out for himself which way he should go. He countered Akashi perfectly.
They kept going, and Akashi slowly began upping the difficulty. Sometimes he made it harder to tell which way he was leaning, and other times he doubled back just as Furihata moved, making him take a step back and reevaluate.
Furihata was doing well, all things considered. He wore that same determined expression, and even when he made a small mistake he didn’t back down. He followed directions incredibly well, and more importantly, he kept perfect control of the ball the entire time. They moved along at a quicker pace than Akashi initially expected, and he was pleased with Furihata’s progress.
Then came the real test. Furihata's forehead was beading with sweat, and Akashi knew he was more than ready for a break. But before that, he wanted to try one more thing.
“Last one, and then we take a break,” Akashi said. “Does that sound good?”
Furihata nodded, and wiped the sweat from his face with the collar of his shirt. He took position in front of Akashi.
“I want you to try and score this time,” he added. Furihata blinked, and Akashi flashed him a reassuring smile. “You’ll be fine. Ready?”
Furihata took his stance, and Akashi moved up to guard him. He stepped forward with his right foot, and Furihata quickly shifted to the left to get around him.
But Akashi doubled back, and Furihata staggered back a step. He furrowed his brows and tried again, but Akashi blocked him a second time. When it happened a third time, he straightened a little, and Akashi sensed he was getting ready to give up.
“It’s okay,” Akashi assured him. “Keep trying, you’ll get it.”
Furihata hesitated, but resumed his position. But this time, he moved so he was standing defensively, with his back to Akashi, facing away from the hoop.
Akashi raised his brows in surprise, but he was pleased. He was glad that Furihata seemed to trust him more, and was willing to try new things.
Furihata dribbled and backed up towards him. Akashi studied the movement of his feet closely. He thought he knew what Furihata was going to try, and he readied himself for it.
Sure enough, Furihata turned to the right, attempting to twist himself around Akashi and make a break for it. But Akashi had been expecting that, and quickly shifted into place. He expected Furihata would pivot back to the left, at which point Akashi would let him pass.
But Furihata lost his footing in the turn. He stumbled, losing control of the ball. His arms flailed as he teetered backwards, and Akashi automatically reached out to steady him.
Furihata fell into him, sending them both crashing to the ground. Akashi landed on his back, his left arm thrown out behind him to brace the fall, his right arm still clinging to Furihata. His palm and elbow hit the ground first, and he felt a dull pain shoot up the length of his arm.
A second later and Furihata landed half on top of him, catching himself on his knees and his palms. Just like that their faces were inches apart. They stared at each other, frozen. Furihata’s eyes looked even wider than usual. There was a long beat of silence before reality came rushing back.
Furihata flung himself backwards off of Akashi. His face was ghost-white. “Are you o-o-okay?!” He stammered frantically. Before Akashi could answer, he started speaking so quickly that Akashi had a hard time keeping up. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I just tripped like that! I’m such an idiot, I should have been paying more attention, and oh my god you probably won’t want to hang out anymore and I just ruined everything and I—”
“Furihata-kun.”
He snapped his jaw shut at once. Akashi carefully sat up. He moved his limbs, and flexed his fingers and toes. Everything appeared to be in working order.
“I’m perfectly fine,” he assured Furihata in a calm voice. He seemed to be on the verge of full panic, and Akashi wanted to prevent that as much as possible. They’d made so much progress today, and he’d hate to see it go to waste. “Are you alright?” he asked.
“Me?” Furihata looked startled. “I’m f-fine. But what about you? Are you sure you’re okay? I can’t believe I did that…”
“Please, don’t concern yourself.” Akashi told him. “If I had let you get around the first time it wouldn’t have happened.”
Furihata waved his hands in front of him. “What? No way! I just lost my footing and tripped. It wasn’t your fault at all.”
Akashi grinned. “Perhaps the fault was mutual, then,” he suggested. “So by that regard they should cancel each other out. No harm, no foul.”
“O-Okay,” Furihata allowed. He still looked incredibly anxious. Akashi was hopeful that the day could still be saved. Perhaps if they took their break, they could talk for a bit and Akashi could further soothe some of Furihata’s nerves.
Akashi shifted to stand up, and Furihata gasped. “Your elbow! Oh my god, you’re bleeding.”
Akashi glanced at his arm. Sure enough, there was a small scrape on his elbow. Blood welled at the surface, threatening to spill.
“It’s alright,” Akashi consoled him. “It’s not very deep. The bleeding will stop in a moment.”
Furihata straightened at that. “Oh! Wait, h-hang on a sec.”
He pushed to his feet, and broke into a run. Akashi watched in confusion as Furihata crossed the parking lot and began rifling through his bag. He pulled out something small, and rushed back over to Akashi.
Akashi was surprised to see him holding what appeared to be a wallet. Furihata knelt down next to him, and Akashi only grew more perplexed.
“Here,” Furihata was saying. “I always carry one with me, just in case.”
He pulled a single band-aid from his wallet. Carefully, he tore it open, and held it out towards Akashi.
Akashi’s chest gave a strange pang. It was a simple gesture, but to Akashi, it felt much more significant. He couldn’t remember anyone ever going out of their way for him like this before.
He offered his elbow automatically, and Furihata carefully placed the bandage over the wound. His thumbs smoothed down the adhesive, and Akashi felt an odd shiver along his skin where Furihata touched. It wasn’t an unpleasant sensation.
“There,” Furihata sat back. He looked at Akashi with concern. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”
Akashi blinked, shaking himself out of his stupor. He didn’t know why he was acting so strange. “I believe that was it.” He gave himself a onceover, and found nothing else. He turned back to Furihata. “Thank you, for the bandage. That was very kind of you.”
To his surprise, Furihata blushed slightly, his cheeks turning pink. “It was no big deal,” he said shyly. “I’m just glad you’re okay. I’m really sorry.”
Akashi shook his head. “You have nothing to worry about.” He stood up, and offered Furihata a hand. “Now, how about that break?” He smiled.
Furihata took his hand with only the slightest hesitation. Akashi helped him to his feet, and they both set off towards their bags.
Furihata flopped down against the fence the second they arrived. Akashi noticed how his legs and hands were trembling slightly. He guessed the combination of exertion and the stress of what had just occurred were to blame.
Akashi sat next to him, and pulled two bottles of water out of his bag. He turned to offer one to Furihata.
“O-Oh,” he said, reaching for the bottle. “Thanks, but you didn’t have to bring me one.”
Akashi smiled. “That’s alright. We have something of a tradition to uphold at this point, don’t we?”
He was relieved when Furihata laughed along with him, even if it was a little shaky. “Yeah, I guess that’s true. Thanks again.”
They sat in silence, quenching their thirst. It was calming, and Akashi found himself going over all the events of the day. All in all, things had gone a lot smoother than he expected, even with the fall.
He wondered if Furihata felt the same way. Akashi glanced at him, and he seemed comfortable enough. His head was leaned back against the fence, watching the clouds with a thoughtful expression.
Akashi lowered his gaze to the band-aid on his arm. It still sort of amazed him that Furihata had bothered with it at all. It just went to show how truly kindhearted Furihata really was.
Akashi had never had anyone extend that degree of care for him. And it wasn’t fear that had motivated Furihata to help him, but a genuine concern for his well being.
The fact that Furihata carried a bandage in his wallet was strangely endearing as well. Akashi found himself smiling softly, as he gazed at Furihata.
He looked relaxed, more so than Akashi expected, given what had just transpired. Akashi was glad the mishap hadn’t frightened him off.
Furihata turned to him suddenly, and he seemed surprised to find Akashi already looking his way. His brows furrowed with worry.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked.
Akashi gave a laugh. “I’m fine, I promise.” His eyes turned playful. “I’m not quite that breakable.”
Furihata’s eyes widened. “I— I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I know,” Akashi assured him. He repressed the urge to sigh. Either Furihata had missed his joke, or it hadn’t been a very good one in the first place.
Another thought occurred to him, and Akashi’s expression turned downright sly. “Although, I suppose we could consider it your revenge against me, if you’d like.”
“Revenge?” Furihata sputtered. “What would I want revenge against you for?”
Akashi smiled, attempting to convey that he was teasing. “For my behavior during the Winter Cup. I believe I knocked you down on more than one occasion, didn’t I?”
Well, technically Akashi’s other self had been the one to ankle break Furihata, but the point stood. At the time, Akashi had found it to be overkill. Akashi’s other self easily could have passed Furihata, but there again, Akashi was well aware of his other selves' flare for the dramatic.
Furihata seemed stunned for a moment, and Akashi wondered if it was the wrong thing to joke about. Which made sense, when Akashi thought about it. The memory of that particular moment in the game probably wasn’t a good one for him.
To make matters worse, Furihata had no reason to know that Akashi and his other self were different.
“Yeah… you did,” Furihata said hesitantly. Then, to Akashi’s relief, the corner of his mouth pulled up in a half smile. “It was pretty cool though, to see someone do that in person. It’s really impressive.”
Akashi blinked, surprised. That certainly wasn’t the reaction he was expecting.
“Thank you,” he said. He found himself smiling along with Furihata. “I must admit, that’s not the response I’m generally used to getting.”
Furihata laughed. “Yeah, I bet.”
Akashi cocked his head. “Perhaps that’s something I can show you next time.” He paused for a beat. “If you’d be interested, of course.”
Furihata perked up. “Yeah, definitely!” He laughed a little, rubbing the back of his neck. “I probably won’t be very good, but…”
“I’m sure you’ll do fine,” Akashi told him. “You’ve been doing very well so far.”
“Thanks,” Furihata said, a little shyly. “I think it’s mostly because of how good of a teacher you are, though.”
Akashi was oddly flattered. “Thank you. But a teacher is only as good as their pupil.” His eyes softened. “I will say, we do seem to work very well together.”
Furihata’s face turned a shade of red, for a reason Akashi didn’t understand. “Y-Yeah,” he stuttered. “I guess we do.”
They both fell into silence. Akashi turned his eyes towards the sky. It was still early, so they could both head back to court if they wanted. If nothing else, they could always run through the dribbling exercises they’d been doing.
But suddenly, Akashi had a different idea. He didn’t know how Furihata would react, but he supposed it couldn’t hurt to try.
“Furihata-kun,” Akashi said. Furihata turned to look at him, his expression open and curious.. “I know it’s a little early for lunch, but what would you say to getting something to eat? Or we could continue practice, if you like.”
There was a beat of silence. “Wait, really?” Furihata asked. He fidgeted a little. “Um, y-yeah, I’ll go. That sounds nice.” He gave Akashi a shy smile. “Thanks.”
Akashi smiled. “It’s no trouble at all,” he told him. “I thought we deserved a break, after our near-miss earlier.”
Furihata laughed, and Akashi was glad to see that he didn’t seem uncomfortable about it anymore.
They started gathering up their belongings. Furihata had to go retrieve his ball from the court, where it had rolled away after their collision. Akashi disposed of their empty water bottles, and after that, all that was left was to grab their bags.
“Did you have a place in mind?” Akashi asked.
Furihata shook his head. “I’m fine with whatever. I’m not very picky.”
“Then how about we walk and see what catches our eye?” Akashi suggested.
“Sounds good to me.”
They left the court, and set off along the sidewalk. Akashi remembered the last time they walked like this, when he was taking Furihata to sit down so he could tell him about the red string around his finger.
He hoped Furihata wouldn’t feel awkward, sitting across from him again in a similar situation. But there again, Furihata hadn’t brought up the string since, so perhaps Akashi was the only one who was still giving it any thought.
He wasn’t sure what to make of that.
In the end, he supposed it didn’t matter. Akashi wasn’t going to let the string control his decisions either way. He was perfectly content pretending that it didn’t exist.
He could only assume that Furihata felt the same way.