Chapter Text
The first time Bokuto met Akaashi Keiji , he hadn’t been particularly interested. Akaashi had been the only recruit that year so Bokuto listened with one ear but really he had been trying to figure out how to convince Hayakawa-senpai to set for him after practice was over. It had been almost two weeks since anyone had agreed to do any sets for him and he had been feeling rusty, even if he practiced everyday.
So no, Bokuto had not been interested in an unassuming first year who didn’t look like he knew the meaning of the word passion. Bokuto’s mind had been in a wholly other place, until one word from the new first year sparked his interest, “I am Akaashi Keiji from Mori Middle School. I played setter. Pleased to make your acquaintance.” Bokuto heard the word setter and the rest of the sentence had ceased to exist for him. And if Bokuto had hit the ball a little harder during that practice in hopes of impressing the new setter, well then, no one but him had known that.
After practice, Bokuto had tried his best to get the first year’s name right, “Hey uh, Akashi-kun. Could you please help me practice spikes for just a little bit?” Any answer that Akaashi had given after that flew right through Bokuto’s ears (much like his introduction had). Bokuto had already started making his way toward an errant ball that lay in the corner of the gym. The room had cleared out, as it often did, because no one wanted to be on the receiving end of Bokuto’s endless energy for spiking.
They had practiced for over an hour and it only took that one session for Bokuto to know he’d been wrong about the first year setter. Bokuto had two thoughts. One he said out loud, “Akashi! Your tosses are the best!!” and the other he kept to himself, I love this guy!
The first time Bokuto experienced his emo mode in front of Akaashi Keiji , it had made him feel worse than usual. Bokuto and Akaashi had become fast friends partially because Akaashi never turned Bokuto down for extra practice. Bokuto had been excited, of course, because Akaashi was his first kouhai in the high school volleyball team. He wanted to show Akaashi how reliable he was and he never wanted to look uncool in front of him. That hope had been dashed rather quickly.
Of course Bokuto knew what people said about his mood swings, he was overexcitable - not an idiot. He had heard it all: he was unreliable, unfit to be an ace, and many other manner of insults that he pretended didn’t hurt. He really didn’t want to hear any of that from Akaashi, and at first he didn’t hear it but he thought for sure he would hear those words come out of Akaashi’s mouth and Akaashi would be just another person who would never understand Bokuto. But somehow, months passed and the ridicule never came. Akaashi never got annoyed with Bokuto and told him to “snap out of it,” like so many others had. Bokuto hated it when people said that to him. Didn’t they know he hated it too? If he could snap out of it so easily, he would.
Sure, at first Akaashi didn’t understand Bokuto’s quick change in moods, but he never ridiculed Bokuto for them. He never looked at Bokuto any differently once he found out that the smallest insignificant thing could set him off. He didn’t change. He was the same Akaashi, with a neutral look on his face. He just continued moving forward with no change. Bokuto needed that from him.
Somehow the calm set of Akaashi’s shoulders, and the focused look on his face had pulled Bokuto right back into the game: a straight shot right down the line and the game was over. And Bokuto had two thoughts. One he said out loud, “Akaashi! Your tosses are the best!!” and the other he kept to himself, I love this guy!
The first time Bokuto saw Akaashi Keiji lose a game, he wondered how he was able to stay so composed. Being emotional was second nature to Bokuto. So it was hard for him to understand someone like Akaashi who seemed to be his exact opposite in a lot of ways. One of those ways was in the way they handled loss. Some people might say that Bokuto took it a little too far and sometimes Bokuto was inclined to agree.
After that first loss they experienced together, Bokuto had been hiding under a table wallowing in the feeling of not being good enough. While Akaashi had been walking around the gym, chatting with the other members and helping clean up. Bokuto knew this because somewhere along the way Bokuto’s eyes had started following Akaashi without his permission. When had that happened? Either way, Bokuto couldn’t help but notice the stark difference in their reactions.
Despite that Bokuto knew one thing they did have in common at least. “Hey Akaashi, come practice spikes with me for a bit.”
They were both dedicated and trying to become stronger. “Okay.”
They had practiced for hours until they were both exhausted and gasping for breath. As the time had passed Bokuto had felt less and less burdened by their loss. He could feel his body becoming stronger and even though he was doing strenuous physical activity, he felt calmer than ever. Despite his earlier mood Bokuto felt much better. He turned around with a huge grin on his face, after he finally thought he wouldn’t be able to jump any more, and his eyes were again following Akaashi without his permission as he began cleaning up. And Bokuto had two thoughts. One he said out loud, “Akaashi! Your tosses are the best!!” and the other he kept to himself, I love this guy?
The first time Bokuto realized Akaashi Keiji hated his catch phrase, he wanted to say it even more. He loved the way it brought emotion to Akaashi’s face. The look of annoyance made him look more handsome than normal. It also made Bokuto happy that he was one of the only people who could bring emotions to Akaashi’s face. He wanted to see that expression more and more, so he might have increased his use of the phrase slightly over the course of a few months so no one would notice. Until he reached the point where he was saying it at least three times a day, always when Akaashi was within hearing distance.
After a service ace, “HEY! HEY! HEY!”
After a cross spike, “HEY! HEY! HEY!”
After a straight, “HEY! HEY! HEY!”
After a block, “HEY! HEY! HEY!”
After recovering from a slump, “HEY! HEY! HEY!”
He did it other times as well. When the two of them were walking home together. When they were eating lunch on the roof. When they were studying and Bokuto thought he got a question right. Anytime he thought he had the right to celebrate, he did. Even if it was only for the chance to see that slight change in Akaashi’s expression.
Halfway through his final year of high school Bokuto noticed that Akaashi’s slight look of annoyance, that always showed up when Bokuto said his catchphrase, had morphed into something different. It had been just the two of them practicing in the gym. Bokuto had just hit a particularly powerful cross shot. He turned around shouting in triumph, “HEY! HEY! HEY!” That was when he noticed the change. And Bokuto had two thoughts. One he said out loud, “Akaashi! Your tosses are the best!!” and the other he kept to himself, I love this guy...
The first time Bokuto saw Akaashi Keiji lose control of himself during a volleyball match, he wasn’t worried at all. It had been his third year of high school. There would be no more chances to win nationals. But somehow when Akaashi had gotten ahead of himself, and when Akaashi had set the ball too low, Bokuto had not been worried. Akaashi had been supporting him for the past two years: pushing him to be better, and helping them out of his slumps. It was Bokuto’s turn so the words came to him naturally, “Up till now, I've been ‘an ace that is coddled by the rest of the team’, but in a few days we're all going to say goodbye to each other and go our separate ways, so it's about time I became just, ‘an ace’.”
Akaashi was allowed to make mistakes. Akaashi was allowed to be human. Bokuto had refused to let it end there. Even when the mistakes continued and Bokuto thought it might be better for Akaashi to be subbed out for a while, Bokuto still wasn’t worried. Bokuto knew that Akaashi wasn’t like him, he had been watching him long enough to know that. He told the team as much, “Akaash’s not like me y’know? He’s actually mature and stuff. He’s not gonna get all upset and sulk over being benched or a handful of rallies. He’ll get his head straight and be his old self in no time.“ Bokuto’s eyes drifted to Akaashi sitting in silent contemplation on the bench, “I mean this is Akaashi we’re talking about.”
No, Bokuto hadn’t been worried at all. So when Akaashi had come back to the court for the second set, Bokuto hadn’t been surprised at all. The first set Akaashi sent his way after coming back had been perfect. And Bokuto had two thoughts. One he said out loud, “Akaashi! Yep! Your tosses are the best!!” and the other he kept to himself, I love this guy.
The first time Bokuto spoke to Akaashi Keiji after he graduated, he was determined not to leave anything unsaid. Of course on graduation day, the school grounds were flooded with people looking for their friends for a multitude of reasons. Some wanted to take nice photos, and some wanted to say goodbye. There were confessions happening in spots that had become special to people and of course, not just confessions but attempts to obtain the coveted second button off their senpai’s jackets. Or any button really. Bokuto had been bombarded by girls and pretty much every button on his jacket had been lost. But there had been one person who he had been looking for. He had run out of places to look so he went to the only place left, the practice gym, and there was just the person he had been looking for.
Akaashi had turned to look at him, “You look like you’ve been trampled. And all your buttons on your jacket are missing.”
Bokuto laughed, “ Yeah I got bombarded by some of the younger girls! But I was the ace after all, what else can we expect!?” Bokuto was nervous and he didn’t know where to start. His hand was clenched around an object in his pocket. He knew there was one thing that always calmed him down. So, “Hey Akaashi, set some balls for me?”
Akaashi just nodded his head and they went to work setting up the court. It was quiet and they were in-sync. The two of them did a few warm-ups before Akaashi threw up the perfect set, exactly where Bokuto loved it and Bokuto slammed his signature cross shot into the opposite court. His palm stung, and the smile on his face would not go away. He turned back to Akaashi while pulling the object out of his pocket. Bokuto motioned for Akaashi to open his hand and he placed the second button from his uniform jacket into Akaashi’s palm. Bokuto had two thoughts: Akaashi! Your tosses are the best!! and I love you.
He said them both out loud.