Chapter Text
Prologue
He felt eyes on the back of his head but he knew he must be imagining things. There was nothing special about Akaashi Keiji. He tried just hard enough to exist. He didn’t want to put all his effort into one thing because someone would always be better, someone would always have a head start, there would always be someone more naturally gifted so why bother?
But as the lecture went on he swore there must be something in his hair, maybe he slept on it funny or something- his slight curls always managed to be unruly no matter how hard he tried. He could practically feel the hole in his head at this point. Yet when he finally gained the courage to slowly turn his head around and check for someone watching no one stood out. Just rows of sleep-deprived college students not unlike himself.
After the lecture ended he quickly gathered up his stuff and shot Kenma a quick text, telling him where they would meet for lunch. He made his way to the door and caught a quick glimpse of someone with black-streaked hair before he blinked and they were gone.
Akaashi had always hated lunch break. He hated it even more today when he passed out in the middle of the courtyard.
Present
~*~
Bokuto was preparing a green honey milk cap with tapioca when he saw him.
Thank god he was in the process of scooping in the tapioca or he might have dropped the drink he worked so hard on and had to watch it splatter on the floor, and then he would have had to clean it all up and start over. It was already his second week working at this boba shop and he still hadn’t quite got the hang of it yet- he was still scared of the sealing drink thingy.
But he couldn’t get fired at least not yet; Kuroo had stuck his neck out for him after all. If it weren’t for him he wouldn’t have his job at Nekoma right now. The circumstances in which he got fired from his last job were… embarrassing to put it lightly.
But that was all behind him now for the most part and right now he had more important issues to deal with.
Namely, the prettiest guy he had ever seen standing on the other side of the counter.
“HEY HEY HEY! What would you like to order?”
Kuroo cringed and rubbed his ear from beside Bokuto before shooting him a look that seemed to say ‘shout one more time and I’ll fire you myself’ though Bokuto didn’t think Kuroo really held that kind of power here.
Focusing his attention back on his customer Bokuto noticed something strangely familiar about him.
Oh shit.
This was the guy from his lit. class.
The one he’s been unapologetically staring at all semester.
Who had been missing from every lecture for the past two weeks.
Well, he’s not missing anymore.
He didn’t think that the guy had caught on yet but he did seem awfully enraptured with Bokuto’s hair. It seemed he couldn’t take his eyes off of it. Which he supposed made sense considering the way Bokuto opted to style it each morning.
After what felt like hours of staring- though it was probably only 30 seconds max. Bokuto snapped back to attention and asked again for his order, this time without his customary loud greeting.
He waited for the guy across from him to speak.
“Oh um, ok? I’ll take a large strawberry cream with bubbles.”
“Great! And your name? Not like I’m flirting! Not that I wouldn’t want to flirt with you! But that would be unprofessional! Oh, and you might not want me to also! Oh god, I’m sorry!”
“Akaashi.”
“Who?”
“My name is Akaashi”
“Oh! Oh, ok. Thank you so much Akaashi!”
Bokuto was so enraptured with the man’s face he could barely make out what his order was.
He did get bubbles, strawberry, and large though from what he said. And really how many drinks could include strawberries in them on the menu; he would figure it out just fine.
Apparently, a lot of things could include strawberries. Four drinks to be exact. And now he couldn’t remember if bubbles were strictly tapioca or if that included popping boba, but he wouldn’t ask Kuroo for help.
For some strange reason he wasn’t quite sure of Bokuto felt that it was his duty to this gorgeous stranger to know his order. Even though they had only exchanged two well threeish sentences he felt connected to him somehow. Maybe they knew each other in another life or something. Kind of like cloud atlas he had always loved that movie.
Either way, now he had to guess his drink and he was determined to get it right.
After a great deal of consideration Bokuto opted for a strawberry milk slush with tapioca and hoped for the best.
He finished and picked out a green straw to go with the drink- he thought green would add to the strawberry vibe.
Then in a spur of the moment type thing, he wrote down his number on the drink tag that he stuck on with a note saying he could use help studying for lit class on it as well.
Crossing his fingers he called out Akaashi’s name and waited while he made his way to the counter.
Akaashi stalled for a moment when he saw the drink.
Bokuto panicked.
“OH MY GOD DID I GET IT WRONG. I’M SO SORRY!!! Oh no, they’re gonna fire me again. HERE I’LL MAKE YOU FOUR NEW ONES AND PAY FOR YOU MYSELF. Oh no I’m shouting Kuroo told me I needed to use my indoor voice. I’m so sorry agaashi.” Akaashi’s lip quirked up slightly. “Oh my god I just said your name wrong didn’t I?”
“Maybe”
“Not only did I get your order wrong but I butchered your name too, and there goes my chance of wooing you with my boba making skills.”
“Wooing me?” Akaashi asked with a hint of a smile.
Bokuto couldn’t tell if Akaashi was teasing or genuinely interested and he was sure his brain was about to explode.
“Oh um… maybe?”
And then the most wonderful thing ever happened; Akaashi genuinely smiled. It was so gorgeous Bokuto thought he would melt. If he hadn’t already that is.
“You got my order right.”
“What?”
“My order it’s correct.”
Bokuto let out a sigh of relief.
“Well of course I did I’m the best! Oh and by the way I left you my number too”
Bokuto winked and walked back to the register to ring up the next customer, confident he would be getting a text within the next couple of days. He watched as Akaashi tried to subtly scan his drink for Bokuto’s number.
He failed at the subtle part.