Chapter Text
"Bokuto, you're a hot guy, that's all I'm saying," Kuroo insisted, leaning back in his chair, making Kenma roll his eyes. The three of them were relaxing after finals at a coffee shop. "If you wanna get a date, you can get a date. I see girls checking you out all the time."
Bokuto leaned in closer to Kuroo, frowning. "But bro, I don't want a girl. I'm gay."
Kuroo cackled. "Oh I know, but if girls are checking you out, then guys are too. Guys are just less conspicuous about it, so you have to pursue them."
Bokuto nodded. Kuroo was certainly wise in his own way, even if not everyone understood it. It didn't make his advice infallible, though. "But I don't want a repeat of the Oikawa incident."
"Nothing can ever go that horribly again, bro," Kuroo assured him. Kenma rolled his eyes, slipping his phone out of his pocket. "Kenma, tell Bo here something smart."
Kenma's golden eyes stared into Bokuto's until the former Fukurodani captain started to squirm. The two-toned haired former setter opened his mouth, but closed it again as his eyes slowly trailed off to the side.
"Uh, Kenma?" said Kuroo. "You still with us? You've kinda-"
"How about that guy?" Kenma interrupted, nodding to a guy sitting a few tables away. Bokuto and Kuroo both turned to look, and Bokuto gasped. That had to be the most beautiful guy in the world.
His dark hair was curled around an angular, sculpted face. Half-lidded eyes gazed at a book held in hands with some of the longest fingers Bokuto had ever seen. Damn, if he hadn't had a hand kink before, he did now.
"Damn, Kenma, " Kuroo whistled. "How'd you manage to find the world's second hottest guy in the world within three seconds? You being the first, of course."
"What about you?" Kenma asked.
"Okay, you've got me there. That guy is the third hottest guy in the world then," he amended, until Bokuto shot him a pouty look. "Okay, fourth hottest guy in the world, but that's as far as I'm going." Bokuto beamed, and a small smirk played at Kenma's lips.
"But bro," Bokuto said, eyebrows drawing in. "How do I get that guy to fall in love with me?"
"Like I said, Bo," Kuroo replied with a shrug, "you just gotta grow some balls and pursue him yourself."
"I can't pursue hot coffee shop guy; he's way out of my league!" Bokuto protested, not realizing that he was shouting until he noticed all the patrons of the shop were staring at him, including said hot guy. Bokuto slid down in his sweet while Kuroo cackled.
"Well," Kuroo wheezed in between chortles, "you already have his attention. Go get 'em, cowboy."
Bokuto shook his head fiercely. "I just made a fool of myself! I'm never leaving my home again!"
"Riiight," Kuroo said, one eyebrow raised. "C'mon, what's the worst that could happen?"
"Oikawa incident," Bokuto reminded him.
"We already established that you can only go up from there," Kuroo replied. "C'mon, either go for it or drop it. You're great, Bo, but if you're gonna go on about every hot guy you see, I want to see some follow through. I know rejection sucks, but you'll never succeed if you don't try."
"Please go," Kenma said, not looking up from his phone. "And be quiet about it."
Bokuto smile was wary, but he stood up nevertheless. With his friends behind him, how bad could this go?
Very bad.
As he stood, Bokuto's foot accidentally snagged one of the chair legs, tipping it over with a loud crash. Much glaring ensued.
"Why me?" he whined, straightening the chair, but Kuroo was already reassuring him that, "If he doesn't love this part of you, your relationship would never work out anyways." In perfect sync, he and Kenma reached out to push him towards the corner.
Bokuto tripped over his own feet, stumbling towards the table, but managed not to fall. He cleared his throat. "Uh, hey, I'm Bokuto Koutarou. Nice to meet you."
The boy looked up from his book with half-lidded eyes and an blank expression. "Hello, Bokuto-san. Do you need something?"
Bokuto glanced at his feet, intimidated by the other's attractiveness. "Um, well, you're very beautiful, and I thought that maybe we could hang out sometime? If you want, that is. I mean, it's okay if you don't, I'm just saying that if you did-"
"Bokuto-san," the boy interrupted, making Bokuto flush. "Sorry, but I'm not looking for a casual hookup." A casual hookup? That was so not Bokuto it almost made him laugh.
"Me neither, me neither!" Bokuto assured him. "I'm very emotional, and I cry very hard even when it doesn't work out with somebody I only went on one date with."
"Um." Hot Coffee Shop Guy blinked owlishly.
"Oh shit, was that too much to say? I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! Please don't hate me!" said Bokuto, dragging a hand through his spiky hair. Damn it, why couldn't Bokuto ever reign himself in?
"No, no, Bokuto-san, I'm just not used to people being so... open about their feelings." A pause. "It's... cute."
Bokuto's brain short circuited as he felt his jaw drop. "Are you alright, sir?" the beautiful boy asked, frowning a bit.
"Uh, um, yeah, yeah, of course," Bokuto said, trying not to fidget his hands too much. "I'm just surprised. Really surprised." Since when were his emotions cute? People were always getting annoyed by his mood swings and intense feelings.
"Do people usually give you a hard time about your emotions or something?" Bokuto froze. Damn, could this guy actually be as perceptive as Kenma?
"Uh, well, my mood swings kind of.. annoy people." Bokuto shrugged, scratching the back of his neck. "And sometimes they don't understand why I feel things so intensely, but Kuroo says my heart is just too big." The other boy was frowning and shit, of course Bokuto managed to upset him.
"Kuroo?" The boy's eyes and voice were distant.
"He's my best friend." Hot Coffee Shop Guy nodded, making a vague humming sound.
"Are you still asking me out?" he asked suddenly, eyes locking on to Bokuto's. Bokuto nodded vehemently. "Well, then, here's my number." He scribbled something on a napkin, and pushed it across the table. Bokuto could hear Kuroo cheering from across the shop, but he ignored it.
"Wait, what's your name?"
"Akaashi." A pause. "Akaashi Keiji."
"Keiji," Bokuto breathed.
A beat.
"Look, Bokuto-san, I have class in half an hour, so I have to get going." At Bokuto's stricken expression, he added, "I'm not brushing you off, but I really do have to go. Text me this evening, I'll be busy until then."
---
Akaashi had been confessed to by plenty of times. He'd lost count long ago of how many people asked him out, yet not one of those confessions failed to mention how beautiful they thought Keiji was.
So, when some wild-haired guy from across Justify The Beans started yelling about a 'hot coffee shop guy,' Akaashi knew their was a good chance it was him. It wasn't arrogant, but merely logical. And, when he paused to glance up, sure enough the boy who'd yelled was sheepishly gazing right back at him.
/Maybe he'll be too ashamed to come back here,/ Akaashi hoped, hiding behind his book. /I'm really not in the mood for dealing with this today./
For the past year Akaashi hadn't gone on a date. He just didn't have the time to waste, and judging by his past experiences, going out with anyone would be a waste of time. It never worked out. Sometimes it would turn out that the person was just using his good looks to make their ex jealous, or the person would realize that they were really only interested in Akaashi for his looks and not his personality, after getting frustrated with how reserved he was. Often it would turn out the other person only wanted casual sex, while Akaashi was more interested in developing a relationship.
So, Akaashi would focus on his studies. Who needed a relationship, anyway?
For now, he was relaxing and reading a book.
At least, he was until he heard a loud crash. Glancing up, he wasn't surprised to see that it was the boy who'd yelled that had tipped over his chair. Shit. He was coming over, wasn't he?
Deciding against rudely walking right out of the coffee shop, Akaashi hunched over his book in attempt to discourage the other. Of course, it did not work.
"Uh hey," the boy began, shuffling from foot to foot. "I'm Bokuto Koutarou. Nice to meet you."
Stifling his sigh, Akaashi met the other's gaze. Bokuto's appearance was striking and unusual, and Akaashi admired the black hair streaked with white up close. "Hello, Bokuto-san. Do you need something?" /Keep it formal. Stay distant./
It never worked.
And so the wild boy with the electrifying eyes proceeded to ask him out, stumbling over his words and digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole until Akaashi had the mercy to interrupt him.
"Bokuto-san," he said, and Bokuto looked relieved that he'd been stopped. "Sorry, but I'm not looking for a casual hookup."
The boy's eyes widened. "Me neither, me neither. I'm very emotional, and I cry very hard even when it doesn't work out with somebody I only went on one date with."
A beat.
"Um." Akaashi had been expecting disappointment or even anger, but not this. Was this guy being genuine?
"Oh shit, was that too much to say? I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! Please don't hate me!" Bokuto begged, his forehead creasing to an almost comical extent, if he didn't look so sad.
"No, no," Akaashi was quick to reassure him, suddenly feeling very protective of this stranger. /Damn it, Akaashi,/ he thought to himself. /You're letting this one break down your walls too easily./ "I'm just not used to people being so... open about their feelings." /More like you're just used to not sharing any of yours./
He'd hoped that this would be enough reassurance for the other boy, but when he still looked dejected, it seemed that Akaashi would have to be as honest as the other. "It's," he paused, taking a breath of courage. "Cute."
Bokuto's jaw dropped immediately. After a few moments of unresponsiveness, Akaashi asked, "Are you alright, sir?" /Keep it formal, Keiji./
Bokuto assured Him that he was, though Akaashi didn't buy it for a second. After a brief stare down, Bokuto meekly added, "I'm just surprised. Really surprised."
Akaashi frowned. Was it that surprising that someone could find his energy and emotions sweet? Did people make him feel insecure about himself?
When he asked, Bokuto froze and flushed. "Uh, well, my mood swings kind of.. annoy people. And sometimes they don't understand why I feel things so intensely, but Kuroo says my heart is just too big."
"Kuroo?" Akaashi felt the words come out of his mouth subconsciously, thinking deeply. He vaguely heard the other boy tell him that Kuroo was the name of his best friend, but he was more preoccupied with contemplating the boy standing in front of him.
Never in his life had Keiji met someone so genuinely good.
Damn it, when the spiky-haired boy had stumbled his way over here, Keiji had been prepared to civilly but firmly turn him down. He hadn't expected to meet someone he felt so drawn to. It was almost a protective feeling. It seemed like people gave Bokuto-san shit just for harmlessly being himself, and Akaashi instinctively felt the need to make this boy feel adored. No one had ever inspired this feeling in him before.
Not to mention the fact that he seemed to really want Keiji. He didn't seem put off by his formality or emotional distance, and it was clear he and Akaashi had similar goals of a long-term relationship. Maybe this could actually work...
/Damn it, Akaashi. Don't think like that. You swore you wouldn't waste your time dating anyone anymore, at least not while at university./
Fuck it.
"Are you still asking me out?" he blurted. The other boy's eyes widened as he violently bobbed his head up and down. "Well, then here's my number." Keiji grabbed a napkin and his trusty fine-liner, scribbling down the ten digits that could connect this boy and him. A cheer came from across Justify The Beans, presumably Bokuto's friend Kuroo, but Akaashi payed no mind.
His eyes were filing away each twitch of Bokuto's facial muscles as he registered what was happening. "What, what's your name?" said the boy, voice unexpectedly soft as he held the napkin in his hands as if cradling an egg.
"Akaashi." Akaashi swallowed the lump in his throat. /He just threw his heart out for me, give him something./ "Akaashi Keiji."
Bokuto repeated his name ever so softly, and Akaashi could hear those syllables roll off his tongue again and again for the rest of eternity without getting bored.
Then, a tugging sensation awoke in the back of his mind. Shit! Akaashi had to attend class. Ah fuck, Bokuto would think he was brushing him off. His previous partners wouldn't have tolerated this.
But then again, Bokuto wasn't really like them, was he?
So, Akaashi took the chance and explained to him that he had class to get to, with instructions to text him that evening. Bokuto's eyes were bright, and Akaashi let a smile tug at his lips as he exited the coffee shop.