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The tips of your toes skimmed over the clear, blue water of Fukurodani’s lap pool, the small ripples similar to the small frown on your face. Keiji was late.
The two of you agreed to meet after school at the lap pool to spend some time together since it was usually quiet and deserted, due to the fact that it was winter. You agreed on four in the afternoon, but it was now four fifteen and as the minutes passed by, so did your patience.
Just as you were about to withdraw your feet from the water, the door creaked open and before it could slam shut, you saw a pair of black shoes out of your peripheral. All negative feelings and thoughts you had dissipated as you looked up into Keiji’s apologetic dark blue eyes.
“Your brother proved to be quite the handful today. Particularly when school let out.” Keiji sighed, toeing off his shoes and socks to soak his feet in the water next to you.
“Ooh, please spill the tea.” You pressed, earning a small wince from Keiji at your lingo. It’s sort of a tick of his to make remarks whenever anyone he’s familiar with uses modern lingo. That’s how Koutarou got very self conscious whenever he’d want to say ‘lit’ or ‘fire’.
“He practically hung onto my legs when the bell rang and begged me to go on a run with him later. When I said no, he proposed going to the convenience store. When I turned that down, he asked if he could come to my house with me. Every time I would turn him down, he’d come up with another random activity. I mean, he hates going on runs when it’s cold out.”
“Yeah, he does that to me every time I try to leave the house.”
“I wonder what’s gotten into that idiot lately…” Keiji knew Koutarou better than anyone else on the planet. He predicted his periods of mania and slumps, he knew what Koutarou was thinking at all times, and sometimes he could even deny his requests before Koutarou had even formed the question himself. But Keiji was genuinely stumped about this particular situation.
“Keiji-kun, I told you...I definitely feel like he knows.”
“About us? Y/n-kun, no offense at all to your brother and my teammate but...that man is about as dumb as he is thick.” Keiji stated bluntly. You giggled and he followed suite, leaving the two of you feeling a little bit better about the situation. But it still was not resolved.
“Plus,” Keiji spoke into the thinning air, “we’ve been really discreet about this whole thing. The only people who know about us are us.” He wrapped an arm around your shoulders and rubbed your arm gently. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Thanks, Keiji-kun.” You rested your head on his shoulder and continued to swing your feet back and forth in the water, content in the warm silence of the pool house despite the freezing winter.
Unbeknownst to either you nor Keiji, Koutarou had followed his dear setter to the poolhouse, wondering why he was more steadfast than usual to thwart his attempts to hang out with him after school today. He never would’ve guessed it was because of his own sister , who he was was currently watching cuddle up to Fukurodani’s analytical vice-captain.
Koutarou wanted so badly to burst into the pool house and scream ‘Aha!’ at the seemingly happy and unbothered couple, but he decided to wait for another, better time to reveal what he knew. He swiveled away from the entrance to the pool house, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and smiled widely as he made his way home.
He didn’t mind at all that his sister and his best friend were dating. If there was anyone in the world he would want his darling little sister to end with, it would be Akaashi Keiji; but he was a bit hurt that they would keep it from him. His sister and his best friend.
Huh.
“Hey, mom, I’m going to go study with Suzumeda-kun at her house. I shouldn’t be out too late!” You called, stuffing your feet in your shoes before grabbing your bag.
“Ah, my two children are leaving me alone for the night! Whatever, shall I do?” Your mom joked from where she was reading under the kotatsu.
“Awe, don’t act like dad isn’t sitting right next to you. Don’t have too much fun while I’m gone!” You bid adieu to your parents and stepped out into the crisp and cold air, feeling a tiny bit of delight as you watched your breaths come out in little clouds in front of you. You opened your phone to text Keiji that you were on your way before putting it back into your pocket; it was a short walk to the Akaashi residence but you usually always took your time--Kanto at night was just too pretty. But you enjoyed the glow much more when Keiji would walk you back home, the nighttime hue shading you from any prying eyes.
Once you had reached the gate, you took your phone out once more to text Keiji that you were there and you were coming in, but you frowned as you saw that he had not even opened your text telling him you were on your way. He usually would have texted you back by now. You shrugged and rang the doorbell anyway, smiling warmly at Keiji’s mother when she opened the door for you. He usually would have opened the door you. An uncomfortable feeling settled in your stomach.
A few minutes of small talk with his mother about the ‘project’ you had come to work on made you anxious to see Keiji, since he still had not replied to your text. Once Keiji’s mom had insisted you go upstairs, you took the stairs hurriedly and knocked twice before opening Keiji’s door, curious as to what was keeping him away from his phone and so seemingly unavailable. What you found was absolutely horrifying.
You never pegged Keiji for the type of boy to cheat on you. He was loyal, kind, smart, and undeniably honest. So that wasn’t even a thought in your mind. However, you would’ve never pegged your brother to be one step ahead of you. Yet here he was, quite literally one step ahead of you, sitting in Keiji’s desk chair, arms crossed, regarding you with a smug look. You slowly moved your eyes to where Keiji was sitting cross-legged on his bed, glaring daggers at Koutarou’s profile.
“Dear little sister of mine, please come in! We were getting kinda lonely without you.” Koutarou greeted brightly, gesturing for you to sit on the bed next to Keiji. If you had a tail, it would be tucked in between your legs as you shuffled over to Keiji’s bed and carefully sat down on the edge of it--careful to not make any sudden movements to provoke Koutarou even further.
“Kou, I just had a project to work on with Keiji-kun.” You said slowly, still trying to save face for you and Keiji’s relationship.
“‘Keiji-kun’? Akaashi-kun, I didn’t know you let people call you by your first name Sometimes you even scold me for doing that.” Koutarou wiggled his eyebrows at Keiji, who deepened his glare at his captain. You mentally slapped yourself for making that stupid mistake. “So tell me, how many ‘projects’ does it take for my best friend and my little sister to tell me that they’re going out?”
“Bokuto-san, it hasn’t been that long. There is really no reason to get worked up over this.”
“There isn’t? How would you feel Keiji-kun if two of the people you trusted most in the entire world were keeping something this important from you? You are my little sister’s first boyfriend! Unless, you’ve been keeping other things from me.” He turned his pointed gaze to you, “Are we even related?”
“Kou, don’t be ridiculous, we have the same eyes.”
“True. But still,” Koutarou’s neck bowed slightly as he fiddled with his hands, a bad habit he had picked up from Keiji, “you could’ve told me. I would’ve been, and am, so happy for you guys.” Your heart broke as you watched your usually elated big brother sink into a small pity party, and you turned to Keiji, who almost looked guilty. His eyes were trained on Koutarou as well, but they held no sympathy for him, they were calculating, as if he were trying to figure a way out of this situation.
After a few moments of silence and Koutarou’s fake sniffles, Keiji spoke up.
“Koutarou-kun,” Keiji began, earning a small glance from the sulking wing spiker, “I know I don’t say this often, but I admire you. Your outlook on life is one I sometimes wish I had, and I enjoy being here to bring you back down to earth or back up from your lows. I’d date you if I could, Koutarou-kun.” Keiji said, his mouth set in a firm line and his eyes still showing no sign of emotion. You furrowed your eyebrows at Keiji, wondering what the hell he was trying to do.
Koutarou looked up from his fingers with wide eyes and gaped at Keiji. “Would you really Akaashi-kun?” He asked quietly.
“Absolutely.” Keiji nodded once and Koutarou covered his mouth with his hands.
“Bro, that’s fire! I’d totally date you too if I was an ass guy, but we all know I’m a boo—”
“Anyway,” Keiji cleared his throat loudly to cut Koutarou off, who happily complied, “since we are both, in fact, straight, I’ve fallen for your sister.” Keiji turned to you and laid a hand on your thigh. “She’s just as joyful as you, and makes my day ten times better just with her smile. She’s less irritating than you, though, so my blood pressure is normal when she’s around, so that’s good for my health. Doesn’t it make you feel honored for me want to date someone who’s so much like you, but better in every way?”
“Yes! I do feel very honored!” Koutarou smiled brightly at the two of you. Your eyebrows were pressed together so tightly that your head had begun to hurt. You didn’t understand a word of what Keiji just said. Did he just hit on Koutarou, hit on you, and then compliment you while simultaneously insulting Koutarou...all just to get Koutarou to agree to letting him date you?
Whatever had just happened had certainly earned Koutarou’s whole compliance.
“You guys have my blessing!” Koutarou cried as he shot up from the desk chair and slung his arms around the two of you.
“Goodnight, Keiji-kun.” You pushed yourself up to give him a light peck on the cheek before turning and waiting for Koutarou to get his shoes on.
“ Goodnight, Keiji-kun .” Koutarou teased, leaning in to give Keiji kiss on the cheek. Keiji pushed his hand onto Koutarou’s entire face to fend him off before he could get too close.
After a few more attempts to irritate Keiji to dust, you and Koutarou started on your short journey home, settled into a comfortable silence.
“Hey, y/n-kun.” Koutarou said, his voice was uncharacteristically deeper and serious. You looked up at him expectantly. “I’m glad you’re dating him. If there’s anyone in the world I’d trust with you, it’d be that guy.” He continued, getting more and more bashful as he continued on. You linked your arm through his and hugged him tightly.
“Thanks, Kou.”