Work Text:
It was the third set. The score: Nekoma at 28 and Fukurodani at 29. It was only a practice match, but they had been firing at each other all day long and this was the tie-breaker. If they won this match, they could leave the gym knowing that they were the stronger team...At least until their next game.
Kuroo and Lev had been in good shape today, Akaashi noted. Their blocks were well-timed and compact, and Lev was only getting better. They had definitely given Bokuto a run for his money. In fact, Fukurodani’s ace had only been growing more frustrated as the game went on.
Akaashi was sort of proud of him, because he’d been managing to keep it together for the most part. Just not during this last set. His spikes had grown more and more reckless, so focused on hitting the ball that he didn’t pay attention to where it landed. That was when he’d even let Akaashi toss to him.
“Bokuto-san!” He called, tossing the ball into the air. It wasn’t perfect--a little high--but done with care, knowing that Bokuto would be able to take it from there and get the lead back for them.
With flawless approaching footwork, Bokuto leapt into the air, his muscled right arm springing back before--
BAM! The ball was returned by Lev’s palms and landed with a thud on their side of the net. The score: 29 to 29. Akaashi glanced back at his teammates, who all looked as exhausted as he felt, clothes sticking to their skin. They’d definitely sweat out all the water they’d drunk over the course of the day.
They were strong together, as a team, but if he could just lift Bokuto’s spirits, he knew the match would be over in an instant. He just had no idea how, considering that all of his usual tactics had failed.
The coach called a time-out to let them figure out their final plan of attack. Before they went back into the game, Akaashi pulled Bokuto to the side. Only he still had no idea what to say.
“What is it, Akaashi?” Bokuto asked sullenly, lowering his water bottle.
The calculations ran through his head at lightning speed. There were a number of approaches he could take: A) Compliment Bokuto and hope that the praise was enough for him to cheer up and end the game, B) Remind him of one of Kuroo’s taunts so that Bokuto would get fired up and end the game, or C) Rely on his teammates to lift Bokuto’s spirits so that he could end the game. All of them seemed like good options and had worked plenty of times before. But something in his brain broke and he discarded them all.
“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi found himself saying, sweat dripping down his forehead. “If we win this match, I’ll give you a kiss.”
He then blinked, processing the words that had just slipped out of his mouth. He had no idea where the suggestion even came from. There was no way for him to know that Bokuto would even want a kiss from him. On top of that, he’d never kissed anyone before. Was it a good thing that he was willing to give a kiss out so easily? And would he even be a good enough kisser for it to be a reward?
Bokuto looked as surprised as he felt. He stared at Akaashi with wide eyes, two plates of shining bronze. “You mean it?”
Mixed with Akaashi’s shock was a sense of relief. At least Bokuto seemed excited by the idea instead of repulsed by it. Could this actually work?
“Yes.” Akaashi nodded. “All you need to do is score two more points for us. Can you do that?”
Bokuto nodded vigorously, flexing his muscles as though his veins had just filled with lightning. “Definitely! You can count on me, Akaashi.”
His lips quirked into a small smile. “I always do, Bokuto-san.”
The game started once more and they all returned to their positions. Konoha gave him a questioning look, which he returned with a blank expression that meant trust me . Never mind that he was having a hard time trusting himself.
It was Nekoma’s turn to serve. The ball dropped down in an arc, threatening to land on the glossy floor. But Komi was able to dig it. “Sorry, it’s short!”
It was good enough for Akaashi. It felt like his fingertips were only just brushing against the ball, but he sent it up, straight to-- “Bokuto-san!”
Bokuto flew upwards to hit it. For a split second, Akaashi thought he’d get blocked again, until he hit an extraordinary cut shot, forcing the ball just out of Kuroo’s reach, missing Yaku, until it landed on the other side of the court with a satisfying thump .
“Yeah!” Komi yelled encouragingly, slapping Bokuto’s back. “There’s our ace.”
“One more, ace!”
Akaashi knew that half their encouragement came from the fact that they simply wanted the game to end, but he couldn’t blame them. We just need one more point.
“Sorry to drag the game on,” Kuroo smirked, “but we’re winning this one.”
Bokuto grinned menacingly, baring teeth. He looked like his usual self. “Bring it!”
Yamamoto served the ball, aiming for Akaashi. But he stepped out of the way just in time for Konoha to receive it cleanly to their moving setter.
“Thanks, Konoha-san.” He threw up another set, praying that it would be the last one.
It seemed to happen in slow motion. Bokuto rocketed upwards, his form perfect even though he was no doubt just as tired of the rest of the team. His arm sprung back and Akaashi had never seen him hit so hard, blasting the ball right through Nekoma’s hands onto the floor.
29 to 31.
“We won!” Saruiki cheered before falling over. “Akaashi, are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” He insisted, pretending that a blush hadn’t crept up over his cheeks. “I’m just sweaty.” He’d never seen Bokuto spike like that before. Had he gotten worked up over the kiss? Surely, that couldn’t be the reason. He was probably just pumped up from their team’s cheers, that was all.
That was what Akaashi convinced himself, anyway, as they lined up to thank Nekoma for the game. And he had even become sure of it when the other team left the gym, swearing revenge while they started their cooldown exercises. And he had almost forgotten about it by the time they’d finished cleaning up, and it was just him and Bokuto alone in the clubroom.
He was lost in thought about the techniques they could use in the next match when he felt a pair of eyes on him. He looked up and found Bokuto staring unabashedly from a few feet away, squirming where he stood.
“Bokuto-san?” He asked, fighting another blush from entering his cheeks. Bokuto didn’t actually want the kiss, did he?
“Akaashi,” Bokuto said. It would be considered a mumble if he didn’t say it in that thunderous voice of his. “You promised me…” He trailed off, redness overcoming his cheeks. As though to make his point, he stepped closer, leaving only about a foot of space between them.
“Oh,” Akaashi blinked, his gaze quickly falling to the floor. His heart quickened in his chest. “I suppose I did.”
Bokuto nodded in that way of his, shaking his whole body as though to emphasize his point. Before Akaashi could say anything else, he screwed his eyes shut, as though he were afraid of what was to come next.
Akaashi bit back a smile. He could appreciate seeing Bokuto like this--it meant that he could stare for a moment without worrying he’d get caught. He admired the strong arch of Bokuto’s brows, the flush settled over his cheeks, the perfect curve of the cupid’s bow on his lips. He traced lines over it all with just his eyes, allowing himself to savor it for just one moment. And then he pressed the smallest peck--to Bokuto’s cheek.
His eyes flew open. “Akaashi!” He whined, the spikes of his hair already drooping. “You said you’d give me a kiss .”
“That was a kiss,” he pointed out, amused, before turning away to grab his bag.
“No, but like a real kiss.” Bokuto insisted, pointing to his mouth.
“Do you really want a real kiss, Bokuto-san? From me?”
He had no idea why Bokuto, popular among his classmates and the ace of the team, would want a kiss from him, of all people. Quiet, responsible Akaashi, who didn’t have half of his star power.
“Of course I do!” The answer came tumbling out of Bokuto immediately. “You give the best tosses, so your kisses must be the best, too.”
Akaashi was definitely blushing now. Just a little bit. But it was the most that anyone could ever fluster him. “I don’t think those have any correlation.” He wasn’t even going to bring up that he wasn’t that skilled of a setter--the rookie at Karasuno was far more talented.
He was unable to stop Bokuto’s whines as they gathered their things and locked up the clubroom, heading into the courtyard.
“I’m going to get a kiss from you eventually!” Bokuto declared at the gate where they parted. “Just--don’t kiss anyone else until then. Okay, Akaashi?”
It wasn’t at all unusual for Bokuto to go from triumphant one moment to hesitant the next. Unable to help himself, Akaashi was completely endeared by the uncertainty. “I won’t kiss anyone else, Bokuto-san.” He didn’t even know who else he’d want to kiss.
“You promise?”
He nodded. “I promise.”
As the days stretched on, they settled comfortably into their summer vacation and Akaashi found himself forgetting about the whole ordeal of trading wins for kisses. He didn’t know what had gotten Bokuto so worked up that day that he couldn’t recover during the game. But whatever it was, it didn’t seem to bother the ace anymore. If anything, Bokuto seemed happier than usual.
One day, to celebrate how hard they’d been practicing, (and to escape the burning sun) the team decided to go ice skating together. The inside of the rink was a refuge and Akaashi breathed a delighted sigh at the feeling of cool air against his skin.
“Akaashi, you didn’t rent any skates?” Bokuto asked, holding his pair of ice skates in his hand.
“No,” he shook his head. “I’m not very good at ice skating. I’ll have more fun watching all of you.”
“I don’t want to ice skate if you’re not coming!” Bokuto insisted, already abandoning the rented skates at a nearby bench.
“Bokuto-san, please.”
But no amount of reasoning would convince him, so Akaashi settled for having Bokuto accompany him just outside the rink where they could watch their teammates, who were mostly having fun trying to get each other to fall over.
“No way!”
Akaashi turned curiously to see Bokuto’s face pressed up against one of those claw machine games.
“I always wanted to win one of these.” Bokuto dug around in his pockets for change, producing one coin. “Akaashi, c’mere! Pick a toy and I’ll win it for you.”
“That’s not necessary,” he reassured Bokuto, peeking past his shoulder to take a look at the toys. “These games are impossible to win anyways.”
Inside the machine sat a small mountain of plushies. A lot of them were standard toys that kids would like: Hello Kitty, Tweety bird--an owl plushie. That one caught his attention.
“You like that one?” Bokuto asked, noticing where his eyes landed. “It’s not impossible to win! Just improbable. And I’m gonna give it my best shot.” He stuck a coin into the machine slot.
The neon lights outlining the machine lit up and retro techno music played. Bokuto’s tongue stuck out of the side of his mouth as he concentrated, moving the claw slowly above the owl. Then, sure of himself, he pressed the button--and missed.
“Oh, so close! I get three turns, right?” He waited for the claw to reset, before trying again. This time, before pressing the button, he walked around to the other sides of the machine to make sure that the angle was just right. Akaashi suppressed a chuckle at his concentration. Even when he was running around like a little kid, he still looked impeccably handsome, T-shirt showing off strong arms that Akaashi was mildly obsessed with.
The claw descended onto the owl’s head. “Yes!” It picked up the plushie, before dropping it a few inches away, on top of another toy. “No!” Bokuto whined, tugging at his hair.
“It’s okay, Bokuto-san,” he said, amused. “You get another try.”
“I’m going to make this one count. Wish me luck.”
Akaashi allowed himself a small smile. “Good luck.”
Bronze eyes zeroed in on the owl plushie. Akaashi had to hold back a chuckle because of the scene: an owl hunting down another owl.
Bokuto moved the claw excruciatingly slowly, stopping it every inch to make sure that he wouldn’t miss his mark. Finally, the claw descended, gripping the owl by the head.
“I got it!”
The claw immediately dropped the owl back into the pile.
“GAH! I’m sorry, Akaashi.” Bokuto was already sifting through his pockets for another coin. “Let me try again.”
“Bokuto-san, you’re going to waste all of your money.” He knew that if he didn’t intervene, the other would keep going until he’d either met his goal or emptied his pockets.
“It’s just one more game,” he insisted, pulling out his wallet. “I’ll get it for sure this time.”
Akaashi closed the wallet, placing a hand over Bokuto’s. “I appreciate the effort.” Bokuto’s calloused fingers were warm against his. “But let’s go back to the others before they wonder where we are.”
“Right.” Bokuto nodded, a faint pink dusting over his cheeks. They stood very close together. “I really wanted you to have that owl, though…I know you love owls.”
“Let’s go,” he murmured, still holding Bokuto’s hand as they walked back to the rink together.
Somehow, Akaashi found himself spending more and more time with Bokuto. They couldn’t hang out all the time, either because they were too worn out from practice or had other responsibilities. Akaashi, for one, was often put in charge of babysitting his younger cousins while his aunt and uncle were at work. The kids weren’t too troublesome, usually.
His ten-year-old cousin, Aito, was giving him even less trouble than usual that day, consumed by a game on his Nintendo Switch. Every time Akaashi looked at him, he’d find the head of tousled curls completely still, fingers flying across the controls, round eyes consumed by a look of complete focus.
“What are you playing?” He asked, wiping yogurt off the face of his other younger cousin, Yumi.
“Mario!” piped Yumi, wiggling free of his grasp to watch Aito play. “He’s been stuck on the same level for forever.”
“I keep dying, even when I look up tutorials.” Aito complained, watching Mario plummet to his death onscreen yet again. “Keiji, can you beat it for me? I know I can finish the whole thing if I just get past this part.”
Akaashi was about to break into a quiet lecture about how Aito had to learn to persevere in order to reap the rewards of his efforts and he couldn’t possibly expect things to come so easily to him. But then he got a look at those big old eyes and said instead, “I’ll do my best.”
Of course, he had other things to tend to, like preparing dinner and making sure that they didn’t drown during their baths. He didn’t get many chances to think about the game, since Bokuto came over the next day.
“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said, sitting down on the floor of his room, a low table settled between them. “I’m happy to study together, but I don’t think I can be of much help. You’re in the year above me.”
“I know, Akaashi,” Bokuto said, further rolling up his short sleeves, showing off toned biceps (though his intention was probably to fight off the heat that was already being lessened by the whirring fan in Akaashi’s room). “But you’re really smart! And besides, I focus better when you sit next to me.”
He had no idea how Bokuto could say something like that so casually. Kind words had never come so easily to him. And he couldn’t deny that what Bokuto said was true--somehow, he had a calming effect on the ace that no one else on the team had. He wasn’t sure how he did it; he was just glad that it usually worked. “All right,” he gave in with a sigh, pulling out his pencil to get to work.
But of course, the peaceful serenity of quiet schoolwork didn’t last long. Though Akaashi didn’t mind it when Bokuto’s mind went off in ten different directions, going from a math problem to questioning why someone would need so many watermelons, which would make Akaashi crave watermelon, and then they would take a snack break and get back to work, only to be distracted by something else. By nightfall, they’d only managed to finish maybe half of the work that they’d set out to do.
“It’s okay!” Bokuto declared. “We can just stay up late.”
Akaashi had been expecting that. “Are you inviting yourself to sleep over at my house again?” He teased, resting his chin in his hand. This was something that often happened when Bokuto came over.
“Is--is it okay?” Bokuto asked, color rising to his cheeks as a pencil twirled in his fingers nervously. He tended to get caught up in the moment, but Akaashi didn’t mind.
“You should tell your parents.” Akaashi rose from his seat. “I’ll get the futon.” The first time Bokuto asked to spend the night, he’d thought it was strange. But it was easy to see how much Bokuto enjoyed spending time with him, and Akaashi felt the same way.
They ended up continuing their homework until after Akaashi’s parents went to bed. He had no idea how Bokuto had the energy to keep going when he couldn’t keep his eyes focused on the paragraph in front of him. Giving up, he stood to get his pajamas and some for Bokuto (his dad’s old ones, since there was no way that Akaashi’s pajamas could fit Bokuto’s broad build).
“You have a Switch?” Bokuto asked, picking it up. “Can I give it a try?”
Akaashi explained how Aito had asked him to get past the level. “You’re welcome to try to beat it.”
“Hmm. Maybe tomorrow.” Bokuto yawned.
Thankfully, he didn’t need to try very hard to convince Bokuto to go to sleep. Settled in, blanket flung over the side of the bed so it wouldn’t suffocate him, Akaashi stared at the ceiling. He suddenly didn’t feel tired at all.
“Bokuto-san,” he whispered into the dark.
No reply. Just as he was about to turn to see if the other was asleep, a loud snore filled his ears. “Ah.” Bokuto had fallen asleep already.
Bokuto’s snores were no laughing matter; they had enough bass to be confused for earthquakes. But Akaashi was the most accustomed to them, which was why he was always pushed closest to Bokuto during their training camps.
It was quite funny to him how Bokuto was just as loud asleep as he was when awake. Sighing, he gave in to the cacophonous sounds, putting himself at sleep’s mercy.
He awoke to a different noise, though. Quiet, fast-paced music.
Rubbing his eyes, he sat up in bed. It was still dark. “Bokuto-san?”
“Sorry, Akaashi,” Bokuto whispered. “Did I wake you?”
He leaned over his bed to see Bokuto’s face lit up by a square of blue light. “What are you doing?” He scooted down, settling beside Bokuto on his futon.
“I woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep,” he explained, eyes trained on the Switch’s screen. “So I thought I’d try to beat the level for your kid cousin.”
“Oh, did you just start?” Too tired to sit upright, he leaned his head on Bokuto’s shoulder.
“Nah, I started from the beginning. So I could get a feel for the controls.”
Akaashi blinked, looking up at him. “But Aito was more than halfway through the game.”
“Yeah,” he said, as though it were obvious. “It took me a little bit, but I’ve caught up now. I just need to use the superpower I picked up.”
Bokuto must have been up for hours, playing this silly game just for Akaashi’s little cousin who he’d never even met. But that wasn’t unusual for Bokuto, he supposed. He was always doing something for someone else, without ever expecting anything in return. And his good nature was so infectious that it always put Akaashi in a sunny mood, no matter how icy his disposition could get.
Bokuto was just...lovely. Sitting here beside him in battered pajamas, bronze eyes narrowed in concentration, face splitting into a grin whenever his attacks against the video game villain succeeded. Akaashi didn’t know how long he stared before Bokuto forgot to whisper, crying out, “Akaashi! Look, I did it!”
Maybe it was an unconscious effort to hush Bokuto before he woke the whole house. Maybe it was because he was sleepy and out of his mind. He didn’t know the reason, but the next thing that Akaashi did was turn Bokuto’s face towards his and plant a kiss right on his lips.
The game fell from Bokuto’s hands, its blue glow emitting faintly across the room. The colored shine caught in Bokuto’s wide eyes as they gazed directly into Akaashi’s. He thought he’d stunned the other into silence when he pulled away.
“Wait, I wasn’t ready that time.” Bokuto said, flustered. “I want a do-over.”
Akaashi smiled, pressing their lips together once more. This time, Bokuto melted against him, strong hands hesitantly touching the small of his back. Akaashi didn’t know what he was doing, but Bokuto was happy to lead, nudging his tongue against Akaashi's in a way that made him shudder. He was overwhelmed by sensations, taking in Bokuto’s scent of soap and, more faintly, of sweat. He didn't know when he'd closed his eyes but opened them when they broke apart, remembering to breathe.
“Wow,” Bokuto said in between inhales of air, “That was worth the wait." Akaashi was glad that the darkness covered the red that rose to his cheeks.
“Akaashi,” Bokuto bursted out before he could say anything. “Do you...remember that day when--” He paused, gaze finding the floor, “When you promised to not kiss anyone else?”
Confused, he nodded. “I do.”
“Do you remember how my game was really off in the last round?” The question rolled out in a mumble, hands tightening at the back of Akaashi’s shirt. He nodded once more.
“Well, before the last match,” Bokuto began, burrowing his face into Akaashi’s shoulder, muffling his words. “I was talking to Konoha and he told me how you were spending a lot of time with a girl in your class. And--I dunno--it made me really scared. I turned into a mess.” He tilted his head so that Akaashi could feel puffs of warm breath against his neck. “So I was...really happy when you said you’d kiss me.”
Akaashi’s hands traveled up to Bokuto’s neck, hesitantly playing with the strands of hair at his nape. Bokuto sighed against him.
There were a lot of things he could say then: A) I was happy to kiss you, Bokuto-san, B) I only have eyes for you, Bokuto-san, or C) I am in love with you, Bokuto-san. But what he did say somehow combined all three, in a way that was perfectly Akaashi-like.
“The sun’s coming up.”
They both turned to the window to see the beginnings of warmth enter the sky, yellow and orange seeping into the clouds like a bag of tea in hot water. The early morning air was cool. Bokuto’s fingers found Akaashi’s, lending him heat that he knew he could keep.
