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Akaashi was always used to people calling him patient. That was the result of having a best friend that acted like a loud, excitable puppy a large majority of the time after all. It wasn’t anything new to hear that he was “just so patient.”
Even with the normalcy of such a comment though, it severely ticked him off at times. Bokuto Koutarou was his best friend, an absolute ball of energy and a bright star in a dim world for Akaashi. He was amazing inside and out and Akaashi was thankful every single day for Bokuto being in his life. Hearing someone compliment Akaashi on his patience with handling Bokuto wasn’t a compliment at all, because it was an offhand insult to his most favorite person in the world.
As Akaashi and Bokuto were walking along one of the shopping streets, Akaashi heard his name. “Akaashi, Akaashi look!” Bokuto yelled to him from the window of one of the stores, bouncing on the balls of his feet excitedly. Akaashi walked over to see a very colorful hoodie in the display, causing him to smile only for him to look over as Bokuto sighed. “Ah man, if only I hadn’t spent so much money on.. Darn it.” The comment wasn’t even made as a method of guilt trip or manipulation, Akaashi knew him too well. Bokuto would never stoop to such methods, not when he was always so considerate. Bokuto was just thinking out loud as he tended to do.
Akaashi couldn’t help himself from letting out a small laugh. “Bokuto-san, would you like it?”
“Well yeah, that’s why I showed it to you!” Bokuto said, Akaashi responding with a fond roll of his eyes.
Bokuto blinked down at Akaashi’s outstretched hand. “Well? Let’s go get it then,” was his simple response. Akaashi didn’t miss the way Bokuto’s eyes lit up as he tightly clasped Akaashi’s hand, running into the store.
Akaashi knew that his understanding of Bokuto’s every whim and will was an example of his “patience.”
It wasn’t that he let Bokuto have everything he wanted, it was just that people could often overlook things like that because they didn’t quite get why it was important. Things were important to Bokuto that might not be to others, that was just the reality of it. If people actually asked and listened, Bokuto would be willing to explain.
“‘Kaashi, I’m nervous about my test, can I hold your hand?” Bokuto whined out, kicking his feet from where he was sitting. The two of them were eating lunch at the moment but Akaashi had noticed his best friend getting rather antsy. It didn’t take long for him to bring it up at least, Akaashi was always grateful for the openness.
“Yes you may,” Akaashi responded, placing his hand palm up on the table in front of Bokuto.
Bokuto took his hand and squeezed it a bit firmly before deciding that wasn’t enough, clasping Akaashi’s hand with both of his. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Bokuto kicked his feet again.
“It doesn’t feel right, can I hug you instead?”
Akaashi nodded. “Gently though, ok?”
“Yeah, I will!” Bokuto said before practically throwing himself at Akaashi, hanging off of him with a groan into Akaashi’s shoulder. Akaashi could tell the nerves weren’t quite going away still, so he wasn’t surprised when he was asked once more for Bokuto to put his head in Akaashi’s lap. With confirmation, Bokuto did so, wrapping his arms around Akaashi’s waist as Akaashi stroked a hand through Bokuto’s hair gently, getting back to his book. Bokuto continued to fuss but Akaashi let him get out the nervous energy and by the end of lunch, Akaashi saw him half asleep. Akaashi reached both hands to his hair and gave him a good scratch behind the ears, causing Bokuto to smile and mutter out a “you’re the best, ‘Kaaaashi.” Bokuto’s smile melted Akaashi’s heart.
Akaashi could tell that Bokuto’s need for physical affection wasn’t something everyone could handle. Akaashi himself wasn’t big on physical contact but his willingness with Bokuto’s wasn’t merely “patience.”
Bokuto was in another slump over one of his mistakes during practice. Every little thing could lift him up or bring him down and today one of the down notes ended up being a botched cut shot. He ended up doing something wrong and his arm felt sore so he was taken out for a moment to figure it out and see if he could still play that day. It ended up being that he couldn’t because he’d tweaked something and it did not help his mood as he and Akaashi were changing.
“I can’t believe I did that, what was I thinking?” Bokuto groaned to himself, hitting his head against the lockers. “Stupid stupid, why did I have to be so stupid?” was his mantra, which Akaashi listened to for a minute, letting Bokuto wallow in the feeling for just a moment before he put a hand on his shoulder.
“It wasn’t stupid, things like this happen. As long as you take care of it, it was just a little hiccup and nothing else, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi explained simply, looking at Bokuto as he looked back.
“Yeah? I didn’t... I didn’t do anything wrong or anything?”
Akaashi shook his head, shutting his locker and slinging his bag over his shoulder. “No, you didn’t do anything wrong. Would you like to get ice cream on the way home though? As a small treat?”
Bokuto perked up immediately at that. “Yeah! I’m gonna pay, I’m paying for you ‘Kaashi!”
“If that’s what you insist, I won’t argue,” Akaashi said, following Bokuto’s lead as he finished changing too and bounded out the door with bag in tow.
Akaashi was constantly reminded that the ups and downs of Bokuto’s emotions weren’t for the faint of heart. It wasn’t unmanageable but people often thought Akaashi handled it the best out of anyone. No one else wanted to deal with such drastic shifts or the sheer amount of emotion that Bokuto could feel at any given moment. People turned to him for help with Bokuto’s mood shifts because he was always just so “patient.”
In reality, that’s just something that happens and Bokuto has no control over the intensity. He feels emotions stronger than anyone Akaashi knows but that in and of itself isn’t a problem. Refusing to be compassionate is more of the issue and Akaashi will never let himself create that situation, even if Bokuto’s moods has that unpredictable element to it.
Bokuto was fidgeting as he looked at the ground, Akaashi looking on at him as he tried to get the words out. After practice, Bokuto had told Akaashi that he’d wanted to tell him something important. Bokuto couldn’t seem to get it out though.
“Ah geez, I’m really nervous, I’m sorry about this Akaashi!” Bokuto said, his voice slightly whiny. Akaashi could tell Bokuto was getting frustrated with himself.
“It’s ok, I understand.”
“Gosh, it’s just...” Bokuto sighed out before laughing. “Sorry, sorry, brain decided to get rid of the thought. Um, what was it...?”
Akaashi continued to wait. It wasn’t an issue, it was important as Bokuto had put it. Akaashi would continue to wait as long as Bokuto needed, both in this moment and onward.
“Oh! I uh, I wanted to say that... Wow ok, this could change how you see me and all that but I wanted you to know because you’re my best friend and all, yeah? I just think communicating with you is important and I get it if this makes you uncomfortable or you need space and all that, you know ‘Kaashi? And I just-“
Bokuto was rambling, Akaashi needed to cut this one off. “Bokuto, please take a deep breath,” Akaashi gently told him, Bokuto doing so as soon as the words left his mouth. As much as Akaashi listened to him without question, he knew that sometimes Bokuto could get in his own head with overexplaining things when he was nervous. It never helped him so Akaashi deemed it the one time where it was necessary to step in. Bokuto would typically thank him after all. “Now, you can tell me, I’m not going to judge,” Akaashi assured gently, putting his hands on Bokuto’s shoulders to ground him as much as possible. Bokuto’s shoulders seemed to ease at that as he held Akaashi’s hands on his shoulders.
“You know I think you’re amazing, right?” Bokuto finally asked. Akaashi nodded. “Well I don’t... I don’t think it’s the way friends think that.”
Akaashi’s heartbeat sped up as he looked to Bokuto, waiting for him to continue as he tried to contain his shock for the time being.
“You’re just so great ‘Kaashi, and I never want to be without you. I know it’s kind of dumb bringing this up now but I didn’t want to have to hide it and Konoha told me that I should confess and see what you’d say but I’m fine with just being friends still! I just wanted you to know!”
Akaashi was kissing him. He didn’t know when he leaned in, he barely registered the muffled squeak from Bokuto as he pressed their lips together but Akaashi was kissing Bokuto Koutarou. Bokuto melted into and it and hugged Akaashi around the waist, pulling him closer with a broad grin tugging at his lips. He could tell Bokuto was being flooded with feeling as Bokuto started to bounce on the balls of his feet. Akaashi broke the kiss and Bokuto immediately started to jump up and down, shaking his hands. 'Cute,' was Akaashi’s only thought.
“‘Kaashiiiiii, oh my gosh! You kissed me!” Bokuto yelled as he picked him up, twirling him around. “I want to be your boyfriend so much, please let me be your boyfriend! I promise I’ll be the best one ever if you let me!”
Akaashi couldn’t help himself as he let out an unhindered, full body laugh, clinging to Bokuto with everything he had.
The hug was a bit too tight and he was starting to get dizzy but having the “patience” for Bokuto meant he wouldn’t trade this flawed, goofy, wonderful confession for the world.
Bokuto sometimes had trouble expressing himself in ways people understood but Akaashi was always going to be “patient” about it when he tried to make people around him understand. It’s everything his best friend, and now boyfriend, deserved of him and the people he surrounded himself with.
Even with all of the unique issues Bokuto dealt with (because as much as people felt like the issues were things they were stuck with by associating with Bokuto, Bokuto was dealing with the problems himself too), there wasn’t a single thing to be patient about. Bokuto was Bokuto, this was how he was and Akaashi couldn’t change a single thing. He couldn’t miraculously ask for Bokuto to want less or be quieter or stop hugging when he needed it or have typical emotions or know exactly how to phrase things. Every one of those made Bokuto amazing in his own ways. Akaashi wouldn’t ever wish to change that, he wouldn’t ever wish to change someone so positive and loving and open about everything. He wouldn’t change the goofy guy who was kissing all over his face like he needed it with his very being.
Akaashi Keiji wasn’t patient with Bokuto Koutarou at all, despite everything people said. Bokuto didn’t need patience, he never would. He needed understanding and Akaashi knew right then and there that he’d give exactly that for the rest of their lives. It’s what Bokuto deserved and it’s what Akaashi deserved too.