Work Text:
Wow, thought Bokuto. Today is an awesome day!
Someone had left his favorite chocolate on his desk, along with a note that read:
Bokuto-san,
Please enjoy. Much like this candy, I think you’re very sweet.
-Your Friend
Bokuto couldn’t believe his luck. Sweets AND a compliment? He beamed to himself. Someone thinks he’s sweet! It wasn’t exactly a confession, since it was from “His Friend,” but it was close enough.
Bokuto didn’t get very many confessions, despite being the volleyball team’s captain and ace. His teammates said it was because of his hair, but that couldn’t be it. His hair was awesome! And besides, Kuroo had some wild hair, and he got plenty of confessions, even though he was dating his setter! Maybe that was the key. Wild hair AND dating a setter attracted people. He chuckled at the thought of asking Akaashi to date him. He’d never agree! Akaashi was way too cool for him, probably the only person in the world who was!
The chocolate was delicious, and the whole day he thought about how there might be other people who thought he was sweet. He was smiling all through practice, until Akaashi asked,
“Good day, Bokuto-san?”
“Great day, Akaashi!!!” He replied.
“I’m glad,” Akaashi said, and gave him a small smile.
Sweets, a compliment, AND a smile from Akaashi? This really WAS a great day!
~~
“Akaashi,” said Konoha, a smirk in his voice. “There’s no way he’ll figure it out from that.”
Akaashi sighed. “I thought about signing it, but that would be much too obvious. I’d like him to figure it out on his own.”
Konoha’s smirk remained in place. “I don’t think you have to worry about being ‘too obvious.’ He’s as observant as a houseplant.”
Akaashi thought about it for a moment. “Well, maybe I can leave a few more hints…”
---
The following morning, Bokuto was ecstatic to find another note taped to his locker.
Bokuto-san,
You set my heart on fire.
-Your Secret Admirer
The word ‘set’ was underlined, probably to emphasize how much they liked him! Bokuto was so thrilled, he could barely focus all day. He didn’t notice the shy glances Akaashi gave him all through lunch, just happily munched away.
And the next day, a new note on his locker said:
Bokuto-san,
I will never TOSS you aside.
-Your Secret Admirer
This time, the word ‘toss’ was capitalized, underlined, AND circled, so he definitely thought he should be paying attention to it. But he still didn’t understand, and was just so excited to have gotten a second love note that he floated through the whole day, oblivious to a small group of his teammates staring at him expectantly when he arrived to practice. Nor did he notice the sniggers and exchanging of yen, let alone Akaashi’s disappointed face and Konoha’s exasperated sigh.
On the third day, the note taped to his locker was much bigger. On it were many doodles of tiny hearts and volleyballs, all surrounding the words:
I like you more than volleyball.
Yours Always,
Your Secret Admirer
Shouldn’t be so secret!
The world ‘secret’ had been crossed out, and instead, someone else had scrawled, “shouldn’t be so secret!”
Bokuto could tell someone else had written that part, because the messy scrawl didn’t match the neat, slanted handwriting he’d grown so familiar with when re-reading his notes again and again. Bokuto wondered who thought he should know who his admirer was. It was a secret! How could he be expected to figure it out?
More importantly, though, was the fact that his (shouldn’t be secret?) admirer liked volleyball! How cool! And liked him MORE than volleyball?! He blushed all the way to class. There were an awful lot of hearts on the note. And they’d said they were his, always!
Wow, maybe I should try harder to figure it out, Bokuto thought.
But just because he now knew they liked volleyball wouldn’t help; Fukurodani’s games were always packed with fans! He spent most of his first class trying to remember every face he’d seen in the stands at their last match- a cute girl here, a handsome boy there… He really couldn’t remember much, though, as most of his focus had been on the ball, Akaashi tossing it his way, and slamming it down in the other team’s court.
He tried reading all the notes together, to see if they revealed a hidden meaning.
SET my heart aglow. TOSS you aside. More than volleyball…..
Oh! He nearly jumped out of his chair in his excitement. ‘Toss’ and ‘set’ were emphasized because they were referencing volleyball! That was clever. He liked that his admirer was witty.
Except… ‘set’ and ‘toss’ were things a setter did. Didn’t his admirer know that he was a wing spiker? The ace, even! Not a setter! Could it be that the notes were actually meant for Akaashi? But no, they’d been addressed to him….
“Bokuto-kun!”
He jerked his head up, pulled from his daze. His teacher was looking at him with mock sternness. “I certainly hope you aren’t daydreaming during class, what could be more interesting than math?”
The class giggled. “Sorry, sensei,” he grinned sheepishly, then vowed to spend the rest of the day focused on school, instead of his admirer.
---
He was equally as determined to give all his attention to volleyball, so he wasn’t distracted this time when he came into the locker room. And this time, he noticed when the whole team whipped their heads around to look at him upon entering.
“What?” He asked, confused by the sudden attention.
At this, the room erupted into exasperated sighs, facepalms, sniggers, and an annoyed ‘Are you kidding me?’ from Konoha.
Bokuto’s heart dropped. Were they upset with him?
“What is it?” He whined, but no one answered.
Panicked, he turned to Akaashi, and was distressed to see that he wore the same exasperated expression.
“A-Akaashi, what did I do? Did I do something wrong?” Bokuto squeaked softly.
At his words, Akaashi’s face softened, looking almost guilty.
“No, Bokuto-san,” he said, gently touching his arm. “You didn’t do anything wrong, the team is just being silly today.”
His voice was so sincere that Bokuto immediately brightened.
“Oh, okay! Thanks, ‘Kaashi!” He changed quickly, then bounced out of the room towards the gym.
~~
Akaashi sighed, and Konoha gave him a pat on the back.
“I guess it’s time to be a little more straightforward.”
---
All weekend, Bokuto imagined what his secret admirer would be like. Was it a girl or a boy? He didn’t care either way; Bokuto just liked anyone who was awesome! He was sure they’d be really attractive no matter what, definitely smarter than him, liked volleyball. Maybe they could play together! He would be sure to impress them with his killer spikes. He felt a little bad, though, because how could he like playing with anyone more than he liked playing with Akaashi? It wouldn’t be fair to his admirer if he preferred Akaashi’s tosses to theirs. But Akaashi’s tosses were so great! And he was cool, calm, and always knew what to say to make Bokuto feel good.
Man, he thought wistfully, I hope whoever likes me is a lot like Akaashi.
---
Monday mornings were always the worst for Bokuto.
He got used to sleeping late on the weekend and then overslept for the first day of the week. Because he woke up late on Mondays, he never had time to pack a lunch for the day, and had to buy something from the cafeteria. Akaashi would always criticize his choice of two chili dog sandwiches.
But this morning, he slept so late that he didn’t have time to make lunch OR breakfast, and he had to rush to morning practice with an empty stomach. Already a bad start, and he was further disappointed to find that there were no notes on his locker today. Bokuto’s heart sank, and the rest of his morning pushed him into a worse and worse mood as his stomach grumbled relentlessly.
By lunchtime, he was absolutely ravenous, and the thought of waiting in the long lunchline before he got anything to eat made him feel sour. He slouched gloomily to the room where his friends were gathered for lunch, dropping his backpack with a huff and ready to make the trek to the cafeteria, when Akaashi said a soft “Bokuto-san?”
“Yeah, Kaash? Gotta hurry to get food before the line gets too long…” He muttered back.
“Well, actually, umm… I know you usually forget to bring lunch on Mondays, so I made you a bento…” He trailed off, both hands holding out a yellow box elegantly wrapped in a cloth dotted with little owls. “I…,” Akaashi continued, voice a little higher than normal. “I hope you’ll eat it.”
Bokuto was absolutely floored. He could have kissed his setter. He was starving, and now he had food right in front of him! And food Akaashi made! Akaashi’s lunches always looked so yummy, and he’d secretly always wanted to ask Akaashi to make him one.
He took the bento excitedly, and Akaashi looked hopeful. Bokuto unwrapped it quickly, taking a second to admire the cute owls (his favorite animal!). He removed the lid to find a beautiful array of rice, eggs, and squid, all topped with colorful veggies cut into the shape of little hearts. It smelled heavenly.
“Aww, this is so cute, Akaashi! You always know what I need, just what I would expect from my most faithful teammate!”
He dug into the bento, ignoring the mock-offended gasps from Komi and Konoha. After his mouth was full with several huge bites, he noticed that Akaashi looked a little crestfallen.
“Don’ wowwy Akaathi, ith thooooo good!”
Akaashi chuckled a little at the food falling from Bokuto’s mouth as he tried to compliment the chef, but he was unusually quiet for the rest of lunch, despite Bokuto’s assurances that his lunch was the tastiest he’d ever had.
---
When Tuesday rolled around, Bokuto was in a much better mood than the previous day. He chalked it up to the lunch from Akaashi. It had given him so much extra energy! He almost asked Akaashi to make him another today, but he didn’t want to inconvenience him.
He was particularly energetic during morning practice, even when coach made them go for a run in the cold. He felt invincible to the cold, and they ran extra far and extra long, until his teammates were having trouble keeping up.
When they were all back in the gym, recovering from the run before heading to the showers, Akaashi sat down next to where Bokuto had plopped on the floor.
“Bokuto-san,” he said, in an oddly low voice. “I’m pretty cold from that run. Will you… warm me up?”
“Hmm?” Bokuto hummed, finishing his water. “Ooh, sure, Kaash!” He wrapped an arm around Akaashi’s shoulders and pulled him in. Bokuto noticed Akaashi’s face was red.
He must be really flushed from that run!
~~
Akaashi snuggled into him, heart pounding. This was it! He had to understand now! The other team members left in the gym were openly gaping at them, and Konoha gave him a sly grin and a thumbs-up. Akaashi relished in his success and the warmth emanating from Bokuto for just a moment, until…
“Wouldn’t be a very good senpai if I let my kouhai freeze to death, now would I?”
Crap.
~~
Akaashi sat up suddenly. He face was now absolutely crimson.
Maybe I warmed Akaashi up a little too much, thought Bokuto. He looks like steam’s gonna come out of his ears.
“Thank you, Bokuto-san. I’m feeling better. I think I’ll go shower now, I’ll see you later.”
He got to his feet and practically ran from the room, leaving Bokuto a little confused.
The rest of the team silently shook their heads.
---
Wednesday’s afternoon practice was cancelled, adding to Bokuto’s mounting disappointment. It had now been three whole days with no word from his secret admirer. He was starting to wonder if they’d forgotten about him.
Or maybe he’d done something to make them not like him anymore. He’d been told that before, that sometimes he’s too much, and that people started out liking him, but got to know him more and decided they didn’t anymore.
He was feeling really down on himself by the end of the day, when he was surprised by Akaashi waiting for him outside his classroom.
“Good afternoon Bokuto-san, I, uhh…” He was fidgeting, and Bokuto noticed he was holding something behind his back. “I have something for you. Please accept this gift from me.”
From behind him, he produced a large bouquet of brilliantly colored flowers. He held them out to Bokuto, looking to the side and blushing furiously. Bokuto stared back at them, wide-eyed.
“Uhh..” Akaashi stuttered, “They reminded me of you, because they’re so colorful and just looking at them brightens my mood.”
“Akaashi…” Bokuto felt his lip wobble. “They’re so pretty!!! No one’s ever gotten me flowers before!” He eyes were misty, and he took the bouquet gently from Akaashi’s hands, admiring each and every petal. How did Akaashi know he was having a bad day?
“You always know just the right thing to do to make me feel better, Akaashi,” he murmured in wonder. “You’re such a great friend.”
~~
Akaashi sighed internally, but as Bokuto pulled him into a tight hug, whispering ‘thank you,’ in his ear, he just smiled. His plan didn’t work today, either, but all he ever wanted to do was make Bokuto happy, anyway. It was okay that Bokuto was a little clueless. Well, a LOT clueless.
I’ll just have to be even more straightforward with it, he thought.
~~
Bokuto spent the whole night admiring the flowers, his problems with his secret admirer all but forgotten.
---
On Thursday, Akaashi’s stomach churned the whole day. He knew he should just ask and get it over with, but his nerves kept him from approaching Bokuto until practice wrapped up. He cleared his throat, hands shaking just a little. He gripped the hem of his practice shirt.
“Bokuto-san,” he said, hoping it didn’t betray how nervous he was. The whole team was quiet, watching the scene unfold. Even the coach was listening discreetly.
“What’s up, Akaashi?” Bokuto’s eyes were shining a brilliant gold.
Ugh, maybe this would be easier if he weren’t so attractive. Akaashi had been trying to avoid this direct method of admitting his feelings for Bokuto, because he didn’t think he could handle seeing regret in those eyes, and hearing his usually-cheery voice filled with awkward guilt when Bokuto told him “I only like you as a friend.”
But nothing else had worked, so it had to be this.
“I was wondering… umm..” He glanced around, nervous. Komi nodded encouragingly, and Konoha mouthed ‘just do it!’
“I was wondering if you would like to go out with me?” He blurted, before his nerves could stop him.
There, it was out. No way Bokuto could misinterpret this.
“Sure, Akaashi! When do you wanna go out?” Bokuto replied gleefully.
“R-really?” Akaashi’s pulse shot up. “How about this weekend? We could go to a movie, and maybe get dinner? If that’s okay with you?”
“Yeah, that sounds awesome! I’ve been wanting to see that new movie about the dogs in space!”
Akaashi couldn’t believe it. He had a date with Bokuto! He said yes!
“Man, I wish it was the weekend now…” Bokuto started.
Akaashi moved to close the distance between himself and Bokuto.
“…It’s been way too long since I’ve gotten to hang out with my best friend!”
He froze.
This couldn’t be real. His heart dropped through to his feet. Was Bokuto really this oblivious? Surely not. He had to be turning Akaashi down while trying not to hurt his feelings. Or the idea of being with him was just so inconceivable to Bokuto that it wouldn’t register in his brain.
Either way, Akaashi didn’t have the nerve to clarify his intent, so he contended to give Bokuto a small smile while they solidified their plans.
~~
Bokuto didn’t understand why Konoha was glaring daggers at him. It wasn’t his fault that Akaashi asked him to hang out, instead of Konoha!
~~
“It’s no use, Konoha-san,” Akaashi muttered later, once Bokuto had left for the showers. “He just doesn’t see me that way, that’s why he doesn’t understand what I’m trying to say.”
“Akaashi, that’s not true. I’ve seen the way he stares at you. I really think he’s just an idiot. You need to MAKE him see you that way. Be as obvious as you can be.”
What could be more obvious than directly asking someone out? Akaashi wondered, but agreed to give it one more try. He would think of something.
---
The next afternoon, Bokuto was humming happily in the locker room. It was Friday! No school for two whole days, and he got to hang out with Akaashi tomorrow! What could be better than spending the day with his favorite person?
Speaking of Akaashi… his kouhai had just entered the locker room, which was empty save for himself and Konoha.
“Bokuto-san,” he said fiercely, marching toward him with a determined look in his eye.
“Hey hey Akaashi, what’s u-“
Bokuto’s words were cut off, though, because Akaashi had grabbed him by the shirt with both hands and pulled him in until their lips crashed together.
Bokuto’s mind went blank. All he could focus on was the warmth of Akaashi’s lips, still pressed against his.
It felt…really nice.
As suddenly as it started, Akaashi pulled back, still clutching Bokuto’s shirt, and looking intently into his eyes.
For a moment, Bokuto was too dazed to form a coherent thought. “ah… Akaashi…” he murmured between breaths.
“Bokuto-san…” Akaashi whispered back. It sent a shiver down his spine.
But…kissing usually meant...but no, that couldn't be it. Why would Akaashi kiss him?
“Oh! Akaashi, you must have heard about my secret admirer! You did, right? And now you’re helping me practice kissing so I don’t screw it up when I kiss them for the first time! You really are the best friend I’ve ever ha.…Akaashi?“
He stopped mid-sentence. Akaashi’s eyes had filled with tears, making them seem even bluer than normal.
Akaashi let go of his shirt, and before Bokuto could stop him, he turned and sprinted from the room.
“Wait! Akaashi!”
Bokuto didn’t understand. He looked frantically around to Konoha, who looked like he might murder him.
“What happened???” Bokuto asked, desperate for answers.
Was Akaashi just having a bad day, or had he been the one to make him cry? His heart felt terrible. He never wanted to see Akaashi cry again.
Konoha’s gaze pierced Bokuto through to the bone.
“You really are the most oblivious person in Japan, Bokuto.”
Bokuto just looked at him, confused and upset.
Konoha sighed. “You really think Akaashi would have kissed you as your FRIEND? There couldn’t be aaaaany other explanation for it?” When he received no reply, Konoha went on, more and more annoyed by the second. “What did you JUST say to Akaashi?”
Bokuto thought. He’s the best friend I’ve ever had? He’s helping me with kissing, so I don’t screw it up with….my…..
It finally clicked.
“Wait, Akaashi is my secret admirer??”
“Ding ding ding. It only took you half a dynasty to figure that out.”
No way. No WAY.
“But.. why would he like me?” Bokuto wondered aloud.
Konoha shrugged. “Beats me. He’s way out of your league.”
“HEY!” Bokuto yelled, indignantly. Konoha ignored him.
“Maybe you should be asking HIM that question.”
Konoha was right. Bokuto needed to find Akaashi.
---
“Akaaaashi! Akaaaaaaaaaaaaashi!”
Bokuto shouted, over and over, but to no avail. It had only been twenty minutes since he’d left Konoha back in the locker room, so Bokuto knew Akaashi had to be close. He’d left his backpack in the gym, and he was probably trying to wait Bokuto out before going to retrieve it. But still, Bokuto felt like he’d run all over the school and there was still no sign of him.
But that was fine. He would stay out all night looking if he had to. He looked in every classroom, every janitor’s closet, every bathroom (he even peeked in the girls’ bathroom to make sure), but no Akaashi.
It wasn’t until he circled the gym for the third time that he spotted a familiar white jacket sleeve poking out from behind a tree. Bokuto tried to be as quiet as possible as he approached the tree, but his foot snapped a small twig when he got close, making Akaashi flinch and look up. His eyes were red-rimmed, and Bokuto felt his insides twist at the sight.
“Bokuto-san!” Akaashi threw himself forward on his knees, bowing low to the ground at Bokuto’s feet.
“Please forgive me, I acted irrationally and emotionally, and I crossed a line. I’m very sorry, it’ll never happen…again…”
He trailed off, because Bokuto had now joined him on the ground, crouching low, and gently tilting Akaashi’s chin up so he could see his eyes.
“Akaashi…” He said, softly. “Do you like me more than volleyball?”
Akaashi stared at him for a moment, eyes wide, then whispered a simple, “Yes.”
Bokuto’s face broke into a grin. “I like you more than volleyball, too.”
Akaashi’s eyes widened even more, then narrowed.
“Wait, how do you mean, exactly? As your kouhai? As your friend?”
Bokuto reached out and took Akaashi’s hand, interlacing their fingers. Akaashi’s hand was cold.
“I like you in those ways, too, but I meant in a more…romantical sense.”
Akaashi huffed a laugh. “‘Romantical’ isn’t a word, Bokuto-san.” But he looked absolutely delighted.
“I’ve never been so good with words, Kaashi, maybe that’s why I didn’t get what you were tryin’ to say this whole time. But gee, Akaashi, why me? You’re so smart and reliable and pretty, and you could get anyone you want, you don’t have to settle for me, ya know.”
Bokuto braced himself, because surely Akaashi would now come to that same conclusion and tell him it had all been a mistake. He didn’t want it to be a mistake. He was really enjoying how Akaashi’s slender hand felt entwined with his own.
To his surprise, Akaashi’s next words came out in a stern tone of voice.
“Well, if I can get anyone I want, does that mean I have you? Because you’re the only one I want. Please don’t speak so negatively about yourself, Bokuto-san. You’re an extraordinary person, and you’ve been a large source of inspiration for me since the day I first met you.”
Bokuto positively beamed at him, then gathered Akaashi into a bear hug, much to the younger’s surprise.
“I’m all yours, Akaashi.”
---
The following evening, Bokuto met Akaashi for their first date. The whole night, he alternated between feeling amazed that this beautiful man wanted to be with him, and being annoyed with himself for taking so long to realize both Akaashi’s and his own feelings.
They chatted lightly and joked together all through dinner, Bokuto relishing in the soft music of Akaashi’s laughter. During the movie, Bokuto not-so-sneakily slipped his arm around Akaashi’s shoulders, and on the walk home, the two held hands, faces blushing furiously.
When they reached the point where their paths home diverged, they leaned into each other, hearts pounding and palms sweating, until their lips met softly in the middle. It was gentle and warm, and this time, it lasted longer than just a second. Bokuto’s hand came up to the back of Akaashi’s head, brushing his fingers through his soft curls. Akaashi sighed into his mouth and moved his own hands to Bokuto’s hips, steadying himself.
They stayed like this for a while, exchanging gentle kisses and delicate touches, and Bokuto kicked himself for the millionth time for not realizing sooner what was now so obvious.
When they finally broke apart, Bokuto feeling dazed and drunk on love, Akaashi offered him a shy smile, cheeks tinged pink and eyes sparkling with stars.
It’s okay, Bokuto thought, as he grinned back at the boy in front of him. We have all the time in the world.