Chapter Text
It was the sound of the coffee machine that roused Bokuto from his slumber. The quiet humming and rutting so familiar and almost comforting to his fuzzy ears. He would take being woken like this over the annoying beeping and screeching of his alarm any day of the week. If only it wasn’t so goddamn early.
The room was still in complete darkness, save for the bit of light that crept in from underneath the door, letting him know it was morning. Rubbing his eyes, Bokuto rolled over. When he squinted over his shoulder in the dark, he expected to see a familiar, Akaashi-sized lump next to him on the bed. But nothing. Huh.
That had to be Akaashi making coffee then, he concluded. In their home, there was one rule and one rule only: Whoever was up first was on coffee duty. No exceptions. None of them had a track record for functioning well without caffeine – if the bickering on days when their machine had been broken were anything to go by. Most of the time, the poor souls forced to fulfil this duty were either Akaashi or their best friend Kuroo. The two were unfortunate enough to be enrolled at university, which meant they had to get to their lectures and labs at the most ungodly hours. Nothing to be jealous of.
Bokuto dropped back on his pillow with a yawn, ravishing in the cosy daze that came with waking up before your alarm. For a while, he just listened to the soft noises coming from their kitchen with his eyes closed. To the clinking of pottery and the smooth rumble of heavy drawers opening and shutting. He had really hoped for a couple more hours of sleep after coming back late from work. Working shifts at a busy restaurant sure took it out of you sometimes.
Oh well.
He was awake now. No going back to sleep anyway, even if he wanted to. Might as well get up and join Akaashi for a cup. Perhaps he could even sneak in another couple hours of shut-eye before heading back to work for prepping service.
Quietly, Bokuto padded to down the corridor on bare feet. The kitchen was bathed in what could only be described as the most beautiful orange hue. The sun had only just set, casting its first warm rays through the large window. Akaashi was sitting at their dining table, legs drawn up, hands balancing a steaming cup on his knees. Bokuto was no Picasso, but he was convinced that the scene in front of him could have easily inspired one of those fancy paintings he remembered from when Akaashi had dragged him to the national art gallery.
He was only able to see half of Akaashi’s face from where he stood in the doorway, as the younger man’s gaze was directed towards the only source of light in the room.
But Bokuto would happily take half of Akaashi’s face over anything else in the world. Anyone who didn’t know the guy would probably mistake the half-lidded gaze and almost straight line of his lips as a sign of impassiveness or indifference. But not him. Bokuto knew this face better than anyone. Even from a distance, he could make out the fraction of a curl playing around Akaashi’s lips and the relaxed look around his eyes that clearly indicated a mixture of peacefulness and contentment.
He had no idea why the resemblance suddenly popped into his head, but in that moment Akaashi reminded him of the black cat he sometimes saw straying around their neighbourhood. Occasionally on a sunny day, before he left the house for his next shift, Bokuto would see it perched up on a warm spot on the side of the path. Posing majestically, paws out neatly in front, hues of amber glinting in the thick fur. Akaashi, without a doubt, possessed some strain of that same nature.
For a moment, Bokuto just stood there in the doorway in complete awe, drinking up the sight in front of him in all its glory, not wanting to waste a single second of it. But eventually, he let himself be pulled gently back to reality.
“Hey, hey, hey” he whispered seductively, as he leaned down towards Akaashi’s ear.
The younger man stiffened, clearly not expecting anyone to sneak up on him like that. Bokuto gave a low chuckle, nipping softly at the shell of his boyfriend’s ear.
“Morning.” Akaashi mumbled into his cup, a soft flush of embarrassment making its way across his cheeks.
How utterly adorable.
“You got one of those for me?” Bokuto whispered, bringing a hand to rub along Akaashi’s shoulder.
“There’s some left in the machine. Leave some for Tetsu though, he should be up soon.”
“Aww, don’t let him fool you with his childishness Kaashi.” Bokuto wagged a finger in his face as he rounded the table. “He’s a grown man. I’m sure he can make his own coffee.”
Akaashi only gave a slight eyeroll and went back to nursing his coffee. It was the only reaction he could muster at this hour of the day when faced with Kuroo’s and Bokuto’s shenanigans. And it would take at least another cup before he would trust himself not to snap at either of them when they threatened to disturb his early morning routine.
“So” Bokuto sat down opposite of Akaashi with a mug of his own, “what’s the plan for today?”
“It’s Friday so we’re doing clinics. I have a few biannual check-ups and some fillings scheduled for the day.”
Bokuto, who was just taking his first sip, choked and spluttered droplets of coffee onto the polished surface. He forced the hot liquid down his throat, no doubt scorching his oesophagus in the process. Akaashi just raised an eyebrow at him but otherwise remained quiet.
“Fuck. Hot.” Bokuto rasped out after he was done coughing. He tried to force a smile but was sure it probably looked more like a grimace. “But hey, that’s great, Keiji!”
If ever there had been a poorer attempt at faked enthusiasm…
Bokuto had never been a great liar or actor in his life. Whenever they had allocated roles for the school play in his primary school, he always ended up as a tree or some sort of animal. Anything without text basically. Ever so enthusiastic to partake but always pushed off to the side for his lack of talent.
Akaashi fixated him over the rim of his mug.
“Oh really?” He said, eyes narrowing, “If you think it’s so great, how come you have not once come in for a check-up?”
Bokuto’s eyes widened and his grip instantly tightened on the mug. Praying Akaashi hadn’t caught up on his slip-up, he quickly shrugged his tense shoulders and leaned back in his chair with an exaggerated yawn. Smooth.
“Ah well – you know…” he scratched the back of his head, “I don’t know. I mean…you know how busy I am with the restaurant and all. The other day they said if I work hard and do well, I could make Sous Chef in a couple years. Wouldn’t that be great, babe? I could work under some of the greatest chefs in all of Tokyo. There’s so much to learn still. I want to know all the different things they do and their philosophies and techniques and just EVERYTHING! Maybe one day I could even have a restaurant of my own! That would be so cool, right Kaashi? Wouldn’t it? Wouldn’t it?”
“That would be nice, Kou.” Akaashi smiled softly at his building enthusiasm, dropping the topic with a shrug.
Phew. Crisis averted.
“Anyway, I need to go soon. See you tonight?” Akaashi put his mug in the sink and leaned down to place a soft kiss on Bokuto’s lips.
“I might be pretty late” Bokuto said with an apologetic smile, “so don’t bother waiting for me. I’ll try to be quiet if you’re already asleep.”
Akaashi just gave a nod and grazed the nape of Bokuto’s neck before exiting the kitchen to gather his things and finish the rest of his morning routine. Which left Bokuto sitting at the table by himself to look at where he had disappeared in the doorway, an uneasy feeling spreading in the pit of his stomach.
Finally, he heard the soft click of Akaashi pulling the apartment door shut behind him. With a sigh, Bokuto leaned his head back, gazing up at the ceiling.
Akaashi’s requests for him to come in to get a check-up at the university clinic had grown more and more frequent over the last months. At the beginning of his studies, Akaashi had tentatively asked to practice on him maybe once every other month. It had been easy to fend him off then, seeing how they were both busy with school. By now however, the subject had somehow woven itself into their conversations on an almost weekly basis.
Bokuto wasn’t sure how much longer he would be able to divert Akaashi’ attention and escape his constant prodding without revealing how he truly felt about his occupation.
The truth was, Bokuto hated dentists with a passion. If you asked him, there was nothing worse than people who loved screwing around in other people’s mouths for fun. Nothing came even close to how much he despised the feeling of cold metal against his enamel and the screeching of the various torture instruments. Of laying utterly exposed beneath the harsh fluorescent light without even an ounce of control.
Not hights, not spiders, not flying. Nothing.
If there was some godly creator in this world, Bokuto was absolutely certain that she held a personal grudge against him. Because not long after he had enrolled at culinary school in Tokyo, Akaashi had announced that he wanted to become a dentist when he would gradate the following year. And as if that wasn’t enough for Bokuto’s poor little soul to handle, his best friend Kuroo had gone to pursue a degree in the same profession that same year!
Bokuto had a hard time believing the audacity. And the irony. Very funny. Ha. Ha.
He had cursed his fate pretty much every day since then, wondering what on earth he had done to deserve such bad karma. Maybe, if he had helped carry the shopping for that old lady who lived next door. Maybe, if he had volunteered to work at the local animal shelter, like some of his classmates.
A couple of months ago, Bokuto, Akaashi, Kuroo and Kuroo’s boyfriend Kenma had decided to move into the same apartment together. It was complete coincidence as well as a misfortune that Akaashi’s aunt, who had passed away very suddenly, used to live in a large enough apartment within a reasonably priced area on the outskirts of Tokyo, only fifteen minutes by train to the university campus.
At the time, there was no way for Akaashi and Bokuto to pay for the rent on their own. Bokuto had only just started his job as a line chef at a fine dining restaurant in town and Akaashi had still had three year of dental school ahead of him.
So, they had asked Kuroo and Kenma to join them. The apartment was spacious, with three bedrooms and a shared kitchen and living area.
Bokuto’s job at the restaurant paid well enough to cover their half, although Akaashi insisted on chipping in what he could or getting takeaway meals for the four of them on weekends.
As for the other two, it was mostly Kenma who held up their end of the bargain. In his last year of high school, Kenma had developed an app that was later bought by one of the biggest tech firms in Tokyo, earning him a comfortable little financial cushion to fall back on – to say the least. At the moment, the genius was working from home, writing code for a video game that was meant to drop the following year.
Meanwhile, Kuroo had begun his last year of dental school, with Akaashi in the year below him. Bokuto never had the pleasure of experiencing their talents in person, but Kenma and some of their other friends insisted that both Akaashi and Kuroo were both cut out to become exceptional dentists, literally ‘perfect’ for the job.
Well, as perfect as one could be for drilling holes into people’s skulls and ripping their molars out, Bokuto thought.
Kuroo was a huge nerd behind his goofy exterior. He had always been into sciences growing up and somehow never had to worry about getting the grades for a competitive medical degree, even while prepping for and going to nationals in his final year. He was also extraordinarily good at reading people. Maybe a bit too good at that, Bokuto often thought. It seemed he had been able to use that to his advantage when dealing with patients, as Akaashi had told him once how Kuroo could get even the most stubborn and scared little children to sit completely still while he went ahead and worked on their teeth.
Akaashi, on the other hand, had already been an exceptionally disciplined and hard-working student when they were still in high school. It was a character trait that would continue to carry him through the worst of dental school, where he stoically endured the long hours spent at the library or the labs, without a single complaint coming over his lips. Perhaps Bokuto was a little biased towards his boyfriend but for him, Akaashi just had a way of walking into a room and filling it with complete calm and reassurance, his exterior hardly ever giving an inkling of any conflicting emotions, doubts, or fears.
Only a handful of times during their friendship and – later – romance had Bokuto ever seen him lose his cool. Otherwise, Akaashi’s aura was always silent and steady – a complete contrast to Bokuto’s fiery and explosive nature.
Maybe that’s why they worked so well, Bokuto thought. Their differences made them fit like two pieces of a puzzle. Yin and yang.
***
The rest of Bokuto’s day came and went without a hitch, seemingly in the blink of any eye. Exhausted from another long shift at the restaurant, Bokuto fumbled for his keys and dragged himself through the front door. He tried to be as quiet as possible, hanging up his jacket and shuffling down the corridor.
As he passed the guest room, he could see the faintest bit of blue light coming from underneath the door.
Kenma.
Not the least bit surprised, Bokuto hauled himself the last couple steps towards his and Akaashi’s bedroom.
It wasn’t uncommon for Kenma to work at night. After that one time Kuroo had thrown a fit – something about him not being able to get his eight hours of beauty sleep – they had moved Kenma’s computer to the guest bedroom, where he could work for as long as he wanted without any disturbances. That was, if Kuroo didn’t barge in in the middle of the night to drag him to bed himself.
Pushing their bedroom door open, Bokuto could barely make out the shape of his boyfriend in the dark, huddled underneath the blanket. Tiptoeing over to the bed, he shed all of his clothes down his boxers and climbed in next to Akaashi, wrapping an arm around him and breathing in the familiar scent.
***
Saturday mornings were for sleeping in, followed by a big brunch. It was a tradition they had founded when they first moved in together. Although it had taken Bokuto a fair bit of coaxing to get things going and to get the others to equivalent levels of enthusiasm. “It’s not just because we’re gay, I swear!”
Ever the future sous chef, he had dished up some of his favourites for the four of them and they had ended up sprawled out on the big L-shaped couch, bellies bloated and full of food, eternally grateful for Bokuto’s choice of career.
Today was supposed to be no different. Bokuto had shuffled into the kitchen around eleven and turned on the coffee machine. His movements were completely running on autopilot, eyes still heavy and crusted with sleep. A few minutes later, Kuroo, lured in by the scent of bacon and pancake batter, dragged himself into the kitchen and plopped down onto the nearest chair.
“Nice apron bro!” He smirked, gesturing towards Bokuto’s torso which was currently covered by the image of a naked woman’s body.
“Thanks bro! Still the best Christmas present ever!” Bokuto laughed as he flipped the bacon. “Kenma up? I saw he was still working when I came back last night.”
“Yeah, had to drag the idiot to bed around three in the morning.” Kuroo replied, taking a sip of his coffee.
As if summoned by the mere mention of his name, Kenma appeared in the doorway, pudding hair dishevelled and sticking out in all different directions. Eyelids drooping, he shuffled over to his boyfriend and pulled out another chair.
“It’s alive!” Kuroo announced.
“Not so loud.” Kenma whined as he put his head on the table. Kuroo reached over to ruffle his hair, making it stick up even more.
“How’s the game coming along Kenma?” Bokuto called over his shoulder, still busy handling the various pots and pans.
“Alright I guess. Sometimes I think it’s all just shit and it makes me want to flush it down the toilet.” He mumbled behind the curtain of hair.
“Aww, don’t say that. I bet it’s actually really great!” Bokuto encouraged him, “I can’t wait to play it! What’s it about again?”
“Medieval open water battles.” Kenma said dryly.
“Hey, hey, hey! That sounds like it’s right up my alley!” Bokuto cheered.
“No it doesn’t.” Kuroo snorted.
“Hey! Yes it does! I’m sure it’s perfect, Kenma. Don’t let this idiot tell you otherwise.” He pointed the spatula accusingly at a still cackling Kuroo.
Kenma just rolled his eyes, which told them that he was officially done talking about his job for the day. Thankfully, Akaashi chose this moment to enter the kitchen, hair still wet from his shower. He waved a hand at Kuroo and Kenma before leaning in to give Bokuto a kiss on the cheek.
“Hey Akaashi!” Kuroo called over the table, “How was clinic yesterday? I can’t believe how busy it got, I didn’t even see you. Any interesting cases?”
“Um, not really.” Akaashi said, pouring himself a cup of coffee. “Just a couple check-ups, cleanings, two fillings. Although there was one boy who almost bit my finger off.”
“Ah, the little ones are always full of surprises, let me tell you.” Kuroo leaned back in his chair, reminiscing. “I remember the first time I got bitten like it was yesterday. The little shit went right through the glove with his fangs and just held on like a fucking leech. It actually started bleeding and I was sure I was gonna lose the finger for good. I still have the scar right here, see?” He held his finger out to Kenma.
“Uh-huh.” Kenma had pulled out his phone and made no move to acknowledge him.
“KENMA! You’re not even looking! I said I could’ve lost my ENTIRE FUCKING FINGER!”
“What an inconvenience.” Kenma said dryly.
Bokuto broke out in a fit of laughter as Kuroo threatened to put his boyfriend in a headlock, and even Akaashi’s lips curled upwards into a small smile.
The food was done ten minutes later, and they all sat down ready to dig in.
“Wow Bo, you’ve really outdone yourself this time, this is fucking delicious!” Kuroo managed through a mouth full of food. The others weren’t sure how he was even talking, let alone getting air to his lungs.
“You say that every week, Kuro.” Kenma pointed out, nibbling on a rasher of bacon.
“That’s because I mean it every week.” Kuroo insisted, gulping down another big bite.
Kenma gave him a slightly disgusted look, then turned to face Bokuto.
“He’s right though. This is really good.”
“Thanks, Kenma-kun.” Bokuto said, rubbing his neck, clearly flattered to be on the receiving end of his friend’s rare compliments.
“I second that.” Akaashi agreed to his right, wiping his mouth and squeezing Bokuto’s hand on the table.
“Thanks babe. Glad I can make you guys happy.”
“By the way, Kenma.” Kuroo seemed to have finished his first of many portions, turning to look over at his boyfriend. “I checked the records yesterday and you’re due for a check-up at the clinic. I booked you in for 11 on Friday before my lunch break.”
Kenma just gave an annoyed exhale, eyes back on his phone.
“Come ooon Kenma∼” Kuroo sung as he leaned in, wiggling his brows, “I’ll even buy you lunch after.”
“Fine.”
“Aright, alright! That’s exactly the enthusiasm I was hoping for!” Kuroo cheered.
“Whatever Kuro.”
Akaashi let out a sigh.
“You know, I’ve been trying to get Koutarou here to come for a check-up for ages now.” He said, chin resting on his hand, glancing from Kuroo to Bokuto.
Bokuto couldn’t help the flush of embarrassment that promptly developed on his neck and he quickly occupied himself by scooping another portion onto his plate.
“What can I say, I’m a busy guy!” He laughed nervously, hoping that would be the end of the conversation. Only it seemed Kuroo hadn’t gotten the memo.
“Not in the mornings you’re not.” He objected, looking at Bokuto over the table.
Damn you, Kuroo. Way to ruin the fucking brunch.
“Well…y-you know…” Bokuto stumbled over his words, not liking the sudden spotlight to be on him. He could feel his pulse picking up under his skin as he tried to think of a way out of the conversation, his chest growing ever so slightly tighter.
Kuroo helped himself to his third serving. “You should come in with Kenma next week, bro. Akaashi is one of the best in his year, he’ll take great care of you.”
“It’s just for fun.” Akaashi said next to him, “I’ll give you a cleaning and a check-up and then we can go out for lunch, my treat.”
Bokuto wanted to disagree with him. To tell him he had a whole different idea of ‘fun’. One that didn’t involve his boyfriend poking around in his mouth with sharp metal objects.
He put his fork down, his appetite had suddenly vanished completely. It seemed he had hit a dead end in his search of possible escape routes. Desperately, he looked to Kenma for help because damn, why would the two gang up on him like this?! It wasn’t fair!
Kenma, however, seemed completely oblivious of his panic and only had eyes for the device in front of him.
‘This is it’, Bokuto thought. It seemed he couldn’t hide from his boyfriend’s profession for much longer. If he didn’t come up with a good excuse right about now, all his walls threatened to crumble come next Friday. There was no way he could face his fear. He wasn’t ready. Not now. Not ever!
Bokuto could feel his pulse hammering in his ears, his hand balling into a tight fist under the table.
“Helloooo…earth to Koutarou.” A hand waved in front of his face. Blinking rapidly, Bokuto focussed back on the scene in front of him, his eyes meeting those of a frowning Akaashi.
“You okay?”
Bokuto shook his head, trying to rid his mind of the panic that was still rising inside of him. Akaashi was waiting for him to give an answer. An answer to something that, for most people, wasn’t even worth worrying about. Then why was it that his body reacted like he was being chased by a fucking sabre-toothed tiger for crying out loud?!
Acutely aware of the pressure of silence and the two pairs of eyes on him, Bokuto did the unthinkable.
“Of course I’ll come. It’ll be great!”
Satisfied, Akaashi and Kuroo turned back to their plates, talking about the game of two against two they had planned for the following day. Their voices a hum of indistinct muffles in Bokuto’s head. He could only sit there, his mind unable to comprehend what just happened or what he had even said yes to.
Then, slowly, realization dawned on him.
Dentist.
Pain.
No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!
He had to get out of this. There was no way he was going, absolutely no way! He could only get of this mess if he came up with a good strategy. Perhaps he could pretend to have forgotten the appointment or pretend to have other plans, hopefully without hurting Akaashi’s feelings too much. Yeah, he would have to figure something out. Literally anything!
Bokuto continued to stay quiet for the rest of the meal, the thoughts racing each other inside his head like cars around a track. Soon, Akaashi and Kuroo busied themselves with clearing the table. Kuroo insisted on carrying all the pans, plates, glasses, and coasters at once over to the kitchen aisle. Akaashi went with him, arms raised half-way in anticipation, just in case the elder dropped something.
Bokuto, still caught up in his own thoughts, just stared blankly at the table.
“You should tell him.”
He turned towards Kenma, who was watching him intently with cat-like eyes. Bokuto looked at him incredulously, as if Kenma had suggested for him to jump out the window. Seems like he had known all along. Bokuto was so utterly fucked.
“I can’t.” Was all he choked out.