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Bokuto had many things that could throw him off his game. Things as simple as not hearing enough cheering from the crowd could prevent him from hitting a good spike for a whole set. Luckily, Akaashi was there to fix Bokuto every time. He knew how Bokuto ticked, could keep every gear in Bokuto's body turning smoothly, and Fukurodani was always thankful for that. Akaashi could easily play it off as just doing what he needed to do for the team to win, but deep in his mind, he knew that taking the time to help Bokuto always rewarded him in the end.
1- Meat Buns
Bokuto was doing great. His footwork and form had been on point all practice, and he hasn't missed a serve yet. He had been pestering Akaashi all day with "did you see that one?" and "I'm the best aren't I Kaashi?", and as always Akaashi didn't mind. He encouraged Bokuto to continue to push himself to be better, however, Akaashi didn't know how Bokuto could be any better than he is now.
Several spikes into their one-on-one-after-practice-practice, Bokuto was shining. Akaashi could almost feel rays of sunshine radiating off of Bokuto's body. This is why, when Bokuto suddenly shut down, it actually took Akaashi by surprise.
It happened when they took a break to get some water. Bokuto obviously couldn't speak while drinking water, so Akaashi didn't notice the silence at first. When they got back on the court, however, Bokuto didn't resume talking. He hit a ball into the net, then he lobbed the next one way out of bounds. By the time Bokuto had accumulated five missed hits, he was completely in a slump and Akaashi had no idea why. Akaashi knew that he didn't have to fix Bokuto right now, the practice was technically over and there weren't any big games coming up soon. He could just leave him to fix himself overnight, let sleep bring the normal Bokuto back, but Akaashi didn't want to do that.
"Bokuto-san," Akaashi said quietly.
Bokuto's shoulders stayed slumped as he turned his head towards Akaashi. His eyes said everything, he was definitely sad about something.
"What just happened?" Akaashi asked.
"It's not fair Akaashi," Bokuto said, his voice loud and whiny, "Why can't I play this good during games? Why am I only amazing during practice?"
This might be one of the most pathetic problems Bokuto has ever come up with. Akaashi kept a blank face while his brain ran through options, possibilities, solutions, probabilities, and finally how to execute the perfect sentence-action-expression combo. It was a bit harder than normal, there wasn't really any way to convince him that being good at practice was better than being good at games. He had to go with a riskier option.
"Bokuto-san, I think you're this amazing all the time. Except for when you let yourself shut down and you look like an idiot." He said, letting a microscopic smile show and placing a hand on Bokuto's shoulder. Bokuto lightened up about as much as Akaashi had expected him to. His combo was calculated accurately. All he needed now was to execute phase two and everything would be back to normal.
"Why don't we do a few more tosses, then I'll treat you to some meat buns. Does that sound okay?"
And there it was, right before Akaashi's eyes Bokuto seemed to almost physically blossom back into the person he normally was. It was like watching a crusty sponge soak up water after sitting in the sun for weeks.
Akaashi's reward wound up being a quick bone-crushing hug, ruffled hair, and a smile that made his heart stop.
2. Homework
Bokuto banged his head against the table.
"You're going to give yourself a concussion," Akaashi said.
"Good. Maybe if I get a concussion, I won't have to do math."
"Bokuto, even with a concussion you would have to do your math work if you want to pass your classes."
Bokuto groaned loudly, face planting into the table. He stayed there for a while, just groaning and making as much noise as he possibly could.
"Akaashi, I wish I was smart like you."
Akaashi furrowed his eyebrows, nudging Bokuto so he would sit up and face him.
"You're at the top of your class Bokuto-san. I don't know where you got this idea that you're not smart, but I want it gone. Now."
"I'm not smart. I just do my work and keep up with my studying. You don't even have to work to be smart Akaashi, you just are. I worked my ass off for the top spot, and I'm probably going to lose it by the time I graduate."
"Why are you saying that?"
"Cause it's true."
Akaashi sighed. He wanted to punch whoever made Bokuto think like this. If it was coming straight from Bokuto's own brain, he would still punch him. This is nonsense.
"It doesn't matter how you achieve your goals, Bokuto-san. I actually think that you're cooler because you work so hard to get to where you are. It really shows how dedicated you are to being a good student."
Bokuto smiled and started working on his math again.
That was easy, Akaashi thought. His reward was Bokuto taking a break later on to make both of them tea. He made it exactly how Akaashi liked it without even having to ask and something about that made Akaashi's heart flutter.
3- Confession
Bokuto slinked into the locker room looking dejected. The other third years gave him small pats on the back before leaving to start setting up for practice. Akaashi stood by his locker, his practice shirt was in his hands as he observed Bokuto.
Bokuto's mouth was turned into a slight frown and his eyebrows were furrowed, but Akaashi could tell that this wasn't his usual self-loathing sadness, nor was it his unsatisfied sadness, or simply sad sadness. This was a different sadness that Akaashi wasn't accustomed to.
When Bokuto met Akaashi's gaze for half a second- immediately looking back down at the ground- Akaashi pulled his shirt on and walked over to him.
"What's on your mind Bokuto-san?"
"A girl confessed to me today. She was really pretty, and we were pretty good friends."
Akaashi didn't understand what the problem was. He also didn't understand why he suddenly felt sad too. There was a tight constricting feeling in his lungs, but he forced it away just as quickly as it had come.
Bokuto continued when he saw the look of slight confusion on Akaashi's face."I turned her down."
Now Akaashi felt more confused, but also relieved. For some reason. "Why?"
"Cause I already like someone."
The pain came back again, what is this whiplash? Akaashi felt like the one who needed a pick-me-up. His stomach was clenched tight and his chest felt like someone placed a stack of textbooks on it. He couldn't quite figure out why he felt like that though. Akaashi did his best to shrug off the feeling. Right now, his job was to fix Bokuto before practice began so everything can run smoothly.
"I still don't really understand why you look so depressed."
"She looked so sad Akaashi. I do like her, as a friend of course, but still... it hurt me a to see her look so excited just for me to reject her."
Ah. Guilt sadness. Akaashi had only ever dealt with this version of Bokuto once. At least it was easy to handle.
"Bokuto-san, it's better that you turned her down. It would be even worse for you to accept when you already have feelings for another girl."
Bokuto's stance changed a little bit, showing that a tiny bit of his confidence had come back, but at the same time, he looked even more pained. Akaashi has never found Bokuto so hard to comprehend.
"You should also tell the girl that you like her. I bet it would make you feel happier."
Akaashi thought that was the right move, but somehow he made things worse again. He never got these things wrong. He was perplexed and took the extra seconds of silence to start trying to solve the puzzle that is Bokuto a different way. Every time he thought he had an answer, there seemed to be a piece missing. Something was off.
Bokuto had moved on to tying his shoes. He was almost ready to leave the locker room and Akaashi hasn't been able to fix him yet.
"There's something else bothering you." Akaashi knew it was a shot in the dark. It's a rare occurrence for him to not be confident in his procedure, so he felt a bit nervous.
"You're good Akaashi. How could you tell?" Bokuto looked genuinely surprised and it made Akaashi feel a bit better. "I'm just worried that the person I like doesn't like me back either. Then I would have turned down my friend for no reason."
This one was easy. Akaashi knew exactly what to say to this.
"If anyone turned you down Bokuto-san, they would have to be stupid. And you don't deserve a stupid person."
Immediately Bokuto's mood shifted again. He was back.
Akaashi's reward came in a form that he almost couldn't handle. Bokuto had grabbed Akaashi's face and looked deep into his eyes.
"Akaashi, you're the absolute bestest."
4. Rain
Akaashi knew how Bokuto could get when it rained. It was the same every time.
"C'mon Akaashi! Let's splash in the puddles on our way home!"
Akaashi sighed as he pulled out his umbrella. As he stepped out of the gym, he immediately felt the wind pulling on his umbrella while rain drops were being blown into his legs. He tried to put the umbrella over Bokuto when he finally stepped out, but the boy took off into the downpour, spinning to turn and look at Akaashi.
"Look at this! I love the rain!"
Give it two minutes, Akaashi thought to himself. Of course, he was right. Almost exactly two minutes later Bokuto came sulking back. He ducked under the umbrella, shivering.
"Akaashi, I'm all wet."
"That's how rain works Bokuto-san."
Bokuto just pouted. His soggy hair drooped down to frame his face and it almost seemed to match Bokuto's mood. There were strands covering his eyes, water droplets occasionally rolling off of them.
"My shoes got water in them and now my socks are wet," Bokuto whined.
Akaashi pulled out a plastic bag leftover from when he bought breakfast at the convenience store on the way to school. "Go barefoot. Put your shoes and socks in this back, just please watch where you step."
Bokuto did what Akaashi told him, although reluctantly.
"Now my feet are cold."
Since Bokuto was still looking like a dejected puppy, Akaashi decided it was time to work his charm.
"You're hair looks really cool like that." He pointed out.
Bokuto immediately smiled. "Do ya really think so?"
"Mhmm. I like it when it's all styled too, but it looks good down."
Bokuto grinned as he watched his feet. He was kicking water ahead of them, causing it to splash into Akaashi, but he didn't mind. Akaashi tried thinking of a way to cheer Bokuto up even more. Sometimes, giving Bokuto an important role will make his confidence boost. Akaashi remembers thinking up this tip within the first week of knowing Bokuto.
"Would you mind holding the umbrella Bokuto? My wrist is hurting."
"Of course!" Bokuto stopped slouching as he took the umbrella from Akaashi. He did his best to hold it to the side enough so that it kept Akaashi dry.
Akaashi's reward came early this time, as he didn't even know he had already fixed Bokuto.
"Akaashi?" Bokuto said, quieter than his normal voice. "Can we do something kinda strange?"
Akaashi gulped, mentally preparing himself for whatever Bokuto had in mind. "What are you thinking?"
"I kinda wanna dance in the rain."
"You were just complaining about how wet you were."
Bokuto shrugged.
"If you really want to go ahead, I'm not stopping you."
"Actually, I wanted to um... dance with you. In the rain."
And so they did.
5. Sick
Bokuto knocked on the door and waited impatiently as he listened to the footsteps from inside. The door opened a bit, revealing a very pathetic-looking Akaashi. His cheeks were flushed, his forehead was sweaty, and his posture was slumped.
"I was so worried because you weren't at school today," Bokuto said immediately.
"Wow, you look worse than I thought you would. Is this because we danced in the rain last night? Do you have a fever?" Bokuto asked. Akaashi glared slightly but Bokuto didn't notice. He pushed Akaashi back and let himself in. Using the tips of his toes to pull his shoes off his heels, he left them at the front door and faced back towards Akaashi. The hallway was thin and suddenly Akaashi felt like he was way too close to his captain.
"I dunno. Probably." The younger boy sulked. He walked down the hallway, allowing Bokuto to follow him all the way to his room. Akaashi immediately flopped down on his bed and looked up at Bokuto.
"Akaashi you can't just not show up at school without telling me. You had me seriously worried man. Practice sucked without you."
Akaashi couldn't help but smile. "I'm sorry Bokuto-san."
"I had to eat lunch with this one girl who once confessed to me and her new boyfriend. It was so awkward Kaashi, you would have laughed."
Akaashi just laid in his bed and listened to Bokuto rant about his day. It was relaxing.
At some point, Bokuto had gotten distracted by something and wandered out of Akaashi's room. Akaashi didn't even try and figure out what Bokuto was doing. He just let it happen. Bokuto came back about a minute later with a thermometer in his hand. He placed his hand on Akaashi's forehead and slipped the thermometer under his tongue. Akaashi's eyes closed while they waited. He couldn't help but notice the way Bokuto's hand was the most comforting touch he had ever felt. He did his best to focus on anything other than Bokuto. Akaashi settled his eyes on the bedroom door and let himself zone out until the thermometer started to beep. Bokuto grabbed it and checked the tiny digital numbers it displayed.
"Oh yeah. You're burning up Kaashi."
Akaashi watched as Bokuto's face grew more and more worried.
"You're gonna be okay right?" Bokuto asked. "It's just a fever. Right Akaashi?"
"I'm going to be perfectly fine Bokuto-san. It's probably just a bad cold."
"What if it's the flu? People die from that."
Akaashi couldn't stop the gasp that came out of his mouth. "Oh my God, I'm not going to die Bokuto-san. I'll probably be alright in a day or two. Jeez, stop freaking yourself out."
Bokuto dramatically let himself fall on Akaashi's bed. Akaashi tensed up immediately. He suddenly felt perfectly healthy, like he could get out of bed and sprint all the way to a plane, board it, and fly to Australia. Things only got worse when Bokuto turned towards him and propped his head upon his elbow.
"You're going to catch my sickness Bokuto-san." He said.
"I don't care Kaashi. We will die together."
Akaashi really had to fight down the feeling in his chest. "For the last time, I'm not going to die, and neither are you."
Bokuto turned around so he was now facing the ceiling. "We all die someday."
"Bokuto-san," Akaashi sighed. He was the sick one, he should be the one getting comforted over thoughts of existential dread, but of course, he had a Bokuto to take care of. "Now is not the time to be thinking about that stuff, and if you're going to let it bother you then I better never see you wasting your time sulking ever again. If you're really worried about dying, then live."
"You are the smartest person on the whole planet, I think." That was all Bokuto could respond with.
Akaashi's reward wound up not manifesting until the next morning when he woke up to the sight of a snoring Bokuto. If their limbs were a complicated tangled mess, Akaashi would never let anyone know as he pulled himself away and to the kitchen to get a glass of water. His head was still cloudy, and he could still feel his muscles aching, but going back to his room to find a sleepy-looking Bokuto offering to make him an "all-disease-curing-breakfast" almost made being sick a blessing.
6. Co-Captain
Bokuto swung the locker room door open, twirling a towel covered in sweat around his finger. He was singing a little bit, although no coherent lyrics came out. He was in a great mood. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins after a long and extensive after-practice conditioning session, and the thought of homemade katsudon waiting for him at home took up his thoughts.
He threw the sweaty towel into the back of his locker before grabbing his duffel bag and heading toward the showers. He was once again singing a random tune when he turned the corner, but he froze when he noticed someone sitting on the bench in front of the showers.
"Akaashi?"
The younger boy looked up, offering a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"What's wrong? You look upset."
Akaashi sighed and moved over so Bokuto could sit on the bench with him. He sat there for a moment while Bokuto waited patiently for him to say something.
"I'm just worried..."
"Worried? Why?"
"You're graduating soon. I'll be left here by myself without you. I'm not sure if I'm ready for that."
"What? Akaashi, are you worried about being captain?" Bokuto grinned. "You don't need to be. You're a fantastic co-captain, everyone always listens to you! You always know what to say and do to get the team ready for a match, and you're so smart about plays."
Bokuto stopped talking for a minute, looking like he's deep in thought.
"I think you will be a better captain than me."
"That's not possible Bokuto-san."
"Uh, yeah, it is! I'm just loud. Yeah, I might be really good, and I know I can get the team hyped up, but most of my time as captain was spent listening to you make all of the important decisions. I would have been an awful captain without you by my side Akaashi. So stop worrying about it."
Akaashi felt sort of bad for Bokuto having done all of that ranting. "That's... not even what I'm worried about."
"Wha? Talk to me Akaashi."
Bokuto could tell that Akaashi was really nervous about whatever was going on in that brain of his. He wanted to reach out and hug him, but he still wasn't able to figure out if Akaashi would be okay with that or not. Bokuto wanted nothing more than to see Akaashi smile, or at least go back to his normal passive expression, anything but the anxious look he was currently wearing.
"I don't want you to leave."
"I already told you Akaashi, you'll be just fine leading the team. You're-"
"I'm not talking about just with volleyball." Akaashi interrupted. He had his hands balled up in fists in his lap and he was looking at his shoes.
"We eat lunch together almost every day, and you always walk home with me after practice. I enjoy being dragged around to random stores and restaurants on our off days. Bokuto-san, if you leave, what am I supposed to do on my own?"
Bokuto looked shocked. Akaashi wanted to put himself into a medically induced coma.
"You're worried about losing me!" Bokuto exclaimed. His shocked expression formed into one of excitement. "That's an easy fix Akaashi because I'm not really going anywhere."
"That's still not quite what-"
"I mean, yeah we won't be going to the same school anymore, and I won't be just a short walk down the street, but I'll come to visit you all the time!"
"Bokuto-san-"
"And you can always come to visit me too! You can check out my dorm, and meet my roommates, and we can go to all those cool local shops that are on the campus."
"Bokuto,"
"On breaks, we can still go exploring in random towns. I know I won't be able to walk with you home from school, but you're a strong person and I know you'll be just fine!"
"Koutarou!"
Akaashi finally managed to get Bokuto's attention back on him. The poor boy was spiraling.
"Kou, I'm trying to tell you something. Please just listen for a second."
Bokuto had calmed down, once again putting all of his attention on Akaashi. He was still a little stunned by Akaashi using his given name. The boy rarely dropped honorifics, much less did he use people's given names. Bokuto felt a chill run down his back.
"I like spending every day with you, Bokuto-san, because I like you. A lot."
"Wait, like, like like?"
Akaashi smiled at the way Bokuto's face suddenly turned red as he got all shy.
"Yeah. Like like like."
"Akaaaaaashiii," Bokuto whined. "I like like you too." This made Akaashi smile even wider and Bokuto swore he would sell every organ in his body just to make him smile like that all the time.
"So, let me make sure I have this clear. You don't want me to leave because you like like me."
Akaashi nodded.
"You have a crush on me."
Akaashi nodded again although it was slightly less enthusiastic.
"You think I'm cute."
"Bokuto-san..." Akaashi put his face in his hands as he felt his cheeks burn up. Bokuto quickly grabbed his wrists and pulled them away, looking straight into Akaashi's eyes.
"You wanna kiss me, don't ya?"
Akaashi tried to hide his face again, but Bokuto would not let go of his wrists and he had nowhere to escape to.
"It's okay Akaashi, cause I want to kiss you too if that's alright."
Bokuto smirked as Akaashi stopped fighting his grasp. They looked at each other for a moment until Bokuto finally let go of his wrists. He placed a palm on Akaashi's cheek and carefully rubbed his thumb over Akaashi's lips.
"Please kiss me," Akaashi whispered.
Bokuto wasted no time once he got the go-ahead. Before Akaashi could even brace himself, Bokuto crashed their lips together in a sloppy yet ever-so meaningful kiss. Akaashi couldn't even try to stop himself from melting as one of Bokuto's hands moved up to grab the hair at the nape of his neck.
Bokuto bit down on Akaashi's lip, causing him to moan. Using the moan to his advantage, Bokuto slipped his tongue into Akaashi's mouth and immediately took control.
After what felt like ages, Akaashi tapped on Bokuto's shoulder and regretfully they pulled apart.
"Bokuto," Akaashi panted, still trying to regain control over his breath. "I'm glad that you feel the same, but you're still leaving."
"Keiji, I don't think I could ever leave you. Especially not now, holy shit." He laughed. "No but seriously. I'm not going that far and it's only for a year."
"But what if we can't make it work?"
Bokuto straddled the bench, pulling Akaashi in so their thighs overlapped and Akaashi was basically in his lap. He placed a gentle kiss on his Akaashi's forehead.
"I just got you, like hell I'm going to let you go so soon. I've been waiting for this moment for almost two years, I'm not going to let you go over a distance that literally takes less than an hour to close. Baby, it's going to take a lot more than a train ride to keep me away from you."
Bokuto wound up having to share his award with Akaashi. That reward being a boyfriend that later turned into a fiance, then finally his husband. A reward that trumps all rewards.