Chapter Text
How do you go from being close friends with someone to finally finding the courage to ask them out? How do you cross the line and go from platonic love to romantic love? How do you go about doing it in a way that won’t ruin your friendship if the other doesn’t reciprocate your feelings? These are all questions that Akaashi Keiji has been asking himself for the past two months. It's not his fault that they have started to overtake every single thought he has. Okay, maybe it's partly his fault for dwelling on it so much but that's only because said best friend is always there next to him.
He's there at his house every morning, so they can travel to school together every day (even though Bokuto lives much closer so has to walk further away from the school to greet him).
He's there outside Akaashi's classroom when lunch starts, so they can sit and eat together (with the addition of Konoha, Sarukui and Komi trying and failing to seem natural when they walk past the door to spy on the pair).
He's there during volleyball practise, so they can perfect their special attacks and work on new combination plays (even though they very rarely need any new ones).
He's there when Akaashi is persuaded to stay for a couple of hours after the rest of the team have left to help Bokuto work on his spiking skills, so that he doesn't overwork himself and actually gets home at a decent time (or so he tells himself).
He's there when they walk home after the extended practise sessions and Bokuto insists on walking him to his front door, so he doesn't get lost and makes it back safely ("I know how to get back to my house, Bokuto." "But what if someone jumps out from an alleyway and attacks you!").
He's there on a weekend when Bokuto wants to see the newest movie in the cinema and, before accepting the invite, he always teasingly asks if he's only tagging along because of Bokuto's "awful sense of direction" ("That was one time when I was too busy texting you and didn't pay attention to where I was walking!").
It doesn't matter where he is, or what he's doing. A familiar two-toned haired wing spiker and ace is never too far away.
Thus, when he realises that Bokuto's birthday is coming up, he sees it as the perfect opportunity to finally confess to the owl-like captain. He has it all planned out. They'll stay for practise after hours like they always do, while the rest of the team go to Akaashi's – using his house key that he entrusted to Washio to enter the premises – and set up. He and Bokuto will then walk to the setter's house where he will ask Bokuto if he wants to come inside for a bit to discuss a tactic he wants to try out with the team. Bokuto agrees, they go inside and find the rest of the team with a fully decorated house. Then, when the party is in full swing, he will take Bokuto aside and work up the courage to finally tell his upperclassman his feelings.
Akaashi has thought it through multiple times in his head and in every scenario it plays out successfully, even with the contingency that is Bokuto's impulsive behaviour. If there was even one way he could see it going disastrous, he would have immediately come up with something else or attempted to come up with an easy way to get things back on track. But for once, Akaashi is confident in his quick planning skills. Anyway, how hard can it be?
.
.
.
Hard. It can be very hard.
This revelation hits during morning practise when Washio is confirmed to be off ill. Washio, the guy that has the key to Akaashi's house. The only key that is available for use because his older sister is always last to leave each morning without fail so he didn't think he'd need to take the spare key if the door would already be open for him when he arrived back later.
So, as a last-minute decision change, they decide to hold the party at Konoha's instead. The only problem is that Konoha lives in the opposite direction of their normal walking route. To say Akaashi is starting to internally panic would be an understatement.
Throughout the rest of morning practise and during school hours he manages to keep all the panicking internal. He knows for a fact that Bokuto would have picked up on something being wrong if he let his calm façade crack for even a second – damn him for falling for someone that’s so observant to those around them.
When he’s back in the gym throwing volleyballs to his teammates, he still doesn’t let his emotionless expression weaken. As he calls out his teammates’ names he remains focused on the ball and where he wants it to go. Bokuto does ask one time if he’s feeling okay, but Akaashi gives him a dismissive wave of his hand and a conventional answer. The wing spiker seems to accept the response with a soft squeeze of his shoulder that sends flutters through the vice-captain’s stomach, yet Akaashi can feel eyes on him for the rest of the training session.
Once everyone but Akaashi and Bokuto start cleaning up and are getting ready to go home, Akaashi’s head is still running through the possibilities of what could go wrong so late in the plan. It gets so bad that he ends up excusing himself briefly, with the promise to Bokuto of being back soon, and leaning against the lockers in their club room. Konoha is sorting through his bag on the bench beside him, having managed to escape clean-up duties, and when he hears a particularly loud sigh he confronts his underclassman.
"Don't worry Akaashi, everything will be fine. If you’re worrying over how to get him over to mine, just tell him that you are taking a detour home to pick up a textbook from me to help with your studies. He's bound to tag along." Konoha tells him, shrugging on his blazer as shouts from Bokuto in the gym can be heard.
"Do you really think he'll believe that I need help with my studies? He seems to think that I know everything." He deadpans. Konoha lets out a small chuckle and slips his bag over his shoulder.
"C'mon, let's be real here. Even if you tell him to follow you to my house without context he'll still go. He is madly in love with you after all."
Akaashi freezes, blinking slowly as he takes in what he's just heard. "He's... what?"
"Don't tell me you're oblivious to it." He stares at Akaashi for a moment and his eyes widen comically. "Oh my God, you genuinely didn't know? I thought that was why you finally built up the courage to organise this whole thing and ask him out?"
Akaashi still stares, mouth hung open lightly. Konoha sighs loudly. "Great, I've broken our vice-captain. Um, I've got to get going now, surprise party to create and all. See you later!" Shuffling past the setter, he slaps his back reassuringly before making a quick exit out of the doors of the club room.
He snaps out of his dazed when multiple voices enter the small room. The rest of the team quickly collect their things, having heard from Konoha on the way there that they need to get a move on so he can leave before Akaashi comes for him. His eyes flit over to Onaga who is stuffing his school uniform into his small shoulder bag.
“Is Bokuto in love with me?” He murmurs.
Unsure of if it’s a question that requires him to answer, Onaga peers over to look at his teammates, only to see that they’ve abandoned him. Knowing he might as well say it, he turns back to his vice-captain. “He is. I didn’t notice it at first, but it became way too obvious once I knew.” Not hearing a response, he clears his throat and excuses himself, running down the stairs to catch up with the others.
Akaashi runs a hand through his hair, another thing added to his inner turmoil. The shouting from the gym has gone silent, Bokuto must be worried over where is he and what’s taking him so long. Taking one last deep breath, he leaves the club room and goes back to the gym. It’s only Bokuto. Only now it’s not just Bokuto, the boy he's been crushing hard on. It’s Bokuto, the boy he’s been crushing hard on and who apparently feels the same way back. Life is really trying to make this as hard as possible for him, isn't it?