Chapter Text
Desde el primer momento en que te vi
Supe que tú ibas a ser para mí
Muy buenos días, te propongo un plan
Soy impulsiva, pero me da igual
Rigoberta Bandini - A ver qué pasa.
The quietness of the house is interrupted by the raindrops pounding against the window, strangely coordinated with Kenma’s rapid typing rhythm.
Suddenly, the sound of the cuckoo clock joins the odd midnight orchestra, causing Kuroo to wake up from his nap on the sofa. He casts a glance full of hatred at the owl-shaped clock. It stares back at him with its wide eyes, eyes which Kuroo has emphasized, on several occasions, are mocking him.
“Why don’t we throw that old clock away?” asks Kuroo while standing up to prepare some coffee.
On the other side of the room, Kenma is so deeply focused on gathering all the necessary information for the next theft, that he cannot hear the dubious dialogue between Kuroo and his wooden archenemy.
“So... Can we?” Kuroo tries again after a moment, with a sly grin.
Kenma turns to look directly at him with serious eyes.
“I like it. I want to keep it,” Kenma says, ending the argument about the clock in seconds.
With his proposal rejected, Kuroo turns to prepare some coffee for the three of them since they are going to pull an all-nighter collecting the necessary equipment and designing the fake art pieces to exchange with the original ones. Kenma told them a few hours ago that the information for the next auction is scheduled for the day after tomorrow.
Normally, the details of the auctions are released close to the date of the event so that it is not susceptible to police interception. Moreover, they agreed to steal art pieces close to the auctions’ date thus they don’t need to keep the stolen pieces for long and it is easier to evade the police.
Kuroo leaves the kitchen and the coffee kettle boiling there, filling every corner of the house with the smell of coffee. Afterward, Kuroo grabs yesterday's newspaper. He brushes the pages eagerly until he arrives at the lottery section, then he takes the magnifying glass that he uses to thoroughly copy the details when he paints the fake pieces.
Ever since they have been together, Kuroo checks the lottery regularly, however, the luck has not arrived in his pocket yet. This time is no different, luck hasn’t come either. Kuroo bends down to rest his head on the newspaper while tousling his hair with both hands, cursing, and groaning in pain. Then, he leans back in the chair with so much force that he almost falls off, but Bokuto arrives at the right moment to hold the chair and keep it still.
“Thanks, bro, I owe you,” Kuroo says as he turns his head towards Bokuto. He is shirtless, drying his head with a towel.
“Remember that when you win the lottery!” Bokuto winks at him with a grin on his face.
The kettle starts to whistle then, indicating that the coffee is ready, so he stands up to go back to the kitchen.
“I hope so.” Kuroo sighs as he pours the coffee into three mugs. “I really need a miracle to buy the winning ticket.” He offers a mug to Bokuto and leaves the other mug on the desk next to one of his screens. Bokuto picks it up and takes a long sip of coffee.
“I swear the day you win the lottery I’ll be the luckiest person in this world.” Bokuto laughs, shooting Kuroo a perturbed glance. He looks at him quizzically, unable to follow the logic of his partner Bokuto clarifies his argument, “Look, you are so unlucky that on that day I'm sure the rest of us would be twice as lucky as you.” Bokuto grins as Kuroo tears up that page of the newspaper and throws it into the trash, with the other failed lottery pages.
Kuroo sighs.
“I’m not rich, but at least those old newspapers are going to be a fancy Fabergé Egg in a few hours.”
Afterward, Kuroo comes out of his moment of mourning and takes a long look at Bokuto because he is very shirtless, then he arches an eye, skeptical.
"Bokuto, you’re hot but you may need more clothes in Russia,” Kuroo comments innocently, however, that brings up the problems of the prior mission.
“I’m washing my clothes now, needed to get rid of all the sand,” whines Bokuto, as the flashback of the theft in Egypt comes up into Bokuto’s head and causes a shiver to run through his body.
On the other side, Kuroo is also stressed out because of the mistakes that were made, which almost wiped out the entire plan. He massages his temples to calm himself down.
“Remember to inspect the territory.” Kuroo sighs as he hands him the plane tickets to the Pulkovo Airport. Bokuto nods robotically without making much of an attempt to disguise his lack of interest. He is about to take the tickets when Kuroo slaps his forehead with them and raises his voice.
“Have you heard me? Remember to inspect the territory we don’t want another fiasco like in Egypt—” Kuroo increases the number of hits while Bokuto begins to dodge them. It makes Kuroo increase his speed. Between blows, Kuroo scolds him.
“You had to hide inside Ramses’ coffin.”
“The plans of the pyramid were out of date!” Bokuto shouts back as the tickets pass inches from his face.
“Of course they were!” Kuroo shouts.
As a result, Bokuto snorts, but rapidly, wears his smirk again. Because he is dodging all Kuroo’s hits. Tired from looking at that smile of superiority, Kuroo makes a feint to hit him on the right but at the last moment, he throws the blow on the left.
“That’s why you should have to thoroughly take a look before getting into a million-dollar coffin! Not ruining it by hiding inside!” Kuroo finally hits his face and the sporadic punching game ends. Bokuto avoids Kuroo’s gaze and spares a glance at Kenma, looking for complicity, but he is still focused on looking for information about the security system of the Hermitage museum and the Winter Palace.
After a while, Bokuto opens his mouth again to defend himself, in a desperate tone, as he grabs the tickets. “And what I was supposed to do? That British agents were very insistent! I had no option but to hide inside! Or would you have preferred me to give them that emerald amulet to the British?” Bokuto whines.
Kuroo crosses his arms, shutting his eyes with clear discomfort in his facial expression. He is about to say something when Kenma speaks up and slides into the conversation.
“Of course not.” He turns his head to look at them. “Despite that accident, the plan was successful, even Bokuto had to hide inside the coffin for a while… He did a good job. But please, take your time to inspect the territory and find escaping routes and possible ways that aren’t contemplated on the map. It’s very difficult to access the ones that are being used, they are secured very thoroughly.” Kenma looks at Kuroo, who rolls his eyes. Then, Kenma exhales and continues, “If I try to get them that would ring all the alarms. For the next one, we need that Fabergé egg in a perfect state,” Kenma states in a very firm tone. “Also, there is a rumor that says that inside the Winter residence, in the library, right before the soldiers broke out into the palace.” Kenma stops talking as he opens a drawer to take off some maps that he has printed previously.
Bokuto takes a step closer and looks at them with curious eyes.
“Oya?”
“Oya Oya?” Kuroo follows him, sneaking over Bokuto’s head to look at the maps.
Kenma points with his index finger at the library section. “The servant stole a Fabergé Egg from the Tzar’s collection and hid in this place, but nobody has found it yet. That one is a very very rare and pricey one. So, if you have time to get that one it would be perfect”.
Bokuto nods enthusiastically, ready for the new challenge.
“And since just a few people know about that I don’t need to make a copy.” Kuroo rubs his chin with a wide smile on his face.
“Exactly,” Kenma draws a devilish smile, “Nobody will know, and we will be the stars of the auction.”
“I’ll try to save time to find this one.” Bokuto taps his chin with a broad smile on his face. “Let’s go to Russia then.”
❅❅❅
The autumn in Saint Petersburg has come and gone without realizing it. Even though the calendar indicates that it is still November, autumn can’t be perceived anymore. The Siberian wind has dragged the last withered leaves to the ground mercilessly, exposing the bark and the branches of the trees defenseless.
Bokuto looks up to the sky to contemplate the sun setting behind the Winter Palace, which is soon covered by dense clouds.
“It’s a beautiful place to break into,” thinks out loud Bokuto, heading towards the Pévchesky bridge. Before the first act begins, he makes sure to walk around the city the whole day, looking for potential escape routes and getting acquainted with the streets of the city, as he has been told by Kuroo.
Now, he is walking by the bridge, going into a crowd that has gathered around a skilled violinist who is being encouraged by the people to keep playing. Bokuto arrives at the middle of the bridge to see the night view of the Moika river.
The small boats sail along the river, covering the reflection of the lights of the nearest buildings, from which mist drifts out of the kitchen windows. However, the smell that stands out is that of a coffee shop next to the bridge, so, when Bokuto inhales the frosty air, he calms his nerves with the roasted coffee smell. Then, he exhales, causing a small cloud of mist to come out of his mouth. Bokuto visited the Winter Palace and wondered how to find the second Fabergé egg while hearing some explanation from the guide while a group of tourists bumped into each other while admiring the family portraits, the extravagant ornaments attached to the walls, and the huge glass chandeliers. If they want to draw all the attention during the auction, Bokuto needs to find the hidden Fabergé Egg, and he really wants to enjoy that fame. Even if he couldn’t come up with an idea yet. On the other hand, he has been told several times by Kenma and Kuroo to make a plan and thoroughly follow it, but this time the improvisation is what counts the most. And thank goodness it is what he is best at.
After being wrapped up in his thoughts and taking a last look at the Hermitage Museum before the action starts, he decides to return to his hotel room to take the equipment. Suddenly he is hit by the cold air blowing strongly and making him shiver. He adjusts his red scarf in a way that covers his chin and almost reaches his nose.
"Let's go," mutters Bokuto as he takes a step backward. At that very moment, he collides with a person walking behind him, his feet stumble, and make the other person trip. But Bokuto's reflexes act quickly and he thankfully manages to grab him by the waist and avoid having him crash into the ground. Due to the sudden movement, his scarf drops to the ground, blocking the stranger's view for a few seconds. It completely falls after a second and Bokuto can’t help but raise his eyebrow, eyes widening in surprise.
The stranger has his eyes closed, waiting for a pain that never arrives. On the other side, he feels a firm hand holding him by the waist. Without realizing the stranger has impulsively grabbed Bokuto’s biceps. Then, he opens his eyes and meets honey-colored eyes looking at him with intensity. What the stranger does not know is that Bokuto is mesmerized by his magnetic green eyes and long eyelashes. He can’t hold back a half-smile from taking over his face as he sees the stranger's startled face, very close to his own.
Gorgeous , Bokuto thinks as he stares at the stranger’s red face, probably because of the cold, but also probably because of Bokuto’s intense gaze.
"Sorry," whispers the stranger softly. Bokuto would listen to his velvet voice all night.
After a moment, he tries to put himself together. However, he can’t control the nervousness in his voice, and stutters. "No worries. It was my fault for not noticing. I'm really sorry," Bokuto apologizes without letting go of his grip on his waist.
Bokuto does not believe in God, but he considers it a miracle that such a beautiful person exists in the same world as him.
Bokuto's mind is occupied by the stranger, he thinks he is the luckiest person in the world to share even a measly moment with him. When the stranger clears his throat, Bokuto realizes they are still in that awkward dancing position. Still, he is not the first to move away, mainly because he is getting distracted again by the stranger, who hasn’t attempted to break away either.
Bokuto could swim forever in his emerald eyes, which have stolen his breath away. Then, his gaze drifts, and he cannot help but stare at his red lips, causing Bokuto to bite his lower lip to restrain the growing desire to kiss him. Even though Bokuto is very distracted observing every feature of the person in front of him, his eyes don’t miss how the stranger looks attentively at how Bokuto is biting his lips. Nor does it escape his intense and radiant eyes that make him forget what he has come to St. Petersburg for.
Bokuto is captivated. When a little bit of snow falls on the tip of the stranger's nose and he squints his eyes in a very cute way, Bokuto has the impulse to kiss him to remove the snowflake. Then, the stranger sneezes and it breaks him out of the spell that had fallen on him.
The stranger breaks the silence with a hum.
"Thank you for not letting me fall," he says softly. Bokuto's immediate thought is, I would never let you go. The stranger looks at him with an arched eyebrow. "What's your name?"
Bokuto’s mind collapses at the question.
“I-m-m… I…”
“Are you always so eloquent?” The man smiles fondly at the stuttering.
"Bokuto. Bokuto Koutarou"
"Akaashi, Keiji"
"Keiji," Bokuto repeats quietly, savoring every syllable.
An alarm on Bokuto's phone starts ringing then, the signal to go get ready for the heist. Bokuto is turning it off when he notices he has an incoming call from Kuroo.
"I have to go now. It was nice meeting you Akaashi, I hope we can meet again soon,” he shouts as he walks away and into the crowd.
He has to stop behind the next corner to gather his breath, and puts his hand on his chest, feeling the accelerated pulse of his heart, something unusual for him. Even when he has been chased by the police, he hasn’t felt his heart jump like this.
—
Still, on the bridge, Akaashi notices a red scarf on the ground, so he bends down to pick it up and runs towards Bokuto, but he has already left his field of vision.
"I hope so too," mutters Akaashi, holding the scarf tightly. In the end, he wraps it around his neck.
He looks at the time on his watch and makes a call.
"Yachi? It's time... Are you ready?" Akaashi hears noises and some stumbling.
"Eh? Ah! Yes! I'll set up a secure communication channel right away. I'll call you back with Kiyoko later," she says in a shaky voice, typing as fast as she can.
"I'm heading to get ready right now. In 30 minutes, I'm going to the Winter Palace. I'll wait for your call," he informs as he sinks his face into the stranger's scarf.
It's only a fleeting love, he keeps repeating to himself.
"Bokuto..." Akaashi says softly, out loud. Bokuto's name weaves through the winter mist. "I wish we could see each other again."
❅❅❅
The snow continues to fall in Saint Petersburg leisurely, accumulating in every corner of the city, covering it all in white. It makes the snowflakes stick to the initially black clothing of Bokuto, who is standing outside the Hermitage museum, ready to enter as soon as Kuroo gives him the order.
"Are you carrying the fake Fabergé egg?" Kuroo asks, playing with a poorly produced counterfeit copy.
"Well of course I am," Bokuto replies as he waits for Kenma to deactivate the security system completely. "Can I get in now? I want to go back to the square to find my scarf," Bokuto urges, shivering from the cold.
Although, his true reason to be so impatient is rushing back to meet Akaashi at least one more time and maybe ask him for a date. Since the moment he prevented Akaashi from falling, he can’t stop thinking about his glimmering emerald eyes and those enticing lips he wishes he could taste.
“I told you to wear more clothes!” Kuroo shouts at the earpiece, so Bokuto turns down the volume just in case he gets scolded again.
From the barracks, Kenma wrinkles his nose as he speeds up the hacking maneuvers, totally distanced from Bokuto's train of thought. Finally, he presses the last click with much effort, looks at Kuroo, and nods.
“Go in.” Kuroo gives the signal.
“Let’s go go go,” Bokuto says as energetically as a whisper allows.
He breaks into the Hermitage museum by a window situated in a blind spot of the security cameras. This time, Bokuto listened to Kuroo and visited the museum and the surroundings in advance. He jumps in through the window he left open without arousing suspicion a few hours ago.
“It's such a shame to damage a structure whose historical and architectural values are incalculable. ” Kuroo sighs through the earpiece while resting his chin on his left hand.
“You’re so dramatic. Besides, I left no trace.” Bokuto grumbles as he rushes to the safe room. “Do I have to turn right or left?” he asks when he approaches a bifurcation.
Kuroo bends over the screen to see the indications for Bokuto to take.
“Left.” Kuroo starts tidying the painting materials on the table. He looks closely at a brush while warning Bokuto. “You’ve 3 minutes left,” Kuroo warns as taking a small pot of indigo acrylic paint and stains the sleeve of his sweatshirt. “Then you’re going to taste the Russian security forces’ amiability.” He grimaces, trying to get rid of the stains without success.
“I just need 2 minutes. I’ll call you later.” Bokuto adjusts his black cap and accelerates the speed to get into the safe room. When he is at the door, he leaves his backpack on the floor and displays all the instruments to manipulate the lock, while he sticks out his tongue. “C’mon.”
On the other side of the world, his teammates aren’t so confident about the success of the theft.
“Not sure If we’re going to make it this time.” Kuroo looks at Kenma with dubious eyes.
Kenma squints his eyes, thinking of a plan B.
“We need a distraction…” Kenma sighs while rubbing his temples. “Simulating that we’re breaking into a more important place...” Kenma suggests in a lower voice.
Kuroo looks at the roof and then to Kenma again, brushing his hand over his face in frustration.
Then Kenma starts to type.
“Kuroo, I need you to do some hacking too,” Kenma orders.
“Eh? I’m the artist here, the creative brain. I cannot do that,” Kuroo feigns a whiny tone to get his way.
“There’s no time to complain. You did some hacking in the past when you worked alone. I know you like the back of my hand.” Kenma draws a wicked grin, scaring Kuroo, who looks at him a little pale. “I also know how to punish you.” The final comment sends a shiver through his body.
In the end, Kuroo grabs a chair and his glasses, willing to do some basic hacking.
Kenma points a finger to the screen. “We’re hacking this huge bank. We don’t have to be successful, but we really have to alarm them. Understood?”
“Crystal clear.” Kuroo presses the earpiece while speaking into the microphone that is near his mouth. “Bokuto, we’re trying to get more time. I’m going to be out for a while. Can you manage on your own?” Kuroo frowns as he tries to remember the codes to decipher the security system. “Are you wearing the Russian Police jacket you stole? I’m not sure if some security cameras are still working outside, better safe than sorry.”
“No probs,” Bokuto says as he takes off the door of the safe deposit box. He takes one second to admire the Fabergé egg and exchanges it with the fake one. “The egg is in the nest. I’m heading to the Winter Palace. I've got it in my bag.”
“Perfect.”
“Wait, if I take that secret tunnel dug during the Revolution, will I end up in the library?”
“We don’t really know that. It’s a secret, Bokuto.”
“Excuse me, sir. So how do you know of that secret tunnel?” Kuroo stops typing and throws a puzzled look at Kenma. “Kenma, how did you know?”
“Later.”
“Okay, you’ve got a point. I think this is the part of the plan when your improvisation skills appear to save our asses.”
“You’re welcome,” he says as he puts on a jacket from the Russian police, which he borrowed in the morning. Following after, Bokuto exits the building through the same window through which he entered. Then he runs to the backside of the Palace, leaving a small trail of footprints in the snow that quickly disappears due to the snowstorm.
“The documents said that between tile 50 and tile 100 should be the tunnel. But... counting from where?” He moves the flashlight from side to side, unable to find a way in. Moreover, it is increasingly difficult to distinguish the tiles because the snow does not allow the lines to be seen clearly. Clueless, Bokuto asks for help, nervously, because they are running out of time, “Hey Kuroo, do you have any leads?”
“Negative. Plus, I’m a little busy here. Sorry,” Kuroo says as he pulls out of his desk drawer a small notebook titled ‘Hacking for Absolute Idiots: Kuroo Version’. Bokuto isn’t paying attention anymore to the channel because when he turned around, he saw a small tile shaking slightly.
Bokuto points the flashlight first to the front, then turns and illuminates the part of the path behind him, just in case someone has followed him. Slowly, trying to be as quiet as possible, he takes a couple of steps forward, stepping hard on the tiles to try to find the secret entrance to the palace. An unusual noise coming from behind him startles him out of nowhere. Quickly, he points the flashlight in the direction of the noise, only illuminating a black cat in the distance. Bokuto releases the breath he had been holding since he thought he had been followed by the police.
"Ah, it must have been the cat." Bokuto squints, and with his back arched, he gets closer, calling the cat. In return, the cat hisses at him and runs into the bushes. But he notices that a tile is wobbling slightly, with cat tracks around it.
"Whatever, I think I've got it. Hey, Kuroo! Did you buy a lottery ticket? Because I think this is our lucky day!” exclaims Bokuto as sliding into the tunnel.
Walking through the tunnel, he ducks down to avoid hitting his head with the ground and scrunches his nose since the humidity gives off a disgusting odor. He keeps walking for a while until he finds a little door of stone and he pushes with all his force and manages to move it. Now, he has to crawl out of the fireplace, pushing aside a painting that has been placed there by the directors of the museum. He steps into and looks around the room, which is full of bookshelves filled with old and dusty books.
The second thing his glance comes across is a large diamond-encrusted chandelier.
"This... Phew... I don't even know where to begin,” Bokuto thinks out loud as sliding a finger on the table, next to a statue of a Tzar's bust.
As he moves, he takes off his cap and runs his hand over his head, looking at the huge bookshelves looming above him as he imagines the ticking of time running out.
"Where are you?" Bokuto mumbles, approaching a bookshelf with the intention of removing some random books. What Bokuto does not know, and is going to realize soon, is that he isn’t the only thief wandering around the museum, as eager as him to find the precious Fabergé egg.
Bokuto is leafing through a book on plowing techniques recommended by a very mustachioed gentleman who does not seem to have ever touched a rake in his life, when, out of nowhere, he is slammed against the bookshelf with force. His left arm is bent backward, immobilized, and he feels a blade positioned near his neck. Bokuto holds his breath and a bead of sweat begins to fall.
"What's a policeman doing here?" a slightly familiar voice asks him while holding both his hands tightly, caging him against a shelf. Bokuto is very preoccupied with keeping his heart from beating out of his chest and finding a way out of that grip. Therefore, he doesn’t make the slightest effort to answer. He tries to look back, but it is impossible to see if the stranger has more weapons, so he decides to take a chance.
With all his strength, he pushes the stranger with his hip, loosening the grip. He positions himself in front of him and in the process pulls out a dagger he had hidden in his waistband to aim at his neck. The stranger is quick to compose himself, as a dagger pointed perfectly at his carotid artery too, causing Bokuto to swallow hard and almost cut himself on the sharp blade.
Instantly, when Bokuto meets the stranger’s gaze, he realizes that the other person is Akaashi, whose astonished facial expression denotes the surprise of meeting him again.
Akaashi never expected that a policeman would break into the room through the same secret tunnel he used to enter. On the other hand, Bokuto wasn’t expecting another thief to be lurking beneath his hidden target. Still, neither of them expected to meet each other again under this circumstance.
Bokuto arches an eyebrow, with a sly grin tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Akaashi... What a coincidence," Bokuto mutters, lowering his hands gently, moving his blade away from Akaashi. This alarms Akaashi even more, who brings the dagger closer to his neck.
"Don't dare to move your hands," Akaashi orders firmly. "I didn't think you were a cop." Akaashi spits with a tone of disappointment that he does not bother to conceal. He maintains a wary approach just in case Bokuto is lying.
Bokutor frowns and winces in pain.
“I would never,” responds Bokuto in a distressed tone. His pride has been hurt. “I think both of us are here for the same thing, though," he stresses as he moves his hand slowly to the inner pocket of his jacket.
Then, Akaashi glances down to watch his movements, just in case Bokuto is planning to attack him. Even though Akaashi appears calm on the outside, in fact, he is being extremely distracted by Bokuto’s tight black outfit which doesn’t leave much for the imagination.
Bokuto still has not taken away his gaze from Akaashi’s intense eyes, looking carefully at his expression, especially at how his pupils widen when he is sliding his hand through his broad chest to get his wallet. Bokuto giggles while delaying his movements so Akaashi can enjoy the view of his marked muscles. He follows his hand closely until Bokuto pulls out the documentation that he had stolen from the Russian cop beforehand.
He brings it next to his face so Akaashi can compare both faces, but Akaashi's eyes remain glued to his chest. The smirk on Bokuto’s face grows as he arches an eyebrow again.
“My eyes are up here.”
Akaashi comes out of his questionable thoughts when Bokuto speaks, and he looks up against his own will.
He smirks. "As you can observe we don't look much alike.”
Akaashi looks at him and thanks God, because Bokuto is more pleasing to the eye.
"Certainly not."
"So, could you put that down already?” Bokuto asks kindly, a drop of sweat trickles down his chin to the edge of the dagger.
Akaashi obeys and keeps his dagger in the sheath knotted to his right thigh. Bokuto exhales, finally allowed to breathe freely. The first thing he does is take a good look at Akaashi.
Like him, Akaashi is also dressed entirely in black clothes, with a turtleneck sweater covered by a thick jacket with various compartments where he carries everything he needs in order to steal. Bokuto lowers his gaze past the knife he pointed at him minutes before, stopping at the marked thighs that his tight jeans emphasize perfectly. He is also wearing black thick boots that give him a couple of inches. Unlike Bokuto, he is not wearing a cap that covers his face, which surprises him.
“You’re not covering your face!” Bokuto exclaims, tapping his chin.
“My colleagues have my back,” Akaashi says confidently while leaning on one of the columns.
“So… are you with someone?" Bokuto wants to know if he is working with a team of thieves like him, but there is another question that lingers on his tongue.
"Maybe... You?” Akaashi replies, closing the distance, further cornering him against the shelf, while sliding his index finger over Bokuto’s jaw until he reaches his chin.
"It depends…” Bokuto manages to say but can’t avoid swallowing hard which makes Akaashi grin devilishly.
Akaashi slides his thumb over Bokuto’s lips, while he wet his. He knows that getting closer to him is a terrible idea, however, the magnetic attraction he feels to Bokuto blinds his judgment. Akaashi isn’t thinking at all, he has lost himself to the moment, to the stranger he never thought would meet again and desires so much.
“Of what?”
Bokuto’s heart beats uncontrollably against his chest.
“I am for you,” Bokuto whispers in his thumb, ducking down to kiss him, however, a sudden voice from Akaashi’s earpiece brings them back to reality and stops him.
“Akaashi! looks like we have some extra time. Someone is robbing a bank, so the police are busy,” a woman informs him enthusiastically, a sound heard like she is jumping off from her chair. Thereafter, Bokuto also receives the latest news.
"Bokuto, we've bought you some more time... So use it carefully," Kuroo says after he lets out a long sigh. “I’m never doing this shit again. I’m out.”
They both look at each other and smile broadly.
"Thanks again," Akaashi says. Then he goes to a shelf next on the other side of the room, liberating Bokuto, who lets out the breath he had been holding.
"You're welcome," Bokuto responds, then he crosses his arms. "You can thank me by giving me the Fabergé Egg, though.” He wiggles his eyebrows and throws a dazzling smile, approaching Akaashi, who takes some steps further and walks to another shelf.
"I already helped you get into the tunnel, I think I've returned the favor."
"Oh... so you're the cat that lifted the tile.”
"It's possible.”
“And… by chance… Don’t you have any idea how to find the egg? This place is full of books, it would take days to find it,” says Bokuto while opening his arms to emphasize how huge the place is.
"Well... I don't know if I should tell you. At the end of the day, there's only one valuable item to steal, for two thieves,” Akaashi stresses as he contemplates the shelves and the uncountable books. Then he rests his hands on his hips. “Also… I don’t collaborate with other random thieves.”
"But if there's no egg, there's nothing to steal. Don't you think? Time isn’t in our favor, either. And my team has bought us some. We can discuss the ownership of the egg later. It’s obvious that you have more information,” Bokuto counters as Akaashi closes his eyes to think clearly.
Based on his own experience, this entire situation isn’t a good idea. Definitely, it is not at all a good idea to trust other thieves. On the other hand, Bokuto is right. There is no time.
Akaashi looks at the time on his watch realizing that he cannot waste another minute. At least this way they have a better chance of finding it.
“Well, an informant gave us some clues. But I don't know if they are reliable. It seems that the servant who hid it had knowledge of the escape tunnel, so it must be close to here.”
Akaashi goes to the shelves close to the entrance of the tunnel to inspect the books thoroughly. Bokuto watches him closely, not knowing exactly what Akaashi is doing—his gaze lingering longer than it should on the fine lines of his body.
"Can you take a look on the other side of the chimney?"
"Sure." Bokuto picks up his backpack and goes to the other side.
"The person wouldn't want to waste too much time looking for it, he had his minutes counted."
"Like us."
"Exactly."
"Then he must be either here or on your side, rather on the low shelves than the high ones and—" Bokuto pulls out the book closest to the fireplace, finding a box. He opens it carefully so that it does not emit any squeaking sounds, exposing the wanted Fabergé egg.
Bokuto quickly puts the egg in his backpack and takes out the spare fake.
"Hey, Akaashi. I already have a prize in the backpack, I think you should have this one." Bokuto unceremoniously throws the fake egg to Akaashi who catches it awkwardly.
"It was nice to see you again. I wish it had been under different circumstances though.”
He was going to give him just the fake egg and run away, but he shudders at the realization that the probabilities of meeting him again are next to zero, so he decides to make the last moment memorable.
“You know?" Bokuto says as he bends down with a mischievous glint in his eyes, leaning forward. Akaashi follows his movements with his eyes until Bokuto plants a kiss on his lips.
Bokuto intended to press a fleeting kiss, but he quickly got carried away by the soft feel of Akaashi’s lips on his. He increases the rhythm of the kiss. Akaashi’s reflexes betray him, closing his eyes shut and grabbing Bokuto’s nape, holding him closer.
This is the second time Bokuto makes him let his guard down. It has been a while since Akaashi has felt his heart flutter for someone. Instead of coming back to the harsh reality, he lets himself get lost in the moment, deepening the kiss, making Bokuto hum in his mouth delightfully. Bokuto cups his cheeks and presses him on the shelf, chewing his bottom-lip, while Akaashi catches his breath before entangling their tongues again.
Bokuto would taste his mouth for hours and wander in every corner of his body for his entire life if he had a chance. But the time is up and Bokuto has to cut the kiss, leaving Akaashi with half of the mouth opened and a blush spreading all over his face, with the fake piece in his hands.
"Maybe a date? Next time?" Bokuto suggests while staring at his swollen lips, eager to taste them again.
Akaashi blinks several times, unable to speak because of the unexpected kiss and his shortness of breath.
“I hope we meet soon.” Bokuto winks at him. “Hopefully in a safer environment.” With those last words, Bokuto crouches down and escapes through the tunnel.
He is out of breath when he arrives at the end of the tunnel.
"Kuroo, I got it," Bokuto whispers.
"Excellent," Kuroo says, unexpectedly, in French.
Bokuto exits through the fake tile and runs as fast as he can. "I have to say, I owe half the job to another thief.”
"I've been listening to all the cheesy stuff, so yeah. I'm well informed.” Kuroo clicks his tongue. “I admit that at one point I stopped listening because I couldn't take it anymore. Is he cute, though?” Kuroo asks under Kenma's judgmental gaze, before he shrugs his shoulders. “That’s also an important detail.” That comment makes Kenma roll his eyes.
Bokuto turns into an alley to head towards the apartment, smiling.
“He’s gorgeous, Kuroo.”
“But… Bokuto,’’ he frowns, “how long do you think it’ll take for him to notice?" Kuroo points out while tapping a pencil on the desk, nervously.
Bokuto’s smile vanishes at the question.
“Soon, I’m afraid," Bokuto says with bated breath. “Besides being gorgeous he is also intelligent.” His voice sounds proud, as he turns another corner at high speed, looking back to check that no one is following him, leaving a trace of footprints.
“Shit, he’s going to catch me soon.”
Understandably, he is worried about the Russian police but he is even more worried about Akaashi. As far as he has seen, his skills are very polished and consistent. Bokuto doesn’t want to confront him.
After a moment, Bokuto realizes he was right to worry about Akaashi.
Everything happens very fast. One moment Bokuto is looking back as he turns the corner, the next he feels great pain expanding in his chest and crashes to the ground. When he opens his eyes, above him is Akaashi, who has appeared jumping from one of the alleys towards him, with a facial expression not as kind as last time. In fact, his eyebrows are furrowed and his jade eyes resemble fire, burning with fury.
"Give it to me or I'll take it myself," Akaashi orders, outraged, while pointing a dagger at his neck again.
"No." Bokuto cannot help but smile, taunting, at the challenge.
"Don't test your luck," Akaashi advises him, frowning. He pulls out another dagger from a pocket and stabs it into Bokuto's sleeve to stop his movements.
"Bokuto, do what you have to do but don't go towards—” Kuroo says, and Bokuto interrupts him by telling him the exact location, which makes Kuroo kick the table.
“I’m definitely jinxed.” Kuroo sighs. Kenma rises from his seat and strokes his hand in reassurance, his other hand on his back while biting his thumb.
"Understood. I'll talk to you in 10 minutes. Goodbye." Bokuto cuts the connection because he needs all his concentration to face Akaashi.
“Don’t think so highly of yourself,” Akaashi bickers back with a bitter laugh.
With his free hand, Akaashi removes the hair from Bokuto's forehead that had hidden his bright eyes. Even though Akaashi is really furious because Bokuto has kissed him simply to get his way, he can’t help but to slide one finger along the contour of his face, traveling down to his neck and then to his chest, briefly wishing that Bokuto kept a place in his heart for him. However, that kiss really hurt Akaashi, throwing him back memories that it took him years to erase.
"Besides being a thief, you are a great liar,” Akaashi says with anger. Next, Akaashi brings his face close to Bokuto's. "Where is it?”
Before he can control his movements, Bokuto casts a fleeting glance at the backpack next to him. The quick look is a solid hint for Akaashi, who reaches out to grab it when Bokuto pushes him away with a kick. Akaashi manages to react fast and cuts Bokuto's cheek. Bokuto tugs his hand, tearing his sleeve. After grabbing Akaashi’s dagger, Bokuto takes the backpack and wipes the wound with his hand, exposing a clean cut.
"The kiss was sincere," Bokuto admits in a serious tone, frowning. Meanwhile, he wields the dagger and brings his right leg backward, crouching slightly.
“I'm not going to fall into your trap again, tough guy.” Akaashi is also preparing his posture, ready to fight. “ It's in the backpack, huh.”
"I neither assure nor disprove it."
"Say goodbye to it. It's mine now.”
“Bring it on.”
Akaashi runs towards him and throws a kick aimed at the hand holding the dagger but Bokuto deftly dodges it, moving backward.
"Not bad."
"Akaashi, what's wrong?" asks Yachi with a very shaky voice from the earpiece. "Kiyoko says the police are at the museum."
"I'm sorting it out. I'll call you later." Akaashi throws a dagger towards Bokuto's shoulder, who dodges it but the dagger rips his jacket.
He takes another dagger from one of his jacket’s compartments and attacks Bokuto, pointing to one of the backpack's sashes. Bokuto reads his movements and counters them with his dagger, producing a screeching sound.
"You'll have to go through me.”
Then Akaashi takes a step back to plan his next attack, looking at him from the top to the bottom, smirking.
"My pleasure.” Akaashi’s comment makes Bokuto’s smile widen.
"I'd really like to keep playing with you in other circumstances but I don’t have time." He spares a quick glance at his watch. Bokuto takes several steps backward which alarms Akaashi before he suddenly runs towards him.
Akaashi braces himself for the impact but it never happens because Bokuto is jumping over the wall.
"No way." Akaashi chases after Bokuto, following the same route. However, he keeps running on the edge of the wall until he has the perfect angle to jump on Bokuto. Despite the dangerous height, Akaashi goes for him.
"Here we go."
Bokuto turns his face to see if he is being followed by Akaashi from behind, though he hears a noise from above. He looks up and sees Akaashi lunging towards him in the air. Bokuto has not enough time to react, his intuition orders to catch him and stop him from falling on the floor.
What am I doing? Bokuto scolds himself in his thoughts, clenching his teeth. What is he doing? Akaashi, Yachi, and Kuroo think at the same time.
Akaashi also didn’t expect that Bokuto was going to turn around to catch him, but he didn't refrain from that embrace. Clumsily, Bokuto catches him, but he loses his balance since the pavement became very slippery due to the snow. As a result, they end up tumbling and rolling through the snow until they appear on another street, where several intense lights illuminate them, almost blinding their vision.
Bokuto is on top of Akaashi, who is lying on the ground massaging his head with one hand.
“Are you okay, Kaashi?” Bokuto asks, worried, caressing his cheek.
"Bad decisions were made,” Akaashi mumbles, referring to the whole situation. Then he turns his head, but the light is too strong. He can only see that Bokuto is on top of him with a big frown.
"Shit," Bokuto curses. "We are in front of the bank... theoretically robbed." Bokuto takes Akaashi’s hand and tugs it as he stands up. In the background, the shouts of the police are more audible. “Are you ready to run?”
"I guess."
Bokuto quickly pulls him along, just in time to dodge the gunfire.
"Kashi, any idea which way to go?" Bokuto manages to say between gasps.
"Right!" Akaashi pulls Bokuto to the right side. "We have to go over the bridge."
Without wasting any minute, they run with all their energy. The only direction in which they can escape is towards the bridge, as police sirens can be heard on both sides of the street.
Then, out of nowhere the bridge begins to rise.
Akaashi freezes right there. The only exit they had turned into a trap in front of their eyes.
"It's impossible, due to the cold temperatures and snow I thought the shipping traffic had been suspended in this area,” Akaashi remarks, as Bokuto tugs him and makes him keep running.
"Someone hasn't done their homework," Bokuto whispers, almost running out of breath.
The police are getting closer and Akaashi's nerves have blocked his reasoning.
"We're going to get caught," Akaashi hisses, non-stop running.
"Don't worry, I've got it all figured out." Bokuto winks at him, as he rummages through his backpack. Following him, he approaches Akaashi and wraps his arms around his waist. Akaashi looks at him with a confused expression, but he is not going to complain.
"Hold on tight," Bokuto warns, as Akaashi wraps his arms around his neck.
The bridge opens and the police start shooting. The time is up.
"I don't think this is very safe," Akaashi points out in the crook of Bokuto’s neck.
"Russian police are not a better option," Bokuto replies.
"Touché."
Bokuto shoots a rope that attaches to one of the bridge irons and they jump out of the bridge, disappearing from the vision of the police to the other side.
Akaashi clings tightly to him, closing his eyes and hiding his face in his skin. He runs his hands through Bokuto’s waist, until he touches the backpack, and decides to take advantage to reach into his precious backpack. They fly over the Moika river, but the trip ends with a loud and painful fall on the cold ground. After a moment, they stand up, running away until they are far from the police. Then, they both crouch down to catch their breath.
Akaashi looks up and identifies the place where they are now.
He glares at Bokuto, who has lost his cap while jumping across the bridge, snow settles on his ungelled hair.
"We are at the Potseluev most," Akaashi points out with a shaky voice.
“The what?” Bokuto shouts between gasps, turning his face to look at him.
“The kissing bridge,” Akaashi clarifies with a mischievous smile, chewing his bottom lip.
That captures the whole attention of Bokuto.
Neither of them makes the attempt to fight again since they are too exhausted and they are still being pursued by the police. It is a matter of time before they find them again. Akaashi is the first one to make a move.
Akaashi grabs the hem of Bokuto’s shirt to smash their bodies together. Immediately, he runs his right hand from Bokuto’s nape to his shoulders, feeling every muscle until he grips Bokuto by his waist. At first, Akaashi watches with a dangerous look, at Bokuto’s pink lips and how his Adam’s apple moves slowly, swallowing hard. Then Akaashi casts a glance directly at his eyes that are glimmering with fervor.
"Maybe it's because of the adrenaline of the moment… I don’t know. But at least if you're going to kiss me, do it properly."
With these words, Akaashi ends the distance between them with a searing kiss. Their hands travel along with their bodies, drinking in the moment that could possibly be the last between the two of them. Both of them urge to increase the pace of the kiss, brushing their teeth messily, getting addicted to each other. The kiss turns into several sloppy kisses until police sirens wail in the distance, signaling that it is time to leave.
"It's been a pleasure." Akaashi purrs as he walks away from Bokuto, who is paralyzed on the bridge with parted lips. It takes several seconds to come back to reality.
"Likewise."
"As said… I hope we meet again and enjoy your reward."
With these words, Akaashi disappears into the streets of Saint Petersburg, with a sense of emptiness simmering in his heart.
Still there, Bokuto comes to his senses, catching his breath. Finally, his muscles obey him and he heads towards his apartment, wondering how their lives could be so different if they would have met in a bar or at the park. Bokuto imagines asking him which are his favorite shows, if he likes mint chocolate or if he likes him. He also wonders how can meet him again, however, he shakes his head to discard these thoughts, useless, so as not to give himself hope of seeing him again.
Halfway, he remembers why he came to Saint Petersburg and takes his backpack to check the loot that he has left unattended during the whole chase.
"I hope they didn't break. Kuroo and Kenma will kill me.” He sighs.
To his surprise, he finds two identical eggs: the one he had stolen from the museum and the copy that... he had given to Akaashi, during the kiss in the museum before running away with it. At that moment he realizes that Akaashi tricked him a few minutes ago.
"Arrg, you… during the kiss... Well played, Akaashi."
❅❅❅
The TV dimly lights up the room with 24-hour Russian news, showing the footage of a bank robbery and a reporter freezing to death as she asks people passing by.
Meanwhile, Yachi is sitting cross-legged on the sofa, nervously checking her cell phone every second, waiting for a message from Akaashi. During the robbery, she managed to communicate with him almost all the time, even when Bokuto, the one who at first was thought to be a policeman, then turned out to be a thief, which didn’t improve the situation, appeared.
At that moment Yachi had several heart attacks in a row, the first one came in hand with the question: How was Akaashi discovered by the police?; followed by an intrigued one Why does Akaashi know the name of that policeman? Then, she relaxed because he was not a cop, but a thief. And the one that almost gave her the final blow: Wait , is he flirting?
Yachi was sitting by her desk, with her back crunched, before she turned with teary eyes to Kiyoko, who was checking the security system. Because of Yachi’s worried look, she puts on the headphones to monitor the robbery.
"What's going on?” Kiyoko asked in a hurry.
"I think Akaashi is… flirting."
Both listened to the conversation very attentively, partly due to the large-scale robbery, and partly due to Akaashi's love life that he doesn’t usually share with them.
They were both sitting very close to the radio transmitter.
“Now… I understand why people in the last century were so into radio soap operas... This is very catchy,” remarked Yachi, combining her emotions: fear because of the uncertainty, since nothing was going according to the plan; curiosity about the said Bokuto, she wanted to know what kind of person he was for Akaashi to flirt with him so obviously.
They both got startled and jumped up when they heard the sound of a kiss.
"Kiyoko!" Yachi grabbed Kiyoko by the sleeve and pulled it nervously. Kiyoko let out a light laugh.
Nevertheless, both of their smiles were wiped off their faces when Akaashi started to curse.
"He tricked me. He tricked me. This is happening again," Akaashi repeated with a furious voice, wanting to deny the reality. "I'm going after him, I need to be very focused right now. I'll be outside of the channel."
Those were Akaashi's last words until he told them he had the egg. During the chase with the police, Kiyoko was busy turning off the security cameras so they couldn't see Akaashi's face, while Yachi was trying to depict the sounds and dialogues in a scene in his head. When they both jumped over the bridge and gave the police the slip, Yachi and Kiyoko exhaled the breath they had been holding for a while. Yachi put down her headphones and rested her head on top of the keyboard, typing the best representation of her mood: zz..a--zcxczbkzzzz-ztiutjkkxsa,z.z..zz.a.hfhdja....
When she put them back on, she got to briefly hear the sound of a smooch.
"Kiyoko! I think they're kissing again!"
Quickly Kiyoko went next to her side, to not miss anything she grabbed Yachi’s right headphones. Sharing them, they try to extract juicy gossip material.
"Got it," was the last thing they both heard before Akaashi cut the connection. Since then, they haven’t heard from him for 10 hours. In a last attempt to hear something from Akaashi they turned on the Russian TV.
Kiyoko joins her on the sofa, puts her arm around her shoulder. Yachi curls against her, closing her eyes, trying to relax. Suddenly, the door of the home creaks, signaling Akaashi’s arrival, who looks like he is going to pass out.
He alarms Yachi and Kiyoko even more.
Yachi jumps off the couch, shouting his name.
“Akaashi!” She runs to hug him, throwing herself at him in the doorway.
Akaashi also hugs her and taps her on the back, whispering, "I'm sorry I didn't say anything."
Akaashi didn’t call them because he needed to assimilate all the events of that night, but now that he hears Yachi sobbing in his chest, it seems like it wasn’t a good idea.
Yachi looks up.
"Akaashi, are you okay? We're really worried." Akaashi rubs Yachi's hair to reassure her.
"It's been hard." Akaashi lets out a big sigh. As he pulls out the Fabergé egg from his inside jacket pocket, he hands it to Yachi, who takes it very carefully and puts it inside a box.
Kiyoko gets up from the couch and rubs his back to comfort him.
"Thank you. You've worked hard, Akaashi."
"I need to rest." Akaashi stretches, creaking different bones unknown to him.
Kiyoko wears a worried expression, not only because of Akaashi's tiredness.
As Akaashi is about to enter his room, Kiyoko asks him, “Was it only a kiss? Do you… perhaps have feelings for him?”
Akaashi, with half teary eyes, replies, “It wasn’t even a kiss… it was just a trick.”