Archive of Our Own

Keep a good light.

This essential rule was drilled into every lighthouse keeper.

Akaashi Keiji always found it short, but sweet. Of course it was meant to be taken at face value. 

Keep a good light so people know where to go.

He himself liked to think of it a little differently. 

Be the anchor for the people at sea and guide them home with your light.

As a bookworm, Akaashi loved the thought of being someone’s guiding light, though the books never meant it in the literal way. It was always a partner, shining brightly as the sun, who will make you want to return without fail, no matter where your path leads you. Just like how a sunflower will always seek out the sun.

As he has always been a reserved and quiet person, he knew from the start that he wouldn’t be the light he dreamt of, seeing how he didn’t fit the description of the vibrant and bright protagonist that everyone adored. Though he often indulged the thought of seeking the light —hoping to find someone as precious and important to him, he was aware that unfortunately, fantasy and reality were indeed two separate worlds.

Now at the age of 26, he no longer held onto such childish dreams, settling for knowing that his friends and family were just as irreplaceable as the fantasy partner his young mind conjured.

But maybe, just maybe, a small part of him still clung to the light it desperately wanted.

Maybe that’s why he became a lighthouse keeper despite several people expressing their concern.

Though he couldn’t become the metaphorical light his childhood self dreamt of, he was now responsible for lighting the way for all the lost souls at sea.

And that was enough for him.

Common Lighthouse Keeper Duties and Tasks

• Clean and polish the Fresnel lens.

Akaashi hummed a low tune as he went through the same procedure that he already knew by heart.

Combine two parts distilled water to one part isopropyl alcohol in a bucket. Add only one drop of original, non-concentrated Woolite per quart of the former mixture.

“Good morning Akaashi-san!” A cheerful voice greeted him.

“Good morning to you too,” he turned around to face Hinata Shouyou, a resident of the lighthouse.

“You’re cleaning the Fresnel lens again? I vaguely remember seeing that it was already cleaned?” Hinata tilted his head curiously. 

“I guess someone sprayed the cleaning solution directly on the glass,” Akaashi pointed at the dried up water stains, teasingly giving Hinata an imploring look. 

“It wasn’t me this time!” Hinata vehemently shook his head. “I did that once and got scolded by Kenma, I would never make the same mistake again.”

“Kenma actually had the heart to scold you?” He raised an eyebrow in surprise. Kozume Kenma was his assistant keeper. But more importantly, he was Hinata’s boyfriend. 

“Of course he did,” Hinata spluttered. “Perhaps, just not as blunt as usual…” An adoring smile bloomed on his face at the mention of his boyfriend. Akaashi observed the expression, a small smile tugging on his face. 

It must be nice, having a partner that follows you wherever you go.

Originally, only Kenma was supposed to come, but Hinata insisted on making use of the rule that family was allowed to come along and moved to this offshore lighthouse to stay with his boyfriend. 

Akaashi vividly remembers how he initially thought Hinata was to be his assistant keeper, judging by how the orange-head was the one to approach him with Kenma in tow.

When he asked why he decided to come along, Hinata just gave him a radiant smile, responding that he wanted to be part of the experience. Later, Kenma would fondly tell him the real reason — that Hinata was worried that Kenma would get too lonely, afraid that his introverted nature would isolate him.

Akaashi chuckled at the memory as he turned his attention back to the bucket, dipping the cloth into the cleaning solution. 

“We just need to do some extra cleaning, I don’t really mind.” He started gently wiping the dampened cloth from side to side.

“Should I help you with this?” Hinata grabbed the dry cloth he had prepared. 

“Gladly,” Akaashi replied gratefully as Hinata joined his side to wipe the glass dry.  

“Did Kenma have a quiet watch last night?”  

“I woke up to Kenma coming back, cursing the wind to hell.”

Akaashi could vividly imagine Kenma as he trudged back into the room, face adorned with a scowl and mumbling curses under his breath.

“That’s certainly annoying,” he mused, earning a chuckle from Hinata. 

“Kenma just dislikes the night shift because it also takes away all of the midday”, Hinata waved off. “He’s just waiting for Sunday to roll around.” 

• A keeper has to tend to the light at all times

Due to this rule, the three lighthouse keepers kept four-hour watches in turn. To avoid someone being on the same watch indefinitely, the watches were changed every Sunday.

“But that means that it will be his turn to make breakfast for everyone, is he really more excited about that?”

“As long as we don’t get bread for a whole week again I’m fine.” A bored voice said behind them. Tsukishima Kei, the other assistant lightkeeper, knocked at the frame of the door as he entered.

“You do realise the point of knocking is to make your presence known and to come in only after we gave you permission?” Hinata made a face at the tall blond. “And Kenma’s bread is good, be grateful, Grumpyshima.”

Tsukishima only shrugged as he held up their log book. “Came to tell you the culprit who gave you extra work before my watch.”

• Maintain a lighthouse log book and record all daily light station activities.

Akaashi put the rag away and dried his hand before he took the log book offered to him.

The first page about yesterday’s events started with the usual mix of his and Tsukishima’s handwriting about equipment checks, house chores, and Kenma’s notes of his previous watch.

Under those he found some words scrawled in much bigger and bolder letters

I did the Fresnel Lens cleaning completely according to the instructions! Will go make breakfast now 

🦉

Akaashi couldn’t help but smile, fondly tracing his finger over the small doodle of the little owl underneath the sentence.

“He meant well,” Akaashi closed the book, handing it back to Tsukishima.

“He should know that he isn’t helping very much like this,” Tsukishima snorted. “Should just focus on not getting in our way and actually prepare to go home.”

“You’re too harsh Tsukishima!” Hinata chided. “Bokuto-san just wanted to lend a helping hand. And it’s not that bad.” 

“You would know all about that, huh?” Tsukishima smirked at the gingerhead tauntingly. Hinata clicked his tongue, annoyance evident on his face, as he took a step forward towards the tall blond.

Akaashi sighed. Time to step in.

“You should get your coffee before you talk to people, Tsukishima. I’ll go to look for Bokuto-san, can you please continue cleaning, Hinata?” he asked, handing the cloth to the latter who sulkily accepted it. Upon hearing Tsukishima grumble, his way of offering a small apology, Akaashi knew he could leave those two be.

“I hope you didn’t give him too much of a scolding, you know his mood can drop rapidly.”

“I just told him that he made us do extra work and how our equipment is much more sensitive than his windows back home, that’s all.” Tsukishima shrugged nonchalantly.

“Go see for yourself.”

Akaashi leisurely made his way to the kitchen, making sure he passed Kenma’s room as quietly as possible.

As expected, he found Bokuto Koutaro there, dejectedly stirring the pot over the stove.

Seems like Tsukishima’s scolding got to his head. Akaashi observed before knocking against the doorframe to gain the other’s attention.

“Bokuto-san?”

He was met with no reply, but Bokuto did tilt his head to face him.

“May I join you?” Bokuto gave a slight nod before he turned towards the pot again, continuing his task of stirring aimlessly.

Akaashi stepped beside him to peek over his shoulder.

Bokuto seemed to be making soup.

He thought he caught a glance of potatoes and judging from the slightly teary eyes Bokuto seemed to have, he hoped that those came from chopping onions and were not due to Tsukishima’s scolding.

“Akaashi,” Bokuto stepped aside to give the other more space, his voice slightly higher than usual. A sign that he’s feeling guilty or unsure, a habit Akaashi has noticed in the duration he has known him.

“You’re here to scold me like Tsukki, aren’t you.” Bokuto shifted his eyes, avoiding looking at him directly. “I really just wanted to help, I’ve been around for months now and couldn’t do much and the instruction was on the wall so I figured I could at least do this to help you guys but I —”

“Bokuto-san.” Akaashi tentatively interrupted him before the other spiraled too much into his guilt.

“You’re a guest here Bokuto-san, you’re not obligated to do anything.” 

“I am a troublesome guest who came uninvited and now you’re stuck with me forever,” Bokuto grumbled, turning his attention back to his soup and stirring it.

• Lend assistance to ships and sailors in distress as needed.

Bokuto Koutaro, age 27, was an energetic fisherman who suffered a shipwreck, and washed ashore to their lighthouse.

Fortunately, Bokuto got away with only a broken leg, a few scratch wounds, and being starved for days, nothing they couldn’t fix.

Since his arrival two months ago, they gave him their guest room and tended to his wounds to the best of their abilities. This task mainly fell onto Akaashi since Bokuto was quite the character.

His exuberant nature was similar to Hinata’s, only that it was coupled with the frustration of not being able to move as freely as he wanted, resulting in him trying to limp around the lighthouse and see where he could help, often chattering up to them. 

Hinata, who was not an official lightkeeper, gladly used his time to introduce the lighthouse to him and their various tasks, getting along with Bokuto like fish in water.

Kenma, being used to chatty people thanks to his boyfriend, didn’t mind Bokuto’s company and gladly delegated some minor tasks he knew the other could handle, much to Bokuto’s excitement.

Tsukishima on the other hand wasn’t as amused by Bokuto’s “overly friendly nature”, as he liked to call it. He was adamant for the man to recover as fast as possible, which involved him staying still, something that Bokuto had enough of, making Tsukishima resort to ignoring the fisherman as much as possible. Akaashi recalled him saying something along the lines of refusing to have an argument with patients, but this one was certainly testing his patience.

To Akaashi, Bokuto was a breath of fresh air.

During his two years as a lightkeeper, Bokuto obviously wasn’t the only unfortunate soul that had suffered a shipwreck and had to stay with them until the inspection ship which comes once in three months arrives.

Most people, even the ones that did not suffer any injuries, preferred to keep to themselves, dropping a word of thanks and maybe talking a bit to Hinata who was the easiest to approach. They would lament their unfortunate event and desperately wait for a ship to come by to get away from this lonely island.

At first, he thought Bokuto would react like this as well.

When he examined Bokuto and told him he had to rest a few days before he could eat normally again and even more for his leg to recover, the only thing the fisherman complained about was not being able to move.

He wanted to get to know them, know of all the fun spots on the island so he could visit them once his leg was fully healed, and actively wanted to help and repay them for their kindness. 

Even though Akaashi told him numerous times that it was their duty to help sailors in distress, Bokuto would have none of it, insisting that this was the least he could do, no matter if they were doing it out of duty or not.

The fleeting thought of Bokuto being the happy-go-lucky protagonist that everybody loved and was most definitely too kind for his own good crossed Akaashi's mind.

It’s certainly not fitting for such a vibrant person to be dejected like this, especially over something minor that was so easily fixed.

And Akaashi knew just the way to distract him.

“Technically we’re not stuck with you forever, you’re leaving tomorrow.”

Bokuto turned towards him, a look of utter betrayal on his face.

“Are you counting down the days for me to leave ‘Kaashi? I thought we were friends!” He exclaimed, looking at him owlishly. Akaashi couldn’t help but chuckle. Bokuto certainly was someone for dramatics.

“We keep a calendar to know whose turn it is to delegate the duty of playing tour guide for the inspectors,” Akaashi replied, calming the other down. “It’s not about you but the disdain we all have for playing guide. Except for Hinata I suppose.” Bokuto’s expression eased up, the former look of terror not to be seen. He truly was a simpleton who was easy to appease. Akaashi couldn’t say he minded.

“And isn’t that why you’re trying to help more? You’ve been doing an awful lot lately.” 

“You noticed?” Bokuto stepped closer towards him, eyes brimming with anticipation.

“Yes, I did notice that the windows got cleaned and that the walkways were weeded.”

It was always endearing to see Bokuto excited. His eyes tended to widen a fraction as the corner of his lips tugged into an insuppressible smile.

“You noticed it in a positive way, right? Right?” Bokuto bobbed his head from side to side, trying to contain his obvious excitement about his answer. Akaashi’s lips couldn’t help but quirk upwards at the charming fisherman before him.

“We all noticed, we usually only weed the walkways once every two months,” he mused. “Thank you for doing some troublesome work for us.”

Bokuto’s entire face lit up, basking in the words of appreciation. “No worries, you can count on me to do it! I mean you can’t since I’ll be leaving soon…” Bokuto put his chin on his fingers thoughtfully.

“But I’ll do what I can while I’m still here! Do you want to try the soup?” Bokuto reached for the drawer to get a wooden spoon before scooping soup into it, blowing on it gently to cool it down.

“I tried real hard with this one, it should taste good! That’s how my mother always cooks it, I just know you’ll love it, it’s the best soup recipe ever!” 

Bokuto blew on it one last time for good measure before carefully handing it to Akaashi who gratefully took a sip from it.

The rich flavour of onions immediately filled his mouth, paired with a strong note of pepper, he probably added too much of it. But Akaashi had to admit that it was fitting to his taste nonetheless.

“It’s delicious,” he told the fisherman who was staring at him, waiting for his critic.

“YES! YOU LIKE IT!” Bokuto pumped his fist in the air in excitement.

“I had the perfect plan for today, you know? Clean the Fresnel Lens which Hinata hates to do, make breakfast that Kenma will like, help with whatever watch you have, and don’t make much trouble for Tsukki.” Bokuto folded his finger one by one as he counted down his plan. “Though I kinda already failed half of the tasks…” Bokuto said in a small voice, his bottom lip jutting out in disappointment. 

“Well, I cleaned most parts of the lens, so Hinata didn’t need to do the annoying part and no,” he cut Bokuto off, who just opened his mouth to protest, just to obediently close it at his pointed look. “I really don’t mind doing it, cleaning is very soothing to me. So that task should count as a success.”

He put down a finger, imitating Bokuto’s demeanor. 

“The breakfast is soup. It can be properly portioned, which Kenma loves, so he’ll definitely be grateful for it. Not to mention that it really tastes good.” 

He folded another finger.

“And regarding the trouble you cause Tsukishima, you already weeded the walkways which would’ve been his task this month. Since he absolutely loathes doing it I would say he really appreciates you getting that off his shoulders.”

“He really hates it?” Bokuto asked curiously. 

“Yeah, apparently it’s not good for his back to crouch down the whole day since he’s so tall.” Granted, Tsukishima used that argument to irk Hinata, but Bokuto didn’t need to know that.

“Wow, lucky me to hit the jackpot with that!” 

“You certainly did, so you got all the points covered.” He pointed the remaining finger towards himself. “We can go on my watch together later and your whole plan will be a resounding success.” Akaashi looked outside the window. “Though judging from the weather it will just be another fog watch. You said you found them boring before, right?”

“I don’t mind, it will be fun together!” The fisherman exclaimed as he put both his hands on Akaashi’s shoulder.

“I want to spend as much time with you as possible before I leave. I know that it won’t get boring!” 

“If you’re too bored feel free to do something else,” Akaashi reminded him as he caught Bokuto stifling his sixth yawn within the hour. 

“Who says I’m bored?” He reflexively clamped his hand down on his mouth to deny the claim, making Akaashi raise an eyebrow at him. Unable to withstand his imploring gaze, Bokuto looked away, a small pout on his face.

“Okay, maybe this is a bit boring,” he relented. “How do you even do this job Akaashi? Doesn’t it get extremely mundane?” He gestured towards the large diesel engine to stress his point.

“Is it really necessary to stay here the whole time?”

“The diaphone only operates when the compressor engines are running, so we need to ensure there won’t be any disturbances and lubricate it if necessary.” Akaashi calmly explained. 

“Yeah, but that’s so…monotonous,” Bokuto leaned against the wall as he let out a sigh.

“Sometimes monotonous things are necessary. If no one does it then more people will get lost at sea.” Akaashi pointed out, making Bokuto brood over it before he nodded in agreement.

“You’re right, if you weren’t there I probably would have died. Bokuto the fisherman who tragically died at sea at the tender age of 27.” He imitated the voice of a narrator before his look turned more somber.

“But doesn’t it get lonely sometimes as well?” He pushed himself off the wall to move in front of Akaashi again, looking at him concernedly.

“Of course I’m grateful that you’re here and that I was fortunate enough to meet you, but you’re so…isolated from everyone else. You only meet other people every three months or if there was an accident like with me. I don’t know, it sounds so lonely to me.” Bokuto spoke in a small voice, much different from his usual boisterous vibrant timbre. As if he was afraid that if he spoke too carelessly, he would accidentally hurt him.

Warmth filled Akaashi’s heart at the thoughtfulness of the other before he gave him a reassuring smile.

“You know, people have asked me this question a lot.”

Many people expressed their concern to him when he decided to take up the job. The words most often used in one way or another were boring, mundane, and isolated.

He was more than prepared to give the answer he’s repeated countless times.

“I’m not alone, you’ve met Hinata, Kenma, and Tsukishima.”

“Yeah, but not being alone does not equal not feeling lonely.” Bokuto insisted, voice sounding firmer than before. “Don’t get me wrong, I think the other three are great, but is that really enough for you ‘Kaashi? Don’t you want more?”

“Elaborate what you define as more?” Akaashi mused as Bokuto seemed to struggle to find words, his face scrunching up more in concentration with every passing second.

“I mean don’t you want something like Kenma and Hinata have? I gathered that you’re someone who likes peace and quiet, but I also saw the wistful looks you’ve thrown their way.”

Akaashi paused at that, letting the question sink in.

An old wish resurfaced. The wish of becoming so important to someone that they will always seek you out, like the sunflower seeking the sun.

Bokuto’s observation was correct.

Hinata and Kenma embodied what he wished to have. 

Kenma was the figurative light to Hinata that he was willing to follow everywhere, even if it led him to an offshore lighthouse, far removed from the bustling villages that he surely preferred.

“You sure have great observation skills Bokuto-san,” he said in wonder.

Akaashi prides himself on being level-headed and composed, so he never thought his feelings would be outwardly apparent, much less that someone, who was rather an airhead, like Bokuto would notice.

“I notice when it comes to you…” Bokuto mumbled as he sank against the wall for support, his cheeks reddening in the prettiest shade Akaashi has seen.

“I feel honoured then.” Akaashi went to his side, imitating his stance as he stared at the engine.

“For me, life is like this machine.”

“Wait, I didn’t mean that you’re a machine Akaashi, don’t misunderstand!” Bokuto exclaimed in worry.

“I’m the one drawing the comparison, Bokuto-san, I did not misunderstand you,” Akaashi reassured before he continued.

“I’m staying at a place, sheltered and without a care in the world. You probably figured, but I’m not the adventurous type like you, I prefer having a routine that I can always fall back to.” He tilted his head towards the machine.

“Sometimes, people come around to get me going, but these people come and go constantly. And this is enough for me.” He leaned his head back, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.

“I can stay here, help people in need while having all the time I want to read and reflect upon my life. It’s fulfilling enough for me.”

Bokuto continued to stare at him, prompting him to continue which he gladly did.

“And as you correctly observed, I do envy Kenma and Hinata for what they have, but some people are just not meant for that kind of life.” He chuckled. “In a book I’d probably be the steady best friend who is always supportive. And it also fits my job, don’t you think? I’m the principal lightkeeper, overseeing everything and making sure that no one will get lost at sea. Sounds pretty fulfilling, doesn’t it?”

He turned towards the fisherman, gauging his expression. He was confident that he packaged his little speech well enough to disperse any worries the other had.

Contrary to his expectation, Bokuto stayed silent, not saying anything.

“Bokuto-san?” Akaashi nudged him with his elbow, trying to get a reaction out of the other.

Bokuto stroked his chin thoughtfully, seemingly trying to come up with a response.

“Hmm…but if we’re in a book, then you wouldn’t be an extra.” He finally decided to say, nodding as if to confirm his own statement. “You saved me, remember? That would make you the hero, wouldn’t it? And me the damsel in distress!”

Akaashi felt his cheeks reddening at the statement. 

He wasn’t used to being on the receiving end of words of encouragement, so Akaashi reflexively wanted to distract the fisherman. 

“You’re not a damsel though, more like a buff lad.” He deflected, wanting Bokuto to let go of the topic lest he became even more awkward. Thankfully, Bokuto took the bait.

“Huh, you’re right.” Bokuto agreed readily.

“But anyway! My point stands! You wouldn’t be in a supportive role, but the protagonist one! And that’s why you should also aim for more, don’t be satisfied with being the side character in someone else’s story!” Bokuto huffed as he put both his hands on Akaashi’s shoulder, giving them an encouraging squeeze.

“You deserve the world Akaashi. I tell you what, you should sail out with me! See more of the world before you decide on what to do in life.”

Bokuto’s earnestness made Akaashi feel warm, his emotions brimming with fondness for the fisherman. Though Bokuto was mostly clumsy with his words, he somehow knew what he needed to hear.

But he won’t stay long. 

He’ll be gone after tomorrow. Akaashi didn’t want to admit it, but the thought of Bokuto leaving made him feel strangely empty. He has brightened up their life at the lighthouse significantly and Akaashi knew he would sourly miss the man's presence as soon as their time together ended.

But seeing the hopeful look in Bokuto’s eyes as he made the proposition of sailing out together, he couldn’t help but wonder if the other wasn’t ready to let their time together end just yet.

“You’re just going back to your village to fish, I don’t think this would count as seeing much more of the world.” He couldn’t help but tease the other. 

“But it’s somewhere you haven’t been before so that counts as more of the world!” Bokuto insisted.

I’ll just give him this round. 

Akaashi conceded mentally, turning back towards the machine again.

“It’s time for the next fog signal, we need to get to work.” He gestured towards Bokuto who immediately bounced forward to the machine, happy that he could finally do something again.

Watching Bokuto enthusiastically, but carefully, trying to operate the machine under his guidance, Akaashi couldn’t help but selfishly hope that the day would last longer than usual.

Sadly, time does not stop for anyone.

After an uneventful fog watch, Bokuto went off in search of Kenma, wondering if he already had a taste of his “super delicious secret recipe soup.”

Of course he knew Bokuto’s time here was almost gone, so he wanted to spend as much time with everyone as he could, but Akaashi couldn’t help but feel the sense of loneliness wash over him. Soon, there would be no clumsy mistakes from a good-hearted man that he could go after to fix, no exuberant cheers when he did something correct..

How nice would it be if he just — stayed?

Stop thinking like that.

Akaashi reprimanded himself immediately.

Bokuto had his own life and family to return to, he wasn’t meant to stay with them on this island. And it will just take him some time to adjust to his old routine again. There will certainly be much less to do once he doesn’t need to cover for Bokuto’s mistakes.

And so, just like clockwork, he went through his usual routine after a watch.

• Trim the wicks of the lamp so they don’t smoke when lit.
• Maintain all mechanical equipment at the light station.
• Clean the tower windows and the sills as needed.

“Are you alright, Akaashi?” Kenma’s voice from above made him pause mid action. His assistant keeper stood at the top of the stairs, catlike eyes looking at him imploringly.

He probably just finished his breakfast. The excited rambling about his wonderful soup echoed through his ears. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly at the memory before he turned to properly face his friend. “Good morning to you. Hope you had a proper rest?” Akaashi greeted the other as Kenma slowly trudged down the stairs to join him.

Kenma hummed, his way of agreeing to a statement. “Shoyou didn’t forget to leave the blinds closed this time.” He said while letting out a small yawn.

“Still can’t wait to not be responsible for the night shift anymore.” Kenma stifled another yawn with his hand and sat down at the stairwell closeby.

“Had a nice breakfast?” He asked casually, making Kenma sigh in exasperation. “The soup would have been much better if I could have eaten it in peace.” Kenma scowled a little bit. “But it’s his last day here, so I didn’t want to worsen his mood.”

Akaashi could vividly imagine Bokuto sitting next to Kenma as he tried to suppress his anticipation before he couldn’t help but ask Kenma repeatedly what he thought of the soup.

“But are you feeling okay?” The question snapped him out of his thoughts, eyes focusing on his friend again.

“Of course I am.” He replied, but the other tilted his head lightly before pointing a finger towards the window sill that he’s been cleaning. “You’ve cleaned that one for over 20 minutes now. Something must be bothering you if you haven’t moved on from a perfectly clean window yet.”

Akaashi stared at the window that was, as Kenma said, more than clean enough to move on. Had he really been that lost in thoughts?

“It’s about him leaving tomorrow, right?” Kenma rested his face on his hands, giving Akaashi a sympathetic look. He knew he was spot on.

Akaashi opted to turn away from him to look out of the window instead. The sun was almost setting, signaling that the day was almost over. 

Their time was almost over.

Kenma caught the shift in his mood immediately.

“You don’t need to worry about it, he’ll return.” He reassured him in a tentative voice. 

“Bokuto likes you, you know?”

“Does he?” The question slipped out of his mouth before he could think about it, making his ears redden a bit in embarrassment. What was he expecting Kenma to answer here anyway?

“He’s been trying to get your attention all the time and his voice gets exponentially louder once you’re in the room. I’m pretty sure he wants to impress you. I don’t know what you two have going on, but he’s certainly interested as well.”

“And what makes you think we like each other that way? Bokuto-san is naturally very sociable.” Akaashi asked curiously because he honestly didn’t know what Kenma was on about.

He will readily admit that he grew very fond of Bokuto over the past months, but those feelings could easily be platonic as well.

Granted, from an objective point of view, Bokuto was extremely attractive. His well trained body paired with the unique silver streaks in his hair that framed his handsome face made him quite an eye catcher. Not to mention the smile and overly optimistic timbre in his voice that could light up any room.

“You like him but you don’t want to act on it.” Kenma started to play with his thumb, deciding not to look at him directly. 

“You think you shouldn’t pursue something you’re not meant to have, since your time is limited. Isn’t that right?”

“You only got half of that right.” Akaashi turned away from the window to face the fellow lightkeeper.

“I admit that I think Bokuto-san is attractive. But liking him romantically?” Akaashi shook his head. “I can certainly answer that with a no. Two months is too short of a time to actually get to know someone and I know better than to consider a patient as a romantic interest.”

Akaashi paused a bit as he remembered the warmth in those golden eyes when they looked at him. Would he be able to withstand them for long if they were to spend more time together?

“But if he were to stay longer…if he just were to stay longer…” I just might change my mind.

He left those words unsaid, but they rang throughout the room loud enough for both of them.

“Don’t you think that the consideration of you changing your mind if he just stayed longer is proof enough that you like him as well?” Kenma voiced his thoughts.

“I know you’ve always longed for someone to be at your side, why not give Bokuto a chance? I for one think your personalities match really well.”

Akaashi didn’t respond, thinking over Kenma’s words.

Has he unconsciously smothered potential romantic feelings?

He tried to imagine himself being embraced by Bokuto, his strong arms circling around him.

Listening to Bokuto’s voice as he whispers earnest words to him like before.

Picturing the absolute glee on the other’s face as Akaashi told him that he liked him.

“Judging from your expressions I think you got it.” Kenma gave him a knowing smile before he got up, brushing the dust off his pants. “It’s about time for my watch to start, how about you try and have another talk with our favourite fisherman?”

Akaashi reciprocated the smile and gave him a nod.

“I’ll go search for him. Thank you Kenma.”

Kenma was right, it wouldn’t hurt to try to know where they both stood.

But first, he needed to clean the rest of the windows, his duty did come before his feelings after all.

Thankfully, it didn’t take very long to clean the rest since he came to the fast realisation that he only started cleaning because he wanted to distract himself, not because it was actually needed.

So he quickly went back to the storage room to put away the utensils before starting his search for the fisherman.

“Hey, Kaashi, hey!”

Apparently, he didn’t need to search for long since he got found instead.

“I was thinking about watching the sunset since the fog finally cleared, but Hinata is joining Kenma for his watch and Tsukki said I should just come search for you if I wanted to do something as disgustingly sweet as that.” Bokuto quoted the grumpy lightkeeper, a pout formed on his face as he gave him a pleading look.

“You’re finished with work today, right? Tsukki mentioned it was his turn to do whatever tasks were left for the day. Do you want to join me?” A little whine in his voice accompanied his pout, making him seem like a big puppy who was asking for just one favour. Thankfully, he didn’t want to reject the proposition anyway.

“Sure, I’ll accompany you.” Akaashi gestured towards the door. “Lead the way.”

“Yes!” Bokuto exclaimed as he skipped a few steps forward before noticing that he just leapt ahead.

“Come on ‘Kaashi, let’s hurry to the shore, I don’t want the fog to come back.”

Akaashi contemplated telling Bokuto that fog doesn’t just form out of nowhere and if it just cleared, it was very unlikely for it to suddenly appear again.

But instead, he quickened his pace to join Bokuto’s side.

“Let’s go!” Bokuto grabbed his wrist excitedly to pull him along, making Akaashi’s pulse stutter.

He didn’t expect to be pulled along, the touch of the strong secure grip Bokuto had over his wrist made him feel butterflies in his stomach.

Did his talk with Kenma make him more receptive to Bokuto’s touch? Akaashi wondered as he let himself be pulled by the fisherman before he came to a halt at the shore.

“Let’s take your boat out, it’s so much more…uh….majestic to watch it from out at the sea!” Bokuto pointed at the boat that was fastened to the ramp, looking at him expectantly.

“We can’t,” Akaashi replied immediately. “This boat is supposed to be used only for emergencies. I can’t risk it not being available when needed.”

As much as he hated disappointing Bokuto here, he could not and would not disregard his duties, no matter how unlikely it seemed that it was needed.

“Besides, look at the cirrus clouds,” he pointed towards the long wispy clouds at the horizon.

“The weather will probably change soon, going out now wouldn’t be the wisest choice.”

He attempted to console Bokuto, not wanting his last night here to be disappointing in any way.

“You can predict the weather by looking at the clouds?” Bokuto gawked at him, his mouth forming a surprised o-shape.

“You’re so clever Kaashi.”

What?

Akaashi felt a bit dumbfounded. Watching the clouds was one of the most basic ways to determine upcoming weather. Surely Bokuto knew these basics as a fisherman, right?

“Bokuto-san…you do check the weather conditions before you go fishing, right?” He asked slowly, dreading his answer.

To his horror, Bokuto just shrugged his shoulders.

“Not really. I mean I obviously won’t go out if it’s storming, but otherwise…”

Exasperation seeped into every pore of Akaashi. Did Bokuto, a fisherman, who depended on going out at sea to survive, really not know how to do something so basic?

“So I assume you also didn’t take note of the change in weather when you suffered your shipwreck?” He sarcastically guessed.

“Yeah, that one really surprised me! I never got in trouble before.” Bokuto laughed it off as if he was just telling another joke, instead of confessing his terrible obliviousness to something that was essential for his line of work.

“So,” Akaashi tried to form a sentence without sounding too offensive.

“You just go out to sea without checking anything?”

“Yeah! I just go with the feeling I get from the sea.” Bokuto said as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. “My feelings are very accurate.”

“You can’t just go out to sea according to your feelings, that is just reckless!” Akaashi couldn’t help but reprimand the fisherman. This was far too dangerous. He couldn’t believe that Bokuto managed to survive until now, just going off his feelings instead of checking the weather or the currents. It truly was a miracle that he only got into trouble once.

“But you know,” Bokuto turned towards the sea. “I can feel how the sea is doing. It’s like listening to your heartbeat. How do I say this…” His face scrunched up in concentration, thinking about how to explain his train of thoughts before a wide grin spread on his face. 

“There is a certain rhythm to the sea! Like when it’s angry, the waves become erratic while for a good day, it’s a calming, steady rhythm. As long as you can understand it, I think everything will be fine. I’ll be able to take whatever the sea throws at me.”

Bokuto spread out his arms, the wind gently rustling his hair. Like this, the loud and goofy fisherman looked serene, as if embracing the freedom the wind and the sea gave him.

“It’s just a small adventure that the sea gifted to me and you just have to…uh…sail the tide!”

“I believe the idiom you wanted to use is ride the tide. And you’ve ridden it to a shipwreck,” Akaashi quipped, making Bokuto’s face fall. “Akaashi, I was having a moment there,” he let out a whine, his shoulders drooping with his mood.

It looked so endearing that Akaashi couldn’t suppress a small chuckle, making Bokuto’s eyes light up once again. Bokuto closed the distance between them and took Akaashi’s hands gently into his. “But no matter what, I’m still standing by what I say. The shipwreck did end up bringing me to you, didn’t it?”

“Bokuto likes you, you know?” He remembered Kenma’s words as he stared at the hand engulfing his before he looked up again, wanting to see what kind of expression the other wore. The gaze the fisherman gave him was indescribably fond.

He has seen it before in Hinata’s eyes whenever Kenma did anything endearing.

His mother’s eyes when she jokingly teased his father.

Or their neighbour's puppy whenever he saw his owners.

The last image made him let out a small laugh, his body shaking from suppressing the laughter.

“What’s so funny about this?” Bokuto asked, genuinely confused by his reaction.

Akaashi took a deep breath before he trusted his voice to say anything.

“You’re right Bokuto-san, it brought you to me. But I would prefer that the next time the sea decides to let us meet it’s with less injuries.”

A beautiful red hued on Bokuto’s cheeks as he tightened his hold around his hands lightly.

“Do I have to wait for the sea to carry me to you again or can I listen to my heart?”

At this moment, Akaashi could barely register anything else but his own rapidly beating heart.

“So you would want to return?” He asked tentatively, allowing the hope in himself to light up a bit more.

“Of course I want to!” Bokuto nodded furiously.

“I told you I’ll sail with you together one day! And you still haven’t seen all of my cool sides yet!” He let go of his hands, grabbing his hair to make them stand up a bit. “I usually look really cool! When I style my hair upwards I look like a horned owl!”

“Is that why you love owls so much?” Akaashi mused, thinking back to the owl doodles Bokuto always did when he wrote something in their logbook.

“Yes! They are proud predators of the night and look so majestic when they fly and they even get rid of all the mice that ruin crops!” Bokuto trailed off a bit before he remembered his initial point.

“Anyway. I really like you Kaashi. I know that I’m clumsy and it’s strange to like someone so much after just two months, but I really want you in my life.” Every word he said was laced with such sincerity that Akaashi felt like his entire being was melting.

“I will leave tomorrow, but I promise I’ll come back as fast as possible! Would you mind giving me a chance then?”

Akaashi stared at the man standing in front of him. This vibrant and beautiful man was asking him to give him a chance. 

To give them a chance.

“I’m very boring though,” he couldn’t help but say, because what did Bokuto see in him anyways? With how sociable and easygoing Bokuto was, he for sure didn’t lack any suitors.

“Is this about you saying you’re just a supportive role?” Bokuto asked, putting one of his hands on Akaashi’s shoulder slowly, giving him time to dodge it if he wanted to.

“Akaashi, you’re the most incredible man I’ve ever met. You’re so knowledgeable and you always have a way to cheer someone up! Just talking to you feels so…easy. We haven’t known each other for long but I feel like I can talk to you about everything.” He gently guided Akaashi’s hand over his heart, letting him feel the strong rhythm it beat to. “I don’t know how to describe it but I just think…I want to belong to you.” 

The frantic beating of his heart quickened.

Akaashi had just come to terms with probably harbouring more than platonic feelings for the other, but to hear these words directly out of Bokuto’s mouth was something he didn’t expect at all.

As someone who has long conceded to not having someone solely belonging to him, Bokuto’s statement brought on a myriad of feelings to him.

The joy of being appreciated.

The nervous excitement of being wanted.

The absolute elation of being loved.

“No, no Kaashi, I didn’t want to make you cry.” Bokuto frantically extended his hand to carefully cup his face in his hands, gently wiping away something.

It was only then that he realised tears were trickling down his face.

Akaashi let out a genuine laugh of happiness, pulling Bokuto’s hands away by their wrists.

“These are happy tears Bokuto-san.”

He slipped his hands down until his fingers found Bokuto’s, intertwining their hands together, giving them a gentle squeeze.

“Do show me your cool sides.” He gave his answer, watching how Bokuto’s eyes widened at the realisation of what he just said.

“You’d give us a chance?”

Akaashi met the hopeful look with a reassuring smile. “I’d be more than willing to give us a try Bokuto-san, but who knows,” he jokingly bumped Bokuto with his free hand. “Perhaps you’ll change your mind once you leave the island.”

“I would never!” Bokuto caught his hand, answering in a serious tone as if afraid that Akaashi really thought that. “I’ll come back! I will memorise the way so I can come back to you faster. I will not wait for three months to see you again, I wouldn’t be able to take it.”

Akaashi was met with the overwhelming urge to hug this wonderful man in front of him.

The love he felt in every word the other relayed sounded like the most beautiful melody in his ears, every inflection seemingly serenading to him.

The least he could do was to respond in kind.

Akaashi gave in to his wants and pulled Bokuto into a hug, making the other let out a small surprised squeak before enthusiastically hugging him close to his chest, putting one hand on his hand, gently running his fingers through his hair.

The lightkeeper closed his eyes, basking in the warmth and care he felt in the other's arms. He had thought that he’d live out his life peacefully and quietly. He already found solace in the thought of only being there to help people through his duty as a lightkeeper.

Keep a good light.

He was ready to selflessly keep the good light for people lost at sea, showing them their way.

But perhaps he could allow himself to be a little bit more selfish now.

“I will keep a good light for you. Please make sure that you’ll find your way back to me again.” 

It was finally time to keep the light for himself.