Chapter Text
Akaashi's brows furrowed once he stepped inside of the nightclub he'd been wanting to visit because of Oikawa's recommendation. He wasn't a fan of nightclubs, but he wanted to spice things up a little and have some fun. He had the whole week off after successfully navigating through busy season, and he wanted to spend it accordingly.
The aroma of alcohol, the scent of colognes mixing together in the air and sweat was all that Akaashi could inhale. This was definitely not a pleasant experience for him, but he didn't hate it too much either. He made his way into the crowd and tried to loosen up by dancing and moving his hips to the beat, but his antics didn't seem to be working because he was still distracted by something... or someone.
After the electronic dance song ended, he made his way to the bar. He wanted to drown his boredom and uncomfortableness by consuming alcohol despite having a semi-weak alcohol tolerance. He just wanted to get distracted by something for once, and alcohol really seemed like a reasonable option, considering the fact that he was in a nightclub after all.
"One Sazerac, please," Akaashi ordered, and the bartender instantly mixed up his cocktail, looking like he has done it a million times already.
He probably did, but he looked like an expert based on Akaashi's observations.
Once the bartender was done, he handed Akaashi two glasses—one wine glass and one rocks glass. One with his Sazerac, one which seems to be cherry wine.
"Is this for another customer? I didn't order any wine..." Akaashi questioned, raising an eyebrow at the wine glass placed in front of him. He was confused as hell, because he surely did not order a glass of cherry wine after all.
"An anonymous customer ordered it for you. It's already paid, sir, and he asked me to keep it anonymous." The bartender remained professional and stoic, not even cracking a single smile or laugh as he answered Akaashi's question.
Confusion was plastered on Akaashi's face. Cherry wine was a favorite of his, but he failed to notice a pair of golden eyes from across the room, observing his movements and words. He was too busy wondering over the glass of wine, that when he lifted the glass off the counter, a small, ripped piece of paper placed underneath the glass fell to the floor.
When he finally noticed it, it was laying flat on the ground, with messy, scribbled words written on the piece of paper.
"Hey, cherry wine. You come here often? You're breathtaking."
Akaashi's cheeks went from pale to a dark crimson, flustered at the written words on the paper. He wasn't used to receiving compliments, and he still didn't know the stranger behind the drink and the piece of paper.
All he could focus on was the handsome stranger with multicolored strands of hair and healthy locks styled fashionably. He didn't realize he was staring at him from across the room until he met the stranger's piercing gaze directed towards him.
His cheeks burned even darker at their minor interaction, feeling sparks washing over him like waves when he looked directly into the attractive stranger's eyes. The current music was overwhelming his sense of hearing, but he let himself get drowned in the heat of the moment, wanting to forget everything for a single moment. He danced along to the music, hips moving fluidly to go along with the rhythm of the loud music blasting all throughout the nightclub. He was starting to have the time of his life, forgetting his surroundings for a moment and getting lost in his own world.
He felt the moment stop when his quick glances lingered over to the stranger across the room. He couldn't deny how attracted he was to the stranger's presence—as if an invisible string was connecting the two of them together.
He was captivated. Allured.
It was highly unlikely for him to treat it as love at first sight (mostly because he would never admit it and he never believed in those corny romantic clichés) but, the stranger was handsome as hell. He could only bring himself to stare at him from across the room instead of inviting him over for a drink or a dance.
The music transitioned from a pop synth beat to calm, romantic blues. Everyone found a partner for themselves, and that's when Akaashi's chest tugged at him. The night was still young, and he found himself staring into the same spot the stranger with multicolored locks was sitting in earlier. But he was gone now. Probably making his way through the busy crowd or dancing with somebody else.
He was caught off guard when he felt someone tapping on his left shoulder. When he turned around, he was met with the grin of the stranger with multicolored locks.
He was captivated with that specific look of the stranger's, and he felt himself slowly melting at the intensity of the stranger's playful gaze. A small smirk played on his lips as he held his wine in his hands, interested in the stranger's sudden presence. He also noticed how attractive he was up close, especially with how he stared at Akaashi like there's nothing else more beautiful than him.
"You look way too attractive to be dancing alone. Care for a dance with me?" The handsome stranger extended his hand out eagerly, the teasing grin from earlier remaining on his lips.
Akaashi set his wine glass down on the counter, his feather light touch lingering on the stranger's hands as he took it upon his own. Despite the light touch, jolts of electricity sparked up his spine and he felt himself shiver from the effect of the stranger's hand entwined in his.
The music playing from the speakers were booming, as new tracks keep transitioning and playing from time to time. It kept people on the dancefloor, but the vivacious atmosphere was replaced with an intimate atmosphere, as couples flocked to the dancefloor, swaying softly against one another.
A romantic, reflective tune with a steady rhythm played loudly, as the crowd hushed, each focused on their own movements.
It felt like the scenery and the music dissolved when Akaashi and the stranger were in each other's arms. It felt like they were the only ones on the dancefloor, completely focused on each other. Just the two of them, alone.
The stranger had his arms wrapped softly around Akaashi's hips, and Akaashi had his arms wrapped around the stranger's neck, both of them drawn in close to each other as they let the soft beat control their flow of movements. They were softly moving along with the music, and Akaashi rested his head on the stranger's shoulder.
"It's just us against the world," Akaashi buried his face subconsciously into the handsome stranger's neck, and that was when he realized how good he actually smelled. The scent of cinnamon and vanilla with notes of cherry and alcohol from the stranger's drink immediately clouded his nostrils as the noises of the nightclub gradually faded around them. That gesture was fueled by his tipsiness, but the stranger paid no attention to it nonetheless and seemed to be amused by the antics of a tipsy Akaashi.
He also took note of the proximity between the two of them, their chests hammering against once another, and how the stranger's striking golden eyes seem to captivate Akaashi everytime he looked right into it.
It was like the dancefloor was made for the two of them, and they were the stars of the show. The music fading into the distance and Akaashi's soft, calm breaths were the only things the stranger could focused on. He didn't care about their surroundings or whoever stared at them, they were both lost in their own worlds, both of them intoxicated by alcohol and a mysterious haze of desire. His grip around Akaashi tightened, not planning to let go of him any sooner as they both softly swayed to the calm rhythm of the current love song blasting from the speakers.
"Hey, beautiful stranger. Don't fall asleep yet. I have yet to dance the night away with you." The stranger removed his arms from Akaashi's hips to take his hands into his own instead, slowly twirling Akaashi around to match the pace of the current song playing in the scenery. Akaashi was still in a good state of mind, but he was starting to get drowsy. He liked the stranger's presence, it gave him a warm sense of comfort and safety. He could only heave a sigh as they both got lost in the rhythm, their movements matching each other's tempo. The night was still young, and Akaashi realized how silent both of them were. When he looked up to the stranger, he was met by a burning gaze with such intensity that made him shudder. The stranger's eyes were trained on him, and for a moment, he was lost in the depth of his bright, golden eyes... as if it were sunlight. A familiar feeling caught up to him the longer he stared at the handsome stranger in front of him.
There was something bubbling within his gut that gave him a weird, fluttering feeling.
"Dance with me and pretend the world doesn't exist," Akaashi softly whispered, as the two of them moved gracefully to a secluded area of the nightclub, both of their arms wrapped around each other as the music faded into the distance, and the two of them were left alone to their own thoughts and movements. "You've never told me your name, Monochrome."
The stranger chuckled softly at the silly nickname, intertwining his hand with Akaashi's as his other hand softly touched Akaashi's cheek, a look of adoration visible on his face as his lips curved into a soft smile. This was the type of physical intimacy Akaashi did not mind as long as it was the handsome stranger performing those actions. Silence lingered between the two of them before the handsome stranger decided to speak up.
"So did you, beautiful stranger, but I'm well aware now that you are Akaashi Keiji. I'm Bokuto Koutarou—"
Bokuto's introduction got interrupted when Akaashi's phone buzzed in his pockets.
Akaashi took it out and Bokuto sneaked a glance at his phone's lockscreen for no reason. Well, he had a reason either way but his smile turned into a grin once he spotted a crucial detail on Akaashi's phone.
The wallpaper was a candid picture of Akaashi holding a coffee cup while standing in the busy streets of Shibuya Station, exactly 3 years ago.
When Akaashi set his phone aside and turned to face Bokuto, his smile was so radiant that it even made the corners of Akaashi's lips curve slightly. He had an infectious smile, but this smile was different. It was as if he made a groundbreaking discovery.
And he actually did.
"Wanna know why I didn't want to let go of you earlier, Akaashi? You were the beautiful guy I saw in the streets of Shibuya 3 autumns ago."