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It’s the first evening of another Fukurodani Academy Group training camp, and it just so happens to be the night before Bokuto’s 18th birthday, thankyouverymuch! He also may have used the latter to coerce his setter and a couple of cats into having a little two on two match before dinner (though only one of them really needed persuading).
Several minutes (hours?) later, it’s Bokuto and Akaashi’s set point once again. Bokuto leaps into the air like it’s second nature as Akaashi tosses the most beautiful set–which, of course, is no surprise, because Akaashi’s sets are always the absolute best–and with sheer brute force, Bokuto slams a cross shot right between Kuroo and Kenma’s outstretched hands.
“I’m a little bummed the crows couldn’t make it for this camp,” Kuroo huffs between breaths. “Our Tsukki definitely would’ve blocked that shot. No offense, Kenma.” He shrugs his shoulders as he turns to his teammate, who in turn mumbles something about ‘twenty whole-ass centimeters’ and falls to the ground.
Bokuto smugly crosses his arms. “Yeah, yeah. Make all the excuses you want, but no one was getting to that monster of a shot. Right, Akaashi?” He turns to his own setter for reassurance, but Akaashi’s head is tilted in the opposite direction as he looks absentmindedly into the distance. “Hello??? Earth to Akaashi?”
Akaashi jolts out of his daze, his expression never changing as he robotically answers, “My apologies, Bokuto-san. Yes, that was certainly a nice kill.”
Bokuto’s suspicious glare is interrupted by a group of lady managers who make a few comments about the importance of resting their muscles between sessions. He hunches over and groans between lectures, until Yukie finally says “Plus, you wouldn’t want to miss out on dinner. The cafeteria is closing up soon.”
Bokuto instantly perks up, placing both hands on his hips. “Well, why didn’t you say that in the first place? C’mon, let’s go!”
The chefs at Fukurodani sure know how to cook a meal, Bokuto thinks as he stuffs a glob of rice in his mouth, followed by another piece of tonkatsu. “I betcha coach told’m mah birfday is t’mrw ‘n that’s why we’re get’n th’ special treatm'nt. Y’r welc'me, by th' way.”
Akaashi smiles and fondly rolls his eyes as he reaches his chopsticks across the table to brush a rogue grain of rice off of Bokuto’s cheek. The gesture makes the ace’s stomach feel a little funny. “Bokuto-san, please don’t speak with your mouth full. It’s bad manners.”
Before Bokuto can respond to Akaashi’s request or sort out whatever the hell is going on with his insides, Kuroo smacks him on the back and says. “If that’s the case, thanks for being born, pal!”
Bokuto does well to swallow the next bite of pork, taking a sip of water to ensure no food particles remain in his mouth before speaking again. “Hmm, I wonder what they’ll do for me tomorrow?” He looks to the sky and places his hands together in prayer. “Please be yakiniku…”
As the boys prepare their futons for bed, Bokuto announces that he fully expects everyone to give their all tomorrow and not to go easy on him just because it’s his birthday. He receives a few chuckles and groans in response.
Akaashi sits down on his futon next to Bokuto’s. “I know your birthday is important to you, but please don’t set such high expectations.”
“Whaddya mean, ‘kaashi? Birthdays are the best!”
“It’s not a holiday, Bokuto-san. It’s just a birthday. I just don’t want you to be disappointed if everyone’s not as excited about it as you are.”
Bokuto lip curls up at Akaashi’s words. He knows it’s silly, going overboard with the whole birthday thing. That the cafeteria didn’t make the food just for him and there probably won’t be yakiniku tomorrow. That everyone is going to play exactly like they always do, regardless of the date of the calendar. But the thought that Akaashi, his best friend, might not actually care about his birthday…well, Bokuto thinks that’s pretty shitty.
“Yeah, you’re right.” He tries his best to hide his annoyance. “It’s just a birthday.”
And maybe he wishes that Akaashi wasn’t around for his ‘just a birthday’.
When Bokuto wakes the next morning, the first thing he notices is that Akaashi isn’t in his futon. Actually, no one is. That’s strange. Could he have overslept?
He hurriedly dresses and runs to the gym where he finds Shinzen and Ubagawa already playing their practice match. Kuroo spots him instantly and makes a beeline towards him.
“Good morning, beautiful! And happy freakin’ birthday!” He wraps his arms around Bokuto, giving him a bone-crushing hug.
“Bokuto!” Kenma calls from across the gym, practically sprinting to catch up with him and his captain. He also goes in for a hug, which Bokuto thinks is kind of weird, but not nearly as weird as the running. “Happy birthday, man.”
“Thanks…” Bokuto replies hesitantly when he notices the entire room begin to crowd around him, including the Shinzen and Ubagawa players, who apparently stopped playing mid-point?
Tons of hugs and handshakes are exchanged, several players rustle his hair and playfully punch his biceps. Before long, every coach, manager, and player from the entire Fukurodani Academy group had wished him a happy birthday.
All of them except one.
“Thanks so much, you guys are the best! I can’t believe Akaashi didn’t think people would be excited for my birthday! Speaking of, where is Akaashi?”
Confused glances, mumbles, and shrugs are shared across the entirety of the group. Several moments pass before Kuroo finally raises an eyebrow and pointedly asks, “Who’s Akaashi?”
Bokuto bursts into a fit of laughter. “Haha very funny, bro. C’mon, where is he? Or is it a secret? You can tell me! I promise I’ll still act surprised!”
Before Kuroo has a chance to respond, Coach Yamiji blows his whistle. “It’s time for our practice match against Nekoma. Let’s warm up.”
The group scatters back into their respective teams, and Fukurodani gathers together to go over their starting positions for their scrimmage game. Bokuto’s face scrunches up at the name next to the position of starting setter.
“Hey, coach. Why is Anahori starting this game?”
“I’m not sure I understand your question, Bokuto. Anahori’s been a solid setter for us all season.”
“Yeah, he’s great and all, but what about Akaashi?”
Coach Yamiji raises a concerned brow. “Are you feeling okay, Bokuto?”
Bokuto ignores the question, time slowing to a halt as he takes a look around the gym. Why is Anahori wearing Akaashi’s jersey? And why is no one else concerned about his whereabouts?
“Give it to me straight, coach. Is Akaashi sick or something?”
When coach answers, “Who’s Akaashi?”, Bokuto finally realizes that something is very wrong. He dramatically falls to his knees and grips into his spikes, his entire world collapsing as the question echoes in his head.
Who’s Akaashi…Akaashi….Akaashi…
“AKAASHI!!” Bokuto yells as he jolts from his slumber, and the room full of teammates grumble at the unexpected alarm. Konoha reaches across to the empty futon between him and Bokuto, and throws the pillow at his captain. But wait, why is Akaashi’s futon empty…
“Konoha, where’s…” he pauses, fearful of the answer to his lingering question, which is silly since he was clearly just having a nightmare, and Akaashi is a very real person that 120% exists. Still, he doesn’t want to jinx it. “Nevermind.”
Bokuto’s heart skips a beat as he catches the outline of a familiar slender silhouette walking outside the classroom from his peripheral. He quickly rushes to the door, almost slipping in his socked feet. By the time he reached the hallway, Akaashi had already disappeared around the corner.
Bokuto quickly catches up and follows closely behind him, careful not to be seen. Akaashi eventually leads them to their team’s club room. When Bokuto peeks through the door’s narrow window, he sees Akaashi reaching for something inside his backpack.
Before his mind can catch up with his body, he’s entering the room and wrapping his arms around Akaashi. And while he knows Akaashi was never actually missing, he can’t shake the feeling that he’s somehow making up for lost time. He squeezes as hard as he can, swaying him back-and-forth and basking in the scent of his tea tree shampoo. “Akaashi! I missed you so much! And don’t worry, it doesn’t even bother me that you don’t care about my birthday, just as long as you’re here!”
“Bokuto-san, you’re crushing me…” Akaashi mumbles against Bokuto’s shoulder, prompting him to release his grip.
“Oh, sorry!” Bokuto thinks he may have squeezed Akaashi a little too hard, if his reddish face is any indicator.
“It’s okay,” Akaashi answers, a little breathless. He lets out a deep sigh before asking, “Now, can you please explain to me why you think I don’t care about your birthday?”
“Because of what you said last night about it being ‘just a birthday’, or whatever. But it’s okay! I had a dream that you didn’t exist and I realized that was way worse!”
Akaashi neglects to respond to Bokuto’s answer right away, simply dropping his head as he lets out a soft chuckle. He returns to his backpack and removes a banana nut muffin, a candle, and a box of matches. “Bokuto-san, I risked sneaking out of camp so that I could buy you this muffin and be the first one to properly wish you happy birthday. You’re a fool if you think I don’t care.”
A million butterflies scatter around Bokuto’s insides, his skin tingling as they try to escape. Some of them must have also infiltrated his brain, because there are so many words that he wants to say right now, but for some reason the only thing that comes out is a soft, “Oh.”
Bokuto watches intently as Akaashi lights the candle on his birthday muffin, close enough to notice every tiny detail of his pretty face. He figures he might as well remember them, in case his subconscious tries to play another dirty trick on him again. At least then he could will Akaashi back into existence.
“Happy birthday, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi’s angelic voice brings Bokuto back to the task at hand as his best friend holds the candlelit pastry between them. Bokuto briefly thinks that memorizing his silky sweet tone might also be a good idea just before he says, “Now, make a wish.”
Bokuto closes his eyes and inhales deeply through his nostrils. His mind finally stops racing when it locks onto a single precious thought as he purses his lips and forces wind between them.
And when he feels the touch of velvet lips pressing against his own, all he can think about is his wish to spend the rest of his birthdays with Akaashi.