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Akaashi wasn’t sure why he originally thought bringing Bokuto to a museum was a good idea. Bokuto was always loud and got way too excited about anything and everything, although maybe Akaashi just wanted someone else be as passionate about art as he was, albeit somewhat louder. The result Akaashi got however, was something he never expected.
Bokuto was quiet. Absolutely silent with his eyes in awe and lips just slightly apart. The sight made Akaashi’s heart flutter faintly.
“Hey Bokuto.”
“Hm?”
“You’ve been quiet nearly the whole time since we entered the museum, are you okay?
"Aren’t you supposed to be quiet in museums?” Bokuto responded, not taking his eyes off the painting they had stopped in front of.
“Quiet yes, but your silence is completely out of character for you.”
“Mm,” was all Bokuto said.
Not sure how to act at his boyfriend’s response Akaashi looked back up to the painting. The canvas wasn’t terribly large like some that took up whole walls (the museum had many), and it wasn’t incredibly flashy or abstract. The colors that made up the forest scenery completely immersed you in them. You could breathe in the cool air caused by the small stream while still feeling the sun warm on your face as it filtered through the trees that surrounded you, despite the fact you were standing on the wooden floor of an artificially lit room in a musem, and the forest took up only one square foot on the wall. It was an absolute contrast to the Tokyo area Akaashi and Bokuto saw on a daily basis.
“Maybe, ” Akaashi thought, “that’s why he’s so in awe.”
Bokuto finally broke his vigil, “I think,” he paused, looking down at a small paper heart the museum had given to the visitors to place in front of their favorite art work, “I’m going to give this painting my heart.” He looked back up at the painting and then down to the floor beneath it where he placed the red piece of paper.
Suddenly he looked sad.
“What’s wrong?” Akaashi asked.
“My heart’s the only one here.”
“What’s so wrong with that?”
Bokuto looked Akaashi straight in the eyes and said with more conviction than Akaashi had ever heard from him, “Why doesn’t it have more?”
Akaashi stared wide eyed and stuttered, “I- I don’t-”
“Can no one else tell how breath taking this is? I can smell the earth and the water and the trees. I can feel the sun and the cool morning air. Akaashi I can feel what time of day it is and it’s only brush strokes and oil on a canvas. I can feel the emotions that bled from the artists heart as he painted the serenity that he saw before him. How can no one else see that?”
Bokuto had stopped, silent once again, and was staring back at the painting.
Akaashi looked down at the heart in his own hand. He had been thinking about placing it in front of a Renaissance mural they had passed earlier, or possibly one of the paintings in the Baroque room, but Bokuto had painted a picture far more beautiful than anything someone with a brush could have done. So he spoke up and looked at Bokuto.
“I can see it.”
“Akaashi you’re just saying that to make me feel better.”
“No I could tell some of those things before you said a word. I could feel the air and smell the water; in fact, I thought it was a breath taking contrast to the Tokyo scenery that we see daily.”
Bokuto eyes widened slightly though his scowl didn’t waver.
“The only thing I didn’t feel was the emotions, but you brought those to light more than any brush ever could, and I think that makes this the most beautiful painting in the whole museum.” Akaashi held Bokuto’s gaze for a second longer before kneeling down and placing his heart next to Bokuto’s.
When he stood back up he noticed a pink tinge to Bokuto’s ears, that his scowl was gone, and his lips were back to being parted in awe.
Akaashi looked down at his feet and took Bokuto’s hands before muttering, “Plus, your heart deserves to never be alone.”
Bokuto quickly let go of Akaashi’s hands before pulling him into a giant hug.
“When were you the cheesy one?” Bokuto teased.
Akaashi laughed, his face a bright red, “Well when were you the quiet one?”
Bokuto just laughed and the two stayed in each others warm embrace for what could have been an eternity or a second before Bokuto mumbled, “ We should go check out the modern art section in the next room”
Akaashi hummed in agreement, staying in Bokuto’s strong arms a minute longer before finally pulling away and taking his hand.
As they walked towards the next room Akaashi smiled to himself thinking of how Bokuto was going to react to the scenic gardens outside.