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the teiko basketball club sees an increased budget in their second year, and thanks to an effort from fukuoka daiichi high school to promote their own basketball up-and-comers, the first and second string find themselves at a spa and resort in hakata bay with five star ocean views, state of the art basketball courts, and a beautiful blue-stone mineral pool pocketed comfortably in a lush garden of palm trees and hibiscus bushes.
"akashi, c'mon."
akashi turns the page of his book.
"i prefer hot springs."
nijimura pats the edge of the pool, and sighs with abandon.
“i guess i’ll just have to enjoy these crystal clear, ice cold waters by myself.”
akashi, thinking of all the other activities he had been dragged to this weekend that have nothing to do with either school or basketball (boardwalk petting zoo, tennis, aquatic center, hot yoga), glances at him sharply.
“you should’ve asked someone else to come with you.”
“but i asked you.”
“this is a training camp, nijimura-san. the only reason i can even be here is because i focus on my studies, instead of frolicking about as i please.”
“so…you’re saying you would prefer to ‘frolick around’?”
akashi, with a sadonic smile, refutes.
“that’s not what i said.”
“but we’re friends, right?”
“something like it.”
“damn. i thought all that time we spent on training menus, paperwork, and kicking aomine’s ass into shape meant something.”
“i meant, you’re my co-captain before anything else.”
“what’s it gonna take to get access to the elusive akashi friend list?”
akashi, who can only handle so much sarcasm in one conversation, replies calmly, “we are friends. though unconventially so.”
“how unconventially?”
“you give me too much advice.”
“time to take it obo-chan. when you’re old and gray, you’ll wish you’d spent a little more time cooling off in the summer.”
“when i reach such a level of enlightenment, i’ll be sure to inform you.”
"just sit with me."
akashi shakes his head.
"you'll push me in."
“that’s a good idea, actually.”
regardless, akashi shuts his book and meets nijimura at the poolside. nijimura wades in the water, content to watch akashi bend his self-inflicted rules. he crosses his arms on the ledge. akashi crouches to meet him there.
this akashi, this version, the one who he gets just when its the two of them. the version he gets with everyone else is just different enough to be noticable. it’s not so often anymore, since he replaced him as captain and midorima stepped in as co-captain, but when they are together, he’s different. more amicable, more malleable. cuter.
“now what?”
“take your damn clothes off and get in.”
akashi, squinting his eyes and pursuing his mouth, denies.
“not for such an uncouth request.”
nijimura turns a bit and plants his hands on the ledge behind him, hauling himself up with his arm strength alone. water cascades off his skin, pooling on the ground. akashi tries to shuffle away and loses his balance, planting his ass firmly on the ground.
“very elegant, akashi-sama.”
“you know, you have so many names for me,” akashi huffs, wrapping his arms around his knees.“you don’t even want to know what they call you behind your back.”
“oh, i do want to know.”
akashi, who hardly says anything without intent and poise, cracks a slight smile.
“kamooishisousan.”
“what the hell does that mean?”
“the duck is delicious-san.”
“shut up, who’s calling me that?”
“when i was bringing reports to the office, i overheard the assisant girls in the storage room. i think they like you.”
“jesus.”
“and the first years call you tou-san.”
nijimura nods and he gestures to akashi’s feet.
“i guess i am getting old. shoes off. feet in the water. hurry, the sun’s going down. i never expected espionage from you.”
akashi unties his shoes.
“if they didn’t want it known, they shouldn’t be saying it.”
the sunset fully settles in, violet-gold sky behind them, the sound of waves crashing down in the harbor. they’d already had dinner with the coaches, midorima, and the managers from the high school, discussing who they’d like to recruit when they all graduate from teiko. the rest of the members came after, and nijimura had grabbed his arm and excitedly mentioned the pool would be open until ten.
akashi sets his shoes and socks aside, scooching himself closer to the ledge, shoulder to shoulder with his ex-captain, although the pool is ginormous and there is certainly room for personal space. personal space just doesn’t seem overly necessary when he’s with nijimura, who has no qualms about flicking him in the forehead or placing his chin on top of his head when overlooking the reports he writes at lunch. his feet sink into the water and a wistful expression falls over him.
“you’re right. it feels nice.”
“i’m always right, right?”
“sure.”
nijimura leans back on his hands, eyes closed to the sky.
“it’s important to stick to the seasons, kid. hanami in the spring, hanabi in the summer. matsuri in the fall, illuminations in the winter. otherwise you lose track of time. take part in the small things. your essay will wait for you.”
“my, my. such poetry from an athlete.” an elbow in his side. “i’m kidding. i understand your point, senpai.”
“that’s right. you call me senpai. none of that duck crap. or i’ll think you like me too.”
akashi stops.
stops breathing, or thinking, or anything.
they make a brief eye contact, and nijimura’s face seems horribly close to his.
“at the very least, i respect you.”
"you won’t. not after this."
a hand on his chest, pulling on his shirt.
"—!"
the splash is enough to make frogs belt from the trees.
"you—" akashi sputters, once he surfaces, trying to find proper footing on the pebbled floor. he pushes dripping wet hair out of his face. "you are awful."
"and you're gullible," nijimura laughs. "it was too tempting, sorry. but not really."
akashi pulls his shirt off, throwing the sopping material to the side of the pool. as he clings to the ledge, the color blue appears in front of his face. a popsicle.
“what?”
“a peace offering.”
“where did you even get that?”
nijimura pats next to him, a small ice chest. to be fair, he does wear a slightly apologic expression.
“i had these the whole time. dessert.”
after a brief consideration (not for the popsicle, but about twisting nijimura’s legs until he screams for help), he accepts.
“were you actually going to do that the whole time?”
“nah. like i said, it was a good idea.”
“i believe in karma, nijimura-san.”
“unless karma comes in the form of a five foot blue haired phantom named kuroko who’s going to watch me sleep tonight, i’m not too worried.”
“oh, i’m going to employee him right after i get out of here. the lock on your door won’t be enough to keep him out.”
“we’re roomates, akashi.”
“so—” his shoulders slouch. “i’ll have to be more creative.”
“not your strongest suit—”
like kuroko in a quick drive, akashi sticks the popsicle right onto nijimura’s nose. against his skin, it splatters and runs happily down his face, dripping onto his chest and legs. nijimura stammers back, batting his hands around to fend off an already over attack, and says something that sounds a lot like oasfjoijklakashi!
akashi’s head tips back to the burnt sun, and he’s laughing, bright and loud.
as quick as that started, he returns to homeostatis with a hand over his mouth. but his fingers are nimbly parted, and nijimura’s eyes fall quickly to the space he can see akashi’s mouth, still twirled up in amusement. his silloette is dark against the setting sun, lights of the pool starting to shine under them, and his eyes glow like unmined rubies in a deep cavern.
“you’re a fox.”
“well…you misconstrued my adversion to such frivelous things as an unwillingness to partake in them.”
“oh, shut up, akashi.”
nijimura starts licking the sticky sugar from his fingers.
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