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It is a summer that is hotter than usual, the kind that stays warm even after hours of pouring rain and drags well into the evening. Akaashi Keiji is sitting alone at the entrance of the gymnasium, seeking to cool his skin with whatever small breeze that happens to drift by.
Inside, the sound of leather colliding with wood echoes through the space as the rest of the team continue practicing their spikes. Practice has ended long ago, but Bokuto has persuaded some of them to stay behind and get some extra sets in with him. Keiji happens to be one of them.
While fanning himself with the collar of his shirt, Keiji wonders how anyone still has the energy to continue in this weather. But then again, he thinks, if anyone has an unlimited energy reserve for volleyball it would be their captain.
Keiji is just about to take a sip from his water bottle when he hears someone walk up to him from behind.
“Akaashi!” comes Bokuto’s voice as he appears beside him. He smiles down at Keiji, bright as ever and seemingly unaffected by the sweltering afternoon heat and fatigue from practice.
“Bokuto-san,” Keiji says, instinctively moving his water bottle away to make space for the older boy, and Bokuto plops himself opposite of Keiji, leaning back against the doorframe as he folds one leg in and leaves the other one stretched out over the stairs.
“Done for the day?” he asks as the older boy takes a sip from his own water bottle.
Bokuto nods. “Yeah, I’m totally pooped,” he says, wiping the sweat from his forehead. As he does, his jersey rides up just a small bit, gracing Keiji with a short glimpse of the older boy’s abdomen. He finds himself unable to pull his eyes away from the sight.
“You played well today,” he comments, the memory of a particularly impressive shot from the earlier sessions coming to him suddenly.
“Did I?” Bokuto brightens even more at this comment, his golden eyes shining with what Keiji can only assume is hunger for more praise. “I thought maybe my straights needed a bit more work.”
Keiji shakes his head with a smirk. That’s obviously bait—but he bites anyway. “No, your straights are sharp as ever, Bokuto-san.”
That earns him a giddy laugh from the older boy.
“You’re too nice to me, Akaashi,” he says with a giggle and a modest wave of his hand, but Keiji knows it has already gotten to his head. He continues to giggle for a spell before suddenly stopping himself and turning to fully face Keiji, a serious look to on his face. (As serious as it can get, at least. Bokuto sort of has a permanent smile on his face.)
“I almost forgot!” he says, leaning forward. “How do you feel about going to see a movie this Saturday?”
Keiji’s eyes widen at that. “A movie?” he asks, feeling heat spread across his face—and he knows for sure this isn’t from the summer heat.
“Yeah!” Bokuto says, leaning back against the doorframe. “There’s this new movie—Project something-something—I don’t really remember, but it looks super cool!"
Aliens… Right, okay. Keiji remembers seeing a trailer for a space-themed movie earlier this month. Maybe he means that movie.
Wait.
Hold on… Is Bokuto asking what Keiji thinks he is…? There’s just no way, right?
“And you want me to come watch with you?” Keiji asks slowly to make sure before his mind has a chance to zip into completely impossible territories.
“Yes, of course!”
Oh god, he is.
“Oh!” Keiji feels his face get hotter at the confirmation. With how close Bokuto is sitting, he hopes the older boy doesn’t notice the color on his cheeks.
“Uh, but if you’ve already got something else then—”
“No!” Keiji says, a tad louder than he meant to. He clears his throat. “No, I’ve got nothing this weekend,” he tries again, this time schooling his expression and tone back to calm.
Bokuto grins at that. “Perfect! Then this weekend it is.”
“Alright,” Keiji answers with as much composure as he can maintain.
Inside, though, he feels as if he might explode. He wonders how he hasn’t already, what with the hammering beat of his heart and the sheer willpower he has to employ to not break into a stupid grin; but more than that, he still can’t believe how that just happened, how Bokuto just up and asks him out… He thought things like this only happen in shojo mangas and never in real life—but maybe they do after all!
Keiji is just beginning to mentally plan his outfit when all of a sudden, Bokuto says—
“Konoha will come with us too.”
That forces him to pause.
“Konoha-san is coming?” he asks, careful not to let his tone or wording give him away.
Bokuto nods animatedly. “Yes! It’ll be the three of us, and then maybe we can get dinner together—Oh! Actually, maybe we can…”
Bokuto’s voice fades away as Keiji tunes it out and gets sucked into his own head. Suddenly, a new equally warm yet slightly different sensation begins to bloom in Keiji’s chest, painting his face a deeper shade of scarlet and making him feel awkward and self-conscious about how sweaty he is.
Okay, so maybe he might have gotten too far ahead of himself... Bokuto asked him to hang out as friends. Right. Of course.
“What do you think ‘Kaashi?” Bokuto asks, pulling Keiji back into their conversation.
Keiji blinks. “Sounds good,” he says, despite himself.
“Great! I’ll send you the details later.” Bokuto stands up then, taking his water bottle with him. “I think I’m going to get some more drills in before I call it a day. Wanna join me?”
“Sure,” Keiji replies, “I’ll join you in a bit, Bokuto-san.”
Bokuto spares him one last smile and claps him on the shoulder before making his way back to the court, a spring in his step as he calls after Washio and Komi, who have been quietly sneaking toward the other gymnasium exit while he and Bokuto chatted. They groan when he catches up to them and drags them back to the court.
Still sitting by the door, Keiji stares out at the glaring, sun-baked world. He closes his eyes for a moment and the previous conversation replays in his head. He thinks about how quick he was to jump to conclusions only for those conclusions to be proven wrong and grimaces. When he opens them again and stands up to join the others, he hopes that this weekend will go without any more moments as embarrassing as this one.
Keiji woke up that morning with a start and drenched in sweat. He had been struggling to get a good’s night rest since the previous night, finding himself stuck in the same dream where he shows up to his appointment with Bokuto and Konoha and does something deeply embarrassing. Each time he tried to fall back asleep, he would be rudely awoken less than an hour later by yet another embarrassing thing committed by his dream self.
Now, he is standing in front of his bathroom mirror, freshly showered with a towel wrapped around his hips. His hair is still damp from having been washed and water droplets roll down his cheek, falling to the sink below. He stares at his reflection, touching his face as he examines the bags under his eyes, collected from a night of disturbed sleep. For a fleeting moment, he considers texting Bokuto and telling him that he can’t make it today; but as soon as the moment passes, he throws away the idea, finding himself unable to come up with a believable excuse nor muster up the courage to lie to Bokuto.
He decides to just get ready and get it over with. He figures the sooner it ends, the sooner he can stop worrying about it.
With newfound determination, he marches out of his bathroom and heads for his closet, picking out a comfy yet presentable outfit. Considering the weather, he doesn’t pick any of his go-to long-sleeved tops and instead opts for a simple T-shirt and jeans combo.
Before leaving, he stops in front of his bathroom mirror again and looks at himself. He looks much more refreshed compared to this morning, and his last-minute outfit hugs his body perfectly. That’s all the confidence boost he needs before he braves the world and the day ahead of him.
It takes him a good fifteen minutes to get to the shopping district by train. When he ascends from the underground station, he is immediately met with a bustling street decorated with billboards as far as the eye can see. It has been a while since he last visited the area, yet it seems as though not much has changed.
At this moment, Keiji feels his phone vibrate in his pocket. He reaches for it and switches it on, finding Bokuto’s name at the very top of the notifications list. He asks if Keiji has made it already. A simple message, but Keiji’s heart leaps at the gesture anyway. Stepping aside and out of the way of other commuters, Keiji promptly answers it with a short Heading there.
With that, Keiji pockets his phone, sucks in a breath, and lets it out.
It’s only a few hours with his seniors and then he won’t ever have to think about it again. He tells himself this like it’s a mantra, then starts heading for the cinema, relying on his memory of the area and its routes.
He gets there with ten minutes left to spare before the movie is supposed to start. Apparently, Keiji has overestimated his memory of the routes. He took the wrong turn a couple of times and had to find his way back to a street he recognizes. As a result, his forehead and the back of his neck has collected a little bit of sweat, making him feel sticky. When he reaches the lobby, he mentally thanks the universe for the creation of air conditioning.
As expected, the cinema is crowded, it being the weekend after all. Families and couples alike crowd the area, with most lining up to purchase tickets for a romance movie.
From the entrance, Keiji tries his best to scan the sea of people for his seniors. Luckily for him, it doesn’t take long before he spots the tall young man with white-grey hair. He is standing in the middle of the room, almost a full head taller than everyone else, making it quite hard to miss him. Upon closer inspection, Keiji sees that Bokuto is wearing a fitted white T-shirt with dark jeans and white sneakers, an outfit similar to Keiji’s own. His traitorous mind offers the audacious notion that the two of them are dressed like a couple and he has to physically shake his head to dismiss the thought before approaching the older boy.
“Akaashi!” Bokuto grins and waves at him, having spotted Keiji as he makes his way toward his senior. He meets Keiji halfway and puts his hand on Keiji’s shoulder. “You got here okay?”
“Yes, I did. Thank you for asking.” Keiji glances at the older boy’s palm on his shoulder, firm and warm. Bokuto lets go a second later.
This close, Keiji can see how perfectly Bokuto’s shirt hugs his upper-body. And combined with the over-head lights of the cinema, the older boy looks much more toned. Keiji has to remind himself to stop staring. If Konoha were here, he would no doubt catch this and tease Keiji relentlessly…
Actually, speaking of Konoha—
“Is Konoha-san here already?” Keiji asks, looking around for his other senior.
“Ah, right!” Bokuto exclaims, clapping a hand on his forehead. “He texted me earlier and told me he can’t make it… Says he caught a stomach bug or something.”
No way.
Keiji straightens up. “Oh… I see.”
There is a moment where both boys just stare at each other in silence, Bokuto awaiting Keiji’s response—the rest of it, at least—as Keiji internally celebrates.
“I hope he feels better soon,” Keiji offers.
“Right?” Bokuto says, a look of pity so genuine on his face it almost makes Keiji feel horrible. “I hope he feels better soon too.”
Keiji nods along, playing the part of the sympathizing junior.
“Well, I guess it’s just us two now.” Bokuto says, lifting one shoulder in a shrug.
“I guess so,” Keiji replies, his tone nearly devoid of the previous sympathizing act he tried to put up.
“Come on then!” Bokuto takes Keiji by the wrist and tugs him along, much to the younger boy’s surprise. “I’ve already bought the tickets,” he says as he waves two tickets and flashes him a smile.
As they make their way to their designated theater, Bokuto leading the way through the crowd with a firm yet gentle grip around Keiji’s wrist, Keiji can’t help the smile that finally cracks open across his face.
The movie, it turns out, is less about aliens than it is about humanity and its desire for connection, even going as far as crossing into realms beyond its comprehension. Between its surprisingly moving storyline and breathtaking visuals, Keiji finds himself unable to look away from the screen, completely engrossed. Though he still sneaks several glances toward Bokuto’s direction, the darkness of the theater giving him courage to let his eyes linger on the older boy’s side profile.
They’re sitting so close, he notices. They’ve stood this close to each other on several occasions in the past—side by side when they have to line up at the start and end of every match, when Bokuto wants to tell him something meant for his ears only—but here, sitting in this theater, feels closer and, dare he says, more intimate. His gaze drops to their hands then, side by side on the armrest, and he notices how little space there is between their fingers. All it takes is just one leap of faith and he can just—
The music builds and the screen suddenly flashes from green to red. Keiji flinches at this and returns his attention to the screen, finding himself face-to-face with a brilliant crimson galaxy made up of millions of star-like creatures.
Beside him, he hears a soft gasp and he turns to find a scene that perhaps rivals the beauty of the one on screen.
Seeing Bokuto’s awestruck face illuminated by the star-like creatures on the screen like this, his eyes reflecting the sparkles and his lips slightly parted in amazement, Keiji can’t help thinking how unfairly handsome he looks.
He eventually pulls his eyes away and returns his attention to the movie, reminding himself of what this is: a hangout between friends, nothing more.
By the time the movie ends and they exit the cinema, the world outside has darkened and the air has cooled to a pleasant temperature where it isn’t too warm and also not too cold. Bokuto suggests grabbing a quick dinner and Keiji quickly agrees to that, feeling a grumble coming up from his stomach.
“I know a good place,” Bokuto says, taking initiative to lead the way again.
Keiji half-expects him to take his wrist again this time, but that doesn’t happen, much to his disappointment and chagrin. Instead, they walk side by side, with Bokuto dictating the directions and describing the place to Keiji.
The “place” turns out to be a small street food stall, tucked away on the sides of a long and busy path. It offers an assortment of fried snacks ranging from sweet to savory, along with the accompanying condiments to go with them. Keiji and Bokuto quickly order their food and drinks before finding an empty spot nearby the stall to eat.
“So, did you like the movie?” Bokuto asks as he skewers a piece of karaage.
Keiji looks up from his own paper bowl and chews quickly to answer. “Yes. It was nerve-wracking for the most part, but brilliant,” he says thoughtfully. “I enjoyed it a lot.”
Bokuto beams at that. “Yeah! I agree! Especially the part when his alien friend risked its life to save him!” Keiji nods along, agreeing with the latter’s words. “I think I almost cried!”
“You were crying for five minutes straight, Bokuto-san.”
“Huh?? Was I?” he asks with rounded eyes, making the two of them break into laughter.
“You were,” Keiji answers once their laughter dies down, a hand over his mouth to cover his smile.
Bokuto shakes his head and takes a bite of his karaage, still smiling a bit.
This is just a friends hangout, Keiji has to remind himself again.
“Did you have a good time?”
Keiji nods. “Yes, today was very fun."
“I’m glad to hear that.” Bokuto smiles.
Keiji returns his smile and they fall into silence, both returning their attention to their respective paper bowls. It doesn’t last very long, though, before Bokuto speaks again, breaking it.
“Is the food alright?”
Keiji gives him a nod. “Yes, it’s quite tasty.”
Bokuto hums and nods as well.
Silence again. What’s with this mood?
“Um, ‘Kaashi,” Bokuto says a moment later. Keiji looks at him, gaze landing directly on the older boy’s eyes then drops momentarily to his pursed lips. He looks like he’s trying to say something. Or maybe he's trying not to say something, Keiji isn’t entirely sure.
“Yes, Bokuto-san?” he prompts.
Bokuto sighs sharply and pushes his paper bowl away, a look of determination taking over his face. “I actually have something to confess,” he says finally.
What the hell does he mean by that?
Keiji sits up straighter. He mimics Bokuto’s actions and pushes away his own paper bowl. Something about the look on Bokuto’s face makes him uneasy.
“But promise me you won’t get mad.”
Keiji sucks in a breath. Now what the hell does that mean?
“What is it Bokuto-san?” he asks, keeping a neutral enough tone so as to not discourage the older boy, but he can’t help the tiny bit of worry that seeps through.
Bokuto bites his lip, then speaks quickly, “I lied about Konoha not being able to come.”
And Keiji’s confusion must show on his face, because Bokuto quickly adds to explain:
“Actually, I lied about Konoha coming with us today. He was never supposed to come.”
Keiji blinks, takes a while to process the new and honestly puzzling information, while Bokuto looks at him with obvious nerves. About ten questions pop up in his mind about the latter’s confession, but ultimately, he decides to ask just one.
“Why?”
“I thought you would be uncomfortable if it was only the two of us.”
Oh god… Did he hear that right?
“I’m sorry about lying, ‘Kaashi,” Bokuto continues, sounding genuinely remorseful, “I should’ve just manned up and asked you out properly.”
Hearing that final bit, crystal clear, Keiji can’t help himself. He lets his jaw fall and openly stares at Bokuto with visible bewilderment. Bokuto, on the other hand, looks like he’s bracing for impact.
“Wait, so let me get this straight—” And the irony isn’t lost on him—”you wanted to ask me out, like, ask me out?”
A shade of pink spreads across Bokuto’s cheeks, and the sight sets fireworks in Keiji’s chest. “Yeah,” he says, with a sheepish nod and a smile.
“So, this was a date.” Keiji says more than asks, the realization rendering him stunned.
The older boy laughs, rubs the back of his neck. “It didn’t feel much like one, did it?”
Keiji stills. “No!” he blurts out, and Bokuto’s expression falls. “I mean—yes!” he tries again. “It felt so much like a date, but I didn’t think it was?”
Bokuto furrows his eyebrows, his lips pressed together, and Keiji thinks right now would be the perfect time for the ground to split open and swallow him whole.
“Bokuto-san,” Keiji says slowly, trying to gather his wits and whatever is left of his dignity to say the next part, “I thought this was just another hangout between you and I and Konoha-san—that much is true—but trust me when I tell you… that I secretly hoped it was a date instead.” He averts his gaze downward, unable to look Bokuto in the eyes as he gives this lame confession.
Correction: right now would be the perfect time for the ground to swallow him whole.
“Akaashi,” comes Bokuto’s voice after an excruciating moment of silence. Keiji doesn’t dare to look up. “Keiji.”
His head snaps up this time at the mention of his name, his gaze finding Bokuto’s round, golden eyes staring right at him. “Do you like me?” Bokuto asks carefully, his tone gentle and the smile on his face equally so.
Keiji’s face burns at the question and he swallows. He says nothing because he knows the answer is written clearly on his face and he knows Bokuto can see it too. That said, he sucks in a steadying breath and nods. As he does, he sees the smile on Bokuto’s face stretch into a grin, and oh, his heart might just burst.
Bokuto leans forward then, his hand moving closer to Keiji’s, but stops just far enough so their fingers are barely brushing.
“That’s all I need to hear.”