In Another Life (BokuAka)

Chapter 2

New Text Message!
From: Bokuto (Sent July 29th at 11:56 PM)
[Hey! I hope this isn't a bad time!]
Akaashi lifted his head from his pillow and reached a hand out to grab his phone. The bright light caused him to squint as he read the message. Quietly, he contemplated on whether he wanted to respond or not. He blinked weakly and slid his fingers down the sides of his phone, a sign of weariness that he could not disobey. Akaashi watched as the screen went to black, and it was then that he placed the phone back on his nightstand, choosing to ignore the message.
He couldn't sleep for about an hour after the text, but ultimately slipped off to sleep.
Akaashi never received another message in the remaining hour that he was awake.

During the next day, Akaashi decided to stay home. He sat in his room for the majority of the day, and had spent at least six hours awake until he'd picked his phone up in his hands again.
He looked at the message Bokuto had sent him the night before. His thumb aimlessly hovered over the keyboard, thinking of what to type.
From: Akaashi (Sent at 4:43pm)
[Hello.]
Bokuto:
[Hey hey heyyyyy!]
[I must have texted you while you were asleep!]
Akaashi was dumbfounded. He'd never received a faster response in his life.
Akaashi:
[Yeah, that must've been the case.]
[You say "Hey" a lot, Bokuto.]
Bokuto:
[I know! It's kind of my thing!]
Akaashi could feel Bokuto's enthusiasm through his text messages. He spoke to Akaashi as if he hadn't had a friend to text in years.
Bokuto:
[How are you today?]
Akaashi:
[I'm well, thank you... Just catching up on some volleyball things...]
Bokuto:
[VOLLEYBALL?! You like volleyball too?! WE HAVE TO PLAY TOGETHER.]
Wincing a bit, Akaashi squinted at his phone screen. Such an energetic texter, Bokuto was. He was kind of difficult to keep up with, and Akaashi felt like this would be a long term sort of thing.
Akaashi:
[Uh, sure. I mean, will they let you out of the hospital?]
Bokuto:
[I guess. I can still walk around and get to where I have to go! Pretty much the only thing wrong with me is that I can't sleep!]
Akaashi scowled. He could feel the ignorance emanating off of Bokuto's text messages. Did he really think he was admitted to a hospital just because he was having trouble sleeping? He knew full well the name of the disease he had. So then why was he so cheerful about his entire situation? Why did he lack the understanding of just how serious his condition was?
Unless... Bokuto was purposely playing the fool. He must have been.
Right?
Akaashi's grip tightened around his phone. He had to be.
Akaashi:
[Then I guess I'll see you at the hospital around a week or two from now. I know a gymnasium we can go to...]
Bokuto:
[A WEEK OR TWO?!]
Akaashi:
[Is that too long a wait? I can probably reschedule...]
Bokuto:
[Nah, it's alright! I guess I can wait that long. I've got time.]
I've got time. The words echoed in Akaashi's head, as if they'd been spoken aloud. He stared down at the screen, his brow furrowing slightly. Did Bokuto know about the lifespan of victims with his condition? Was he just playing the fool after all? Just what kind of guy was he?
Indifference morphed into curiosity, and said curiosity was what drew Akaashi closer to his new friend.
Akaashi:
[Great. I'll see you then.]

"Akaashi!"
Another two weeks had passed since Akaashi had seen Bokuto, but this time, he waited outside of the hospital, several meters away from the entrance.
Akaashi had looked up from his phone and stuffed it into his jacket pocket as the energetic hospital patient made his way across the lot. In no time, Bokuto was standing in front of Akaashi, eager in every way to make it to the gymnasium.
"I haven't set foot outside in weeks." He looked around. The day was strangely chilly, with an occasional breeze now and then, causing the browning leaves to rustle in the trees above. Those yellow eyes examined everything, adamant with taking all of it in.
Bokuto tucked his hands into the pockets of his hood, his shoulders hunching. A puff of smoke came from him as he exhaled. He was paler than before, and the bags under his eyes were darker. Bokuto looked exhausted beyond belief, yet there he stood, excited to make his way to the gymnasium.
Akaashi hadn't even mustered his first word before Bokuto snapped his head to the side to give him his undivided attention.
"The gymnasium's about ten minutes that way." Akaashi pointed down the road.
"Then let's go!" Bokuto power walked ahead, obligating Akaashi to catch up to him with a quickened pace, whether he wanted to or not.

The sounds of their sneakers squeaking against the gym floor was so memory inducing, it caused Akaashi to take a moment and reminisce on the old days, as if doing so would take him back in time to when he'd play volleyball every single day after school. After a while, he opened his eyes and sighed, then moved across the court to the net. He'd brought along a volleyball of his own, just in case they weren't provided with any.
"What used to be your position back when you would play?" Bokuto asked aloud, finally pulling his hands from his hood pockets. His head was cocked back as he surveyed the gym.
Akaashi bounced the ball off the floor twice. "Setter. You?"
Bokuto grinned. "I was the team captain, and the ace." He gave a mock swing of his arm, as if spiking. "Do you think you can toss to me?"
"Of course."
Akaashi and Bokuto carried a sort of unspoken communication with each other. They had a strange relationship, to say the least. Akaashi would answer his questions coldly, with little to no emotion, but Bokuto would cherish these answers and retort with excitement in his tone. He did not seem to take offense easily. Bokuto was very different from everyone else Akaashi had ever met before him.
Where most people would detach themselves, Bokuto took hold and wouldn't let go, being as persistent as he was energetic. It was very unsettling. Akaashi turned away and frowned.
I wouldn't have given you my number if you weren't a patient...
The black haired male bounced the ball again and walked over to position.
"This is all so nostalgic." Bokuto's voice was filled to the brim with excitement. He took several steps back to prepare himself for the toss. Mentally, he was more than ready to spike, but not so much physically.
Bokuto missed Akaashi's set twelve times.
"Shit- shit." His frustration was unmasked. "Please toss to me again!" He threw the ball to Akaashi.
There's no stopping you, is there? Taking the ball in his hands, Akaashi aimed for the approximate location as to where Bokuto would spike the ball. He wanted for him to spike it at least once lest Bokuto threw a self hate-induced panic attack.
Watching as Bokuto ran forward, Akaashi set the ball perfectly. It brought him back to his high school days. Now if only the sickly one would hit it.
The sound of the palm of Bokuto's hand meeting the ball sounded much like an explosion. Akaashi flinched. It had been so long since he'd heard something so loud. It was amazing.
"Ha! Did you see that?!" Bokuto was bursting with emotion. He was ecstatic. "I spiked it perfectly just now! That toss was perfect!" Without hesitation, he ran across the court to retrieve the ball.
Akaashi knew that running probably wasn't the best thing that he should have been doing, but he said nothing about it. The ball was tossed back to him, and again, he got back to tossing the ball for Bokuto.
After three sets, there was another hit, and another cheer from the former ace. Akaashi raised his eyebrows.
"Impressive." He watched the ball roll further away from them, and expected to see Bokuto trailing it, but instead saw nothing. He turned his attention back to the only other in the room.
Bokuto stared off in the distance from beyond the net, his face carrying a confused expression. After a moment, quietly, he spoke.
"They... Aren't really there, are they?" The words left his mouth reluctantly.
Akaashi glanced in the direction of where Bokuto was staring. No one. They were the only two in the gym. He dug his thumb nail into the side of his index finger and returned his gaze to Bokuto.
"They aren't really there." He had to force himself to say the mere four words.
Bokuto mouthed an "Okay," before backing up several steps. "Could you please toss to me some more?"
"Sure." Akaashi nodded once, and that was all that Bokuto needed to hear before he ran off to retrieve the ball.