make up your mind

part twelve: with mischeif brings unity

art credits: micryxi on tumblr

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akaashi, at this moment, is absolutely bewildered by the energy contained inside of bokuto, and it was only the third day. he was ten times worse now that kuroo had joined them in the third gymnasium for blocking practice. the day camp was finished and it was considerably dark outside, but that did not stop the cat and owl from screaming at any given moment.

in fact, kuroo was shouting at lev about his crappy block technique, so much so that he was face-down on the floor with sweat nearly pooling around him. akaashi cringed, but turned his attention elsewhere at bokuto's guffaw about it. a few moments later, the three of them heard footsteps on the concrete outside, and kuroo went to investigate with a curious bokuto behind him.

"hey you, karasuno! you with the glasses!" akaashi peered out from kuroo's shoulder, taking a glimpse at the lanky blonde walking stiffly along the sidewalk. said boy turned around with a blank face, raising a brow at the two idiots, who were pretending to stretch under his gaze. "wanna jump a few blocks for us?" kuroo asked, waving his hand towards the gym.

the kid furrowed his brow, then pulled on what bokuto would consider an antagonizing smile, saying, "actually, i'm done for the night. if you'll excuse me..." he bowed forward a bit, and even akaashi, who chose not to listen to his head, could feel that he was trying to piss them off.

bokuto and kuroo stiffened. "but it's pointless to practice hitting without blockers!" bokuto complained, "i beg you!"

"why me? why not somebody from fukurodani?"

akaashi stepped forward, speaking with a voice that was crisp and clean, peacefully cutting the silence of the night. "bokuto-san's spike practice is endless, so they all hurry up and leave to escape it."

"and i'm busy training this guy." kuroo pointed over his shoulder at lev still stationary on the ground. he popped his head up for a moment to argue with his upperclassman, shouting, "i said i'd jump all those blocks!" making the bedheaded boy snap at him, telling him to shut up.

but alas, the two started arguing about something that akaashi really couldn't care less about, and until kuroo started speaking calmly again, thoughts of his girlfriend were spinning in his mind.

"it may not look like it," kuroo said, walking down a step and pointing at bokuto, "but this guy is one of the five best hitters in the nation, so i think he'd be good practice for you." at the notion, bokuto smiled with pride, but don't worry, akaashi always found a way to deflate him.

"he probably just misses being in the top three." he deadpanned.

bokuto swiftly turned and shouted, "don't raise me up just to knock me down!" akaashi forced a smile away, and before he knew it, kuroo pissed off the blonde so much that he was now stepping into the gymnasium with a glare.

even with all the chaos, the boy was wondering what (name) was up to, but he didn't get to think about her too much; bokuto and kuroo were beckoning him over to the net. as much as akaashi wondered about her, he wanted nothing more than to play more volleyball, yet once their fun little session was over, he once again went to bed with his mind spinning.

akaashi's phone lit up beside him.

he looked behind him to make sure that nobody was looking over his shoulder, then hastily grabbed the device and reading the words on the screen. akaashi, as quietly as he could, bolted from the room out into the hallway and answered the phone call. at the fimiliar voice, all of the noise around him seemed to dissipate and he was allowed to solely focus on her.

"inside scoop time! kaori and yukie-chan are hosting a barbecue tomorrow afternoon! but you didn't hear that from me..."

"ahh—"

"also i really need to tell you something," she interrupted. akaashi could hear the anxiety in her voice; he pressed the issue.

"what's wrong?"

"i can't hear them anymore," she said, "i can't hear any voices. like at all. since last night they just disappeared,"

"(name)—"

"i forgot what this feels like," a whisper came from the other end, and akaashi felt a small wave of nervousness, for why he didn't know. "i don't know how to feel."

he didn't blame her. after all, it's crazy enough to even live with that kind of condition (he didn't know another name to call it), but even crazier to have it randomly go away. akaashi had no idea what to tell her, so he just offered his support after camp.

"i did a thing already, though," she nervously said, "i'm sort of already at the school gates."

"you can't be serious," he said, but to his surprise she'd already hung up. akaashi ran down the hallway as quiet as humanly possible, down the stairs and out the front doors. waiting in the open darkness was (name), her weight shifting from one leg to the other, and akaashi found it impossible not to have warmth bubble inside him. she wore a loose sweatshirt and pink cotton shorts that rippled in the night breeze, as well as a nervous expression, a rare look for her that made akaashi's brows furrow unconciously.

once she'd noticed him, she started towards akaashi, and he could tell that she was genuinely upset about the situation. he didn't even get a chance to say anything before she hugged him tight, catching him off guard and effectively making him stumble back. after he caught himself, he hugged her back, silently letting her know that it would all be okay.

and he forgot that she wouldn't be able to tell.

akaashi placed a hand on the back of her head in an attempt to transfer this thought, but in all honesty, her mind was in shambles. akaashi knew that much. he could hear the scrambling of words, jumbling together as if she had a language disability; feeling her rapid heartbeat through his shirt. the only thing he was able to make out was a plead for what she thought plagued her before.

god, what i'd give to hear again.

"it's okay," akaashi murmured, pulling her closer, "you'll be fine."

she took a deep breath and let go of him, smiling slightly and turned her eyes down. "i should go," (name) said, "enji's waiting for me by the gate."

"okay," he said, "i'll see you in two days."

she nodded, smiling weakly and turning to walk away a little too quick for his liking. however it was midnight and they both needed sleep, he knew that.

but it upset him.

akaashi was mad.

mad that she was struggling with this loss; no matter how much it cursed her, it had been part of her life for years.

so yes, he was mad.

he didn't show it, though, just walked back with a set jaw and hands stuffed in his pockets.

how can such a thing happen? what kind of universe is this? to where we can impose on others, and have it go away so suddenly? how does that even work?

even so, akaashi hugged his pillow tight for warmth and refused to think about it any longer.