This was hard to write. Not in the same sense as the last chapter, but bro the flow is not there -_-
So... let's just ignore that...
My thumb hovered over the "call" button as I stared down, willing myself to press it. My free hand clutched the bathroom counter tightly, my knuckles beginning to turn white and my arm shaking. Why was this so hard? I had been begging myself to do this since the first day after Bokuto and I's fight, and yet nothing. Two and a half months had passed and nothing. We had both come back to Tokyo for summer break... and as far as I knew Bokuto was still at home, just a short walk away, and I couldn't even call him. What was wrong with me?
I just had to get this over with already. I had to see if he'd even talk to me. Enough time had gone by, and sitting around and doing nothing hadn't gotten me anywhere. I just had to do it. Like ripping a bandaid off.
A shaky breath escaped my lungs as my thumb jammed into the "call" button.
This was happening.
I held the phone up to my ear as I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. Dark eyebags adorned by face, along with an angry scowl, and Jesus Christ this looked all too familiar.
Here I was, back in the same place I was all those months ago, calling Bokuto to tell him the good news that I had gotten into his college, only to be interrupted by a second voice that for all I knew belonged to his bestie Iwaizumi. The same guy who had now effectively ruined Bo and I's friendship...
No, not ruined... just, um, put a damper on...?
"'Kaashi!?" A loud voice exclaimed on the other end of the line, causing me to jump. The voice sent a sharp jolt down my spine.
Nope. This was not happening.
I quickly slammed the phone down, frantically pressing at buttons until the call dropped.
What was wrong with me?
I was pathetic.
Who in their right mind couldn't make a single phone call to make up with their best friend after months of not talking? Me. That's who. Well... maybe not the "in their right mind" part, but everything else was pretty fitting.
My lips twitched into a snarl as I stared at my sad reflection hanging above the bathroom sink.
I had to fix this.
I needed Bokuto.
My skin itched and my chest ached and I needed him.
It was all my fault. Who cared if Bokuto was lying to me about Iwaizumi? I didn't even care anymore. All I cared about was getting my best friend back.
◆ ◆ ◆
"Where are you going, Keiji?"
"Out."
"Where is 'out'?" My mother asked, crossing her arms across her chest as she watched me pull my shoes on from the kitchen.
"I'm allowed to go out aren't I? I'm an adult now," I curtly replied, opening the front door. I watched the woman open her mouth in protest, but no words came out, and before she could think of any I was gone.
The weather was nice. It was dark out, and it must have been past 8pm already, but the t-shirt sleeves exposing my bare arms seemed to be plenty to keep me warm. It had been in the 80s all week, and if it weren't for my decision to lock myself in my bedroom all summer and wallow in self pity, I may have actually enjoyed it. If only it was always warm out. Warm was good. I was always cold, always, and I needed something to keep me warm. Something to keep out the cold.
The fleeting summer warmth would have to suffice for now.
"Bokuto-san," I gulped. My hand was still mid air as I went to knock at the door, but Bokuto had beaten me to it, flinging his front door open the second I was on his front step.
I stared wide eyed at the man I hadn't seen in nearly three months, and oh god, somehow he had gotten even better looking over the summer. Bokuto's skin was tanner, he looked like he had recently gotten a haircut, and jesus christ, he somehow seemed even more buff. And oh god, it was silent. It was so silent and I had to say something-- anything to get rid of that deafening silence.
How on earth had I not thought of what I was going to say before getting to Bokuto's house? I was the king of overthinking and yet, nothing. No words were coming to mind; the only thing keeping my focus being those piercing golden eyes.
Man I had missed those eyes.
Well fuck. This was definitely the longest anyone had gone without saying anything ever. Here I was, standing in front of my best friend... ex best friend? No, no, stay focused Keiji. Anyway, here I was standing in front of Bokuto silently, after not speaking to him in months, and he was just staring at me right back, waiting for me to say something. Now was my chance. This was my chance to apologize and make everything better. That's all I had to do, but instead, I suddenly found my face buried in a strong, broad, chest.
Bokuto's arms wrapped around me as he clutched me into him, and oh god he was warm. He was so warm. I wanted him to keep me warm forever. Was that too much to ask? Yes, yes it was. All I needed to ask right now was for forgiveness.
"A-agaashi," Bokuto wailed into my hair, his nose smashed into the side of my head. I wrapped my arms around his torso, my fingers finding his spine through his thin shirt as I breathed in the warmth that was Bokuto-san. Why had I been so scared to come here in the first place? Why had I been so worried that he'd still be mad at me? This was Bokuto we were talking about-- my Bokuto, and I should've known better.
"I missed you so much," Bo blabbered, his grip on me tightening as the bone crushing hug intensified. "Never leave me again 'Kaashi, please never."
I felt a piece of my heart break at those words.
I would never leave Bokuto again.
Never ever.
"Bokutho-san, can I comf in," I murmured into his chest, the sound muffled against his skin. I loosened my hold around Bo's waist in hopes that it would tip him off that he could loosen his grip on me as well, but I should've known better.
"O-of course!" Bokuto replied in between another sob as he took a large step back into his house, still continuing to hold me in the crumbling embrace. I struggled not to trip over my own two feet as I was blindly led into the Bokuto residence, when thankfully, my saving grace finally came.
"Keiji-kun? IS THAT YOU!?" A howling voice called.
"Mmfphh-," I mumbled in response, still inaudible against the black and white haired boy's chest.
"KOUTAROU LET HIM GO! YOU'RE CRUSHING POOR KEIJI-KUN!" The same voice came again, from the direction of the kitchen.
"Kou, you're gonna kill him. Can he even breath?" A calmer one chimed in, although I could hardly hear them over Bokuto's cries.
"I'M SORRY!" Bokuto angrily exclaimed as he finally released me. I grabbed onto his shoulder to steady myself as I attempted to catch my breath. "IT'S NOT MY FAULT I MISSED MY BEST FRIEND!" He wailed.
Best friend.
No "ex" in front of the word.
I was still Bokuto's best friend.
"It is you Keiji-kun!!!" Bokuto's mother yelled as her golden brown eyes fell on me. I glanced up to see the short woman standing in the kitchen, wearing her usual frilly yellow apron.
"Ah, Bokuto-san," I bowed at the woman, although all three pairs of eyes turned to me at the title.
"How many times do I have to tell you to drop the honorifics and call me Himari," Bokuto's mother chided, setting down the towel she had in hand and running up to me.
"Tell me about it," Bokuto grumbled under his breath as Himari wrapped her arms around me, giving a tight squeeze similarly to how her son had.
"A-ah, sorry H-himari-san," I choked out as the air was knocked from my lungs by her strong grip.
"Ma, now you're gonna kill Keiji-kun," Bokuto's older sister, Rai, called from the living room. Rai laid on the couch, comfortably reclined, as her head hung lazily over the arm; staring at me. She looked as though she hadn't moved an inch since the last time I was over here, her chin length white hair still being pulled toward the ground as she eyed me upside down with those narrow, honey brown, eyes.
Himari let me go with a huff after this comment, her large cheeks filling with air as she glared at her daughter.
"Good evening, Rai-san," I said, grateful for the air now able to fill my lungs once more. Rai gave me a quick smile, before turning her attention back towards the TV show she had been watching before I came in.
"Say, where have you been all summer Keiji-kun?" Himari chimed in, picking pieces of lint off my shirt as she tugged me towards the kitchen, plopping me down on a stool.
"Oh, I... uh--"
"'Kaashi's been busy, Ma! Leave it alone," Bokuto groaned, walking up behind me and dropping his forehead to my shoulder. And oh, that was nice. I could smell Bo's familiar hair gel, and ah I had missed that smell.
"Ugh, everyone's too busy to visit me nowadays! You should have stopped by sooner Keiji," Himari chided, giving my cheeks a quick pat before she turned back to the pot of boiling water she had going on the stove. "Not even Michi came home for the summer! Too occupied with all her college friends and that new boyfriend she refuses to let me meet."
"Michi is busy! Give her a break, it's the first summer she's missed since starting college 3 years ago," Bokuto groaned, slumping onto the stool next to me.
"Ungrateful daughter," Himari clicked her tongue, before shifting her gaze over to the couch Rai was still lying on. "JUST LIKE THAT OTHER ONE WHO ONLY COMES HOME TO STEAL MY FOOD!" She yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth as though she needed the extra boost of volume. If there was one thing the Bokuto family didn't need more of, it was volume.
"Yeah, yeah, that's not what you said when you were begging me to come home back in June!" Rai called back, not bothering to lift her gaze from the TV.
"Tsk, tsk," Himari scoffed, "Keiji-kun is the only one who isn't ungrateful." I watched as Himari suddenly handed me a plate, stuffed with food.
"Oh, thank you, Himari-san," I bowed my head, taking the plate.
"OH HEAR THAT RAI? THAT'S WHAT THANKING YOUR DEAR OLD MOTHER SOUNDS LIKE!" Himari barked, directing her voice back towards the living room.
"Yeah, yeah!"
"Maaaa," Bokuto groaned, slumping his upper body across the counter as he finally cut off his mother and older sister's banter. "When's MY food gonna be ready!?"
"When you stop bitching about it, you ungrateful son," Himari replied, turning back to the rest of the food she was preparing. "Afterall, someone neglected to tell me that my darling Keiji-kun was coming over, so someone's dinner has been passed on to our wonderful guest."
"WHAAAATTT," Bokuto wailed, lifting his head from the counter, and looking at his mother as though she had just told him she had murdered someone. "IT'S NOT MY FAULT I DIDN'T TELL YOU! I DIDN'T KNOW 'KAASHI WAS COMING!"
Himari cocked an eyebrow at me, slinging her towel over her left shoulder.
"Bokuto-san is right, I didn't tell him I was coming over," I sighed. She eyed me up and down for a moment before her natural pleased expression came back over her face.
"Oh, well, I guess you'll just have to give him Koutarou some warning next time, so I can prepare a real meal for you Keiji-kun," Himari nodded.
I smiled at her, and then proceeded to pick up my chopsticks, digging into the supposedly not "real" meal she had served me; despite it being the best thing I had eaten since coming back to Tokyo.
"Anywho, are you staying over tonight Keiji-kun?" The woman chirped up again. My eyes widened and I gulped down the bite of food I had in my mouth. I still hadn't really talked to Bokuto yet, let alone talked about staying the night.
"Course he is!" Bokuto intervened, a wide grin appearing on his face, seemingly forgotten that I had stolen his dinner. "Right? 'S that okay with you, Akaashi?"
"Course it is," I smiled.
◆ ◆ ◆
I followed Bokuto up the narrow stairs to his bedroom, keeping my eyes trained on the floor the entire time. I still had so much I needed to say to him. Even if everything seemed fine and normal in front of his family, an apology was still needed. I owed him that much.
Bokuto swung open his bedroom door and I stepped inside the dark space. I listened to Bokuto as he moved to shut the door once more, and I turned to him.
"I'm sorry."
I hung my head as Bokuto looked over at me. His whole body flinched at the words, and he quickly took a step closer. "I should have came by sooner, I-I shouldn't have waited so long..." I gulped, crossing the room and sitting down on Bokuto's old bed. I had almost forgotten what his room looked like after all this time.
"'Kaashi," Bokuto breathed, taking a seat next to me and causing the whole bed to dip down. "You don't need to apologize, i-if anything I should be the one sayin' sorry," the boy mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck as he stared off across the small room. Old torn up volleyballs littered the floor, along with knocked over stacks of manga and dirty clothes. It looked the same as the day I came over to help him pack up for college.
"Bokuto-san," I began after a moment. "T-this whole situation was so stupid," I sighed, folding my hands in my lap. "You don't need to say sorry. I only wish I had come by sooner."
"Me too..." Bo confessed. "I was actually on my way to come talk to you when I found you standing at my front door," he chuckled. "Funny how we both chose to make up on the same day, right?"
"Yeah, yeah it is," I lightly laughed. "This wasn't the first time I tried to come by either."
"It wasn't?"
"No..." I gulped. "Every other time I showed up I didn't have the nerve to knock though," I toyed with my fingers, glancing up at the blue painted ceiling. "So it's a good thing you were there to open it today before I got the chance." Bokuto shifted closer to me slightly.
"Hmmm," he hummed, soaking up the new information. "Sounds like fate."
"I-it... it does."
A comfortable silence fell on the room for a moment, each of us just soaking up the other's presence. I never wanted to be away from Bokuto that long ever again. He was my best friend, and he somehow always managed to make everything better in one way or another. I had missed him everyday that summer, and on top of that, I had missed the person I was around him just as much. Bokuto brought out the best in me, and I deserved to be the best version of myself that I could be.
"I'll be right back," Bokuto spoke, breaking the silence after a moment.
I silently watched the boy leave the room, the door shutting softly behind him. He really hadn't changed.
Before I knew it, Bokuto was reemerging, the hint of a smile on his face before he quickly pushed it away.
I cocked an eyebrow at him as he collapsed back on the bed beside me.
"So... Ma got rid of the futon," Bokuto shrugged, "so that means we're bunking together tonight 'Kaashi."
"Bunking together?"
"Mhm!" He smiled. "Just like the old days when our air mattress popped during your first year! Oh, and when the new one popped your second year..."
"I told you you should've really stopped jumping on them with Kuroo-san."
"But they were so much bouncier than the bed! And with the air mattress there was that extra fear factor that it might slip out from under you mid-jump!"
"The doctor who had to check you out after you got that concussion wasn't amused by that explanation and neither am I."
"'Kaaaashiii," Bo whined, curling himself around my upright torso as he stayed horizontal.
"I'm just kidding, Bokuto-san," I chuckled, running a hand through his stiff hair, and slowly working the gel out of it.
"I missed you," Bokuto mumbled into my shirt after a moment.
"I missed you too."
◆ ◆ ◆
I attempted to let out a groggy moan as my eyes slowly peeled open. Sunlight filled the room, and a light blue popcorn ceiling hung above me, along with something else.
The messy black and white head of hair sat lazily on my shoulder, as Bokuto lied on top of me, smothering me with his body weight. No, "smothering" wasn't the right word. More like... crushing.
Oh god, Bokuto was crushing me with his bodyweight.
I was being crushed.
This is what dying felt like, didn't it?
I groaned as I struggled to keep my lungs inflating with every breath against Bokuto's obscenely heavy body. I may have thought all his muscles from volleyball would be the death of me before, but now they were literally going to be the death of me as he slowly suffocated my lungs.
"B-Bokuto... san," I coughed, trying to shove the man off of me. His arms and legs that hung off either side of my body keeping me pinned to the mattress only tightened however, and I quickly realized the only way I was getting Bokuto off of me was by having him do it himself. "Bokuto-san!" I tried again, managing to raise my voice as loud as I could. I struggled to free my arms from under him as I pounded at his back... his... strong and muscle-y back, and wow did Bokuto have a nice back... If it weren't for the weight keeping all of me pinned down, I may have popped a boner.
"M-move..." I groaned again, pounding at the boy harder. He mumbled something against my neck in response, shifting slightly but not lessening the weight on top of me whatsoever. "I c-can't breath," I wheezed, finally reaching up and tugging at Bo's hair.
The boy groaned at this, lifting his head as he batted his sleepy golden eyes at me.
"'Kaashi?" He mumbled, narrowing his gaze as he took in my breathless expression.
"Get o-off of me!" I said, using all my strength to try and push the bone crushing man off of my leaner figure.
Without another word, Bokuto rolled away, yawning as he reached up and rubbed his face.
I gasped for air as I sat up onto my elbows.
Of all the ways to nearly die, I never thought it would have been at the hands of Bokuto. Guess I was wrong.
"Morninnn," the man in question hummed, slowly rousing himself as he remained oblivious to my near death experience.
"Morning," I grumbled back, casting him a dirty look he didn't catch onto in the slightest.
"You ready for today?" Bo smiled, sitting up and stretching out his arms.
"Ready?"
"Mhm! Beach volleyball!"
I let out a low chuckle. I should've guessed.
"I'm ready."
"Ah great! The guys can't wait to see you!"
"...The guys?"
Ahhhh, and the Bokuto's are introduced...
Okay, but when Furudate first announced that Bo Bear had two older sisters I knew I had to work them into this story some how... so here's the first lil cameo ;p
In other news: YAY AKAASHI AND BOKUTO MADE UP
MY OTP WHOOP WHOOP
If y'all are as relieved that our boys are happy and together again as I am, please give this chapter a vote 🥺 and I'll see you guys next week for a good ol' fun chapter.
Gotta keep you guys on your toes.