(Art by Amezure)
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"Hit me up, bartender?" Kuroo grinned guiltily at Bokuto.
"Oh, hey it's you, rat boy!" Bokuto exclaimed, happily.
If Akaashi weren't so exceedingly mad at the moment, he thought he might laugh. He did however smile. It bordered on a delirious smirk.
Kuroo blinked and turned sideways to look confoundedly at Akaashi.
"He just called me a rat," Kuroo stated.
"You see why I like him so much" Akaashi cocked an eyebrow, his grin sloping to one side and revealing a show of teeth. Much like Kuroos' cocky smiles.
"You do!?" Bokutos cheeks crept with red. "I really like you too, Kaashi!" he grinned, obviously embarrassed.
Akaashi softly smiled back.
And that was a lot to unpack. But the haunting fact was that Kuroo was there and he had no intention to stop his cruise ship from ruining everything in its way.
Including Akaashis...well...he didn't want to use these words but his budding romance.
Someone who he really liked. It was as if they had clicked somehow. It was so easy, so relaxing, so interesting when talking to Bokuto.
He had never found anyone like that before. At least well not someone who he was also romantically interested in as well. Sorry, Kuroo. Or not sorry Kuroo, the bastard.
Kuroo meekly touched a hand to his face and then patted down his chest with a pout.
"Damn I know I didn't prepare to come out tonight, but do I look that bad?".
"Yes" was Akaashis knee jerk response.
"No, no, no, ratatouille!" Bokuto interjected. He waved a few times dismissively in front of his chest, his head shaking side to side.
"Ohhh" Kuroo popped his lips and looked down at the bar as realization struck him.
"I actually re-watched that movie straight after our conversation last night!" he looked back at Bokuto, excitedly.
"Bro, really!?" Bokuto exclaimed.
"Bro, yes!".
Akaashis brain slowly tuned out of the conversation after an excited squeal from Bokuto, and he reached deep into his pockets, bringing out his phone.
His fingers tapped over his keyboard, monotonously. He angled himself away from the two talking.
Akaashi goes sicko mode:
Do you know where your boyfriend is tonight?
Applepi:
In the arms of another man if I'm correct
(Akaashi goes sicko mode changed their name to Akaashi)
Akaashi:
He's being his usual pain in the ass Kuroo self. He canceled his date and is now ruining mine. Come get him, please?
(Applepi changed Akaashi's name to Akaashi goes sicko mode)
Applepi:
Sounds like too much work. Tell him I said hi
Akaashi goes sicko mode:
Kenma, I have never wanted anything so badly in my life
Applepi:
I'm in the middle of a live stream
Akaashi goes sicko mode:
I'll buy you a pizza
Applepi:
I'm working bitch
Akaashi goes sicko mode:
I'll buy you any new game that you want
Applepi:
...
Pokemon Sword and Shield. You can buy it online. I'll be there in 10
(Akaashi goes sicko mode shared their location)
"Hey, who are you texting? Don't you know it's rude to text on a date" Kuroo leaned over, propping his chin on Akaashis shoulder.
Akaashi flicked his forehead and he retreated with a hiss.
He glanced up to the bar and noticed Bokuto had been waved away by a group of giggling girls, all receiving a different fruit cocktail each.
He made it look so easy, slicing the fruit and easily sparing up a conversation with the group as he worked.
In front of Akaashi lay a varied line of shots he hadn't noticed Bokuto preparing.
"It's not really a date, is it?" Akaashis lips pinched tight as he tried to refrain from scowling.
Kuroos eyes seemed to soften slightly at these words. He had to be guilty at his actions if not for the slightest idea that he was veritably being rude.
"I just wanted to meet him," he pouted.
"You couldn't have easily waited until we built our relationship up a little? I've only known him for so little and I just...I want to know more about him. It's hard when...".
Akaashi squinted his eyes as if considering saying his next words.
"When you're here. Sorry".
"Well, hey, can you guess the best way to get to know someone?" Kuroo wiggled his thick eyebrows.
"The absolute best way to bond?".
"Survive an alligator attack together? I don't know" Akaashi rubbed at his temples.
"Even. Better," Kuroo smirked.
~~~
Oh man, Akaashi was so pretty, His smile was something else. His eyes were always hooded when he smiled ever so softly.
His thick long lashes would follow his narrowed eyes when he would smirk.
Especially when he was being so cocky talking to Kuroo.
It was honestly an accomplishment that Bokuto hadn't cut off a few of his fingers while slicing this tangerine for a cocktail.
His eyes just seemed to be dragged back every few seconds.
The way his curls were so refined, coiling against his forehead, around his ears and the bottom of his nape. His skin so clear, his laugh so bubbly but pleasant to hear.
Akaashi was pretty on the inside and the outside.
And Bokuto was... nothing.
Bokuto had weird hair, but it was the only thing that suited him, and it was still crap.
He had a chipped tooth towards the back from a volleyball accident.
His eyebrows looked abnormal, like boomerangs.
His laugh was too maniac, too loud. People grimaced when he laughed.
But not Akaashi. Because Akaashi was pretty inside and out. Akaashi was nice. Akaashi was everything Bokuto wanted to have.
He wanted Akaashi, and that felt selfish.
He could never compare to someone so put together. When he was just what? Him.
"Make that three cocktails, bartender" a brunette woman giggled in front of him.
Her two friends pushed at her shoulder disapprovingly, but they were laughing.
"Oh, special occasion?" Bokuto grinned.
His eyes shot up to look at them before returning to the fruit. They were all in tight dresses, primped hair and happy grins.
They looked very nice.
"Bachelorette party" a blonde waggled her eyebrows and all of them leaned their hands in to wiggle fingers against each other.
"Yea so keep those drinks coming if ya know what I mean" another girl winked.
Bokuto gathered the fruit, dicing it and plopping it in the lined-up glasses. He was kinda getting hungry looking at it.
"Mm, sorry, my shift ends soon" he shot them an apologetic look.
"Oh well, if the next bartender is as hot as you, then I think we'll be a-okay" the brunette smirked.
"Eh, you think I look nice?" Bokutos eyes widened a smidge.
"Not just nice! H O T!" the blonde exclaimed, earning a snort from her other friends.
And suddenly Bokuto wasn't feeling as dejected. Like his smile wasn't as forced.
If they thought he wasn't too bad looking then surely Akaashi must think of him as at least decent. Right?
"Well here are your drinks ladies" Bokuto smiled, pushing forward the cocktail glasses.
"Ah, is none of our flirting landing" the brunette pouted, tendrils of hair floated around her eyes from her fringe.
Bokuto shook his head in fervor.
"No, no you're all lovely!".
'Is it because you have to be professional?".
"God I wish it were that" Bokuto leaned his elbows on the bar, placing his forehead in his hands.
Across the bar, he could see Akaashis face scrunched in light laughter. It was a sight he could look at for at least another hour. Maybe a decade actually.
"More like I'm already madly fond of someone else here" he groaned.
The girls all smiled wildly, looking at each other.
"Spill the tea" the blonde urged, flicking her wrist.
"It's that guy over there" Bokuto sighed, nodding his head down at the bar.
Akaashi was cocking an eyebrow at Kuroo, now looking thoroughly nonplussed. He still looked good even when pissed, goddammit.
"Oh my god, this is just like a fan fanfiction" the black-haired girl whispered.
"He's drop-dead gorgeous, holy shit" the brunette curled her hands around her eyes as fake binoculars.
"Want us to go over there and hype you up?" the blonde clicked her fingers at him.
"Aha, no I'm going to charm him all by myself, no help needed. Cause I'm the best" Bokuto stood straighter, adjusting his tie.
He could do this. He would charm the pants of Akaashi! Ah, wait no not in that way. Well, maybe. Dot dot question mark?
"Aw, so cute" the brunette wailed.
"Good luck then loverboy" the blonde winked, picking up her cocktail.
Her friends followed suit, grabbing their colorful drinks, and they disappeared into the crowd. Bokuto hoped they would stay safe tonight.
He cleared up his station in what he hoped looked like an orderly fashion, and not a totally hurried mess and then headed back to Akaashi.
He still looked like he wanted to smack Kuroo upside the head with a newspaper. Or like one of those real thick magazines you see in a waiting room.
"And that's why I would date Garfield's owner, Jon," Bokuto overheard Kuroo saying.
Bokutos steps slowed, his eyebrows drawing inwards in confusion.
"Those are some valid reasons but I still don't see why you would..." Akaashi narrowed his eyes.
"Is Jon thick, yes. Is Jon a good caretaker, yes" Kuroo began.
"No! " Akaashi interjected, throwing up his hands. "That's where you lose me. Doesn't Garfield eat a fucking lasagna every day"?
"Well-" Kuroo tried.
"Either Jon has the most expensive vet bills and is a bad owner, or that cat isn't really a cat, but an alien" Akaashi pointed at him.
"That would...explain so much" Kuroo stroked his chin. "Like E.T, yea?".
"Not like E.T. More like- O-oh" Akaashis eyes widened as he caught Bokuto staring at them a few meters away.
Holy shit was Bokuto in love. He exceeded Bokuto's expectations.
He never thought...he...he was so fun. So enticing. He wanted to know more. Who was Akaashi Keiji?
"Aha, your manz knows we watch furry porn" Kuroo howled.
"Wh- I do not, you mother fu-"
"I don't know what I just walked into but I assumed you both drank all those shots I left you in record time" Bokuto tried to fight the grin off his face as he cleared the bar top in front of them.
"No," Akaashi replied. His chest jumped with a small hiccup.
Cute. So cute.
"YOU!" Kuroo pointed at him, and in turn, Bokuto hopped back slightly.
"DRANK UP!" Kuroos' finger swiveled to point at the shelves of alcohol behind him.
"Oh my god," Akaashi blinked, sluggishly. He was already tipsy.
"Is this the peer pressure my momma told me about when I was a kid" Bokuto gasped, grasping the front of his shirt in an attempt to look aghast.
"I like him, I like him a lotttt" Kuroos eyes found Akaashi.
"I found him first" Akaashi pulled a glass up to his lips to sip. And wait, he hadn't given him that?
Bokuto's eyes swiveled to look at the other side of the bar where a new bartender was already pulling out new glasses.
Both of them made eye contact and they nodded at him with the okay sign.
"Bokuto, Bokutooty, come drink with us. I know it's your shift and all but" Kuroo twirled his hand around.
"No, no, actually my shift just ended. Did you guys wanna do something?" Bokuto turned to face them again, beaming.
His hands found his tie and he loosened it. When his hands flew to unbutton his vest, he found Akaashis eyes following his movements, shamelessly.
"Yes, yes, yes, told you it would work" Kuroo spat at Akaashi, playfully.
-Akaashi who was leaning his head in his hand and looking at them, bored.
"Did you use body energy to summon a chakra circle so I could get off work or?" Bokuto asked, chuckling.
"No but I was telling Akaashi that you would drink with us if we were to find a booth and" Kuroo waggled his eyebrows. "Played a drinking game?".
"Oh my god yeah I'm down!" Bokuto hooted.
He slid the vest off round his white dress shirt, and again Akaashis eyes followed his actions.
"Yes!" Kuroo whooped, throwing his arms up in the air.
On the way, he knocked over a half full glass, sending liquid everywhere.
"Oh I got that don't worry" Bokuto immediately started to search for a cloth.
"Bokuto, you don't have to do that. It's not your shift anymore" Akaashi shook his head.
"Nah, it's all good. I'll still be the designated drink maker tonight. It'll be fun!".
Bokuto grinned at him, hoping it was more reassuring rather than looking like he was a pushover.
"God, I'm sorry. It's so hard to be human sometimes" Kuroo slapped himself in the forehead, a little too hard.
"He drank 75% of the shots" Akaashi filled Bokuto in, who was observing Kuroos now sullen mood.
Bokuto let his lips part in an 'ohh' and Akaashi sighed, regretfully.
Abruptly there was a buzz against his thigh and Bokuto pulled out his phone.
Oh... it was from them. He should text back but...he was having a good time here.
He bit his lip before hesitantly dropping the phone back into his pocket.
"I wish I lived in sims, I could just be like 'ooh, shooba wormie' and then my broken radio would most likely electrocute me to death" Kuroo tutted.
Kuroo looked down at the spilled drink, looking like he wanted to drink it.
But nope, Bokuto cleaned that right up before he could get to it.
"Either that or your pool ladder is removed by the gods and you have no way of getting out" Bokuto chuckled, wiping the cloth across the bar.
"Just hoist yourself up the side of the pool?" Akaashi asked, his voice perplexed and face confused.
"Akaashi have you ever played sims?" Kuroo turned his head to look at him, expression judgemental.
"Yea, Akaashi, it's not like that!" Bokuto shook his head.
"What? So you just have one option and when it's not there, you drown and die. Life must be hard" Akaashi clicked his tongue.
"Oh jeez...I guess living in sims wouldn't be the best?" Kuroo asked.
"No way dude, you can be like a lifeguard and still afford a house, bills and enough to splurge on a llama hedge" Bokuto put in.
"You're right. Every millennial's dream, affording a house" Kuroo nodded his head, thoughtfully.
"Well in this economy" Akaashi rolled his eyes.
"Right! Okay, we are officially not drunk enough if we're talking about the housing market and also making sense" Kuroo stated.
"Talk for yourself" Akaashi mumbled over his glass.
Kuroos mouth fell open, eyes wide. "Let's order a round of slippery nipples" he loudly whispered.
"...Excuse me?".
Akaashis face looked like he was thoroughly interested as well as looking like he wanted to cry on the spot.
A hard expression to pull off.
"Oh no, don't worry" Bokuto snorted. "It's a drink here. They're great. Do you want one?" Bokuto asked.
Shit did he sound too excited. Was he smiling too hard?
"Well I mean, if you can make it, then I suppose I would like to see".
Akaashi tried and failed to battle the smile off his face. Bokutos heart soared.
"It would be my pleasure to" Bokuto did a faint courtesy where he stood.
"Akaashi" Kuroos hand latched onto Akaashis shoulder, jostling him.
"He's straight-up asking for your nipple in marriage".
Bokuto fumbled with the bottle of Baileys in his hand as he reached for a new glass.
"Hand in marriage" Akaashi corrected.
"Nipple" Kuroo whispered slowly and loud, like the word he was speaking, was extraordinary.
"Hey, could you perhaps check the time for me?" Akaashi turned to look at Bokuto, ignoring a tipsy Kuroo giggling to himself.
"Er, uh" Bokuto fumbled to compose himself. "Sure, but, why?".
"Ahh the common folk, we meet again" a voice sounded from behind Akaashi.
Out stepped someone short, two-toned blonde and black hair, a blasé visage.
He stood there, shrouded in a heavy hoodie, his hair falling over the sides of his face.
Not someone who frequented clubs, or stepped outside for that matter. But also, if he looked closer, kind of cute?
"Kenma!?" Kuroo gasped.
"Kenma!?" Akaashi also gasped.
"Oh, I guess we didn't text about how this was gonna play out. Are you going to pretend to be surprised that I showed up? Like you had no idea...or? Cause I can walk in again" Kenma cocked an eyebrow at Akaashi.
"Nah, I'm fine. Just take him home thanks" Akaashi shrugged, turning back to the bar.
Bokuto was confused. But also intrigued.
"You rat bastard, you narked on me" Kuroo stated at Akaashi, accusingly.
"Technically you're the rat according to Bokuto" Akaashi pursed his lips.
"Again, sorry for that," Bokuto inputted.
He didn't know who this new person was but Bokuto was getting slightly disheartened.
He really had wanted to spend the night with Keiji.
And yes Kuroo was awesome and definitely someone who he saw hanging out with in the future.
But the more people that showed up, the harder it would be to get Akaashis attention. Attention Bokuto wanted for himself.
Selfish, he thought. So selfish.
"Bokuto, this is Kenma" Akaashi gestured to the shorter.
In return, Kenma waved, yawning and hands immediately pulled back to rub at his purple bagged eyes.
"Weren't you supposed to be live streaming?" Kuroo asked, now looking more alert.
-As if suddenly all the alcohol had been soaked up and dispelled form his body in one hit.
"I heard you were harassing Keiji," Kenma rolled his eyes.
"When is he not harassing me is more like it" Akaashi added on, taking a sip of his new drink.
"Oh shit, this is so good" Akaashi groaned into the cup.
Bokuto beamed, opening his mouth to speak, but Kenma got there first.
"Kuroo, come home" Kenma sighed.
"Ehm, where's the bribery?" Kuroo tilted his head playfully.
"We can hold hands on the Wii menu" Kenma cocked an eyebrow.
"Wow, my heart is soaring" Kuroo spoke in a monotone.
Okay. If this night wasn't going to be Bokuto and Akaashi, he might as well take advantage of that.
He wanted to have a good time, and it would be even better if he just did one thing.
"Hey, well since we have more people now, why don't we do that drinking game. I can ring up my friends who are visiting in town and introduce you" Bokuto directed the words towards Akaashi.
"The friends who shot you with paintball guns?" Akaashi asked.
Bokuto nodded.
"The friends who got banned from the club for reasons unknown apart from pepper spray ping pong paddles," Akaashi asked.
Bokuto nodded, enthusiastically.
"No," Kenma said.
"Yes," Kuroo said back.
"I'm going to commit a homicide" Kenma mumbled as he was swept into Kuroos hugging arms as he began to pepper kisses all over his face.
"Kaashi?" Bokuto looked over to him.
He was looking at his friends, eyes bright, soft and laughing. He turned to look at Bokuto, cheeks rosy and eyes crinkled.
Please say yes, please say yes.
"Only if I get to try another one of your slippery nipples?" Akaashi grinned.
This was going to be the death of Bokuto Koutarou.
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Wtf was this ╥╯﹏╰╥
I swear I had plot all lined out but then I started writing dialogue and it turned over 3000 words.
So now I have to split the chapter in two smhhh.
Also if your wondering what the heck you're reading, just remember this is the book I work on when I have writers block. So its always gonna be a little shitty ;0
Now excuse me while I go jam out playing animal crossing cause my schools only just shut down yesterday.
Its quarantine time bitch.