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"What do you expect from our company?" the interviewer asked.
A job. A straightforward path, the only concerns about the budget for printer toners. A solitary lifestyle in a cubicle. But Akaashi curled his fingers around his resume and thought wryly that if he truly wanted all that, he wouldn't be applying to an anime company.
“Listen to this! ‘Dear Bokuto-san, I watched your game and it was very good. I think you are great. We have never talked before, but I hope you accept this letter. My friends would say something like ‘it would mean a lot to her if you accepted this…!’ but since I am writing to you directly, I will say I only want you to know this. You are great. I am interested in you. Sincerely, Your Admirer.’” Bokuto paused to allow Akaashi to take in the romantic atmosphere. “Akaashi. This is a love letter! It’s a love letter! I got a love letter!”
Akaashi Keiji has the most perfect slapshot known to man.
“He really doesn’t,” Kuroo says, amused. But Kuroo also has terrible judgement and terrible hair and he’s secretly in love with a certain tiny, terrifying singles skater and he doesn’t know a damn thing about hockey so he can’t even talk, Bokuto is going to go find someone who will be nice to him.
As punishment for hacking the school files, and to try and put him back on the right track, Akaashi is sentenced to tutor the most unteachable boy in Fukurodani: Bokuto Koutarou
It started when Akaashi walked into the gym for university volleyball club practice. No, it started when Bokuto decided that he had to ask him out. No, no, it started with Akaashi turned Bokuto down.
Really, all of that is just the beginning. It ends with something much, much more.
Bokuto Koutarou, contrary to popular belief, is the family disappointment.
Bokuto loves the rain.
Loves it too much, Akaashi thinks. Loves it like Bokuto loves everything. Wholly, completely. With total and absolute abandon.
Akaashi would be lying if he said that didn't scare him.
Rule #1: Don't hurt Akaashi. Rule #2: Don't taint Akaashi. Rule #3: Don't involve Akaashi. Rule #4: Don't damage Akaashi. Rule #5 (optional): Try not to destroy yourself.
Because if any of these girls had taken the time to actually get to know him, they’d quickly realize something even more important than his lack of interest in girls. And that was that Akaashi hated sweets.
Bokuto sees him every day, every commute, at the final train. The stranger he only knows as Train Guy. Wrapped in coats, mystery, and distance - that is, until Bokuto breaks their familiar silence. He struggles with the hardest part of befriending someone he thinks he already knows: taking a step back to reevaluate all his assumptions. He finds the easiest part is getting to learn about Train Guy all over again.
“It was a strange night for both of us. It was also a misfortune on my part to enter a stall that couldn’t be locked.”
Akaashi only has two rules when it comes to his profession. One, complete the job as swiftly and cleanly as possible. Two, never trust anyone who smells like blood.
Rule three is to shoot Owl Eyes in the face should he ever come across him, but Akaashi never tells anyone about that one.
Akaashi Keiji is just a normal cop with a penchant for getting himself into trouble, when quite suddenly he finds himself with a big promotion and a brand new partner.
But his habit of finding trouble hasn't gone away -- if anything, it's only gotten worse.
“I feel like it’s been a long time, Akaashi.”
“Do you find me pretty intriguing, Akaashi?”
“Not particularly,” Akaashi lies again.
“It was a strange night for both of us. It was also a misfortune on my part to enter a stall that couldn’t be locked.”
“Well,” Bokuto rushed to find something to respond in kind. “If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t see your penis or anything!”
“That’s blood magic,” Akaashi said at the same time Kuroo said, “You can’t, Bokuto, you’re cursed.”
In which Akaashi Keiji is an overworked accountant who stumbles upon Bokuto one night playing the piano in the lobby of his work. Bokuto is different, that much is obvious. But with such supreme musical talent and a smile so dazzling it rivals the sun, there's just something about him that brings Akaashi back every night.
Bokuto Koutarou is only good at talking about one thing: volleyball. Akaashi Keiji is too harsh for most people's tastes.
They meet in the middle somewhere.
Keiji needs a date. Bokuto needs dating lessons. Nothing could possibly go wrong.
It’s only 9 A.M., and Keiji hasn’t had his coffee yet, so he really can’t be blamed for the way his heart stutters in his chest.
I wish Bokuto-san understood the perspective of someone other than himself.
"Hey," Konoha says, tone hushed, one day after practice when he and Bokuto end up staying behind together. "Akaashi likes you, you know?"
Bokuto is in the process of putting on a clean shirt. "Of course he does," he says, voice too close to his ears under the fabric. "We're friends!" He pulls the shirt down, freeing his head. "What," he says, suddenly self-conscious, "does someone not like me?"
And leave me behind, too was left unsaid, but it was implied.
apr 28 2023 +