I couldn't even wait to finish the main installment before posting a side short.
"Are you sure you'll be all right?"
Akaashi's leaning against the car, his arm braced along the top edge of the door while Kenma stares at him.
"We always work it out," the smaller man mumbles, index finger shaking over the button that controls the window.
"You always fight, too," Akaashi says before he can help it.
Kenma's nose scrunches up but he doesn't say anything else. He knows Akaashi's all too willing to give him the guest bed if he ends up coming back.
The cab drives off and Akaashi lets out a quiet sigh before turning and making his way back inside.
He's greeted by excited barking, though he's only been out no more than five minutes. Clover, their yellow labrador, jumps up and props herself against Akaashi's shoulders. Like this, she stands high enough to lick his jaw, and she does so, tail wagging until Akaashi pushes her down. Ziggy follows soon after, but instead of jumping, the borer collie simply butts his head against Akaashi's leg before trotting off to reclaim his spot in front of the bookshelf.
Clover stays by Akaashi's side, dancing around his feet as he walks, licking his fingers and running into his knees all the way to the kitchen.
"All right, that's enough," Akaashi's says with a chuckle, giving Clover a scratch before motioning towards the living room.
With her goal achieved, Clover happily races off to sit on the couch, despite knowing she's not supposed to.
Akaashi lets the smile drip off his face and he shakes his head. He washes his hands and face at the kitchen sink before filling the coffee pot with water and changing the filter. He adds a bit of cinnamon to the coffee grounds, then sits on the counter and waits.
The only noise in the house comes from the coffee machine, and occasionally an irritated bark from Ziggy whenever Clover decides it's a good idea to bother him. Akaashi doesn't know what's worse, the quiet, or the fact that he doesn't know how long it's going to last.
There's only so much he can do after all. Music while writing up training regimens and game strategies only goes so far, and it's not like he can be out for very long without the dogs. He'd tried suggesting that the team do practice at the park down the road on Saturdays, if for fun and nothing else, but had been shot down.
It's a college team, on the rise thanks to his expertise and an influx of new players, and they can't afford to foul up anything with a lackadaisical practice.
That's fine though, Akaashi can always go to the park by himself.
With the dogs.
The coffee machine stops bubbling and the house is dead silent for a number of heartbeats before Clover sneezes.
Akaashi climbs down from the counter and pulls one of his mugs from the cupboard. He has all the dishes neatly ordered, all the plates and bowls stacked properly and on their shelves. His coffee mugs are all arranged to his liking, the matching sets are towards the back. One of them, black with white birds near the rim, was an anniversary gift, and another, this one white and decorated with a sickening number of red hearts, was given to him for valentines. His favorite though is a pale blue mug. It's simple, nothing eye catching. The only detail it boasts is a simple daisy done in purple and black.
Bokuto had made it for him; it was a late birthday gift and Akaashi loved it before Bokuto even tried to apologize for missing his birthday.
He pulls the mug from the cupboard and fills it almost full with coffee before stirring in a few sugar packets. The dogs have already eaten, and Kenma helped him wash the dinner dishes before he left, so there's really not much else Akaashi has to do. He doesn't exactly let the house get very messy, and Kenma barely disturbs anything when he's over.
Akaashi sits down in front of the couch, not on it because then Clover will end up there as well, and stretches his legs out. Not two seconds later, Clover's at his side, staring up at him with dark eyes as she lays her head in his lap. Ziggy comes too, glaring lightly at Clover before he lays down with his back to Akaashi's right leg.
With both dogs on either side of him, Akaashi doesn't see himself going anywhere anytime soon.
He picks up his phone from where he'd left it on the arm of the couch and sips his coffee as he unlocks it. Where Bokuto is, there's a few hours time difference, but Akaashi doesn't know if he'll be calling soon or not.
Instead, he turns on some music and goes through his emails, typing up responses to his players and his co-coach. That's done all too quickly so he sets to putting together next week's practices.
It's nearing midnight and Akaashi's given up on checking to see if he's somehow missed a call.
Unwilling to disturb the dogs, he sets his phone and empty mug on the cushion behind him and allows his body to relax.
It's a slow process, his mind hums quietly, but still loud enough to swell in the silence. His eyes settle on the ceiling, on the barely noticeable splatter of paint near the center. Bokuto had flourished his arms, a paint brush in his hand, and a light grey globule of paint had landed just shy of the light fixture.
Akaashi likes to look at it sometimes.
He doesn't blame Bokuto for leaving. He's proud of Bokuto, very proud indeed because he knows nobody else will be as proud as he is. Bokuto's parents brag about having a son who plays professional volleyball, but Akaashi knows for a fact that they've never gone to a game. Bokuto doesn't even talk to his parents anymore, he tried to though. He'd called once, excited to tell them that he was playing in his first professional match. They hadn't answered, so Bokuto had left them a voicemail, excited all the same.
They hadn't showed of course, Akaashi hadn't told Bokuto that until the match was over, lest he get dejected and throw his first game. Bokuto had brushed off their absence when he found out, but had chewed his bottom lip raw in worry. Once at home, Akaashi had spend nearly two hours assuring him that he was a good player, that he was loved and worth loving, that he hadn't done anything at all for his parents not to show up.
Akaashi can't say that there's anyone he really hates, but Bokuto's parents are rapidly gaining ground in that category.
He'd watched Bokuto's most recent game, smiling softly as Clover tried to nose at the close up shots, like she could pull Bokuto out of the TV if she tried hard enough. It was probably the best game yet, Bokuto had stayed completely focused and they'd won with an eight point lead in the second match.
Akaashi's very proud.
Vibrations from his phone snap him to attention, and he's answering without even looking at the caller ID., but there's only one person who would call him at this time.
"Keiji! Did you see the match? Did you?"
Bokuto's voice is nothing but pure excitement, though there might be an edge of exhaustion from the game, he's happy regardless.
"Of course, you were amazing, like always."
If he tries hard enough, Akaashi can almost see Bokuto's wide grin and light blush at the praise. His own smile, faint and content, stretches his lips before Bokuto starts talking again.
"Coach says we've got to go all the way to the top this year," Bokuto says. His team hadn't won last year, it had been a close second, the last match had stretched on far longer than any match should, and every player on both teams had already started to feel the fatigue in their bones. But they're determined to change that this year.
"I'm sure you will," Akaashi says, pausing as a yawn pushes past his lips.
"Oh, it's late over there isn't it? Did I wake you up?" Now there's panic slipping in, Akaashi doesn't want that.
"No, it's okay, I was already awake." He was nodding off, actually, but that's okay, he's awake now.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course."
Sated, Bokuto begins to tell Akaashi all about the match, and everything else that had happened in the day. Akaashi listens, giving input when necessary, but otherwise he simply listens to Bokuto speak. It's nice, hearing him so excited. If Akaashi closes his eyes, if he imagines enough, he could probably envision Bokuto sitting right next to him.
But he can't.
Bokuto's loud enough that Clover wakes up, recognizing his voice. She gives a happy bark and noses at the phone, leaving behind a wet imprint.
"Clover!" Bokuto shouts, waking up Ziggy next.
Akaashi puts the phone on speaker and lets the dogs bark at Bokuto, the latter laughing the entire time. The strange conversation keeps up for a few more minutes before Akaashi turns off the speaker and listens to the last traces of laughter slip out. Clover gives him a look that he supposes is an attempt to make him feel guilty, but he just kisses her nose and all is forgiven.
There's another voice, lightly muffled, and Akaashi recognizes it as Bokuto's captain. He met the man once and was fairly impressed.
"I have to go Keiji, I'm sorry."
"It's okay, listen to your captain, I'm not going anywhere." Perhaps it was the wrong thing to say, but he's already said it, so Akaashi keeps his mouth shut.
"Right. I love you."
"I love you too."
Then the phone call is over, and the house is quiet again.
It's a week later and Akaashi's in the gym with his team, helping one of their setters with his form. The young man, his name is Isamu and he doesn't talk much, has an awful habit of putting himself down when he doesn't get something right, and Akaashi has to stop himself from remembering high school. Akaashi had noticed the need for assistance but had waited until Isamu pulled himself together to ask for help.
They work until Isamu gets the set perfect five times in a row, and Akaashi ruffles his hair and tells him he's improving greatly. The young man grins wide before telling Akaashi that he's going to practice until he never gets his sets wrong.
Akaashi smiles and returns to the side bleachers where his papers are. He's still writing up practices. The team is varied, he doesn't want to leave any stone unturned, he wants to bring out each drop of potential in his players. The only way he knows how is to expose each and every one of their skills and tailor their practice based on their weaknesses and strengths.
They're doing well.
When practice lets out, he hands the keys to the head coach and gathers his things.
It's been a long day, he's running on nothing but coffee and a banana, and it's almost seven in the evening. He feels more than a little dizzy, but this is nothing new. Forgetting to eat anything, working through meal times, he'll be fine. He has tomorrow off anyways, so it's not that big of a deal.
Clover and Ziggy are outside when he walks in the door. Akaashi's with them in the morning, they go to the park in the afternoon, the only time he's really away is when he's at practice. Despite Clover's behavior for the most part, both dogs are well trained. They have access to the inside of the house through a dog door, and Kuroo had helped Bokuto build a small shaded area where the dogs could relax outside if they didn't want to go inside. Clover likes to race back and forth between the two, while Ziggy chooses one or the other for the most part.
When Akaashi walks inside, they both hear him and run through the dog door. Clover gets to him first, barking happily as she jumps up onto him.
"Clover, down," he says, craning his neck. He's laughing all the same by the time Ziggy gives him the customary headbutt.
They walk with him up to the bedroom where he sets down his folders and shoulder bag. In all honesty, it's more common for him to sleep on the couch than in his room. Not because he wants to, but because he often works in the front room with the dogs and nods off there. The only time he always sleeps in the room is when Bokuto's with him, though they sometimes wake up with the dogs between them.
They're on a walk, Ziggy trotting along at his left while Clover strains her leash trying to run ahead. Akaashi's still a little off, but food had been the farthest thing from his mind when Ziggy had brought him Clover's leash.
Occasionally, Ziggy barks at Clover, a reprimand of sorts, and she'll ease up on the leash. Ziggy's leash is just a formality, he'd stay by Akaashi even without it.
They walk until it starts to get dark, and the stars come out. The neighborhood they live in has more than a few children, so there's a small park near the center. Clover likes to run around the equipment while Ziggy sits with Akaashi on the sidewalk. They watch the stars appear, and Clover joins them.
Akaashi remembers sitting in a different park with Bokuto, watching the sun go down as the moon began it's reign over the sky. The air was cool, and getting colder the darker it got. But they'd stayed there for a while, Akaashi with his head on Bokuto's shoulder just listening to the other breathe. Bokuto had asked him then, to move in. The air had been silent for a little while. Bokuto would be leaving within a couple of months for his first overseas game. Akaashi had nodded and Bokuto had picked him up and swung him around before kissing him.
Before he left, Bokuto brought Ziggy home, apparently, no one had adopted him because he was too withdrawn, he didn't play with the other dogs and preferred to sit in the waiting room where he could be pet by visiting children. Akaashi had loved him immediately. Bokuto hadn't been gone so long that first time, his team didn't advance as far as they'd expected, and when he got back, Akaashi had another dog. He and Ziggy had been on a walk when they found her. She'd been abandoned, small and dirty without any tags to speak of. So Akaashi took her to a vet and got her taken care of before bringing her home with him. She'd been taken with Ziggy, and her bubbly nature reminded Akaashi of Bokuto.
So everything was okay.
"Okay, time to go home," he says, fighting the dizziness in order to stand up.
The walk back home isn't as charged. Clover stays close, and Ziggy occasionally licks his hand. When they do get home, Clover and Ziggy curl up in their beds to sleep, and Akaashi goes to the kitchen to make something to eat.
It's nearing eleven thirty and Akaashi is only half way through a plate of left overs because he keeps nodding off. His eyelids keep fluttering but the last thing he wants to do is go to sleep on an empty stomach. If he can just finish the plate then he wouldn't mind sleeping at the table.
Even if he will most likely wake with a stiff back and a sore neck.
Clover's barking, most likely at a passing headlight through the window, but it's strange because Ziggy's barking too. Ziggy only barks when Clover's making herself a nuisance, but it's not that kind of bark. It's a happy one, and he only barks like that on two occasions.
Akaashi pushes himself up to his feet, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and pushing his hair away from his face. He walks until he's at the couch and he leans against it, setting his hip to the back.
Bokuto's crouched in the doorway, a duffel bag at his side, one shoe off and the other untied. Clover's licking his face between excited barks, her paws up on his shoulders. Ziggy sits at Bokuto's back, barking happily and butting his head repeatedly between Bokuto's shoulders.
Akaashi just watches, a tired smile on his lips. He watches, eyes warm and arms crossed over his chest because has nowhere to put his hands. Akaashi watches, sees Bokuto grin and laugh as he pets the dogs.
He's been gone for quite a while this time around. His hair is a mess, he looks tired, probably kept himself awake on the plane trip so he'd be able to sleep on the proper time schedule.
Then he looks up, bright eyes locking on Akaashi.
The dogs seem to get the message and back off a ways, retreating to their beds, but watching all the same.
"I'm home," he says quietly, taking off his other shoe.
"Welcome back," Akaashi replies, staying put.
Bokuto rushes, gathering Akaashi in his arms and spinning. He smells like air freshener and too many different body sprays, but his smile is wide and when he puts Akaashi down he pulls him in for a hug.
"I missed you."
Akaashi pulls him closer, refusing to move or speak further until he has had his fill.
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