Hey there! So, I'm usually an angst person. But, this is me trying my hand on a fluff! :D
Enjoy!
Haikyuu! Oneshot: Smile
Keiji knows he's far from being expressive, and he also knows that most people find it… hard to communicate with him most of the times.
Which is why, the first time he's met Bokuto Koutarou, he was… surprised, pleasantly so, and lost, unsure of what to say or do.
But Bokuto doesn't mind it. Conversation is something he could start, continue, and end on his own, with or without Keiji's participation. He found it appalling, at first, but his shining personality and his simplicity make it hard not to follow him around.
Even though he could say that he has some friends, Keiji doesn't have many confidants (or any, for that matter), but Bokuto just saw fit that he'll squeeze his way into Keiji's life, with or without permission, and befriending him regardless.
Between his classmates and his volleyball team, he finds himself gravitating towards the team more. The coach and the managers are kind, the teammates are a bunch of personalities that don't really mind his silence and unexcitability, and Bokuto… well, he is Bokuto, so he doesn't really care if Keiji would mind him or not.
The first time he participates in (getting roped into) setting balls up for spikes after the usual practice by the ace, he's dead tired, Bokuto's 'for a little bit' is not a bit, but when the senior says that his set is really good, that it's beautiful, he finds it hard not to smile. He rarely gets complimented, since he's usually not one who stands out, only one who does as practice, a bit above average, but not a star. Getting praised is something new, and something that he feels pretty good about.
Not long after, he's already close with the fearless, simple, always happy owl.
And he doesn't really mind it.
Something changes.
The longer he spends the time with Bokuto, the happier, and livelier, he feels. He wants to always be close, wants to chat a bit longer, want to walk home together a little slower. Sometimes, he would deliberately tutor him a bit more than he had originally promised, not wanting the time where he would groan then gush over Keiji to end.
This is one of such day, where he, a second year, is tutoring a third year. He doesn't mind it, really, having already read up the subjects (mostly out of boredom), and since Bokuto finds it almost impossible to understand math, he takes it upon himself to educate the man, who was gleeful after hearing his proposal the first time.
"Bokuto-san," He says, pointing at the problem and drawing the owl's attention to it. The other boy bemoans his existence a little, but listens. "You're doing this wrong. Why're you multiplying it with 3 instead of 2?"
"…Oh yeah! The question uses 2, not 3! I'm an idiot," He says, half-slamming his head into the table. Keiji makes it in time to stop his forehead from contacting the table directly, using his own notebook as cushion. Bokuto doesn't say anything about it as he lifts his head up. "Alright, lemme try again! I'mma get it this time, for sure! Just watch me, Akaashi!"
"Alright," He says, resting a hand on his cheek as he watches the ace diving back into the question at hand, brows furrow in concentration, lips pursed, eyes wide.
He could never get bored of watching Bokuto, somehow. And he isn't even sure why.
After a while and a few dozens problems later, the ace finally gives up and flops down onto the table, waiting for the food to arrive. He inwardly sighs as the end of his time with Bokuto draws near, but dutifully picks up his stationaries and packs them inside his bag.
He catches those yellow, almost predatory, eyes looking at him, making his heart jumps up to his throat and a little nervous. He gathers his thoughts quickly and says, "…What is it?"
"Y'know," Bokuto begins, his hair drooping slightly as his eyebrows angle downward in contemplation. About what? He doesn't know. "…You rarely smile at all, Akaashi. Why's that?"
"…It's my default," He says, pensive. He doesn't know why, either. He's just… this way. "Maybe it's because I've never had many friends. Well, not until I joined this team, anyway."
"Then it's decided!" Bokuto says loudly, slapping the table hard enough to send the pen flying. Keiji grabs it quickly, and is about to reprimand the ace for his randomness, but he's beaten to it. "I'm gonna make you smile a lot more, mark my words!"
Keiji blinks. "O…kay…?"
"What? Why are you looking so dumbstruck for?" The other boy says, pouting minutely, ignoring the gossips and the stares. Keiji finds himself unable to give these people much mind, either.
"Just… I don't see why you'd want to do that?" He says, unsure. "I'm content, Bokuto-san, don't worry. It's just hard for me to smile freely, that's all."
"That's the problem!" Bokuto says. "You not smiling freely is the problem, Akaashi! I wanna see you smile more!"
"…That still doesn't answer my question."
"Because your smile is beautiful, is what!"
He isn't sure what kind of face he's making right now, but he thinks he's definitely blushing.
In the end, he just relents and nods.
If he is a bit braver or a bit more honest, he thinks… he'd have realized that yes, these feelings he's harboring for the owl before him are already beyond being just friends.
He realizes that Bokuto is being much more… he thinks the word observant is not far off the mark.
He'd skill joke around, still compliments his sets (he just does what he's always done, no more, no less), and still being the random, intense goofball that he always is. But whenever he smiled (he would know, because he rarely does), he thinks he saw the man looking at him thoughtfully, eyes taking notes of everything around them.
It's a bit unnerving, to be honest.
"Bokuto-san," He says as they start to clean up the gym after their grueling after-practice sessions (he still isn't even sure why he's agreeing to it, but he doesn't mind, either). When the ace turns to him, he says, "Why are you looking at me so intensely sometimes?"
"Huh? Oh!" He says, hitting his palm slightly. "Cuz I was trying to figure out what makes you smile, duh! Kinda hard, to be honest, because you're so, y'know, random."
I don't want to hear that from you. "…Am I?"
"Only about smiling, yeah," He shrugs. "I still don't know the specific trigger. But I'll figure it out! And when I do, I'mma make you grin so much your cheeks start to hurt!"
"…Huh," He hums, putting the last ball back into place. He still isn't quite sure why Bokuto is so obsessed with making him smile more. But to be fair, he doesn't mind it, either. Being near him is already enough; he's bright like the sun, he's warm, and he's always cheerful (as long as he doesn't go into his Emo Mode, that is).
In the end, Keiji just—
"Oh!" Bokuto points at him. "Akaashi! You just smile!"
…He is, huh.
"I am," He says. He isn't grinning from ear to ear like his captain is doing right now, but he finds his lips quirking up just a little bit more. He tilts his head.
"What did I do right? Tell me! Tell me!"
The ace is jumping up and down, happier than ever before, a hand pointing at him (at his smile), his expression so childish, so carefree, and so bright, like the morning sun.
And then, it finally clicks.
He smiles—
—Because Bokuto is here.
He still hasn't told the older boy about that.
It's not about the both of them being guys that stops him from saying it, but because, Keiji thinks, he doesn't want to keep Bokuto to himself.
(Yes, that line of thinking is worrying on its own, but he doesn't have enough energy in him to give his attention to it).
Bokuto is random, he can be mopey as all hell if things don't go right. But at the same time, he's fearless, he's always thinking of something fun, he's always doing his damn best no matter what it is (even studying), and being in the same vicinity as him alone is enough to give a person's mood a great lift.
Keeping someone like that to himself is selfish.
"Hey! Akaashi, didja see? Didja see?" He says as he pokes Keiji's arm repeatedly, pointing at the video of him hitting the ultra-sharp cut shot against Washio, the latter seemingly quite impressed with the feat as well.
"I did," He says. The way the ace places the ball halfway before the attack line is quite a sight. "It's really good."
"Right? Right? Let's try it again! I want it sharper!"
"Any sharper and you're gonna cut yourself on it, man," Konoha muses. "C'mon, let's call it a day already! I'm beat."
"Awww, but I wanna!"
Keiji chews on his tongue a little as he exchanges a glance with Washio. The middle blocker just shrugs at him, so he nods. "Alright. But only ten more hits, Bokuto-san, then we're wrapping this up."
"You're the best, Akaashi! Love you!"
He splutters a little into his hand. Both Konoha and Washio don't seem to notice it, so he just leaves it at that. Calling his sets beautiful is one thing, calling his smile beautiful is another thing, but saying love you to his face when he hadn't said that to any other guys or girls in the team before is another issue entirely.
…Well, this is the first. He hasn't realized he swings this way until now.
After twenty hits or so (sorry, Washio-san), they start to clean up the gym. Once again, he finds himself and the ace together inside the locker room. He's almost finished changing when Bokuto says from behind him, his voice clear that he's grinning.
"Hey, Akaashi, you're smiling a lot more now!"
"…Am I really? I hadn't noticed."
"Yeah!" He nods his head up and down. Keiji finds it both annoying… and endearing. "I still dunno why, though, but I guess I'm doing something right!"
"I guess so," Keiji hums.
"…Hey, Akaashi?"
The way Bokuto is reluctant in saying that makes him stop and turns around almost instantly. And Keiji thinks he almost jumps at the proximity between them, with the owl being mere inches from his face, his eyes searching.
"…Uh, what?" He says, blinking, leaning his body back and away a little.
"You know, I think I've never watched you this closely before, but…" He trails off, and then, a wide grin appears on his face—the kind of grin that Keiji has grown to love, the kind of grin he'd often see on the court against a powerful opponent more than during practices. "…Your face is really pretty."
He thinks his face reaches the boiling point almost instantly at that, and it takes him maybe a bit too long than he'd like to push the heat back down from it. After a cough, he murmurs. "Um… thank you?"
His grin brightens even more. "Nah, thank you! Being with you is fun. I like you, Akaashi!"
And, if he had his wits about him now, he might have realized that no, Bokuto isn't referring to liking him as just a setter, either.
Keiji is head over heels.
Goddamnit.
But… to be fair, he hasn't even thought of falling for anyone at all, not girls, not guys, no one. But, he thinks, it must be because Bokuto is different. He's a star—no, he's the sun, burning bright, fearless and powerful and captivating.
He loves the one-track-mind owl, and he doesn't mind the feeling.
When did he even fall for the guy? He doesn't know. Maybe when he decides to try to make Keiji smiles more just because it's beautiful?
Maybe.
He sighs and returns his face to its neutral setting as Bokuto walks over. As usual, it's often the two of them hanging out after school, or after practices, with the ace gushing about the smallest things that would make him happy, and Keiji actually enjoying the non-stop talk. He finds that he doesn't mind the ace rambling on all that much, and since his captain doesn't care about him joining in the conversation either, they're a perfect fit.
After a few minutes, Bokuto stops, forcing him to look at the older boy leans in uncomfortably closer to his face. He leans back, frowning slightly. "…Is there something on my face?"
"Uh-huh," He nods. "A smile."
"…Was I?"
"Yeah," He says with a small laughter. "Just a tiniest quirk. But hey! A smile's a smile, right?"
"I'm still curious," He says, picking the french fries out off the container and throws it into his mouth. After he swallows it down, he says, "Why are you so fixated on me smiling?"
Bokuto grins. "Cuz it's beautiful. I love seeing you smile, Akaashi!"
By now, he's learnt that the best way to force the blush back down is to quickly think of something else. He sighs, instead. "Thank you, I guess…"
"Hey, hey, hey!" Bokuto says with his signature-ish voice, patting his shoulder lightly. "Don't be so surprised, man! And don't try to hide it! You look good with a smile on your face. You should do it even more often than this!"
He grumbles. "Please don't ask the Universe out of me."
"I'm not! I'm just asking for your happiness!" Bokuto grins. He then frowns slightly. "Is that weird?"
"…A little, yes,"
After a short pause, he finds himself chuckling along with the ace's loud, unabashed laughter. After they collect themselves, Bokuto just pats his back and slings his arm over his shoulders. "Being with you is some of the most exciting time, Akaashi. I like it."
"Me too," He says with a small, barely imperceptible smile that fails to escape the owl's eyes. When the ace turns to look at him, eyes intense and focused, he freezes. "…What?"
"Y'know, Akaashi," Bokuto says, voice low. He then pulls back the arm on his shoulder and ruffles his hair with it. Then, the ace smiles, not the grin of excitement he often wears, but a gentle smile that takes Keiji's breath away. "There's something I want to talk to you about. You free this Sunday?"
"…Yes," He says after a small pause. He has planned to go out shopping for grocery, but what the hell. He is not going to back down from this; besides, the captain's warm smile just now is something new, and the way he delivered those lines is… well, it's telling him that he should hear the boy out.
"So, meet you at your house?"
"Do you even know where it is?"
"Yep!" Bokuto says with a sharp grin. And, much to Keiji's surprise, he recites the address and describes the landmark perfectly. Before he could ask, the older boy answers. "I ask around. Coach actually visited you a bunch, huh?"
"Yes, kind of," He says, shrugging. "So… what are you going to talk about?"
He just grins. "You'll see, Akaashi. You'll see."
Bokuto arrives way too early for it to be normal.
He means, it's only 4 in the morning, for god's sake.
"…Why are you so early, Bokuto-san?"
"Cuz I wanna do morning jogs with you! Come on! Come on!"
He groans and welcomes the owl inside, sleepily padding his way back towards his own room. In the end, he decides to just screw it and goes on this run Bokuto wants him to have.
He doesn't despise running, per se, but he's not particularly fond of the idea, either. Still, if it's with the ace, then Keiji guesses it's okay…?
After a quick shower, he changes into his running gear, and walks out to see Bokuto scanning his house like a curious owl, head slightly tilted. Before he could say anything, the captain says, "Your house is pretty clean, huh. It just feels so… you."
"What do you mean?" He asks, stretching his legs and shaking the sleepiness away.
"Clean. And pretty."
He blinks, unsure of what to make of that. In the end, he cracks a small smile. "Thank you."
"Ah! You smile! I win, haha!"
The older boy throws his arms into the air, fists tight, a grin so bright like the blazing sun on his face. Keiji could only shake his head, at just how happy Bokuto could become over the smallest of things.
That is a part of his charm, alright.
After a while, he leads the ace outside, his bottle of water ready. He hands Bokuto one, and the other promptly takes it with the same grin he'd always wear. A brief pause, then they start jogging into the roads together.
He doesn't usually do runs at this time of the day, much less on Sunday, the usual day off, but he couldn't find it in him to complain. Running with Bokuto gushing over the most mundane things, with nothing but the chill wind and the night sky keeping them company, is peaceful. It's soothing, and Keiji finds that spending such time with the captain is new and, to be frank, quite a pleasant experience.
He lets Bokuto leads him to wherever, his mouth never stop talking about all the things he see, his face never void of the bright grin that's signature by now. He only smiles slightly as he manages to keep the pace with the ace as they run farther into the city.
After an hour or so, they
After an hour or so, they reach Ueno park. He has, admittedly, never been here before, even after years living in Tokyo. Bokuto just laughs and leads him in, running around the Shinobazu pond, with barely a soul to accompany them.
After a moment, when they reach the most secluded spot of the park, Bokuto stops, turning towards him.
"So, so!" He begins, jumping up and down. "The thing I wanna talk to you about!"
He tilts his head slightly. "Yes?"
"I figure this is gonna be sappy as hell, but hear me out first, 'kay?" He says quickly, ever energetic, always upbeat. Keiji doesn't miss the use of the word sappy, but it makes him… hopeful, he thinks.
"Alright, I will," He says, taking a sip as he walks over to the ace. The man keeps bouncing around like a ten year old, waiting to play with a friend. He smiles slightly.
"So! I said I like seeing you smile, right?"
"Yes."
"And that your face is pretty."
He's glad it's still a few minutes away for the sun to rise, because he thinks the heat's creeping its way up his face again. "Yes."
"So, after some thinking; I've gotta ask—whaddya think of me, Akaashi?"
That question comes out of nowhere.
It hits him like a truck, and his mind is dazed. He blinks a few times, still processing, and failing quite splendidly at doing so. "Wait what."
"What do you think of me?" He says, ever cheerful, with a bright grin and a fearless laughter that Keiji might or might not have grown to love.
He isn't sure what he's supposed to say. But, against Bokuto, someone who's so straightforward and so fearless, he can do nothing but to say his mind. He sighs again and shrugs. "…I think I like you."
"…Really?" Bokuto seems surprised.
"Yes."
A pause.
And as the sun rises, basking both of them in its warm, gentle light, he could see for the first time—
—A smile that is gentle, that is warm and kind, that is relieved, upon Bokuto's face.
Three strides, and the distance between them is no more.
Two more heartbeats, and their lips are pressed together firmly, fearlessly.
True, he's taken by surprised, and true, he hasn't been expecting this, but he knows he wishes for it, deep down. He finds his hand gripping the older boy's shoulder as he deepens the kiss, tasting so much like sunlight and spring. He could stay like this forever and be happy about it. He doesn't want this moment to end, and he wants to feel more, to see more hidden sides Bokuto has never before shown to anyone.
After the kiss is broken due to the need of air, he looks up to see the ace smiling, the bold grin returning to his face, concealing the light flush that's dusting his cheeks.
"Yeah. I like you too, Akaashi!"
Keiji laughs.
For the first time, his smile is wide, his laughter is free.
And he thinks, with Bokuto right here beside him, he wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
How was it? Lemme know!