Bokuto to the Rescue

Bokuto refreshed his messages constantly, hoping to see a response from Akaashi. He'd been waiting at the school gym for almost 10 minutes past their predetermined meeting time, and he was itching to begin his extra weekend practice. Akaashi was usually at least 5 minutes early to everything, so it was concerning that he still hadn't arrived without any explanation.

After a while, he almost called Akaashi, but paused in a rare moment of self-restraint.

Akaashi probably just slept in or something, Bokuto thought. He already deals with me almost 24/7. I should cut him some slack and just trust that he'll be here.

Turns out, Akaashi did sleep in that morning, completely by accident. He'd forgotten to charge his phone last night, which he usually used as an alarm. By the time he'd gotten up, it was just 20 minutes before he was meant to be meeting Bokuto at the school gym.

Crap, Akaashi thought as he hurried to get dressed and ready for the day. He was the kind of person who thrived on following a strict, well-planned routine; the current situation felt like an absolute nightmare to him. He considered just texting Bokuto to let him know he was running late but decided against it.

I can still make it in time if I sprint to the train station, he thought as he frantically brushed his teeth. Just have to make the most out of every minute.

Akaashi grabbed his gym bag and began rapidly descending down the stairs. He was about halfway down when all of a sudden, he missed a step and completely lost his footing.

It all happened so fast; the usually graceful setter could barely brace himself for the fall. Several loud thuds and clangs later, he lay at the foot of the stairs, cheeks flushed in embarrassment and frustration.

Apparently, he hadn't zipped his bag all the way, and now its contents were strewn about everywhere. That included his cellphone, whose screen was now shattered from the impact of hitting the floor.

To make matters worse, he was almost sure he'd injured himself bad enough to need help—his right ankle was throbbing immensely, and he couldn't move even a centimeter without a fresh, sharp jolt of pain. Akaashi sighed. I suppose it can't be helped, he thought to himself. I'll just have to call Bokuto and cancel the practice.

Unfortunately for Akaashi, his bad luck wasn't over just yet. His eyes widened as he realized his cellphone was completely unusable now, and there was no way he could reach his family's landline phone in his current state. Plus, his parents and siblings were all out for the day and wouldn't be back until later that evening.

"What an awful way to start the day," Akaashi muttered softly to himself. Utterly unsure of what to do, he lay back down on the ground and felt a pit of dread start to grow in his stomach.

To pass the time as he waited, Bokuto decided to practice some jump serves. It was time well-spent, especially since that was a skill he didn't work on nearly enough compared to spikes. However, after waiting more than half an hour, Bokuto was growing increasingly worried about his missing practice partner. If something were delaying him, Akaashi almost certainly would have said something by now.

Bokuto dialed Akaashi's number several times only to be sent to voicemail. Finally, he gave up and decided to head straight to Akaashi's house.

Please let everything be ok, he thought as he finished cleaning up the gym and jogged to the train station.

It had been ages since he'd been at Akaashi's house, but he still remembered the exact number to dial into the home security keypad. Despite how much his hands were trembling, he was able to input it successfully on the first attempt.

"Hey hey hey! AKAAAAAASHIIIIII! Where are youuu?" Bokuto nearly bust down the door as he entered Akaashi's home.

Akaashi felt his heart surge with relief as he recognized the familiar voice. "B-bokuto-san? I'm here, by the stairs..."

Bokuto immediately dashed over to Akaashi who appeared to be lying still on the floor. Fear and panic were written all over his face as he helped his vice-captain slowly sit up.

"A-akaashi...W-what happened? Did you pass out or something?"

Akaashi took a deep breath and recounted the events of his morning. Bokuto listened intently, eyes drilling into Akaashi with growing concern.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to call you earlier, Bokuto-san. I can't believe I forgot to charge my phone last night."

"Oh, I do that all the time, Akaashi! Don't be sorry! It was an accident."

Akaashi smiled for the first time that morning. "Thank you, Bokuto-san."

"More importantly, are you injured anywhere?"

Akaashi stiffened. "Ah...yes. I think I hurt my ankle when I fell."

Bokuto let out a panicked "Ehhhh?" and looked down at Akaashi's discolored, very swollen foot.

"Gosh, Akaashi, that looks awful! We need to get you to the hospital."

"Bokuto-san, that's really not necessary. I'll be fine—"

"Akaashi." Bokuto cut him off, his voice low and serious. "How long were you lying on the ground like that?"

Akaashi stiffened. Bokuto rarely used this tone, even when they were at a critical point during a volleyball match. "About a half-hour, I'd estimate."

Bokuto grumbled in frustration and frowned. "It has to be serious if you couldn't even get up in half an hour."

Akaashi sighed and decided to tell the truth. "To be honest, my ankle hurts like hell and I can barely move it."

Bokuto nodded. "And that's why we're going to the hospital. Now."

There was no room for argument. "Okay, Bokuto-san. Could you please help me get up then?"

"No way!" Akaashi relaxed as he saw the wide grin spreading across Bokuto's face. "I'm going to carry you there," he proudly proclaimed as he swiftly scooped up the setter and held him bridal-style.

Akaashi's breath hitched. This was the first time he'd ever had such intimate contact with his captain. "Oh—um, I guess this works too."

Bokuto let out a hearty laugh. "All aboard on the Bokuto Express, departing right now!" he exclaimed, and the two set off soon after that.

Later that evening, Akaashi was lying comfortably on his bed, his ankle wrapped in a brace and elevated with an ice pack on top. The official diagnosis was a grade 2 sprain, which wasn't as bad as he'd feared at first. Granted, he was frustrated that he'd have to miss a few weeks of volleyball practice, but he'd worry about that later. Right now, his mind was focused on one topic only: Bokuto.

Bokuto handled everything better than I could've imagined, he thought to himself. I don't think I've ever felt so safe and comforted than when he was with me today. The way he cradled me in his arms when he carried me to the hospital, the way he clasped my hand and rubbed circles on my back in the waiting room…it almost felt like…like we were more than friends—

"AKAASHI! How are ya?!" Bokuto suddenly burst into Akaashi's room, interrupting the setter's thoughts.

"Oh, Bokuto-san. You're back already?" Back at the hospital, Bokuto's mom had called asking him to run a few errands while he was out today. Before Bokuto could try to explain the situation, Akaashi had stopped him, insisting that he'd be alright and that Bokuto should go ahead and help out his family. Still, Bokuto had stayed right by his side until Akaashi's parents finally arrived at the hospital. In Bokuto's mind, there was nothing more important or urgent than ensuring the safety of his beloved Akaashi.

"Yeah! I got everything done as fast as I could so I could come see you again." Bokuto rapidly shut the door and plopped himself into Akaashi's desk chair. "So, uh…how's your injury?"

Akaashi smiled and started fidgeting with his hands. "Much better, Bokuto-san. It's all thanks to you. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't come by."

Bokuto turned his gaze to the ground as he felt his cheeks reddening. "Oh, uh, no problem. I'm just glad you're okay."

"Seriously, I mean it. Thank you for everything today."

Bokuto simply nodded, too lost in his own thoughts to respond. There was an awkward silence before Akaashi gently asked, "Is there something wrong, Bokuto-san?"

Bokuto slowly looked up at Akaashi who met his eyes with a soft, mildly concerned gaze. He bit his lip and inhaled deeply before speaking. "Akaashi, I need to tell you something."

"Go ahead, what is it?"

"I…I was scared today. Like, actually super scared. Way more scared than the time we went through that haunted house together, or that time when I thought there was a ghost in the school gym."

"I'm sorry for worrying you, Bokuto-san. I shouldn't have been so careless."

Bokuto grumbled and shook his head furiously. "No, that's not what I was trying to get at. Look, I…I was scared of losing you, okay? When I found you lying on the floor like that, I just thought you were, like, dead or something!"

Akaashi opened his mouth to respond but stopped himself when he sensed that Bokuto wasn't quite finished yet.

"You're always taking care of me and making sure I don't get into trouble and stuff. But I want to be there for you too! What happened today reminded me that anything could happen at any time, and life's too short for me to not tell you how I really feel!"

Akaashi stared at Bokuto wide-eyed.

"Akaashi, I like you a LOT. I've liked you since the day we met, but I just couldn't figure out the best time to tell you! You're such an awesome setter and the best vice-captain I could've asked for. You're so responsible and organized and smart and...like, insanely COOL!"

"Bokuto-san…"

"Akaashi, will you be my boyfriend?! Pretty please?!" Bokuto leapt out of the chair and forcefully grasped Akaashi's hands as he knelt next to the bed. Although he sort of saw it coming, Akaashi was still stunned speechless. Before he knew it, the setter's eyes were welling up in tears.

Bokuto jolted, completely unprepared for such a rare emotional response from Akaashi. "Oh my gosh, Akaashi, did I grab your hands too tightly? Is your ankle hurting again?"

Akaashi shook his head and sniffled as Bokuto quickly reached out to dry his tears. "Don't worry, Bokuto-san, I'm fine. And yes, I would love to be your boyfriend."

Bokuto took a moment to process what just happened before letting out an enormous "Hey hey hey!" He was about to pounce onto his boyfriend to give him a hug when Akaashi instinctively put his hands up to push him away.

"W-woah, hold on a second, Bokuto-san! Please be gentle with me. I'm still injured, remember?"

"Ah, sorry!" Bokuto sprang up and knelt back on the floor. "I couldn't help myself! I'm just so excited that we're actually DATING now, you know?!"

Akaashi chuckled. "That's alright, Bokuto-san. You can come back onto the bed, as long as you're more careful this time."

Bokuto let out a nervous laugh and approached with more care this time around. He slowly lay down next to Akaashi and wrapped his arms around the setter's torso, making sure not to jostle his injured leg. "Um, is it okay if I cuddle you like this?"

"Of course."

Bokuto sighed with relief as he settled into a comfortable spooning position. The two boys lay like that for almost an hour, chatting softly and soaking in the sheer bliss of each other's presence.

Today sure got off to an awful start, but it just may have been worth it, Akaashi thought to himself as he interlaced his fingers with Bokuto's.

"Hey, Akaashi…"

"Yes, Bokuto-san?"

"I just wanted to say…I love you."

"…I love you too."