Haikyuu Imagines

Nocturnal (Bokuto)

You tapped your fingers on your wrist, checking your watch for the tenth time that night.  The Fukurodani rooms were pretty full, but there were two members missing in particular.  Sighing, you slipped on a jacket and made your way towards the row of gyms.  As much as you needed your beauty sleep, you knew the team's captain and ace needed his more.  He thrived off a full eight hours–no more, no less.  One time, he'd slept for only six and spent the whole day in his emo mode.  Not even Akaashi could fix him.

Honestly speaking, you weren't sure how you ended up as Fukurodani's manager.  Akaashi had asked you to join, and you clearly remember declining.  But then Bokuto had begged, and next thing you knew, you were on the team.  Part of you wasn't exactly complaining, though.  Attending practice and keeping notes on the boys and their plays taught you so much about the sport.  But it also showed you a side of Bokuto you'd never seen in the classroom.

The gym doors were propped open, and you spotted Bokuto and his wild hair from a mile away.  Slowly, you rapped your knuckles on the iron door and cleared your throat.  The boys looked up, pausing their game momentarily to look at you.

"Y/N!" Bokuto grinned waving you over.

But you stood your ground... or at least you did for a solid two minutes.  You recognized some of the other faces in the gym–Kuroo, Tsukishima, Hinata, and the beanpole.  What was his name again?

"Lev, how many times do I have to tell you not to just fling yourself at the net?" Kuroo groaned at the silver-haired boy.

Right, his name was Lev.  You tried to beckon Akaashi over, but he seemed to be pretty absorbed in the game himself.  If the responsible setter wasn't going to side with you, then who would?  

Seconds later, you felt a pair of arms on your shoulders, and you looked up to see Bokuto grinning down at you.  His golden eyes shone mischievously under the moonlight, captivating you.  This was the side of Bokuto you'd never known until you stepped on the court.  He was incredibly powerful, motivated, and, well... attractive.  Your stomach churned as he flashed you his innocent smile.

"Come join us," he pouted like a child.  "Please?  We won't tell on you to the coaches.  It'll be our secret."

You sighed in frustration, partly because you wanted to sleep, but partly because Bokuto's duality just wasn't fair.  You blew a stray strand of hair out of your face and wriggled out of his grasp.  

"You guys have one more hour," you gave them a thumbs-up, but as you were turning to leave, Bokuto's hand found your wrist and pulled you back into him.

"Toss to us?" his owl-eyes pleaded.

Any restraint you had flew out the window, or rather, out the gym door.  These experiences would end once you graduated high school.  You'd spend your nights in a dorm room studying–there would be no more of this.  

"Sure," you nodded, and Bokuto's eyes lit up.  He pulled you towards the court and properly introduced you.  The others applauded you for being able to keep up with Bokuto's antics, asking you to tell them some horror stories at tomorrow's lunch.  But then, it was back to the grind.  You began tossing to the boys, laughing as they scolded Bokuto for either completely missing or smashing the balls onto the opposite side.  

The way his eyes glistened as a few strands of his dyed hair fell over his sweaty forehead–you didn't realize how hot your cheeks were until Akaashi smirked at you, as if he knew something you didn't.

"WHOOSH!  Beat that, Kuroo!" Bokuto cheered after spiking past Nekoma's insane middle blocker.  

And unfortunately for Fukurodani's captain, Kuroo did beat that.  He and Tsukishima managed to block the majority of his spikes, leaving Bokuto in his emo mode by the end of the match.  You signaled for the others to go on ahead while you turned off the lights and locked the gym.  Once you stepped into the cool of the night, you realized there was someone waiting for you by the door.  His bushy eyebrows were furrowed in concentration, and he kept mumbling things to himself.

"Koutarou?" you asked gently, breaking his concentration.

The pout on his face was enough to make you giggle and give him a reassuring pat on the back.  He seemed to relax at your touch, all the muscles in his back letting go of the tension he'd accumulated during the game.

"Sorry, I–"

"You were great out there," you interjected, hoping to lift his spirits a little.  "You were, erm, whooshing and booshing!"

He cracked a smile at that.  His golden eyes found yours, and you suddenly became aware that it was just you two in the middle of the night.  Your mind flashed through images of him jumping, muscles tensing as he reached to spike the ball.  His blinding smile whenever he scored replayed on loop in your memories.

"Y/N, you're the best manager.  You know that right?" he gave your shoulder a nudge as you neared the dorms. 

"Gee, why don't you tell me something I don't know?"

"Really?" he raised an eyebrow with interest.  "You really want me to tell you something new?"

He leaned in, and you gulped harshly at the sudden proximity.  But the look in his eyes was something you'd never seen before–something so pure, innocent, and genuine.  

"I like you," he said after a pause, taking a second to ruffle your hair before leaving you to reflect on his confession.

You stared at his retreating form inching towards the dorms, and something inside you snapped.  Your legs began moving forward until you were running to catch up with him.  

"I like you too!" you declared maybe a little too loudly.  "Joining the team as Fukurodani's manager only solidified how much I like you."

Bokuto leaned down so that he was eye level with you.  His eyes shifted from yours to your forehead where he placed a chaste kiss.  If you weren't sweating before, you were now.  But he ignored your clammy palms and intertwined a hand with yours.

"If Fukurodani wins the practice match against Nekoma tomorrow, I'm taking you out on a date when we get home," he gave your hand a gentle squeeze.  

"How can you say something like that?" your eyes widened.  "What happens if you lose?"

"Shhhh, that won't happen, silly goose," he ruffled your hair again.  "I won't go easy on them like I did today."

Just as you were about to part ways, Kuroo rounded the edge of the corridor, shooting a crooked smile at the two of you.

"For once in my life, I really want to lose," Kuroo grinned, earning a smack from Bokuto that definitely woke the dorm up.

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A/N: Thank you anzalulu for requesting this Bokuto imagine! I really enjoyed writing it :) He's honestly so dedicated and energetic, like please lend us some of that limitless energy ^^

Question of the imagine: If you could play any position in volleyball, what would you play?  I think I would really like either playing setter or libero :)