The Boy Made of Stars and the One Who Counted Them

Close Call

They stared at each other for what felt like centuries.

Looking into the eyes that always felt real, Bokuto wanted to stop time and hug him. His hands twitched at his side at the prospect of feeling his touch again. There was only one problem with that plan, no one knew this guy. It would look very strange if he just ran and tackled someone who was seemingly a stranger. So he restrained himself, holding his hand out.

"I'm Koutarou Bokuto, I'm a wing spiker! How about you?" Bokuto asked, winking to signal Akaashi to answer.

"I-I'm Keiji Akaashi, I'm a setter. It's nice to meet you." The shy Akaashi Bokuto knew all too well, reappeared in front of him. They shook hands and Bokuto felt sparks fly.

Although his voice was quiet, it cut straight through the noise, right to Bokuto.

"Took you long enough to get here, I missed you." He squeezed Bokuto's hand and gave him a small smile. He then nodded and walked off to introduce himself to the others.

Bokuto watched him walk away, still thinking all of this was a dream, he pinched himself. He pinched himself until he bled because he needed to be sure. He needed to be sure it wouldn't fade away. He looked down, taking his eyes off Akaashi at the small cut in his wrist. He looked back up to Akaashi, who was now speaking to Kageyama. Bokuto watched from afar, the boy without a name was now here, in front of him. His wrist brought him back to reality. Bokuto remembered seeing a first aid kit in the cabin so he decided to run back.

"Kuroo! Hey, tell Coach not to start yet! I got a cut, I'm going to go get a bandaid, be right back!" Kuroo nodded and gave him a thumbs up as he jogged back outside.

As Bokuto jogged, the campground brought fond thoughts to light as he remembered the memories from years before....

Volleyball had been a part of Bokuto's life for as long as he could remember. When he was a kid, he would watch the upperclassmen soar in the sky, slamming the ball down and scoring. He wanted to do exactly that when he grew up.

It was extremely difficult to play a team sport on his own though and Bokuto soon found an inherent frustration with volleyball.

Not a single person wanted to play with him.

The upperclassmen sneered at his request and pushed him down, telling him he couldn't fly.

He would never fly, he was just a small kid with a stupid dream.

The heartbreaking part was, Bokuto started to believe it.

Then one day, he met two people who changed his life, and his view on the sport.

"Hey, could I set for you?"

The small boy asked Boktuo, stuttering his words. It had been two days since Bokuto met the crazy black haired boy and the quiet one named Kenma. Bokuto looked back right before throwing the ball up and slapping it over the baby net.

"You play?" Bokuto asked, running to get the ball and tossing it to the boy, smiling brightly.

"Uhm...yeah a little haha." He laughed and started to lightly bounce the ball on his fingertips, keeping it up.

Bokuto watched in awe as the boy continued to do this, while walking forward toward the net.

This boy, who was so methodical, reserved and quiet, had an aura of white around him.

The essence of light.

"Whatcha staring at?" The boy turned back, confusion in his gaze.