Nobuyuki (BoKuroAka)

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Hi! Before we start the chapter, I want to share with you guys an amazing piece of art that @miih_alegre made for this story! They did an absolutely wonderful job and put a lot of time into it, so please give them lots of praise and compliments for sharing this with us! (:

CHAPTER FORTY FIVE

TW: Minor Harassment, Bit of Blood

Akaashi offered the bouncers a small wave as he passed them, heading towards the side entrance for employees. He yawned heavily, covering his mouth as he squeezed his eyes shut. Akaashi really wasn't expecting to work today, and he still somewhat felt bad for asking Hinata and Atsumu to babysit. Even when they reassured him that they were more than happy to spend time with Nobu.

Akaashi grunted as he pried open the heavy door which led straight into the dressing rooms. A few of the dancers turned their heads from where they sat at their vanities to see who entered. They all greeted Akaashi with cheerful waves and smiles. Akaashi nodded mutely, offering a weak smile as he unzipped sweater.

Oikawa, who had been chatting to the new dancer- Akaashi's pretty sure his name is Kenjirou- stood up with a gasp. "Keiji!" He cheered as he pranced over to the shorter omega. He threw his arms around Akaashi, hugging him, "I didn't know you were working tonight. What a pleasant surprise!"

"Iwaizumi asked me to come in," he murmured, stumbling slightly from under Oikawa's weight. After clocking in and prying Oikawa off of him, he offered the dancers one more tired smile before trudging out of the room.

They all watched him go with unreadable expressions, except for Oikawa, who stood there with a worried face and his hands on his hips.

"He's back to the way he used to be," Kunimi muttered before turning back to the mirror he sat in front of. Oikawa only hummed in a silent agreement.

Akaashi hurried over to the bar, muscles tenser than usual. He's been more uptight than he usually was, and any small touch from the customers sent him flinching away with spiked nerves. He was probably still overwhelmed from the scene Nobu made in the store earlier today, and his mind couldn't stop jumping back to unwanted memories.

Iwaizumi eyed him up when he approached the counter, filling a glass for one of the customers. "Feeling okay?" He asked, taking note of Akaashi's rather pale face. The boy hummed, running a hand through his hair- which was in dire need for a haircut.

"Fine," he assured. Iwaizumi nodded before placing a few drinks on a platter.

"Table fourteen just ordered these."

Akaashi nodded as he took the platter, carefully balancing it on his arm before heading off into the direction. It was still early in the evening so it wasn't quite busy yet. There was no one on the dance floor and only a handful of tables were filled. None of the dancers were performing and there was low, slow music that vibrated through the night club.

This, Akaashi could handle. But he knew it would only last a few hours before all the party goers came around. He checked on the schedule and apparently there was a bachelor party coming tonight.

The platter wobbled slightly as he stopped at the table of men, who all turned there attention on him as he placed their drinks on the table. "Can I get you anything else?" He asked quietly, only loud enough for them to hear over the music. A few of the men snickered, eyeing each other as if they were sharing the same funny joke. It was nothing new, something Akaashi dealt with all the time. Even then, he still felt his face twitch, his chest tightening with annoyance.