Believer

10

Akaashi was having a blast. It had been almost a month since he and Bokuto had begun texting and the conversations were both random and hilarious. 

He learned a lot about the pianist-volleyball player and vice versa. 

Akaashi, for the first time in a long while, had made a friend he could physically hang out with. A friend who he could see and communicate with face to face. 

The two boys didn't often speak in person, as texting was sometimes easier, especially with their intense schedules. 

With Bokuto's schooling and practices as well as Akaashi's online school and YouTube channel, time was hard to come by. 

Nevertheless, the two practically never had a day where they didn't text at least once. Akaashi felt happier and less anxious around Bokuto, which showed in his everyday life. Even his mother had begun to notice the genuine smile that graced his lips more often. 

And Bokuto was bouncing off the walls, always unusually hyper and excited, but when texting his new friend, he either became a thoughtful hyper or calmed ever so slightly. 

To the normal eye, no difference could be found between his mood shifts. But to his father, it was as if the tide had changed. Instead of his son watching volleyball tournaments with him, he noticed the teen was on his phone--which was odd because Bokuto would never turn down an opportunity to analyze ways to become a better volleyball player. 

He was always itching to either be on court or play the piano. Bokuto had developed a drive to pursue greatness as a child and had carried it with him to the present. But now it was completely odd to see him push everything slightly to the backburner. 

Isamu turned to his son, curiosity and worry eating at his mind. 

Similar to every other night, Bokuto was sitting on the other end of the couch, leaning on his arm, and typing away on his phone. 

What is so important that he only texts for?

Isamu's mind began to run wild. 

Did he meet a new friend? Is it that neighbor? But it couldn't be him because over the past month, Bokuto stopped talking about him. Usually when he goes off on these tangents, he loves to involve topics regarding them in everyday life. But if it was the neighbor, then why hadn't Bokuto said anything? He hasn't even visited or talked to the neighbor in about a month, last time I heard. Was it someone else entirely? 

The prospect seemed closer than Isamu wanted to admit. 

Bokuto has been acting off, yet not drastically off. Just marginally. And it has to be due to someone at least slightly because he is always texting. Maybe he had gained a new friend. Maybe he had gotten a significant other…or was it–

"Did you get a drug dealer?" 

Isamu almost slapped himself with how horrible that sounded. But in the end, it had gotten his son's attention. 

Shocked golden eyes met his father's. His posture was stiff with utter surprise and confusion. He looked like he had been caught doing something he had never actually been doing. 

A deer in headlights, except the deer is all the way in the forest and the faulty person is the one who somehow started driving in the woods aimlessly. 

Essentially, Isamu felt he had gotten his son's attention by accidentally saying something insanely ludacris. Isamu had the urge to rub his hands down his face. 

Now how would he explain the idea as to why he thought that his son was taking drugs to his completely sober son. 

"I--I'm not–drugs?" Came the confused reply. In Between the initial question and reply, Bokuto had dropped his phone, his attention completely switching. Now though, his mind was also running a mile a minute. 

He was just sitting in the living room, watching volleyball on the television with his father while he also texts Akaashi… "Drugs?" He repeats, flabbergasted.  

Isamu made a subtle glance at Bokuto's discarded phone that was almost falling off the couch. Bokuto also looked at his phone before they made eye contact again. "Drugs?" He repeated. 

Suddenly it clicked in his mind and he snatched up the phone, turning it on. "Oh my gosh, no! I've been texting Akaashi, asking him if he wants to meet up with Tsuki and Kuroo since they wanna see the newest Marvel film." He turned the chat to show his father, pointedly not touching the screen after entering his password to show that he was not lying. "I don't have a dealer." 

After a moment of realizing some of the possible inferences his father could make based on his last sentence, he paused. "I don't take drugs either." He added on for good measure. He nodded to himself, feeling like he accomplished everything he needed to. 

Isamu quickly glanced at the screen, not wanting to really read it, and instead opting to agree that his son was not in fact on drugs or texting his dealer. 

Isamu was honestly embarrassed his thoughts had slipped through his lips to begin with. Gosh. 

He needed to check his filter and start considering the words he said before they spilled from his mouth. 

Silently, the two turn back to the screen. The awkward moment was definitely still slightly prominent. But by the next morning, neither father nor son could look at each other or else they would begin laughing so hard, tears fell down their faces.