Mascot

Bokuto

Bokuto sat on the sidelines of the game that Friday, yelling from the bleachers. He missed having the mascot there and it showed that the team didn't play as well wihtout either of them.

The cheerleaders worked hard to get the crowd fired up, but it wasn't the same.

The final whistle blew. They lost by two points.

"If I had just been able to play!" In the locker room, he yelled and ranted. "It's my fault. We could have won."

"Don't blame yourself. You needed the medicine, so it couldn't be helped. You'll be back for the next game and we'll win that one." Akinori Konoha attempted to cheer him up.

"I wouldn't lie to him," came the unexpected voice. "It is his fault. You could have won if he'd been in play."

"Akaashi, he had-."

"To see how the medicine affected him. I know, but he should have done that in an off season or over a break and not right when you needed him most. You were already weaker without a mascot and it showed."

"You were watching?" Bokuto couldn't help the smile that spread over his face.

"Of course."

"Kuroo had a game."

"An away game at Nohebi Academy across the city. Too far for me right now." He paused. "I would have seen that person."

Akinori scrunched their eyebrows together. "That person?"

Bokuto dropped an arm around Akaashi's shoulders. "Let's go get ice cream."

Akaashi shrugged him off. "Not interested. Buy your teammates ice cream if you really feel like you 'made' them lose by not playing." He left and Bokuto cursed himself for letting his own words be used against him.

"Bro, I'm in so deep." Akinori patted his back.