Fukordani's # 4 (un)Broken Promise

Beginnings

Hi guys this is one of my first times writing and therefore one of my first Bokuaka fanfics, but I adore them so much!! Please leave feedback/ comments/ thoughts :))) Also cue song at six years later and quote is by W. Gibson.

Akaashi remembers everything when it comes to Bokuto, like their first meeting.

Especially their first meeting.

It was his third year of junior high, and, like his peers, the looming question of high school burdened his shoulders like a persistent weight. It wasn't just high school, it was their future- the quality of the clubs, of academics, of teachers who could offer you strong recommendations into prestigious colleges.

That's why Akaashi currently stood in the stands of the Fukordani volleyball game, guarded eyes carefully surveying the set in front of him in an attempt to scout the school. He needed to gather sufficient information about each of the high schools he had received acceptances from. So far, it appeared that, in addition to an excellent academic reputation, Fukordani also boasted of a strong volleyball program, with the Owls crushing their opponents 23-14.

An unexpected dump from the Owl's spiker and suddenly it's set point, Fukordani's ball. Number 17 in the rear guard serves, ball spiraling straight towards the libero, who receives it with ease. Akaashi leans forward in his seat. Although the game is almost certainly decided, he's curious to see what type of team Fukordani is until the very end. Are they the kind that grows sloppy and restless when victory favors them, or do they play full strength until the last second, refusing to disrespect their opponents with anything less than their best?

The ball is spiked by the opposing team, but an one-touch slows its momentum, allowing the middle blocker to send a perfect receive to the spiker.

Suddenly, the ball spirals into the air, higher and higher.

That's when Akaashi notices him, and he feels like the breath knocked out of his lungs. How could he have not seen him before, especially when he commands all the attention in the room? Broad, muscular back, flawless, powerful form, toned legs that propel him high into the sky like he's flying. Time freezes for a moment, Akaashi's gunmetal blue eyes glued to the spiker and the number 4 on his back.

The ace.

Awe fills his eyes, and he can't help the feeling that he's stolen a glimpse of something otherworldly, something not meant for human sight.

Smack.

The collision between the player's hands and the ball echos throughout the stadium, the sound resonating in Akaashi's ears for days to come.

A perfect cross-court shot that leaves him gasping from his reinvigorated love for volleyball...

And perhaps his new admiration for Fukordani's #4, the one with the silver strands clinging to his forehead with perspiration and chest heaving out of exhaustion, but he's... smiling. A giant, beautiful grin that causes Akaashi's heart to skip a few beats because it's so genuine and radiant even he can feel it's warmth.

And suddenly, he's overcome by a sudden need to be there with him, on that court, setting his spikes, receiving that smile that makes Akaashi feel terrified and nervous, but also alive. A drive to become talented enough to stand on that stage besides the unreachable star because he knows only a fraction of the spiker's potential is being drawn out. It's wishful thinking, to believe, to even hope he had a chance of being a moment in the star's orbit, but he's selfish. He wants to be Fukordani's #4 setter, well aware one day he won't be needed anymore; but all that's running through his mind is the man's beautiful spike, his warm smile, his boundless potential. Today, Akaashi saw something purely incredible and inhuman.