What He Doesn't Know... 《bokuaka》

3.

It took Akaashi a week. A long, painful, confusing seven days to call that number. He didn't know if he was just putting it off. He probably was. Since he didn't do anything else for the rest of the week.

But there he was, sat crossed-legged on his couch, flip phone in one hand, the card in another. This had become his nightly routine. Contemplating whether to call Bokuto or not. The thought of meeting the man again agitated Akaashi. But the thought of seeing those eyes again, staring at him, twinkling at him, aroused him. It was scary. Akaashi had never felt that when he thought of meeting someone again.

He knew he couldn't wait any longer. What if Bokuto was expecting a call? Akaashi had been making him wait. He dialled the number, hesitantly, then pressed the call button before he could stop himself.

He lifted it to his ears and let the phone ring, three, four, five times. On the sixth ring, Bokuto picked up but his line remained silent.

"...Hello?" Akaashi greeted, filling the quiet.

"What do you want?" Bokuto snapped, Akaashi was taken aback by the harshness. He never expected him to be so rude.

"Um, this is Akaashi," the man replied, "We met last week, I was lost and- "

"Akaashi?" Bokuto mumbled his name a few times, then said to probably someone in the room he was in, "Do you know an 'Akaashi'? Is he one of my clients?"

Akaashi recognised the voice that answered the question, "Do you mean Pretty-chan?"

"Pretty-chan?" Bokuto questioned, "Akaashi... Akaashi... Oh! Keiji Akaashi!" Bokuto laughed, "You coulda said! Hey, Akaashi!"

"Hello, Bokuto-san,"

"Heyyyyy, why didn't you call me sooner?!" Bokuto whined, "I was waiting for you!"

"Sorry," Akaashi apologised.

"Oh, well at least you're here now!" Bokuto exclaimed, "So, how have you been? Gotten lost again?"

"Uh, I've been okay, thanks. I haven't gotten lost either," Akaashi replied, "What about you?"

"I've been good! I've just been wondering when you'd call me. I wanna meet you again,"

"I'm sorry," Akaashi was starting to feel bad about leaving it so long.

"Nah, don't worry about it," Bokuto let out a laugh as Akaashi sighed, "So, when are you free?"

"What?"

"To meet up, Akaashi, duh!" Bokuto shouted, Akaashi took the phone away from his ears in fear he'd go deaf.

"I'm free whenever, I don't mind," Akaashi answered, hearing Bokuto's steady breathing down the line.

"Will tomorrow morning do?" Bokuto said after a moment, "We could go to a cafe I know. They do good coffee,"

"Sure,"

"Great!" Bokuto shouted, "I'll pick you up at 11, okay? From where I left you last week?"

"Okay,"

"It's a date!" He laughed, "See ya, Akaashi!"

"G-" Before Akaashi could respond, Bokuto had hung up.

Akaashi threw his phone on the couch and sprinted to his room.

What the hell do you wear on a date? Shoot, I should have asked for more time, I don't know how dates work!

Akaashi ruffled through his wardrobe panicking.

Why the hell did Bokuto say it was a date? If he hadn't said that Akaashi wouldn't be stressing.

Stupid, stupid Bokuto-san. Stupid hair and stupid eyes and stupid talkativeness. My stupid thoughts thinking about him all the time. My stupid brain stressing over this. Stupid!

Maybe Akaashi should have just declined. No, that wasn't even an option.

He was going on a date with Bokuto. Was it even a date? What does he mean by date? Like it's a set date in a diary? Or the type of things people do when they like each other?

Akaashi flunked himself on his bed.

Stupid Bokuto. His stupid eyes.

Akaashi felt that sense of familiarity flood into him when he thought of Bokuto's eyes. Another question floating in his head.

Where have I see them before?