Kiss Me (Like You Wanna Be Loved)

Chapter Seventeen: Excercise Recovery

The auditorium is big and loud and Keiji feels intensely out of his element.

He fidgets with his fingers as he climbs the bleachers, assessing the situation and trying to decide where he should sit. Not too far from the court, because he wants to be able to see what's happening, but not so close that he's stuck in the middle of the rambunctious cheering section, because the level of noise in here is already grating.

Then he spots a familiar blonde sitting alone and he immediately makes his way toward the other boy.

"Tsukishima-kun," he greets, gesturing to the empty spot beside him. "May I sit here?"

"Ah, Akaashi-san. Sure," he says, and Keiji settles down. "I thought you were working today."

"I got my shift covered," he explains. It was an unfair trade. Saturday afternoon is a highly coveted time slot, and Keiji had to agree to work two disgustingly early morning shifts next week to appease Konoha.

"I didn't realize you were a volleyball fan."

Instead of saying I'm not, Keiji replies, "I used to play. And Bokuto-san invited me."

Tsukishima makes a sound of acknowledgement that Keiji decides not to read too much into.

It's not much longer before the team files out onto the court to start warming up. Keiji spots Bokuto immediately, his hair making him easy to identify even from a distance. Bokuto's eyes keep scanning the crowd, and there's a tug in Keiji's chest when he realizes that Bokuto is probably looking for him.

Kuroo is the one who notices Tsukishima and Keiji first. He elbows Bokuto, interrupting him from his stretches to point them out in the stands. Bokuto's face brightens when he meets Keiji's eyes.

"Hey, hey! Aghasheee!" Bokuto calls, loud enough to be heard over the crowd, and beside him Kuroo starts cackling, also loud enough to be heard over the crowd.

At least three people in front of Keiji turn around, searching for the person Bokuto Koutarou is shouting at. Bokuto waves both hands wildly like Keiji isn't already staring right at him. Kuroo blows Tsukishima a kiss with grand exaggerated motions.

"Ugh," Tsukishima groans, covering his face with one hand.

"Yes," Keiji agrees, sinking a little lower into his seat.

Fortunately, Bokuto and Kuroo get yelled at to stop causing a scene and start warming up.

Unfortunately, this is when Keiji realizes something very dangerous about Bokuto's kneepads.

What Keiji first thought were leggings are actually compression sleeves that end at the top of his thighs. Most of the time the edges of these sleeves are hidden by the length of Bokuto's shorts.

However. There are these brief fleeting moments when Bokuto jumps or leans over that his shorts hike up enough to reveal a sliver of skin, the space just above the long kneepads.

It's nothing Keiji hasn't seen before-he's touched those thighs; he's licked and kissed and bit into that exact spot. But there's something almost indecent about seeing that flash of skin every now and then, only if you're paying close attention, a glimpse of pale flesh before Bokuto shifts and his shorts cover him up again.

Keiji wishes he bought a drink before he sat down; he feels suddenly parched.

Are those kneepads even legal?

Tsukishima snorts beside him and fuck Keiji said that out loud, didn't he?

Keiji glances over at him. The look Tsukishima gives him is far too discerning for Keiji's liking. Keiji works to keep his face blank. He doesn't know what exactly his expression was when he was watching Bokuto, but somehow he feels like it's revealed far too much.