13 | The Son of Man

                                    

                                          
School started and ended like usual, but Yahaba still hadn't shown up. Akaashi took it upon himself to grab Yahaba's missing work, (cause hey, he would want someone to do that same thing for him) sent Yahaba a text warning him that he was coming over, and began the walk to his house. 
                          
Akaashi felt a chill come over him as he walked.  The weather was beginning to change again. There was no longer beautiful leaves on the trees, but brown rotting ones that littered the ground. 
                          
When Akaashi knocked on his door, he was greeted by a sweat-pant-clad Yahaba. 
                          
"Hey." Yahaba said weakly, an embarrassed smile on his face. 
                          
"Hello. May I come in?" Akaashi asked, with the intention of coming in despite whatever Yahaba's answer was. 
                          
Much to his surprise however, Yahaba stepped back and let him in with no refusal. He led him into the kitchen, where he sat at the dining table. Akaashi followed suit and placed the stack of papers he had been carrying onto the table. 
                          
"I brought your schoolwork." Akaashi said, breaking the awkward silence. Yahaba smiled weakly. 
                          
"Thanks." 
                          
Akaashi studied Yahaba's face. He looked, to put it simply, horrible. He had heavy bags underneath his eyes and his normally carefully styled hair looked like it hadn't been washed in days. 
                          
The two boys sat there in silence, Yahaba staring intensely at his hands, which were folded on his lap. 
                          
Finally, Akaashi broke the silence. "Are you okay?"
                          
Like flipping a switch, Yahaba's fake smile began to tremble. "Yeah," his voice cracked, "I'm just... going through some stuff. I'm fine, really." He wouldn't make eye contact, instead opting to stare at the floor. 
                          
Akaashi put a hand to his temple. "You can talk to us, you know. We're here for you. Everyone's been worried about you all week. Even Oikawa asked me about you."
                          
Yahaba shook his head. "I just made a stupid mistake. Me and someone—"
                          
"Kyoutani." Akaashi said sharply, cutting him off. "Something happened between you and Kyoutani."
                          
Yahaba chuckled, but it sounded half-hearted. "Always so perceptive. You're dangerous, Akaashi." He looked up, and Akaashi could tell that he was trying very hard not to cry. 
                          
"I messed up with him at the party last week. Badly. We 'fooled around' a bit in the bedroom at the party. I know, gross or whatever. But afterwards, I assumed that he wanted to get together and be something serious. I was wrong though." Yahaba's breathing became hitched.
                          
His was crying for real now, and Akaashi instantly got up, grabbed a box of tissues nearby, and sat back down beside him. Yahaba took some and continued. 
                          
"He just wanted to experiment with his sexuality, I guess. Which I understand, but it really hurt when he told me he didn't actually like me and that it was all the alcohol."
                          
Akaashi felt his eyebrows raise on their own. "You... really liked him? Kyoutani?"
                          
Yahaba laughed softly. "I know it sounds lame. I mean, he did accidentally smash my face with a locker door earlier this year." He looked at Akaashi, finally meeting his eyes. "But you can't control who you catch feelings for."
                          
Akaashi looked away, feeling his chest tighten. "No. I guess you can't." 
                          
"Anyways," Yahaba continued, "we argued, Ennoshita came into the room to tell us you were leaving, Kyoutani yelled some horrible things, I started crying, and then he stormed out." 
                          
Akaashi narrowed his eyes. "I'm sorry that happened to you, Yahaba. Kyoutani is a jerk."
                          
Yahaba laughed. "Thanks. You coming here was a good wake-up-call, Akaashi. I can't keep wallowing in my own pity and avoiding him forever."
                          
Akaashi hesitated. "Well, you might be able to face him earlier than expected."
                          
Yahaba rolled his eyes. "Ugh. Kuroo already texted me about his dumb party. I can't go to that. Seeing Kyoutani there will just make me feel embarrassed. I'll probably say or do something stupid." 
                          
"We will all be there." Akaashi said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We'll have your back. If you don't want to go, that's fine, but I think if you do it will send a good message to him, that you don't care about him anymore."
                          
"But I do still care about him." Yahaba groaned, putting his face in his hands. "That's the worst part."
                          
"I know." Akaashi said, putting his hand on Yahaba's back. 
                          
They sat in a comfortable silence now, both thinking. Yahaba, about whether to go to the party or not, and Akaashi, about if he could kill Kyoutani and get away with it. 
                          
After a moment, Yahaba finally spoke up. "I think that I will go. You're right, I have to show him that I don't care." He grinned, "And I should have some fun with my friends."
                          
Akaashi smiled. "I'm glad." 
                          
He got up from his seat and began walking to the door. "I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing. You better call Ennoshita too, he was really worried."
                          
"He's probably just pissed that I missed a week's worth of club." Yahaba said. "But thanks, Akaashi. For worrying about me."
                          
Akaashi nodded. "Of course."
                          
He his heart sink, partly for Yahaba, and partly for himself. Would he feel the same way one day? Would he also get turned down? It made Akaashi apprehensive to even think about his future love life. 
                          
He walked to the door and put his hand on the knob. "I will see you at the party then."
                          
"Yeah, I'll pick you up. See you then."
                          
Akaashi shook off any dark thoughts he had and left Yahaba's house. 
                          
• • • • •
                          
A/N:
LMAO sorry this is so late university gave me such bad burnout that i just like. Sat there my entire break and played stardew valley. Anyways i think the worst is over now.