Bokuto Kotaro x Fem!Reader - Back Into the Game

                                    

                                          
Akaashi raced into the gym, panting heavily. He'd been held back to clean up the classroom which made him late for practice.

But he froze at the sight before him.

Only Bokuto was practicing, his hand slamming against a volleyball in a jump serve. He watched as it barely passed over the net, bouncing to join the rest of the discarded balls on the other side of the court. What was more troublesome was the fact that almost the same number of balls were littered along Bokuto's side as well. Was he missing that much?

Bokuto narrowed his eyes at the outcome, picking up another ball to repeat the process.

Akaashi caught sight of the other members of the team and walked over.

"Why aren't you practicing?" he asked.

"Bokuto forbid it," Wataru replied.

Haruki nodded in agreement. "He says we can't practice until he figures out what's wrong with his serve today."

Akaashi sighed. "You know how to deal with him when he gets like this."

But the others all shook their heads.

"We tried, Akaashi. Whatever's bothering him is worse this time."

"Akaashi!" Bokuto exclaimed. The players glanced over to see a ball strike the net and fall back on his side. "Don't set for me during practice."

The ravenette nodded wordlessly. Bokuto picked up a ball and stared at it intensely, as though that would fix his problem.

"See? He's never been this bad before."

Akaashi narrowed his eyes. If they couldn't correct this problem, it could spell disaster for the rest of the team.




"Stop!" The Fukurodani coach called. "That's enough for today, boys. Clean up and get some rest so you're ready to go tomorrow." He glanced meaningfully at Bokuto. Everyone nodded and started working.

Akaashi frowned slightly. He'd sent several sets to Bokuto during the practice match despite his insistence against it. It was always worth it to get the ace to land a spike when he was in a bad mood. It practically reformed his game and made him play better when he had a rebound like that.

But every set had failed. Seven in total. And with each one, Bokuto had fallen farther and farther into despair. He'd even snapped at Akaashi for continuing to set for him.

"I'm the captain and the ace, so you follow my orders," he'd growled. Akaashi was more than a little taken aback by his hostility.

And then he'd caught up after practice to ask him what was wrong. Akaashi would rather resolve the problem through a game, but sometimes talking seemed to yield the same results.

"I'm fine," was all he'd said before heading off on his own. And that was obviously far from the truth.




The next day, Akaashi was walking to class, still thinking about this problem when he bumped into you.

"(L/N)? Are you okay?" It wasn't like you to be staring off into space. You were usually pretty alert.

"I'm fine, Akaashi. I didn't see you there," you replied with a slight smile. Akaashi suddenly realized. If anyone knew about Bokuto's mood change, maybe it was you.

"(Y/N)-chan, how are you and Bokuto-san? You're not fighting or something, are you?"

"Of course not. We're fine," you told him.

But there was something about the way you said it. He narrowed his eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Another lie. He could see it in your eyes.



And so he watched. He watched Bokuto try to catch you in between classes or at lunch. He watched you linger near the entrance after school even though you should have gone home already.

He watched your moods degrade with each failed attempt to catch each other. And Bokuto's continued failure to play at his normal skill level.

After another abysmal practice, Akaashi found Bokuto lying on his back, staring up at the net. Another twenty or so volleyballs were scattered around him. He didn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

Akaashi kicked his leg. "Hey."

Bokuto flinched. "What?"

"Give me your phone," the setter demanded.

"No," he grumbled back, refusing to look at Akaashi.

Before he'd even registered what was happening, Akaashi was on top of him, grabbing him by the shirt.

"Listen to me, Bokuto-san. You are the ace of this team and when you suffer, so does everyone else. I don't know what's wrong with you but I'm here to find out. So give me your damn phone before I take it by force."

Bokuto narrowed his eyes. Akaashi glared back. They sat like this for a minute before Bokuto finally reached into his pocket and handed the setter his phone.

Akaashi let go of his shirt and stood up, going through the phone's contents. Bokuto sat up, staring up at his friend.

"(Y/N), huh?" he finally said.

The owlish boy averted his gaze. "What about her?"

"You haven't been talking. Is that what's bothering you?" Bokuto thought about it for several seconds.

"No," he replied finally. "We haven't been doing anything together the last few weeks. Going out, seeing each other at school, anything. It's like we don't have time for each other anymore."

A dark cloud started encircling his friend.

"Maybe that's not it."

Bokuto glanced up at him. "What does that mean?"

"You know how when you have your mood swings, you have to take a break to calm down and get back into the game? Maybe that's all this is. You're just taking your breaks at the same time."

"(Y/N) has those too?" Bokuto asked.

"Everyone does, Bokuto-san. Just not as violent as yours."

"But....what if we don't get back into the game?" Bokuto asked.

Akaashi smirked. "That's what you have a setter for, my friend."





You were leaving class for lunch the next day when Akaashi walked by you.

"(Y/N)-chan, Bokuto-san is up on the roof. He says he's waiting for you."

"It's lunchtime, Keiji. What's he doing up there?"

The setter shrugged. "I don't know. But he said he wasn't coming down until he saw you."

You quickened your pace towards the stairs. You could only guess what that boy was up to up there.


"Kou, Akaashi said--"

You stopped. Bokuto turned to you at the sound of your voice. But he was standing on the edge of the railing.

"What do you think you're doing, you stupid owl?!" you exclaimed, grabbing at his jacket.

"Whoa, watch where you're grabbing, (Y/N)! This is still school grounds."

"Shut up and get down!"

He steadied his hands on your shoulders and neatly hopped down. "Relax, that was just to distract you. It's called a fake out."

"Distract me from what?"

"This!" He dramatically fanned out his arm behind him. And you felt your heart stop for the second time in two minutes.

He'd set up a picnic. On the roof. Complete with blanket, basket, and from what you could smell, delicious food.

"You did this for me?" you asked.

He smirked. "Well, I'm not dating anyone else."

"Kou...I'm so sorry for not being around like I should. I--"

"Hey, hey, hey," he said softly (for probably the first time in his life). "It's all right. Let's just eat and catch up, sound good?"

"When did you get so wonderful?"

He gasped dramatically. "I've always been this wonderful, thank you! It just took you this long to notice what a catch you have."

"You sound a lot like Kuroo right now," you mused as you opened the basket.

"Do not!"

"Do so!"

"Do not! Kuroo wishes he was as great as me."

Kuroo was lazing outside when he suddenly sneezed loudly. He whipped his head around to make sure Lev wasn't trying to prank him somehow


"I have something for you too, Kou. Hold out your hand." You reached into your bag and placed something in his hand.

He stared down at a silver tie clip in the shape of a flying owl.

"Babe, this is amazing! Where did you get it?"

"I saw it in a shop a month ago, and I've been taking a few extra shifts at work so I could get it for you." You easily secured it onto his tie. "I was going to save it for your birthday, but it makes a pretty good apology gift."

Bokuto's gaze softened. "You don't need to apologize. Just tell me next time you need a little break from me, okay?"

"Well, you have to admit you're just a little overwhelming, Kou. One of the top aces around, smart, funny, incredibly handsome, and you can make a picnic at the drop of a hat."

The owlish boy watched your hands make their way higher on his tie. "Don't forget good with the ladies," he added.

"Oh, absolutely. And this lady really missed you."

He grinned, your noses almost touching. "I missed you, too."

You seized his lips in a kiss.










A loud banging startled you two.

"Oi!" Akaashi's voice called through the door. "If that food goes to waste, I'm not serving to you at practice, Bokuto-san!"

"Thanks for the food, Akaashi!" you both called back as you stuffed your faces.