𝙱𝚊𝚍 𝙸𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚜 - 𝙺. 𝙱𝚘𝚔𝚞𝚝𝚘 𝚡 𝙾𝙲

Chapter Thirteen

"Okiiiii-chaaaaan!" Yachi laughed as she poked her best friend's blushing cheek. "Come on, tell me everything!"

"It's embarrassing to talk about this stuff, Yacchan," Idoki groaned before taking a sip of her coffee and glancing out the window at the early morning sunrise.

Pushing a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear with a huff, Yachi continued. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about, I just wanna hear all about your hot date with Akaashi-san!"

"It wasn't a hot date, Yacchan. You're being dramatic, it was hardly even a date at all."

"Why?" She tilted her head to the side. "Because Bokuto-san asked you to go?"

"Well yeah...he did the same to Akaashi too, and then by the time he decided to show up w-"

Yachi's eyes lit up as she leaned forward and placed a hand on Idoki's shoulder. "Bokuto-san crashed your date?!"

"Uh, yeah," Idoki glanced away awkwardly. "Akaashi-san thought it was because he had feelings for me, and wanted to make him jealous to tease him."

"Oh my GOD, Oki-chan!!! I told you!!! So what'd he do? Did it work? Was he jealous? He so was, right?"

"Akaashi-san was just being more...flirty? Like holding my hand and stuff. And God," Idoki shook her head with a soft laugh. "Poor Bokuto-san was just trailing around behind us trying to be sneaky. It was very sweet, but I feel kinda bad about it now. We shouldn't have teased him."

"Don't feel too guilty about it, he shouldn't have been spying in the first place."

"Still," Idoki scratched her rosy cheek. "I guess it did work though. He outed himself near the end of the night and then after Akaashi-san ditched us we um...we almost kissed. Well, he kissed my cheek but that doesn't really count."

"Like hell it doesn't count!" Yachi squealed, swatting her shoulder a half dozen times. "He kissed you?! Ohmygod Oki-chan! And you weren't going to tell me?!"

"I-I'm still processing it, okay!" Idoki defended as she sunk back further into the couch with her morning coffee, trying to find solace in its warmth as her cheeks burned at the thought of his lips against her skin. "I can't tell if he's just jealous because of Akaashi-san and his emotions are haywire because of his break up, or if he actually likes me, you know? Akaashi thinks he does, but I'm not so sure."

"Akaashi-san wouldn't lie about something like that," Yachi hummed.

"Akaashi-san also completely outed my feelings to Bokuto-san before running away after he promised he wouldn't tell him, so I'm not exactly inclined to believe that he wouldn't lie, Yacchan."

Yachi's eyes widened and Idoki nodded with a sigh. "Yeah. Cat's out of the bag now...but I guess in a way it's kind of relieving."

The blonde's hair swayed as she tilted her head. "Yeah?"

"I don't have to feel like I'm holding in this deep dark secret anymore at least." Idoki sipped her coffee with a sigh. "I wish I had more control over it, but knowing me I would've never admitted it because he's so out of my league."

"Excuse you," Yachi scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "You are an amazingly beautiful and kind person Ichigo Idoki, and I will not tolerate you saying anything otherwise. It's not like you to be so negative, Oki-chan."

"He's literally an Olympic athlete, Yacchan. He's built like freaking Hercules, and he dates models and actresses...and I'm just some naïve chubby farm girl with a crush."

"And what is so bad about naïve chubby farm girls?" Yachi raised her eyebrow. "Because the one sitting beside me right now is the best person I know, and whoever is lucky enough to earn her love has won the damn lottery."

Idoki rolled her eyes. "You're missing the point, Yacchan."

"No, you are," Yachi poked her friend's cheek, trying to point out her flawed logic in the way that only a friend could. "Bokuto-san doesn't go around trying to kiss just anyone. Well, not since university. If he kissed you, even if it was just your cheek or whatever, it definitely meant something to him."

Running a hand through her hair, Idoki let out a long breath. Was it really a possibility that he could want something serious with her? Sure, he said he'd wait, and he did sound sincere, but it almost felt too good to be true. "It just seems so far-fetched that he could be interested in me. Especially as more than just a fling or whatever."

"Girl, you are not fling material," Yachi laughed, elbowing her side. "You're bring home to mom material. And clearly, Bokuto-san knows that because he's already brought you to meet his family."

"We're just friends, Yacchan."

Yachi's eyes shined brightly at her friend as she patted her cheek affectionately. "For now."

-

Meeting Bokuto in a local park for a morning jog, Akaashi had to admit he was curious about what happened after he left the night before. If he were judging by the impossibly large grin on the big oaf's face as he came into view though, it was safe to assume things went well.

"Akaaaashiiiiiiiiiii!" Bokuto shouted from a few feet away, waving as if his dark-haired friend wasn't already staring directly at him.

"Good morning, Bokuto-san," he replied, stretching one arm out over the other before adjusting the zipper of his thick sweater. "You look like you're in a good mood today."

"How could I not be," he laughed, clapping a hand on Akaashi's back. "You're a real bro, Akaashi!"

"I take it that things went well after I left?"

"Yeah!" Bokuto grinned, motioning for them to start jogging. "Mostly, I think."

Akaashi sighed - did he really manage to fuck it up already? "Well, which is it? Yeah, or mostly you think?"

"She likes me, dude," Bokuto chucked with a slightly incredulous shake of his head. "Someone amazing like Doki-chan likes me. Isn't that crazy?"

Akaashi hummed to show he was listening, though he wasn't quite so sure why Bokuto was so surprised about that when many people liked him.

"I kissed her," he grinned, only bothering to continue once he saw the eyebrow Akaashi had raised in his direction. "On the cheek. I kissed her cheek....because she turned away."

Cringing at the admission, Akaashi had to know the details. How much damage control was he going to have to do? "She turned away? What did you even say to make that happen?"

"When I asked her why, she said that she wanted to kiss me but didn't want me to rush into anything because Fuji and I just broke up."

"Hm," Akaashi glanced over at Bokuto, the condensation from his breath not hiding his smile for even a second. "I knew she was thoughtful, but I didn't consider how much self-control she had."

"What do you mean?"

"She's had a crush on you as long as she's known you, Bokuto-san," Akaashi pointed out. "I didn't think she'd show much restraint once she realized you also had feelings for her."

"She had a crush on me for that long and you didn't even say anything?! Akaashi! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you were with Fujiwara-san. It would've only caused problems if I had said anything." Akaashi focused on the fading sunrise ahead of them as he spoke. "Besides, you weren't ready to acknowledge that you cared about her too, but I think we can both agree that it's been for quite some time."

Bokuto's smile fell into one much softer as he considered the fact that she'd liked him for so long. "I told her I'd wait if that's what she wanted...I think that made her happy."

"If you're truly interested in her, I think it's the right thing to do." Akaashi tugged at the crimson beanie on his head to adjust it. "You run headfirst into every relationship and end up hurt every time."

Bokuto focused his eyes on the snow cleared path beneath them. His heart squeezed in his chest as he thought fondly of Idoki; her bashful smile as he said goodnight to her after kissing her forehead was one that he swore he'd never forget. "It's different this time though."

Akaashi's lips tugged into a small smile as he peered over at his best friend and noticed the rosy tinge to his cheeks that he was certain wasn't just from their physical activity. "I know, Bokuto-san."