blue lights || bokuaka

it's alright

August brought a gentle heat that seemed to spread across the entire city of Jinsoku in one soft sweep.

The nights were cool and sometimes rainy, bringing that subtle shift into autumn that Akaashi could hardly wait for all summer.

And, along with less heat and humid days, August also brought him extra time.

Akaashi spent the three weeks he was off from school with Bokuto - not that he planned to - but he kind of got roped into his impromptu adventures, and he was not complaining in the slightest.

He would spend most of the day working and talking to Kuroo during breaks, counting the minutes and hoping the clock would just spin a little faster for the day, and as he got home, Bokuto would be there, waiting and leaning against his car like he belonged in some sort of Hollywood movie set, just to ask Akaashi out on a date.

It kind of felt like a movie in itself, once the night protected them from the responsibilities of tomorrow. They would often jump the fences into parks that were closed for the day, sneak into beaches to sit on the shore and listen to the hums of the tide and each other, or go dancing at the disco, dressed in pretty button-ups and abandon buckled beneath their belts.

And Akaashi never called them dates, but the word obligation didn't fit either. It felt too heavy in his mouth, and he could always feel his heart try to catch it before it left because it didn't sound right.

In fact, when Bokuto would throw his head back in a laugh, when he would look at Akaashi like he was made of shooting stars and moonshine across the table at restaurants, when he would take his hand and lead him down the sidewalks beneath dull streetlights...

The word obligation started sounding more like a want, maybe a need, to see what else Bokuto had to offer, finding ways to break the rules with Akaashi, even when he was not racing.

Akaashi liked to call him a bad influence, but with the way the world started to shine that much brighter in neon blues and golds, he didn't think he'd like a good one so much.

The August heat favored seeking refuge in the spaces of Akaashi's chest, filling his heart with the same delicate sun behind Bokuto's smile, and he would find himself hiding a grin under his free hand while Bokuto beamed, his hand in his.

If you told Akaashi he'd be staying out past midnight and riding in the passenger's seat of a street racer's car, he would laugh at you.

Now, that's really all he wanted to do.

He hated to admit it, but he could see why people broke rules.

It was kind of fun, or...

Hm.

Whatever .

It was wet today, the last of the summer leaving a vengeful mark across the city. Soft kisses of rain pelted the sidewalk and slid down glass panes, making a gentle tapping noise on the windows of the shop. The clouds were smoky and low as they blanketed the town in a dull heather, a silver that Akaashi doesn't think he could ever get used to, no matter how many times he saw it, no matter how many different forms it came in.

Akaashi was working, spending more time than he really should have on a bouquet to set in the display by the door.

He was using much bigger flowers today, the shop receiving a shipment of more white lilies and hibiscuses for a seasonal change into August. Akaashi always liked hibiscuses, finding their satiny petals beautiful, gossamer beneath his fingertips when he touched them.

The ones that were sent in were a vibrant hot pink that reminded Akaashi of the neon signs at his favorite convenience store.

He really hoped for a little more traffic today, just so he could sell this off, or have more people see how pretty they looked, too.