paws // bokuaka

sixteen: kotaro bokuto

"Yoo-hoo!"

Once again, as I stepped into the Aoba Johsai cafe, a certain brunet came springing and tumbling towards me. "Bo-chan!!!! Why didn't you bring Kuroo??"

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Because I didn't want to."

"Yeah, but I wanted you to bring him!"

I pouted. "Oikawa, just because you work here doesn't mean that I have to do what you want!! This is my date, not yours!!"

The brown-haired employee shrugged, crossing his arms. "Hm... fine. It's only your second date, though."

I blinked, pausing for a second. "No, it's not."

"Yes, it is! This is the second time you've come to the cafe, right?"

"Yeah, but we've had dates not only at your stupid cafe!" I scoffed. "Duh!"

Oikawa stared at me. He blinked, a grave, shocked expression on his face as he splayed his hands on his cheeks. "Wait... you managed to score dates without my help?! ...Am I a bad wingman, Bo-chan?!"

"Yeah, you weren't even a wingman, to begin with," I said tautly. "All you did was make a comment about how he would look good in lingerie because his thighs were nice. And then you stopped me from making out with him, you un-wingman bitch."

"You were in a fucking public cafe!"

"Anyways, he's my boyfriend now so you're not allowed to say he looks pretty or else I'll get mad at you," I blew a raspberry at him before looking around the cafe. It looked the same as it did the last time we came here. "Now, I need to get seated so I can pretend I'm mature and collected when Keigijihi comes."

"Fine, you ungrateful fucker," Oikawa huffed. "Okay, we reserved a spot for you guys at the same seat you sat the last time you came here. You're welcome~"

"Wait really? Thanks!!"

I was expecting Oikawa to say something in reply, but instead, he was staring off into space, his gaze focused on me. I tilted my head at him, confusion trickling into my brain. Suddenly, he caught my view and winked, bouncing away. "Make yourselves at home~"

It suddenly occurred to me that he wasn't staring at me; he was staring behind me. I turned my head ever so slightly. Behind me, I found my favorite perfect ebony curls and sweet lips, and I locked eyes with the two familiar gorgeous gunmetal irises I had been trying to contact for the first time in 7 weeks.

***

I didn't know what to say.

We were seated, sitting right next to each other, but silence hung over us like icicles hanging from the ceiling. As I glanced over at Akaashi, I saw him fiddling with his fingers, as if he had a truckload of things to say but no way to present it.

I stared down at the empty table. It was warm hazel, nearly cinnamon-colored. It smelled of spilled coffee and dusted-off pastry crumbs, but the scent was masked by the odor of table wipes and wet towels. There were painted stripes on it, made to look like the texture of wood.

I went to look at Akaashi again. He was still playing with his thumbs, his eyes staring down at his lap absently. He raised his head and caught my gaze before looking away awkwardly. I pursed my lips, beginning to fiddle with the edges of my shirt.

In my head, I tried to scramble together some words to break the uncomfortable silence like a game of scrabble as I screamed internally inside.

"...Hey, Keiji," I said quietly, my voice sounding unnaturally forced. "Um." Now, Akaashi was obviously paying attention to me, but in his own awkward, quiet way.