In another life

Chapter 12(Half way)

"Hey."
"What?"
"Let's watch Cloud Atlas."
"No." Akaashi shook his head.
Bokuto grumbled to himself. "Why not? Don't you have it in your laptop?"
"I do, but I don't want to watch it. It's a long movie, and I've watched it about seven times already."
"Well if you've watched it seven times then why not watch it an eighth time?"
"Because it's three in the morning and I want to fit some sleep into my schedule. By the time that movie ends, it'll be six. Then I'll have to walk you to the hospital before the doctors find out you're missing and lose their minds."
A laugh escaped Bokuto, the sound curling his lips into a smile. "What if they've already found out?"
"Then that would be a problem."
"And then they'd turn my room upside down in an attempt to find me."
"That'd be a tough mess to clean up."
Turning his head, Bokuto looked at Akaashi. "Everything you say is so straightforward. Why is that?"
"I... Don't know." Akaashi inhaled slowly. "It's just how I am. Sometimes I think I'm funny. But people never laugh at my jokes."
Bokuto snorted. "When have you ever tried to make a joke?"
"When I said that it would be a tough mess for them to clean up..." Akaashi sounded genuinely confused. "Didn't that come off as remotely funny?"
Bokuto couldn't help but guffaw, his head tilting back. "That was your idea of a joke?"
"You're too loud, be quiet." Akaashi shoved his visitor lightly. Despite this, it only seemed to make Bokuto laugh even harder. Akaashi pursed his lips in frustration, but this look quickly vanished as a small laugh fell from his lips.
"Well, you're laughing now..." He tried to hide his smile. "So I guess I am pretty good at being funny."
Bokuto glanced at him. "Yeah, but for all the wrong reasons." His laughter died down along with Akaashi's. "You know... I don't think I've ever heard you laugh, or seen you smile for that matter."
Shrugging one shoulder, Akaashi grabbed his phone. "Well now you have."
Bokuto looked over at the phone screen. "What are you doing?"
"Setting an alarm for six AM." Akaashi set his phone down and leaned back slowly, resting the back of his head against his pillow. Bokuto followed, his arm still around him.
This is strange. He stared up at the ceiling and sighed. Why do I let him do this?
Akaashi's head slumped to the side, in Bokuto's direction.
"I hope you don't mind me sleeping." He whispered the words.
"Of course I don't. I showed up to your house unannounced at three in the morning. You've got all the right to sleep..."
"I just hope it isn't rude-"
"It isn't." Bokuto's arm unconsciously squeezed Akaashi closer to his side.
"Alright..." He closed his eyes. "Good night." Akaashi pulled his arms in close, wrapping the sheets around himself.
"See you in three hours." Bokuto whispered.
Complete and utter silence befell them afterwards. Akaashi had kept his eyes closed for quite a while, trying to fall into a deep sleep, but found that he couldn't, or at least, not as quickly as he thought he could. He kept his breathing controlled and steady for about forty minutes; he looked sound asleep, but was actually drifting between the real world and the dream realm.
There was silence, and then there was a sound. A subtle, gentle sound. The sound of someone cautiously moving their arm when they didn't wish to wake someone.
Akaashi remained in his faux sleeping position, feeling that it would take much more of an effort for him to open his eyes and check around than to stay dormant. And so he continued to try and grasp sleep, expecting nothing from the noise.
It was because of this that he was so surprised when he felt a gentle sensation against his forehead. It took all of his power not to flinch when he'd felt the unfamiliar touch.
They were fingers. Hesitant fingers that ghosted over Akaashi's forehead in order to push a loose strand of hair away.
Keeping his eyes closed, Akaashi took in the feeling of this. He could sense the heavy amount of reluctance in each movement that Bokuto's hand carried out.
Bokuto was afraid to wake Akaashi. So much so that his hands trembled slightly whenever he'd push Akaashi's bangs away.
Slowly but gradually, Akaashi's heart rate picked up. His hands twitched once, and he moved closer, leaning into Bokuto's touch. This backfired, however, as the other's hand quickly withdrew. Akaashi relaxed then, keeping the sleeping act alive.
Bokuto did not move a muscle after having seen Akaashi stir. The last thing he wanted to do was wake him up, so they lay in silence for minutes on end. Akaashi figured that Bokuto would keep to himself for the rest of the night, so he put his focus back to trying to sleep. He held the same position and felt himself dozing off...
"I'm sorry." The words were barely a whisper, and they came without warning. It almost sounded as if Bokuto were talking to himself.
Akaashi remained still and silent.
"... I never meant to drag you into my life..."
Bokuto inhaled all that he could. Akaashi felt his chest rise. He could practically hear the frown in his voice.
"I know that I'm unbearable. I know that I'm a lost cause. I know that you know that, too... And yet you still stick by me."
He paused for a moment, then spoke up again. His voice was a soft tremor.
"So... Thank you."
Bokuto had nothing more to say after that. He lay his cheek on the top of Akaashi's head and kept still, daring not to wake him.
But Akaashi now couldn't find it in himself to sleep. Bokuto's words haunted him, and they repeated themselves over and over in his mind.
He swallowed once, hoping to get rid of the lump in his throat.