Pretty Boy (bokuaka)

8) Lack of Flowers

"Okay," I say with a soft smile. I actually feel happiness instead of dread to hear that Bokuto is here right now. "Can you bring him in here? Alone?"

She nods and quietly gets out of her chair, heading to the door. Once she's outside, she greets them both, then sends Bokuto in. He closes the door behind him.

We simply stare at each other for a few moments, him by the door and me lying in bed. I can take easy breaths looking at him, something I haven't been able to do in years.

I don't remember what it's like to feel flustered seeing him and that makes me relieved. I sigh and smile at him, I'm the first to speak up. I had predicted that he'd be speachless. "Hey, Bokuto-"

He ran forward, sneakers squeaking against the linoleum floor and he quickly wraps his arms over my shoulder, careful not to lean his weight on my chest. I can still breath. It's like before the doctors diagnosed me with hanahaki disorder. I hold my arms around him and smile with my head against his shoulder. He didn't move or say anything for a long time but eventually he did pull away.

"Akaashi-" he said and I noticed tears in his eyes, making me confused.

I tilt my head and bring my eyebrows near eachother. "Bokuto, why are you crying?" I want to put my hand to his face and wipe away the moisture but decide against it for a multitude of reasons.

"Because I was worried, idiot," he smiles, sitting on the edge of the mattress. "Your dad told me that you're okay and all that, but I couldn't believe it until I saw you."

"Oh," I say and smile again. Still no flowers. "I'm okay. Alive and well."

He nods with a small laugh. Still no flowers. "Yeah, I can see that. Glad to, too. I barely slept last night after you told me you were having surgery, you know? Couldn't focus in class either."

"Why's that?" I narrow my eyes.

"Because I care about you, idiot," he lightly smacked my arm.

"Ow," I say, holding my hand over where he hit me. "Wh- nevermind."

"So,..." he starts after a beat of awkward silence. "Do you feel any different now that you've had this surgery done," he asks, genuinely hopeful.

I nod, "I really do. It's noticeably better."

Then, his wide, bright-eyed grin came to his face, lighting up the dim room. I just stared at his face, glowing yellow eyes and arched brows. I couldn't believe I could stare at him like this and feel happy around him withought spitting up the familiar painful flowers.

His smile softened as the silence between us continued but it wasnt any less beautiful. He chuckled slightly, which would normally send my heart aflutter, but nothing happened. "What? You're staring Akaashi." I then snap out of my gaze and avert my eyes, awkwardly fixing them on the floor to my left. "I didn't say you had to stop," he giggled again.

I look up to meet his eyes once again and take on my usual blank expression with my brows relaxed. "Bokuto, I-"

The door opened and the doctor walked in, catching both of our attention. "Oh," he says as his eyes land on Bokuto at the edge of my bed, still smiling like an idiot. "I didn't realize you had a visitor. Is now a bad time?"

Bokuto got off of the mattress, making me wonder where he was going. He shakes his head, "no. If you need to talk to him, I can go."

"Unless Akaashi would like for you to stay as we discuss his condition, it would be better for you to go."

Bokuto looks to me, silently asking if I wanted him to stay, I shake my head. "Bokuto, could you wait in the hall for a bit?"

He nods and bows to the doctor, thanking him before going out into the hall where voices fill shortly after, too quiet to be understood.

Doctor Toshiaki smiled at me. "Good news," he says with a smile once the two of us are alone. "The flowers are gone, though, I'm sure you've already noticed that. And there weren't any complications so your recovery should be straight forward. You'll likely bruise easily and I highly recomend that you refrain from physical activity until you're healed entirely."

"How long will that take?" I ask calmly, glad that nothing had gone wrong during the procedure.

He looks at his notes for a bit, "anywhere from two weeks to two months. You'll have to warm the bench until I can guarantee your safety on the court."

"I understand." I keep my calm exterior but internally I wish I could cry. Even though I'm not particularly in to volleyball, I still enjoy it enough to miss it.

"We're going to keep you here for two days, just for observation, it's completely ordinary after a procedure like this one. You'll be allowed to leave Thursday afternoon and I'm perscribing you with painkillers to take as needed, I trust that you won't abuse that."

I nod again. "Yeah."

"Do you have any questions, Akaashi?" he asked, probably noticing that I wasn't paying too much attention.

I was listening to the noises outside the room, trying to pinpoint why I recognized a new voice in the hall before looking up to his dark eyes. "No sir," I shake my head, now giving him my full attention. "Well," I pause, "maybe I do."

"Shoot," he says, prompting me to continue.

I figit with my hands, worried to ask. "For the people who recontract hanahaki after the lung surgery," I pause, not looking the tall man in the eyes as he stares at me. "How soon does it usually happen?"

He doesn't answer for a while, maybe it takes him some time to think back. "The earliest someone has recontracted hanahaki, I believe, was three months. But not all that recintract it go to the doctor immediately so the data is unreliable at best."

"Right," I sigh. "Thank you doctor."