█ ▌█ ▌█ ▌⊰ ❄ ⊱——— 

         How this sorcery had had come to be, keiji had long since given up on figuring out. instead he chose to brace it quick so the surprise would die. but there was something about the situation that left him hanging on his own fingers. a quiet sigh he exhales as he leans his back against the bricked wall of the building behind him, before suddenly, he feels the aggressive tugging of none other than little bokuto on his pant leg. notching an irked eyebrow, keiji has to veer his gaze to the ground to see the little hyperactive brat.

              ❝ Yes, I’m aware I’m tall.

               I’m not sad. you’re too noisy.           quiet down. people are staring. stop.

                 … agh, you can’t be serious.                       fine,  a little  piece will  do.                      would  you like  me to buy                      you   another   one   later? ❞

:&: paper birds.

ivstrix:

█ ▌█ ▌█ ▌⊰ ❄ ⊱——— 

        It had been a while of just silently watching the other male's face contort in all sorts of different expressions, ranging from mild dejection & then a trembling look of displeasure. he could only assume that was over the part where the other realized they would soon be walking different paths. it had been a while of inhaling that same thought, & exhaling nothing but bitter feelings, so keiji felt he had naturally grown use to it. 

           akaashi keiji was naturally pointed to be a quiet person ; he tended to keep his thoughts to himself, he preferred being alone than crowded, had a natural sense to think first before acting or talking or even reacting, & had the brains to know the consequences way before situations got messy. speaking up about what was proving to be difficult for him, or made him feel caged, was laughable -- he wasn't even keen on sharing what he felt on matters. he felt at times that it was rather childish of him to keep himself so bottled up, but in the end it always felt like the right thing to do. 

                                      bottling things up...

        the last thing he desired to be infront of bokuto atleast was a nuisance, so in fear of that sole notion, he kept himself retreated to the back where only playful irritation towards his captain's shenanigans rested. now as he looked at him once again, a smile twitched upon his features, & subconcsiously he inched closer to the other with the cool, chilly air of the night brushing against their skin, & wrists just barely brushing against eachother.

                                     please come with me.

              ❝ Haha, very funny.

             you heard me the first time, though.

                                     ... & kotarou, I'm being serious.                                                        don't forget us, yeah ? ❞

:&: paper birds.

     ” Out of everything…I should’ve guessed.” 

                              Somehow apart of him already knew the answer to his question before.

The sudden drop in his chest had lead him towards his offered spot, as the familiar sense of hopelessness took course throughout his body, leaving him expressionless and frozen. Like an uncontrollable tidal wave, it all poured onto him. He felt his own weight drag him lower and lower into the depths of his overwhelming uncertainty. Panicking, he struggled, and fought the binding chains that he had hidden from himself for so long. He wasn’t ready for them just yet, but every time he broke free, and keep them away from himself, no matter where he was they found him again. Though for some reason, within hearing someone who had been so close to him say it for the first time, they were a lot stronger, and a lot more painful.   The chains had lead him on a path of never ending thought. Growing up, leaving his team, moving away to college, the single thought alone churned his stomach into an permanent knot, and left him alone to manage it. Truthfully he had thrown away the idea of his graduation a while ago, keeping it chained, he wouldn’t falter his grasp, until absolutely necessary. Yes, he knew he’d have to deal with it eventually, but for that single moment he was freed. Free to stay with his team, and free to keep doing what he loved. Frankly he’d give anything for those moments. And even if his team had been halted by that same idea, he’d just keep luring them out, leaving himself to bear it’s reality. For he figured for once, they shouldn’t have to keep worrying about him, even if this was something he need someone for. 

                               So why was he allowing it to affect him so much already?

Scoungering a forced smile, he brought his arm around the setter, drawing him in and leaving him within his firmed, yet somewhat comforting grasp. Akaashi had been his best friend for a good while, and though he was usually the one to turn to, he wouldn’t force him in this time. The soon to be captain had other thing than him to worry about, and though he hadn’t been the best at comfort, he figured it would be worth a shot.  He just hoped he wouldn’t see through his act.                 

         ” Hey, Heey, Heeeyy! Brighten up! It’s not going to be that bad! I’m not leaving just yet, you know! I still have a lot of things I wanna teach you guys! “

█ ▌█ ▌█ ▌⊰ ❄ ⊱——— 

               ❝ that's the point —— we didn't want you to. ❞

          akaashi felt it was too petty to admit it at first, so the first few months he had kept it to himself, far back in his mind where even he seemingly forgot it during the day while it attacked him abruptly during the night whilst in wait for the next day to begin. then gradually the realization hit his team mates, and the voice to speak the thought further sank back in his throat. it seemed selfish on his part too, atleast to the boy. why have the team spirit falter?

           yet now, it had grown to big. too unbearable even. it suffocated him during practice and made his chest heavy with the need to sulk. the people he stood with today were one's he had grown up with, and soon those footsteps that have always been with him will go their separate ways. to be captain meant responsibility; he had the potential but he felt he wouldn't be what bokuto was. a fool. a loved one, atleast.

        a week? two weeks? some time left till the senior's graduated. and it was this night where the stars were especially, mockingly bright that his tongue spilled the truth behind today's gloom without thought. a stuttering sigh, the cold teasing against his skin, and he forces his look away from the other boy. there was that brief second of surprise he had noticed on his face, the fact that he had somewhat expected it but maybe even bokuto was hoping it to be wrong. the way his face had contorted at keiji's words was something he felt he wouldn't stop thinking about for a while.

          it was their childhood slowly breaking apart. once they were kids, keiji trotting behind him and bokuto recklessly chasing the wind. now they were almost adults, deciding their future -- and what if this time bokuto is chasing a wind he can't follow?

                                       don't leave me like that.

                   he had yet to hear what his captain's decision was                    going to be, about his further studies.

         for a while he doesn't speak, despite the others attempt to brighten the mood. before, akaashi had played along and did as he was told. he moved himself out of the sinking feeling and kept telling himself, it's a long time away. but right now he couldn't muster the same patience or strength for it. today he felt like sitting and thinking till his brain tired itself out and he would then fall to slumber. or more, he just wanted to be near bokuto. quiet for once, silent as he was, and subtly leaning close to him. 

              ❝ thank you, bok-- ——                      koutaro.    for   everything. 

                                  I'm, erm... I'm going to                                   miss  you,  you  know. ❞

 you  bring  out  the  best  in    whatever’s   left        of        me

:&: paper birds.

      He had been noticing something off. not with just his setter, but the team as a whole. from missing receives, to practically tripping over their own two legs. This wasn’t the team he had excruciating practices with, it wasn’t the team who cried, and laughed together. They were someplace else. Though for some odd reason, he felt like it had hit Akaashi the most.

              To be perfectly honest, it was freaking him out.

     He was used to his witty remarks, the seamless tosses he’d received, and though he still got them, they weren’t really the same. Had someone passed away? Was someone sick? Had he finally irritated him towards a point where he actually hated him? Who was he kidding. No matter how much as he searched for an excuse, he couldn’t find one.

      Maybe he was just an airhead who couldn’t really figure out the reason. But this was getting towards a point of no return. He hadn’t felt this helpless since he younger, and incapable of so many thing. He was the captain, the root of the team, he should of been able to figure out some kind of reason within a second. or even if he couldn’t, they should’ve talked about it with him. 

     But no matter how hard he tried to figure things out, or get people to talk, they wouldn’t. he was facing unclimbable wall, with his teammates waiting for him on the other side. He just wanted to get to them again.

     Pausing for a moment, he let his apology drown into the comforting sounds of their practice. Shifting his weight towards the back of the wall, he threaded his arms across his chest. He didn’t really know what was going to come out of his mouth. He wasn’t really a great talker, anyways. Though as long as he could get the point across, it would be enough for him.

       ” Say, Akaashi… You know you tell me anything right? As much as you help me out, I wanna do the same for you. I know I don’t really get the chance to do it all that often, since you don’t have all that much problems anyways. But now…well I can tell when something’s wrong with you. Your frown is a lot bigger when you’re upset.  ”

█ ▌█ ▌█ ▌⊰ ❄ ⊱——— 

               ❝ Oh? —— ah, of course... ❞

           He blinks at the others response, head tilting in confusing as he averts his gaze towards his captain. There's a small pound in his heart when he sees him, confusion and alarm taking him when he recognizes the rather stern expression the other boy wears. It was no dejection-- he looked concerned. What for, Akaashi hadn't a clue. Hesitating at first, especially with what he heard, the bo forces himself to meet the others gaze if onl briefly.

          Words were tangled in his head, lips fumbling for the right sentence; & what was wrong? Why did his heart feel heavy with void at times, or heavy with a grief he couldn't quite come to explain when he watched Bokuto praise his tosses? Keiji felt selfish being so absorbed in his own thoughts, when he knew his other team mates were discouraged over knowing Bokuto would be leaving soon too. Yet, their captain appeared clueless of why they were the ones dejected this time.

                   your frown is a lot bigger when you're upset.

         a soft chortle was what he managed, a careless shrug to follow before he pats the spot next to him in gesture to offer the other a seat. practice could wait a while longer. perhaps he was craving to be beside his best friend for far too long by now. if akaashi never had serious problems before, this frustration was the start of all his worries possibly. while he was more inclined towards listening to other people and leaving his own complaints behind, this night suggested a different mood. 

             ❝ nothing's 'wrong', —— I'll assure you.                     but   whatever   it  is, the team feels  it  too,                     bokuto  -  san.    we  were...  uh,  we  were                     discussing   your   graduation    the   other                     day. I don't think we're happy to lose you. ❞

by はちろ ※Permission to upload this was given by the artist

a haiku a day (240/365)

( i wanna make a thread with bokuto graduating and akaashi being the next captain, and bokuto coming to fukurodani’s practices and all that jazz. and there’s a lot more to this, but i don’t wanna write it out, but MAN i have a lot of feelings about this, ok  )

This acoustic version of Cash Cash’s “Take Me Home” is perfect.  I particularly love acoustic versions of EDM songs, and this piano-and-guitar-backed version really brings out Albanian-American singer Bebe Rexha’s vocals.