There was one simple reason why Akaashi Keiji went with his Fukurōdani recommendation and not Suzumeoka High, and that was Bokuto Kōtarō. Last year, in middle school, he had seen a match in the city gymnasium where he had witnessed a star. A star that was like a blast of cold water into the face that made him simultaneously uncomfortably wet but also comfortably cool. That was what Bokuto was. Akaashi wasn't going to admit that he had been starstruck or that he had been moved by Bokuto's passionate attitude to volleyball, yet, here he was.

"I am Akaashi Keiji, from Mori Middle School. I played setter. Pleased to make your acquaintance," he had introduced himself to his new Fukurōdani team, along with the other first years. He felt eyes watching him, eyes he didn't want to look up and connect with. The team drove the first years like machines on the first day to get a feel of their abilities. Afterwards, Bokuto sauntered up to him with a bit a dazed look.

"Hey, uhh, Akashi," Akaashi didn't bother to correct his name, instead wondering why he had been approached in the first place. "Could you please help me practice spikes just for a little bit?" and soon enough, 'a little bit' turned into the rest of the afternoon.

"... Nice kill," was all Akaashi managed out as he panted, tiredness seeping into his bones. He knew Bokuto was fit, just from appearance alone, but this was too much.

"AKASHI!"

"It's Akaashi..." he offered, timidly.

"Your tosses are the best!" Bokuto gleamed at him and he would be lying if he said that his heart didn't skip a beat right there. His star was right in front of him, praising him directly. He had made the right decision coming to this school.

"Ah, sure,"

"Could you sound a little more fired up..." Akaashi wasn't shy or timid, he just wasn't very loud.

Bokuto wanted him to be louder.

"Sure," and that was the start of an absolute rollercoaster. Bokuto would appeal to Akaashi every day to stay after practice, setting him increasingly better sets as his spikes grew even more ferocious in power. Akaashi didn't praise Bokuto often but when he did, Bokuto knew it was genuine.

Since they were of the only two staying that late, Bokuto began to trail behind Akaashi whenever he left. It only took a few days for Akaashi to decide to stop on the side of the road and let Bokuto catch up with him. They walked until they had to separate, but it was a solid twenty minutes they enjoyed outside of volleyball, together.

Akaashi learned some things.

Firstly, Bokuto was maybe a star athlete but he was horrendous when it came to academics. Akaashi relished in the fact that he was a year younger and couldn't be used to tutor him. Bokuto's taste in music seemed to change as the seasons go, ranging from emo bands to overly dramatic opera music. He loved musicals and outrageous motivational paragraphs; sometimes acting them out in in a theatrical performance.

Akaashi found this Bokuto to be quite interesting, and the feeling was definitely mutual.

Bokuto went home that night to video call Kuroo, his leg bouncing anxiously as he waited for his boyfriend to pick up. He's told Kuroo about all the new first years before, but he's neglected to mention in detail his interest in Akaashi. He wanted to fawn about how pretty Akaashi was, but he felt talking about how cute others boys were with his boyfriend wasn't a smart idea.

Now, however, the feelings have changed a bit.

Bokuto was starting to get... attracted to Akaashi, and he need Kuroo to tell him what to do. If Kuroo told him to stop hanging out with Akaashi, then that would be what he would do.

When Kuroo finally picked up, Bokuto held nothing back.

"Tetsurō!" his expression was one already full of distress.

'God don't scare me, Kōtarō. What is it?' Kuroo was in the middle of studying, his bangs clipped up and a small pen mark on his cheek from having been in thought while he was busy.

"I haven't told you this yet, but one the first years is incredibly pretty! What do I do!" and now, Kuroo had no idea what to do. He placed his pen down and rubbed at his eyes, thinking over what he had just been told.

'... Uhm. How pretty are we talking here?' Kuroo laughed nervously, not quite sure where this was going. As far as Kuroo was aware, he was the first person Bokuto had ever been attracted to. Now, he was just confused. There was someone who had caught his eye?

"I'll send you a picture," Bokuto was immediately on the case.

'Why do you have a picture of him?' Kuroo pressed, leaning onto his elbows on his desk after tilting his laptop up a bit to adjust the camera.

"Because I told you, he's pretty," he spoke like it was insanely obvious. Bokuto sent him the picture of Akaashi he sneakily took after their practice one time, Kuroo scrolling on his phone to see the picture.

'... Whoa,'

"I know right!"

'That is pretty. That is too pretty. That is dangerously pretty,' Kuroo couldn't help but let his jaw fall a little. The picture was of Akaashi outside the gym near the water taps. This had been after extra practice and he needed to cool himself down a bit. In the picture, he had just wet his hair and the water dropped onto his white shirt. It clung to parts of his chest and his hair stuck to his face. His skin was glistering under the evening sun and his eyes reflected the beautiful lights. He was gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous.

"I know! Tell me what to do!" Bokuto messed up his hair, this owl horns being squished.

'Uhm, well, I guess... Bokuto, should we be having a talk about our relationship here?' Kuroo knew Bokuto wouldn't have waited this long to mention his pretty he found his teammate hadn't something happen. Bokuto tilted his head in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

'I mean like, are you interested in him?' Kuroo didn't even know what he expected of his boyfriend. Bokuto wondered about this and scrunched up his face.

"When I first had him play for me as a setter, I became interested him in the same way I was interested in you during that very first match we met," the owl felt like he wanted to climb into a hole and never get out. This was embarrassing on so many levels and he might be ruining his relationship here but damn, he couldn't keep it from Kuroo any longer. He didn't want to emotionally cheat. He needed Kuroo to tell him to stop.

'... Oh. That was a dangerous feeling,'

"What does this mean, Tetsurō?! I love you!"

'Honestly, Bo, if he's managed to catch your attention like this then I want to meet him too. You and I have both seen some pretty guys in the past and nothing like this has happened before so I trust your judgement. I don't think you would've even brought it up if he was just pretty. How did he play?'

"Like an angel! That first day, he kind of blended into the crowd of first years but every time I looked, he immediately caught my eye. I can't explain it but he plays so... pure. His sets are amazing. I loved hitting them. And when I hit them wrong or I felt myself get down, he noticed immediately and was able to cheer me up! I can't believe he's going to be my setter for two years, Tetsurō. I just can't. I don't know if my heart can handle that," Kuroo had to take everything in and breathe out for a moment.

'He could cheer you up?'

"YEAH! Only you have ever been able to get me out of my depressive phases!" Bokuto's mental illness was not something he hid – or rather, he couldn't. He had many weaknesses and there were a lot of trigger actions that could get him down short term. Long term, he had irregular periods of high and low depressive states. Of course, everything is managed by pills in this world but Bokuto wasn't one to make himself reliant. It wasn't like he could pop a pill in the middle of a match nor did he want his happiness to depend on little capsules.

Of course, Kuroo had once tried to explain to him that all the pills did were enable him to feel happiness and dope on serotonin instead of actually handing it to him, but he was adamant.

Kuroo had experienced one of Bokuto's really horrendous depressive episodes that happened over the year end break. I guess you could say Kuroo really proved his worth to the Bokuto household when he spent all his time edging into Bokuto's dark bubble he surrounded himself with and accompanied him to therapy.

Bokuto struggled severely with self-worth, and Kuroo had though it stopped there but it had reached its nasty claws into Bokuto's self-body image as well. This truly came apparent to Kuroo when they, for the first time, went a little further than just kissing.

Bokuto was tricky and he knew how to hide his problems. The big ones, the ones that mattered, anyway. On the court, tough love was the way to go. Off the court? That was a whole other domain.

'That's really fucking amazing, actually. Not I really want to meet him,'

"That would be amazing! I think you'll like him! Maybe even..." he didn't need to finish. Kuroo knew what he meant.

'We'll see about that but like... okay listen,' Bokuto could see the confusion and tension written on Kuroo's expression as he tried to figure this all out. 'If we get to the point where we both like him in a couple of months or whatever then...' Kuroo scratched at his head. 'Or actually, even if it's not specifically Mr Pretty Boy, but if we both get interested in the same person in the future then... I'm not against it. Against... more," Kuroo was fidgeting immensely. Bokuto could tell that it was an extremely difficult confession Kuroo just gave him, and if he interpreted it like he had then...

"You mean that... you'll be okay with more than just us two in the relationship?" Bokuto's jaw nearly hung. Kuroo had always been... he didn't know to describe it. So set in motion? He was always so organised with his life and so on top of everything, that it was weird for Bokuto to hear Kuroo admit something so... vulnerable.

Something he hadn't even told Bokuto before now.

'... yeah? I guess? But like, listen, Kōtarō, if you're not into it then that's that. I want to be with you and I'll leave everyone else for you, Bo. I'm not going to do anything if you're not on board and want it one hundred percent,' Kuroo pressed his face into his hands, hiding his red face. He shouldn't have spoken, he shouldn't have said anything, he should have kept this to himself -

"No, no, no! Tetsurō, I'm completely open to the idea! I don't want us to be tied down to just to each other if we both love another person as well. I'm just not too... like if you liked a person and I didn't then..."

'Then it'll never happen! Besides, how could I ever love someone if you didn't love them too? We should have a rule that in the relationship, everyone needs to love everyone out of their own! No one can be uncomfortable. Everyone needs to love everyone equally. We should be... like a unit! A team... with benefits,' Kuroo laughed at his own last words.

"... We should talk more about his in person," Bokuto chuckled nervously to himself.

'Completely agree,' Kuroo smothered his face in his hands, heart still pounding at the conversation that just took place.

Bokuto began to inch himself further into Akaashi's life. He took note of something Kuroo had told him, that he shouldn't befriend Akaashi just for the sake of wanting possibly something more from him in the future. Bokuto didn't understand this concern though. If Bokuto later discovered his feelings for Akaashi were more out of platonic admiration than the underlying feelings he felt for Kuroo during their friendship, then nothing would change. If Akaashi didn't end up liking him or Kuroo didn't like him, then Bokuto wouldn't stop being friends with Akaashi. Akaashi was a solid foundation to him now, and no matter in what direction the feelings of all three of them went, he wanted both of them in his life in one way or another.

He didn't need to have romantic feelings for Akaashi to still love him.

Bokuto didn't have many Fukurōdani friends as it was. Or, well, he did. These friends were just not the type he wanted. The friends had only stuck around him when he was high energetic and even then, it was at arm's length. Of course, everyone at volleyball appreciated him, but they wouldn't be seen with him outside club time really.

Bokuto wanted someone like Kuroo, or even Kenma, at Fukurōdani.

And now, he had Akaashi. Finally, school was a little more fun. Bokuto began to pop into the first years' class during lunchtime to be with Akaashi. He would try to find him before class and would be the first person to greet him afterwards.

Akaashi thought that this was Bokuto's way of paying him back for the extra practice but it didn't take long before Akaashi realised he had gotten lost in Bokuto's atmosphere. He was Bokuto's friend and he couldn't be happier about how things turned out.

He wouldn't admit it out loud, of course.

"Akaashi!" he smiled to himself, hearing his owl boy come running up behind him. He wiped the smiled off his face before turning to greet Bokuto, his heart still gleaming as Bokuto wrapped his arms around his form.

Bokuto's strength was defiantly something else, and his form was just so... big. He covered Akaashi easily and he desperately wanted to push himself into Bokuto's warmth, but he knew it would not be appropriate.

"Are you busy tomorrow?" Bokuto pulled himself away. Akaashi raised a brow at him.

"You want to practice?"

"Not this time," Bokuto's smile blinded him. He was happy. So happy.

"Then what?"

"I was thinking brunch, and then there's a practice match I want to go watch. Come with me?" Bokuto's lips were puckered, his eyes were begging Akaashi's completely compliance and Akaashi wanted nothing to do but soak up that beautiful expression. "Please~" Bokuto begged but it wasn't even needed. Akaashi nodded.

"I'll just need the details on where to meet," Bokuto's expression immediately grew tenfold. Akaashi could feel himself get lost in his bright eyes.

"Sure! I'll message you after practice today!" and then he ran off to the class he was probably late too. Akaashi gave a longing look at the retreating back.

Akaashi thought he would be the first one at the café since Bokuto had been known not to be timely, but he had been pleasantly surprised when he felt the familiar arms catch him from behind. The warmth spread across his back and he wanted nothing more than too lean back and be captured whole. He wanted those arms to encircle him and lull him into a peaceful sleep from whispering sweet nothings.

"AGASHI!" ah, truly a sweet nothing. Bokuto was ahead in the game.

He was pulled into the café before he could even properly greet, and the two took some seats against the side. Akaashi's idea.

"Blueberries. Blueberries are the best thing that ever came from the colour," Bokuto spoke, holding up one berry up delicately and regarding it as if he was a wine taster.

"... the colour blue?"

"Ah. Yes. That one," and with that, he plopped the berry between his lips, Akaashi staring at every movement. Akashi was so dumbstruck at Bokuto's lunacy, he wanted to start stripping right then and there.

Akaashi was a morosexual, case and point.

"Nothing else significant has really come from that colour," Bokuto began to eat his flapjacks properly, Akaashi slowly getting through his fruit bowl and oats. "Maybe the sky and ocean come as close seconds,"

"Bokuto, I don't know how to tell you this..." Akaashi slowly put down his spoon. "Neither the sky or ocean are actually blue,"

"What!" Bokuto threw down his fork. "Am I colour-blind?"

"No. It's just how light refracts,"

"Huh? What is light doing now?"

"Refracts. It's science,"

"Ohh!" Bokuto made a sound of realisation, but Akaashi knew that he didn't have any clue.

"So are you going to tell my why you're so interested in this practice match?" Akaashi questioned, taking a sip from his dark coffee.

"There's someone I want you to meet and I just couldn't wait any longer," Akaashi looked up in interest. "Our first training weekend is next week and two weeks after that is the camp but one week is one week too long," he shook his head before stuffing his mouth with a blueberry-filled bite. Akaashi was very interested at this. He's never seen Bokuto hand out with anyone on campus, so now he wondered if that was because his friends were in another school.

"Who? He'll be at the training camp?" Bokuto nodded as he quickly finished off his meal, Akaashi taking this time to some further as well. He wasn't nearly finished with his meal, but that may have been because his mother made sure she saw him eat something before he left.

"Yeah! I'm so excited for all the camps that are coming! They're literally the best part of the year!" Bokuto's expression was something Akaashi hadn't seen before, or rather, he has seen Bokuto happy before but this. He was absolutely ecstatic. He was hooked on a feeling that he seemed to be familiar with; a feeling someone else made him feel.

Someone who wasn't Akaashi. Someone who had a history with Bokuto.

The side of Akaashi's lip twitched.

Soon enough, Bokuto paid for their meal and they were off into the streets. Akaashi couldn't help but feel their little brunch and Bokuto's absolute shutdown of Akaashi's movements to pay for himself kind of made the whole thing feel a little like a...a date.

Akaashi wasn't very familiar with the area but it seemed that Bokuto knew his ways around these streets. Soon enough they stood in front of a prestigious school, 'Nekoma High' engraved on a plate on the school's entrance. Realisation passed over Akaashi. He knew Nekoma was a part of the Fukurōdani Academy Group, but not much else about the school. It was never a school he looked at when considering potential high schools.

"Come on, Akaashi, come on!" Bokuto literally dragged him onto the school grounds, directly leading him to where he knew the gym was. Bokuto had been here before. He was familiar.

Akaashi could hear the squeaking of the shoes on the gym's wooden floor. It was all familiar and had Akaashi subconsciously getting ready to toss some sets, even though he knew he was just a spectator. He saw the entrance to the gym but Bokuto pulled him further away and around the building, confusing him.

"Didn't we pass the entrance?"

"There's an entrance on the second floor from the connected building. That way we can watch from the second floor without interrupting their warm up," Akaashi was surprised that Bokuto could even be considerate like that and have had thought of it, but then again, this wasn't their school. This wasn't Bokuto's nest; his flock; his Court Of Owls.

This was the feline's den; the clawed predators; the Clowder of Cats.

The warmups were finishing up when they arrived inside the gym, the team rushing around to get ready. There were some other spectators on the balcony along with them, probably other Nekoma students as some of them seemed to be busy with separate club business. Some arts project was going on in one of the corners of the balcony, where the students were busy with creating a flyer. Seemed Nekoma students even devoted their time to their clubs on Saturdays.

The team's coach began to rally the team up and told them to start getting ready for the game. What immediately stood out to Akaashi when they headed to get their uniforms was the rather interesting figure that headed to slump over his bag, his blonde and black hair pooling around him. The Nekoma boy looked rather demotivated, and Akaashi could only draw comparisons. The boy seemed the polar opposite of Bokuto.

"Meow~" Akaashi had never heard something like that exit Bokuto's throat before and he stared at the horned owl in question. He leaned his elbows onto the railing and his chin was nicely placed on top of his hands, his eyes staring down with hawk eyes at a very specific part of the gym. Akaashi followed his line of sight to what had caught Bokuto's absolute and devoted attention.

And boy, if his life was a Greek mythology story, then Akaashi had just been turned to stone.

The first thing he saw was a broad, incredibly muscular naked back as he changed into his red uniform, the number four on his back. The muscles in his back rippled with his movements and Akaashi could feel his breath hitch and be forcibly stolen. His natural bed hair spiked in all directions, looking so soft. When he turned around to reveal himself, Akaashi could see those feline eyes. They looked so captivating and so sly. His smile was blocking out the rest of the sounds the team made as he strolled over to the unmotivated boy – number thirteen - and clapped him on the back.

The boy was jump scared and tried to get his composure while this absolutely stunning number four just laughed it off. Thirteen just sighed and grabbed Four's attention, making him calm from his laughter and listen intently. Few words were spoken before Thirteen pointed past him and upwards to the balcony.

Right where they were.

Akaashi's lungs forgot how to work.

Four's eyes immediately went wide with glee as his spotted Bokuto, and the reaction seemed to be completely mutual. Bokuto's jaw went wide and he lifted his arm to wave downwards. Akaashi was filled with confusion. Four began to head over but Thirteen had to physically stop him, capturing him around the waist. Some of the other team members seemed to notice what was happening and it seemed most of them had realisation wash over them – first years excluded, it seemed.

"Tetsurō!!" Bokuto yelled from Akaashi's side, nearly making him jump.

"Kōtarō!!" Number four yelled back. "You came! I'll dedicate this game to you then!" he brought his fist to his lips where he kissed his knuckle and lifted it into the air. Bokuto copied the action and punched the air, fist pointed towards the Nekoma player.

Akaashi could only stare at the two in awe, as did some of the rest of Nekoma. It was then that Akaashi felt a gaze on him and looked down to see the most intense stare he had ever received. It simultaneously sent chills and thrills up his spine. He struggled to breathe, all his attention focused on the Nekoma player who seemed to be visibly undressing Akaashi; stripping both his clothes and unveiling his emotional vulnerabilities. He didn't want to blink in case their eye contact would break, and Akaashi was weeping on the inside.

Bokuto whispered into his ear, Akaashi the only one hearing his words.

"That's the person I wanted you to meet. He is the hottest person I will ever know and I can't wait for you to see him play. Akaashi, I would love to introduce you to Kuroo Tetsurō,"