It was nearly five in the afternoon, and Akaashi and his sister were standing in the kitchen, cutting up fruit in peaceful silence when a knock sounded from the door. "I'll get it," Akaashi said, but his mom beat him there.

"Hi, you must be Bokuto!" she said enthusiastically as she opened the door. "Keiji has told me all about you." Then, under her breath, she added, "Thank you for bringing my son out of his shell. He usually doesn't go out much, but lately it seems he's been out of the house often more than not."

"Really?"

"Yeah. He, ah, didn't have many close friends back in Tokyo."

"No way! Akaashi is a great person to be friends with."

"Thank you, Bokuto. I'm glad Keiji met you."

"Me too."

"Mom? Is that Bokuto?" Akaashi asked loudly.

"Yes, Keiji."

"Hi, Bokuto!" Akina yelled.

Akaashi left the kitchen and walked to the door, stepping around his mom to see Bokuto. "We'll go ahead and head down to the beach."

"Okay, we'll be down soon," Mrs Akaashi said. "Wait, first, can you set up a few umbrellas down there? Thank you, Keiji."

"Sure."

Bokuto and Akaashi grabbed the two closed beach umbrellas from their place outside on the front porch and worked together to carry them to the shore, where they set them up quickly. Bokuto had even brought a speaker to play music on, and he turned on a playlist of songs he had made Akaashi listen to just a few days earlier. Once they had everything put together, Bokuto stripped off his shirt and turned to Akaashi, who had accidentally been staring and looked away quickly. "I have a volleyball if you want to play," Bokuto said.

"Okay."

Once the two arrived at the net just a few meters away, they decided not to have a winner since it was just the two of them, but the game started soon, and every time Bokuto scored a point, he would jump up and yell, "Yes! I'm the best!" That was, until his receive sent the ball all the way into the water and he had to begrudgingly retrieve it.

"I can't play anymore, Akaashi," he whined, placing the back of his hand on his forehead dramatically. "Hurry up and win."

"There isn't going to be a winner, Bokuto. We're just playing."

"But did you see my receive? I can't play anymore."

"That was just one ball. You've scored thirteen other points."

Bokuto gasped enthusiastically. "You're right! Wait, Akaashi, can you set to me?"

"Sure, Bokuto." He walked over to Bokuto's side of the net and grabbed the ball. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah!"

Akaashi tossed the ball into the air directly above him and shot it forwards as soon as it touched his fingertips. The ball spun slightly, flying straight towards Bokuto's arm. He hit the ball with such intensity it kicked sand high into the air when it hit the other side of the net, and he cheered, raising his arms up in victory.

"Did you see that? Didja see that, Akaashi?"

"Yes, Bokuto. It was amazing."

He grinned, and his golden eyes were so bright they looked like stars. Akaashi felt his own lips curve upwards just at the sight of Bokuto so unequivocally happy. As strange as he thought it was, Akaashi would have done anything to see Bokuto's smile again. The way it titled to one side slightly, how the laugh lines by his eyes became immediately visible, and the light shining in his eyes all made his smile just perfect.

Bokuto decided that he no longer wanted to play against Akaashi—he'd had too much fun hitting his toss. So, the two remained on the same side of the court, and Akaashi continued to set for Bokuto, finding the perfect place to send the ball every time. They took turns collecting the volleyball, but Bokuto kept trying to race Akaashi to get it first. Most times when that happened, Akaashi just stopped running and let Bokuto grab it.

A good forty-five minutes passed before Akaashi's fingers started to cramp up, making him slow down how often he set. He didn't say anything, but Bokuto noticed the way he bit his lip to take away from the pain and the pauses in between tosses. Instead of calling Akaashi out, though, he said, "Why don't we go swimming? It's really hot."

Akaashi smiled to himself. "Sure."

~~~

The sun went down quickly, slowly setting the world into darkness as stars appeared in the sky, twinkling and dancing so far away.

Bokuto and Akaashi were out in the ocean, just deep enough that their heads were still above the water. Akaashi's mom called their names, asking they return to the shoreline, and Bokuto took the other boy's hand—possibly unconsciously—as they moved. Akaashi found it peculiar, but he didn't mind. Bokuto's hand was warm while the water was cold. It was nice.

Bokuto let go as soon as they stepped out of the water, but he didn't comment on it. Akaashi instantly began to mess with his fingers.

"We have barbeque!" Mrs Akaashi said excitedly, pointing to the grill behind her.

"Yum! Thank you!" Bokuto answered, practically running to Akaashi's dad, who was picking up the food and putting it on thin paper plates.

Akaashi followed his friend, taking a plate and thanking his dad as he did. Bokuto sat down on a towel that had once been under the tall umbrellas, but they had been taken down earlier in the night, so the clear sky above was visible. Akaashi sat down next to him, eating his food quietly as he stared up at the star-filled sky. Their shoulders were touching, and Akaashi had the overwhelming urge to lay his head on Bokuto's.

Apparently, so did Bokuto.

He leaned over and put his head on Akaashi's shoulder, adjusting slightly so that he was comfortable. He was humming softly to his music, which was still playing over the speaker he had brought.

"Are you tired?" Akaashi whispered.

"No," Bokuto said. "You're just comfortable."

The two sat together, simply eating their dinner as the repetitive sound of waves flowed through their ears. A song Akaashi vaguely recognized started playing, and Bokuto tapped his foot to the beat. Akaashi's parents and sister were laughing from their places a few paces away, all sitting on one towel facing the water. A few moments passed, each filled with the calm ambience around them.

"Your dad is a good cook," Bokuto commented.

"Thanks." Akaashi paused. "We don't really see him often," he said slowly. "He works a lot. He always wanted a close family, though, so he takes a break once a year to take us on these trips. They're his way of both apologizing and spending time with us, I guess."

"That's kinda stupid."

"Yeah. But the trips can be fun," Akaashi said. "Especially this one."

"Well, I'm glad you like my small little town," Bokuto answered cheekily. "Oh, Akaashi, guess what today is."

"August 10th?"

"No—well, yes, but no. It's my favorite day."

"Why?"

"Because today has been the best day ever."

"Why is today the best?"

"I'm at the beach!"

"But you live on the beach," Akaashi said, confused. "What makes this time special?"

"You."

Akaashi bit back a smile. "Then today is also my favorite day," he said softly.

"Aww, Akaashi!"

"Shush."

"Hey, Keiji?" Mrs Akaashi walked over to the two boys. "Your father and I are going to go back inside. Akina, too. You two don't have to come with us, but don't stay out too late. Also, Bokuto," she said, turning to look at him, "feel free to spend the night. It's late, and I'm sure you'll be exhausted from all the swimming once you two are done."

"Thank you," Bokuto said, picking up his head from Akaashi's shoulder.

"Be careful if you swim more," she added. "Oh, and I'll take your plates inside. I think that's all. Goodnight, Keiji and Bokuto."

"Goodnight, Mom," Akaashi said.

She grabbed the empty paper plates and Akina's hand and walked back to the house. Mr Akaashi picked up the two now-unnecessary umbrellas and joined them on their short trek, leaving the two boys alone.

Bokuto turned to Akaashi and held out his hand for him to take. "Dance with me?"

Akaashi didn't want to crush the adorably hopeful look on his face, but he had only one answer: "No."

"What? Why not?"

"I don't dance."

"That's okay! You can just follow my movements."

"No."

"Pleeease?" he asked, stretching out the vowels in the word.

". . . Fine."

"Yay!"

Akaashi took his hand and stood up while Bokuto chose a specific song on his phone. Once it started playing, he smiled and intertwined his fingers with Akaashi's.

"I'll guide you," Bokuto said softly, putting his free hand on Akaashi's waist. "You don't need to stare at your feet the whole time."

"I don't want to step on you—"

"It's okay, Akaashi. Let yourself enjoy this."

Akaashi took a deep breath to calm himself and looked up at Bokuto. Their eyes met, and neither of them could look away. Bokuto's golden ones seemed to shine even in the low lighting, and he smiled as he led Akaashi in small, loose circles, moving to the gentle melody of the song.

"What if, what if we run away? What if we left today? What if we say goodbye to safe and sound?"

Bokuto winced. Akaashi had stepped on his toe, and now he was apologizing profusely, trying to watch his feet so he didn't accidentally step on Bokuto again. He just laughed since he was in no real pain.

"It's okay, Akaashi. Here, if you're really that scared of stepping on me, we don't have to dance. We can just, like, sway, or something. Come here."

Bokuto gave Akaashi's hand a reassuring squeeze and let go of his waist, spreading that arm out instead. Akaashi hesitantly moved closer to him, resting his head on Bokuto's shoulder as he wrapped his arm around him. The two were close—extremely close. Head against shoulder, bare chest against bare chest, swim trunks against swim trunks. Akaashi had never been so close with someone, and he was slightly nervous. He didn't mind, though—he was enjoying this. (His rational thoughts screamed at him to stop, but he focused on the soft lyrics of the song instead.)

"And when the lights start flashing like a photobooth and the stars exploding, we'll be fireproof."

Akaashi recognized the song from the time Bokuto had made him listen to his music with him, but he didn't know it well enough to remember the melody. Bokuto, however, was humming along, probably wishing he could sing but choosing not to.

"My youth, my youth is yours, trippin' on skies, sippin' waterfalls."

The song was playing softly over the speakers, just loud enough for the two to hear it clearly. The passion in the singer's voice alone was enough to make Akaashi grin.

"My youth, my youth is yours, runaway now and forevermore."

The two boys kept swaying softly, staying in one spot rather than trying to move around. Akaashi felt himself smiling against Bokuto's bare shoulder, beyond happy.

"My youth, my youth is yours, a truth so loud you can't ignore. My youth, my youth, my youth, my youth is yours."

The older of the two grinned to himself, laughing quietly. "Are you having fun?"

Akaashi just hummed in response. One of his arms was around Bokuto's waist while his other was up against the other boy's, their hands softly intertwined. A light breeze brushed over the two, making Akaashi shiver slightly. Bokuto wrapped his arm around him tighter, and now there was nothing between them beside their swimsuits.

The last notes of the song played and the music stopped, basking the area in silence. Bokuto and Akaashi didn't stop swaying, though. They were so calm, so at peace when they were with each other, and neither wanted to let go quite yet.

They held on to each other for another few minutes, but all too soon, they split apart, both suddenly missing the warmth the other gave off. Their hands were still intertwined, and Bokuto glimpsed out at the ocean. "You want to go swimming again?"

Akaashi just wanted to hold Bokuto again, but he wasn't going to say that. So he just nodded, and soon, they were back in the water.

They walked next to each other into the water until they were chest-deep, then Akaashi was standing in front of Bokuto, squeezing his hand.

He wanted more than just hand-holding. He wanted more than just dancing. He wanted to be close to Bokuto, wanted to make him feel the same way he did whenever they were touching, even if it was just something simple like the tips of their fingers. He wanted more.

A cool splash of water hit Akaashi's face and he gasped, looking up to see Bokuto giggling.

Akaashi smirked. Bokuto had just started a battle he definitely shouldn't have.

The two began splashing each other with the salty water, their intertwined hands suddenly no longer intertwined. They were both laughing, swimming around each other to try and avoid getting splashed. Akaashi sent a bunch of water at Bokuto and it hit him head-on; when he shook his head to clear off the water, his normally tall hair was flat and sticking to his forehead. He brushed it to the side quickly since he didn't have time to fix it.

Akaashi smiled at the sight. Even without his usual hairstyle, he was still cuter than anyone he had ever seen.

Bokuto splashed him again, and Akaashi snapped out of his mind's quick tangent, focusing again on the boy in front of him. His grin didn't diminish, even as he splashed Bokuto again.

He retaliated with another splash in return. Akaashi was ready to continue their epic battle, but then something soft and slimy brushed against his ankle, making him squirm and swim backwards. "There's something in the water," he said shakily.

He flinched again when he bumped into Bokuto. Akaashi turned around to face him and saw he was laughing quietly.

"It's just seaweed," Bokuto explained. "It can't hurt you."

Akaashi looked away, still somewhat nervous about the "mysterious sea creature." He held his own arms, avoiding Bokuto's eyes even though he was just mere inches in front of him.

The older boy swam closer to Akaashi, golden eyes shining with glee. Suddenly, they were close again, their warm bodies pressed against each other in the cool water. Bokuto put his hands on Akaashi's hips carefully while the dark-haired boy looked up to gaze into Bokuto's face, memorizing every small detail.

The black and white hair that was soaked and stuck to his forehead, the gleam in his golden eyes that showed up whenever he looked at Akaashi, the light blush visible on his cheeks, the way he was biting his bottom lip slightly as he pulled Akaashi closer—it was imprinted in his mind like a photograph, one he would save forever.

Oh, how Akaashi was living for this moment.

Bokuto started leaning in, his face getting closer to Akaashi's with every second, and Akaashi loved it. He loved the sight, he loved the idea, he loved that he was moving in sync with Bokuto, leaning in and closing his eyes slowly, just barely open enough to still see what he was doing—

Akaashi put his hand in between their lips.

Bokuto opened his eyes, surprised at the unexpectedly different contact. His lips brushed against Akaashi's fingers, but he didn't speak.

"We can't," Akaashi whispered, pain hidden somewhere deep in his tone.

Bokuto nodded slowly to show he understood, but he grabbed Akaashi's hand and placed a gentle kiss on the back of it. Akaashi blushed slightly before intertwining his fingers with Bokuto's again.

Even though he knew he had done the right thing by stopping what was about to happen, Akaashi couldn't stop the regret he felt about his decision. He had wanted that so badly, and then he went and ruined it all.

There were some moments where he wished he wasn't going back to Tokyo in just over a week. This was one of those moments.

~~~

"Doesn't it feel so much better to have your stuff easily accessible?" Bokuto teased as he closed Akaashi's bedroom door.

"Somewhat." Akaashi was already pulling pajamas out of the drawer. "Do you need a shirt or something to sleep in? You can't exactly wear your swimsuit to bed."

"Is that a challenge?"

"No, it's a statement."

"It sounded like a challenge."

Akaashi threw one of his shirts and a pair of sweatpants at Bokuto, who caught them easily. "Go put these on," he said.

"Hmph. Okay."

Akaashi himself quickly changed into a different pair of sweatpants and an oversized shirt—his favorite thing to wear (because of how comfortable it is).

Once they were settled and properly dressed, they both laid down in the bed, a foot of space in between them. Akaashi was staring up at the ceiling, and Bokuto was staring at Akaashi. He turned off the lamp, plunging the room into darkness.

"Hey, Akaashi?" Bokuto whispered.

"Yes, Bokuto?"

"You know, you really are beautiful."

Akaashi reached for Bokuto's hand and squeezed it silently.