Akaashi looks at the ice rink through the windows and stretches his neck after tilting his head to both sides, shaking his hands. It's just a training, but it's the first time he will perform the routine.

He lets out a breath, the music he's hearing through his headphones

being his last resort to try to stay distracted. He already has his skates on though they are protected as well as his gloves, one black and one white, to protect his hands once he's surrounded by a colder environment.

He reviews the choreography in his head, remembering the

turns he has to make and the way he has to move for his performance to be graceful. Unconsciously he begins to move his hands, and then his arms. He frowns when he doesn't remember if one of the turns is to his left or right, but as soon as he imitates the turn and feels he hits

something with his hand, he takes off his headphones before turning around.

"Ouch!"

"I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" Akaashi expresses as soon as the music stops being his company to be replaced with the boy in front of him who brings his hands to his forehead to rub said

area. "I was too focused and I'm just─ is your... face... okay..." Akaashi blinks once the boy takes his hands off his face, exposing a bright golden look that captures his attention. His hair is spiky, with black and white strands. "Your face seems to be more than

okay." Akaashi says without even thinking, but then shakes his head. "Ugh. I mean─" He lets out a sigh and rubs his face with both hands. "Are you okay? Sorry, people say I have long fingers." He leaves his hands between them to show him he isn't lying. "Maybe that's why I hit

you and I'm really so─"

"I'm okay."

"─sorry, I just, I have this huge competition coming up and I just can't─"

Akaashi finally stops speaking as a mechanism to counteract his nerves when another pair of hands takes his to give him a slight squeeze. He looks up, and hopes

his face isn't as red as he think it is when the boy in front of him smiles at him.

"I'm okay," He repeats. Akaashi feels his gaze between him and his hands, until the boy does the same and keeps smiling after seeing the colors of his gloves. "Nice gloves."

Akaashi smiles, and

then takes one of his wrists with his other hand when the boy in front of him stops taking his hands with his own. He scratches his neck, and Akaashi takes the opportunity to look at him, noting that he's barely taller than him and of formidable silhouette. "They are like the

colors of your hair." Akaashi says once his sight falls back into his strands, and he smiles when the other laughs.

"So you skate? Competition you said?"

"Yes, I skate." Akaashi looks down and shows him his skates, which reminds him that he should promptly rehearse his entire

routine. If he's this nervous and restless about training, he didn't want to imagine what it would be like once he's in the real competition, although he already has trophies and medals that proves that in addition to nerves, he also has determination, patience, and motivation.

"Well, ice always makes me feel better, so you will be okay." Akaashi hears, and looks up to see the boy giving him a smile.

"You skate?" He asks, although he's sure he has never seen him before. He would remember.

"No, ice hockey." He replies with an excited smile, one that

disappears as soon as Akaashi remains completely serious. His lips form a line and his brow frowns. "Your face just did a weird thing."

"What?" Akaashi asks, shaking his head.

"Yeah, you just kind of, mhm, you don't like hockey?" The boy asks, seeming to be somewhat

disappointed after scratching his neck.

"No, I just. I mean, high school." Akaashi replies, and his shoulders seem to lower. "Hockey team. Always mocking me, underestimating me and ice, just like every single hockey player I know."

"A pleasure then." The boy in front of him

inflates his chest with pride as he regains his smile. "I'm here to prove you otherwise. I kind of envy all those..."

"Twists."

"Twists. Twists you can do I guess. I tried once. Never again." He says, seeming to have some kind of trauma, but soon shakes his head and smiles. "A

name, though. You need a name to support my hypothesis."

"Hypothesis?"

"Yeah, not all hockey players are like that. Bokuto Koutarou." He says, stretching out his hand.

Akaashi feels his eyes between him and his hand. Since he could remember, bad experiences is what he can

associate with ice hockey players, but he chooses to shake his hand with his after remembering that in fact, he had hit him with his hand. Bokuto has been nothing but friendly with him.

"Akaashi, Akaashi Keiji."

Bokuto smiles upon hearing his name, being able to place letters

for the beautiful face in front of him.

"Akaashi!"

Akaashi immediately turns as soon as he hears the voice of his coach, and again turns around.

"I have to go skate," He says, for the first time not wanting to go to the ice rink.

"Yeah! Sure, good luck with that, see you

around then," Bokuto says, "My team practices here now, they are nice tho, like me." He smiles even more, "I won't let them bother you."

Akaashi puts his bag on his shoulder and smiles. "Thank you. And again, sorry for my hand." He adds, and Bokuto chuckles, making Akaashi bite

his lower lip. "Yeah, just... bye." He waves before finally turning around and crossing the door to enter the place of the ice rink.

Bokuto follows him with his eyes through the windows and sees him talking to his coach. He lets out a deep sigh, and a goofy smile appears on his

face. "So pretty."

Happy bokuaka day