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The click of the camera shutter faded, and the boisterous cheers and teasing gradually subsided.
Bokuto gently poked at the strawberry in front of him with his fork, resting his chin on his hand, his golden eyes shimmering with light. He turned his head to look at Akaashi, who was still holding the cake plate beside him, a slight smile curving at the corners of his lips.
Then, he forked the strawberry, enveloped in soft mousse, and brought it to his mouth.
"Ah~ Akaashi. This cake tastes a bit...magical today," he said, his pronunciation slightly muffled around the fork tines. "It should be the same order from the same shop as last year and the year before, right...? Hmm, it's definitely sweet. But, somehow.…it feels a little different."
Akaashi watched him with a gentle gaze.
"Maybe it's because of your mood. Even the same thing can taste different depending on the feelings you have when you eat it."
Bokuto blinked, seemingly pondering this idea seriously. Then, his eyes lit up, and he quickly forked another piece, this one laden with more mousse, cake, and another strawberry.
"Hmm—is that so? Well then, Akaashi, you should taste it too! Help me judge what's different about it?"
As he spoke, he naturally raised the fork and held it to Akaashi's lips.
Akaashi paused for a brief moment, his gaze shifting between the strawberry and Bokuto's expectant face, before obediently leaning forward slightly and accepting the strawberry.
His lashes lowered as he chewed slowly.
"How is it?" Bokuto asked eagerly.
After swallowing, Akaashi was silent for a beat, then said softly:
"...Could I have a little more?"
This wasn't the response Bokuto had anticipated.
"Wow, Akaashi, that's cheating," he murmured, looking away, though the amusement in his voice was unmistakable. His gaze wandered, finally landing on the large cake Akaashi was still steadily holding. "Hurry up and sit down. Isn't it heavy, standing there holding that? But, watching you hold such a big cake without flinching...it feels very...stable. Like you'd never drop it."
"It's not heavy," Akaashi said obediently, sitting down and placing the large cake in the center of the table, his eyes never leaving Bokuto's face. "For Bokuto-san, even if it were bigger, I could hold it."
The words hung in the air, and Bokuto visibly froze. His eyes blinked rapidly a few times. After a momentary pause, a delicate blush quickly crept up his cheeks, his pupils seeming to warm with color. He instinctively poked at his cake again, letting out sounds like, "Ah, well……"
"Eh? W-Wait a sec, Akaashi." He glanced up, briefly meeting Akaashi's eyes before looking slightly away. "That just now was a direct hit, right? No, well, I'm super happy though... But why so sudden…? Usually, wouldn't this be about the time you'd lightly tease me or something?"
Akaashi watched his flustered reaction, a glint of amusement and a faint, subtle hint of satisfaction shining in his eyes. He said softly, "It's just that today is a special day, and..." He paused, his voice dropping even lower. "Bokuto-san once said, 'Go along with me sometimes.' Today, I wanted to try following that."
The blush on Bokuto's face deepened. "I... said something like that? Ah, maybe I did!" He quickly turned back, eyes sparkling as he stared at Akaashi, as if trying to regain the upper hand.
"But—you see! (ほら) So that means Akaashi really should eat more, right? It's our precious anniversary cake! Here, Bokuto-san's special, super-sized service!"
With that, he picked up the knife and, with slightly exaggerated but deft movements, cut a thick, generous slice from the large cake, placing it securely on a plate. Then, holding the plate piled high with cream, mousse, and fruit with both hands, he presented it solemnly to Akaashi.
He tilted his head slightly, revealing half of his radiant, smiling face from behind the cake.
"Here you go! Please, eat! Hey, hey (ねえ，ねえ), hurry up and eat!～Or...do you want Bokuto-san to feed you?"
Akaashi looked at the perilously towering slice of cake before him, then at Bokuto's expectant and mischievous face peeking out from behind it, and was momentarily speechless.
"...Bokuto-san, this portion might be a bit too extravagant," he sighed helplessly. "I'm not sure I can finish it all smoothly."
"Ehh—? No worries, no worries!" Bokuto pushed the plate forward again, his smile even brighter. "Akaashi can handle it easily! Besides, anniversary cake is made of happiness, so you can't leave any behind. Come on, say 'ah—'"
"Alright, I'll eat it myself." Akaashi finally let out a laugh, steadily taking the plate. At the same time, his other hand gently covered Bokuto's wrist, the one still holding the fork.
"Eh...? Wh-what? You said you'd eat it yourself, so why aren't you letting go...?"
Akaashi looked up, his deep green eyes shimmering with a clear, gentle light: "...But, something offered by Bokuto-san must be seen through to the end."
With that, he leaned in slightly and, using Bokuto's hand, calmly took a bite of the cake.
"See? There's plenty left. If you don't make sure I eat it all properly, I won't let go, you know, Bokuto-san."
……
The cake was finished in a subtly sweet and pleasant atmosphere. They chatted and laughed with a few close friends who had come to celebrate, taking several photos, some serious, some silly. Bokuto glanced at the volleyball net set up nearby, decorated with streamers and small balloons, and that familiar feeling began to stir within him again.
Everything was wonderful, but it felt like something was still missing.
He suddenly stood up, his white-gold suit catching the sunlight in a sharp, clean arc.
"Well, since Akaashi is being super-cooperative with my mood today, right?" He stretched lazily, his smile bright. "Then I can't lose either! Okaaay! Feeling energized! For a day like this, it's gotta be this!"
Talking, he nimbly jogged over to the net. Without any lengthy preparation, without even changing out of his leather shoes, he quickly loosened up his body, his gaze sweeping precisely across the court. Then, bending down, he picked up a volleyball left nearby, bounced it once on the ground, and caught it on the rebound. Ignoring the constraints of his suit, he tossed the ball up, took two quick steps, and launched himself high into the air—
"I feel like I should say something?" The thought flashed through his mind at the apex of his jump. Grinning, without overthinking it, he shouted out his familiar ace's manifesto（エースの心得）.
He swung his arm. Spiked.
Thwump!
A clean, crisp sound. The ball carved an super inner spike trajectory, slamming viciously near the edge of the opposite court, kicking up a small puff of dust.
He landed lightly, about to cheer and pump his fist like he always did on the court, when he heard the familiar sound of approaching footsteps. Turning his head instinctively, he smiled, unrestrained and exhilarated. The sunlight hit him from the side just then, falling into his slightly narrowed eyes, and deep within those pupils, the figure of Akaashi running towards him was reflected.
"Ah, Akaashi—"
Before he could finish the second half of his question—
"I saw it."
Akaashi had already reached him, speaking softly.
Bokuto blinked, surprised. Then, a deeper ripple of satisfaction spread through his smile.
"Heh heh..." He chuckled, a little embarrassed, then, out of habit, added in his usual half-joking, half-complaining tone, "But y'know—not even a clap or a cheer. That's a little lonely, huh~."
Of course, he remembered that moment. Remembered it vividly.
Akaashi gazed at him silently. Then, the corners of his lips curled into a knowing smile. He took a small step forward, and spoke calmly and clearly:
"This is Center Court, you know."
Bokuto blinked again. "Eh?"
Center Court? His own complaint from back then, and the words Akaashi had used to wake him up. But now…his words just now were only a casual joke, so why would Akaashi bring that up again?
But what Akaashi said next instantly dissolved any trace of confusion.
Akaashi gazed intently into Bokuto's eyes.
"What I mean is, Bokuto-san."
"So, from now on, forever, please let me stay here. In your Center Court."
The expression on Bokuto's face froze for an instant, as if he hadn't quite processed it. Then, that stunned look melted into a radiant smile that seemed ready to dissolve in the sunlight. The playfulness, the jokes, the unrestrained energy all settled down, leaving only pure, unadulterated joy and warmth.
He didn't say anything immediately, just smiled, then slowly moved another step closer. He raised a hand, as if to touch Akaashi's cheek, but stopped halfway. In the end, he just looked at Akaashi with those eyes full of sunlight.
Then, in an extraordinarily gentle tone, one Akaashi rarely heard, he said softly:
"My Center Court..."
"It's always been wherever you are, you know."
For an instant, it felt like Akaashi's heart skipped a beat. Any words at that moment seemed superfluous. He understood the silent invitation in Bokuto's eyes, the unreserved acceptance and promise.
He took that final step, closing the already negligible distance. One hand gently came to rest on Bokuto's waist, feeling the warmth and resilience of his body through the suit fabric. The other hand tenderly cupped his cheek.
Then, into Bokuto's quietly waiting, smiling eyes, Akaashi tilted his head slightly and kissed him.
Soft, yet deep. Lips meeting. In the distance, the muffled sounds of friends laughing and whistling could be heard, but they were completely shut out now.
When they parted, both were slightly breathless. The tips of Akaashi's ears were tinged pink, his eyes filled with a gentle, happy light. Bokuto licked his own lips, then leaned in quickly to peck the corner of Akaashi's mouth.
"Third anniversary," Bokuto murmured softly, his fingers naturally sliding down to cover the back of Akaashi's hand. "This is way sweeter than cake."
"...Maybe it is," Akaashi whispered in reply. Then, with a turn of his wrist, he reversed their grip, threading his fingers through Bokuto's, intertwining them completely.