𝚊 𝚢𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚋𝚞𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚕𝚢 ~ 𝚋𝚘𝚔𝚞𝚊𝚔𝚊

Early morning workouts

I woke around 6am, which was pretty late considering my usual 5am awakening. I decided I'd go and workout as few people were ever up this early and the training facility would be empty. Plus, that was the one thing I could think of to do besides focusing on a job.

I really don't have many hobbies. Or any for that matter. Though maybe I could pick up origami, that had always seemed fun, I thought on my way to the facility.

It was quite cold walking through the open corridor, but we hadn't had any snow this winter yet.

Currently, it was December 20th and soon to be Christmas.

When I arrived, I found there were at most a couple other people there but it was pretty bare.

I decided I'd go ahead and do a full body workout and hit the showers all before breakfast.

I was in the middle of core when I heard a familiar voice.

"Agaashi!" I jumped up from my plank, running towards the owl and smothering his mouth with my hand, panting.

"Do not.. use my real name. Do you not know...anything?"

The owl gulped, "Right." He let out a nervous laugh.

"And also, it's not aGaashi, it's aKaashi."

"So if I call you Agaashi, then technically that isn't even your name..."

"You're walking on incredibly thin ice right now."

"Well mind if I join you?" He asked me.

"Yes actually, I do mind. I'm in the middle of my workout."

"Okay okay, I'll keep my distance."

I watched as he went over to the weights, grabbing two of the more heavy ones and beginning to do an arms workout. It seemed like arms was all he did with the size of his biceps. I eventually stopped staring and went back to my business.

After a good hour, I was satisfied with the work I'd done and made my way towards the showers. At some point the owl had left but I didn't clock into when.

The showers were as nice as the rest of the base. White marble and tile, each with three walls and a sliding glass door, in front of which was a curtain for privacy.

It was one of the many reasons why elites stay here for as long as they do. Though it may be a bargain for your life, the conditions outside a job are exceptionally nice.

Even though you're free to leave once you turn 18, many stay for years after, or until they unfortunately meet their deaths.

Since the pay is so shallow, many find themselves in poor circumstances after leaving since all they've ever done is military work and have little money. I suppose it's one big scheme to keep you at a base for as long as possible, but I was fine with staying.

I heard someone next to me humming as I went about showering. When I finished, I changed, and grabbed my towel throwing it around my neck as I went to the mirrors and sinks to finish off getting clean.

The person who'd been humming emerged and after a moment of looking, I figured out it was the owl.

I couldn't help myself, before I could stop it, my laugh came out.

I've been told before that my "laugh" doesn't match me at all. It's obnoxiously loud and high pitched with occasional snorts. Now, I've grown to become incredibly self conscious and avoid laughing in front of people at all costs.

Yet when I saw the owl with his previously spiked hair now in a bowl cut like shape covering his eyebrows and almost eyes, I couldn't help but laugh.

I laughed so hard I was bent over clutching my sore abs, and my cheeks ached from smiling so wide. I kept glancing up at him, only to relapse into the fit of laughter. I wiped tears away from my eyes, when it finally clicked that of all people, the owl had heard my laugh.

I caught ahold of myself and straightened up. I could feel my aching cheeks fill with a deep red color. They burned in a new level of embarrassment I'd never felt before.

That being said, when I looked up at the soggy owl, he didn't mock me. He was just staring at me with the look of a child who'd just been given chocolate. As though his eyes filled with stars. Was it amazement from just how awful my laugh happened to be?

"You laughed! Because of me?!" Bokuto grabbed onto the towel around his neck with a hand on each end and spun around.

"Careful! The floors are slick, you'll fall!" I reached out in front of me, ready to grab him. He did slip, but with the help of stabilizing himself on my wrists he stood and avoiding a trip to the floor. A new sized grin was plastered on his face.
"What made you laugh that hard?!" He asked me loudly.

"Your hair, it looks like you melted."
I responded.

Still holding on to my wrists in close proximity to me he continued to talk.
"Your laugh fits you so well. It wasn't what I expected, but compared to your personality, it makes sense your laugh would be so happy sounding."

I stood in shock, "You don't think it's loud and shrill or-"

"Not at all! Now watch this!!" Letting go of my wrists finally, he went to grab his amenities bag.

Unzipping it and picking out a large tin, he twisted it open. Removing a good heap of the product he slapped his hands together and rubbed them against one another before pulling up on each half of his hair, creating his owl look. He used what was left to pull up part of the middle and used the last part moving up from the nape of his neck to ensure the style was secure.

"Wow." I tried to sound unamused, but really I was quite amazed at how quickly he did that.

The owl stood proudly with his eyes squinted shut and hands on his hips with a smile stretching from one side of his face to the other.

What a dork, I thought.