Work Text:
It happens during a day of practice while they were playing a practice match, 3 vs 3, with Asahi on his side.
He had no reason to be hesitant, Nishinoya Yuu had no fears or worries, it was how he had been raised and it was his philosophy of life. He had to be strong to continue, he would be afraid of nothing, but still, he could not stop his stomach from turning a little and his lips from pursing when that stupid thought was allowed to take one more turn by his brain in love.
And normally he would have shouted it, he would have shouted in Daichi san's face, with Asahi being in front of them, about his discomfort. He imagined himself with his arms folded and imposing gaze would have made it all go away, but he was not going to, something was holding him back.
Absorbed in his own, self-proclaimed, ridiculousness, he was not realizing what was happening on the court. His mind had become disconnected after the point his Ace had scored. As always, it could have been his opportunity to approach him and surround him with his legs and arms as a way of celebration accompanied by the enthusiastic shouts of his teammates. But he’s just standing there, thinking.
Jealousy? Does he feel insecure? He frowns, he is not insecure, his middle name was guardian, and the guardians provided security. Was it affecting him to spend so much time with his ace? Maybe Asahi's insecurity was something contagious, “I'm going to save you Asahi san!”
“Nice Asahi!”
“Thanks, Daichi!”
That simple action has caused his mind to begin its walk down the long and very tedious path of his foolish thoughts. On a path where he was still completely lost, his head was a huge maze of doubts and thoughts that did not allow him to focus on the game.
He does not realize when he returns to his position at the back of the field, his own instinct had returned him to his original place. He does not notice when the whistle sounded from Ukai or the moment when his knees bend in an attempt to receive Kageyama's service. He does not notice when Kageyama throws the ball in the air and runs to hit it with all his strength.
He does notice when the volleyball crashes into his face and when his body falls and crawls almost in slow motion a few seconds later.
Around him his teammates crowd, waiting for him to open his eyes or to get up. To Noya the world is still spinning and everything is a little blurred, for some reason he does not understand but his thoughts had stayed with him, he growls slightly as he gets up, he puts his hand on the place where the ball had hit him.
"Are you okay, Noya?!" Asahi kneels beside him and looks at him worriedly. Nishinoya gives himself a mental slap to wake up, quickly nodding.
"It was just a hit by a ball, I've had worse!" Nishinoya responds energetically.
"I'm sorry Nishinoya san, I thought you were going to receive it," says Kageyama without a clear expression, he did not think his senpai would fail that, Nishinoya did not seem to think so either.
Volleyball is his passion and he always gives his best to cover the team's backs.
"Hinata has taught him how to receive, well done Nishinoya san," Tsukishima speaks from behind. Quickly, Noya turns and raises his fist, and together with Hinata, they shout Tsukishima’s name in anger.
"I will teach you how to receive Tsukishima!" When he is about to stand up, Daichi's palms ring out loudly, drawing his attention.
"That's enough for today," says the captain crossing his arms, "come on, we have to clean up. Nishinoya, you should rest. Maybe it was because of the heat here, you normally do not miss a receive like that one." Noya just nods, Asahi holds out his hand to him to stand up, the libero takes it gladly. "You two can leave early, watch that carefully, we don't want anyone else with a bruised face or they'll think Asahi is a real criminal if they see us like this. " Asahi is startled by Daichi's comment, who laughs along with Suga over the nerves of his giant friend.
"Don't tell him those things Daichi, you'll break his heart." The giant tries to explain to Daichi and Suga that he is not like that, as if they did not know that the boy was nothing but a bear made of plush. Nishinoya laughs and takes him by the hand, dragging him to the exit while still nervous Asahi continues to try to explain himself. Noya curses himself inwardly, those thoughts that had distracted him had returned, stupid jealousy.
With their bags already on, they both prepare to walk home together. Although the sunlight is barely shining, its heat is still present and there is almost no wind, both feel the heat of summer slowly and tortuously melting them. Still, Asahi takes Nishinoya's hand and intertwines his fingers, giving him a gentle squeeze that Noya does not respond to. He worries, he can't help it, Noya keeps his eyes fixed on the ground and then on the houses they've seen so many times when walking together. Immediately he feels bad, maybe he told him something he shouldn't have or maybe he was disappointed by something, now Noya feels bad because of him, he feels the weight of the world coming down on him and the anguish grows in his fragile heart, he presses his lips and when he is about to give him a speech so that Nishinoya forgives him for being a disappointment Noya stops walking.
"Hey Asahi, do you have 100 yen?" Noya asks looking into his eyes, Asahi quickly closes his eyes tightly and opens them in an instant, "I want a popsicle."
They both walk into the store and quickly buy a popsicle for Nishinoya. Asahi pays for it and they go out, strangely watching Noya eat his popsicle as they walk back towards their homes. Asahi thinks about how he completely ruined everything, even though Noya had eaten the popsicle in a couple of chews, his effervescent post-popular ice smile wasn't on his face and he hadn't interlocked his fingers with Asahi’s as usual.
"I didn’t win another one," Noya says, looking at the stick.
"At my house, there are still some of the ones we bought last week," Azumane replies, thinking. It was a nice summer weekend, sitting around enjoying his company, popsicles, and watermelon. "Come on, you can have another one there."
"I... don't want to bother you." Noya used to get excited when Asahi invited him to his home even though it was a common thing. Asahi is getting up the courage to answer him.
"Noya you know you never bother," He answers by shaking Nishinoya's hand slightly "Besides, I want you to tell me what's wrong with you"
"There's nothing wrong with me!" He responds quickly, not thinking that it was noticed that his mind was elsewhere.
Asahi sighs and smiles at him, as he pulls on his hand and invites him to continue walking, Noya puts up no resistance but continues to think. He had worried Asahi, all because of that stupid thought that kept going through his head, he had convinced himself that it would go away after a few days, it was just a stupid thought, but it was keeping him insecure. Asahi was happy with his friends, with Daichi, he was not going to let a stupid thought of insecurity make him feel weak. But there he was, walking to the giant's house while insulting himself for his idiocy.
When they arrive at Asahi's house and after taking off their shoes, Azumane offers Nishinoya the shower, which he accepts a bit nervously. Asahi smiles calmly as he hands him a towel and one of his T-shirts, along with one of the shorts Nishinoya kept at home. Noya can't help smiling too, he's nervous, but he appreciates that his boyfriend cares about him, plus he loves wearing his shirts. In the shower, he thinks about what he will have to say to his boyfriend, not that he wants to lie to him and say anything, but he has thought about it too much and it sounds so stupidly ridiculous to him, he knows what his relationship is like and that nothing will happen, but he can't help feeling worried, insecure.
When he comes out of the bathroom, he puts on his borrowed clothes and his pants. His hair, now free from the gel, is still wet, and he wears a towel around his neck to keep Asahi’s t-shirt from getting wet. Before arriving at the living room, where his boyfriend is waiting for him, Nishinoya passes by the kitchen and from the freezer he takes out the second popsicle of the day. Noya does not have as much excitement about eating it as he would always have and so he goes to the living room.
Asahi waits for him in front of the television, sitting on the floor, holding a magazine in his hands that he looks at without readin. Azumane quickly leaves it when Noya enters the room, he spreads his legs. Noya walks slowly and somewhat wobbly, comes over and sits between his partner's legs, his face resting on Asahi’s chest as he listlessly bites into the popsicle.
“C’mon, tell me.” Asahi looked at Nishinoya's profile and gently began to remove his hair, leaving it behind his ear, Noya watched through the window as the night took over the sky, lost.
"It's nothing, it's just that I was really surprised I missed the receive, you know?" he takes a bite out of the popsicle and thinks about continuing his excuse, but before he opens his mouth again Asahi speaks before him.
"It's not that," Asahi replies. Noya turns his head and looks at him with her eyes open, the truth is that he thought it would work, "You've been weird since before, today you didn't come to pick me up at the classroom before practice"
"You arrived with Daichi san anyway." He takes another bite at the popsicle, he's about to finish it "Mhm, maybe if Daichi had been in my position he could have received the ball" Noya pretends to think about it.
"I see... so it's about Daichi." Asahi strokes his hair again, Noya scowls, another bite to the popsicle, ice builds up in his mouth and the feeling gets annoying.
"It has nothing to do with him," he says even with a murmuring frown, Asahi drops his back again, his right hand is on Noya's cheek and he strokes it tenderly with his thumb.
"You know me very well Noya, you know when I'm thinking something bad about myself or when I think I'll disappoint someone or when I think I won't be able to do something because I'm useless or when I get nervous..."
"Asahi." Noya looks at him annoyingly, with his eyes almost closed. The giant gives him a little tap on the nose to annoy him while he smiles.
"But you forget that I know you too. I love you, Noya, I don't want you to feel bad, maybe it's my fault and I want to help you."
Noya feels something in his stomach and squeezes his lips. Asahi was worried and it was his fault, he does not want to tell him because he thinks. It is so stupid, but he does not want to lie to Asahi, even if he did partially. He can't help but feel bad and remember his past fights, the most serious of which almost stopped them from playing together. He knows that nothing is really going to make that happen again, but the feeling somehow becomes similar and somewhat confusing.
He sighs and lets his fall against Azumane's chest, hides his face there. Asahi put his arms around him.
“Tell me… please.”
"Yes... it's because of Daichi san." He tries to hide his face more, Asahi settles down to keep his back straight, listen carefully. "You trust him a lot, you know? I understand he's someone reliable and mature and not impulsive like me..."
“Noya, that doesn’t matter, you are the person I trust the most in the world and—
"You always call Daichi san by his first name." Asahi opens his eyes in shock and moves his face away a little, Noya swallows all the popsicle in his mouth at once, he separates his face from Asahi’s chest and looks at him directly. "You have never called me Yuu"
“Oh, Jesus… I thought you were leaving me or something.”
Asahi relaxes completely and lets his arms at his side, his legs stretch out and his heart stops beating so fast. Noya laughs lightly looking out the window at the now-arrived night, the room is completely dark, lit by the moon and its stars. Asahi lays both hands on Nishinoya's flushed cheeks and makes him look him in the eye.
"You don't have to be jealous of things like that," Asahi talks quietly, stroking his cheekbones "I love you Yuu."
“Oh.”
Nishinoya's world stops spinning for a full second, his face is warm and his body trembles like jelly, Noya feels like he is melting in minutes and his heart is pounding like he just ran a marathon.
"You can't say it so suddenly Asahi! It’s going to give me something!" he shouts covering his face, trying to walk away, Asahi laughs out loud as he hugs him again at the waist as Yuu tries to escape.
"I love you Yuu, I love you so much Yuu, Yuu..." he says as he leaves short kisses on Nishinoya's face and neck, who laughs at the tickling and love he feels in the moment.
The two of them end up lying on the floor of the room, still laughing with flushed cheeks, and gasping for breath, Nishinoya rests his head on Asahi's chest with his interlocking hand.
"I think I might die right now," Yuu says, looking at his partner.
“Please don’t.” Yuu laughs hard and comes over to leave a kiss on the lips of the ace.
“I love you, Asahi.”
“I love you too, Yuu.”