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“You know,” Asahi starts, turning up toward the night sky. “This is our last New Years--”
Beside him, Suga groans. “Oh no, not again,” he says, forehead resting against Daichi’s shoulder. “I’m getting deja vu.”
“What? I was just going to say--”
“--some big speech about how it’s our last New Years together as a team and we should all try our best and yadi yadi ya,” Daichi finishes with a shake of his head and a knowing chuckle. “You always were the most sentimental one out of all of us.”
Asahi’s jaw goes slack and he stares between his two best friends, both of whom were looking at him with unmistakable affection despite their teasing. “I... well, it’s true,” he says with a sheepish scratch of his cheek. “It won’t be like this again. Not ever. Isn’t thinking about it just as sad for you two?”
“No,” Suga counters, lacing his fingers between Daichi’s and kissing the top of his hand before he makes to get up, “but there’ll be more memories after this. Ones just as good, just as special. Just because we won’t be in the same school after graduation doesn’t mean we aren’t friends anymore, Asahi.”
“I guess so. But it’s easier for you to say that when you both have each other.”
Daichi reaches over and gives Asahi’s shoulder a friendly smack. “Hey Beardy, enough with the boo-hooing. It’s still my birthday and you’re not allowed to go mopey-face until midnight. And anyway, you can always come visit. We’ll only be a bullet train away.”
“Asahi-san!” a voice calls out from inside the house, audible even with the music bumping.
“Speaking of other halves,” Suga says with a sly grin, throwing Asahi a not so subtle wink.
Asahi flushes and waves him off. Now is not the time for Suga to be dropping hints about things he’s managed to keep a secret from everyone but the two people currently testing his threshold for most humiliating moment.
“No, Suga. Don’t,” he pleads, casting a look over his shoulder and forcing an amicable grin as Nishinoya bounds over toward them.
“You’re gonna miss the countdown! What are you all doin’ out here anyway?” Nishinoya asks, a tinge of pink on his cheeks probably from the cider in his hand or the cold that’s steadily creeping into Asahi’s wool coat.
“Just reminiscing with the old folks,” Suga says easily, patting Nishinoya’s back as he mouths “tell him” at Asahi with a sharp glance at the younger boy. “You guys didn’t drink all of Daichi’s cider, did you?”
“I knew I shouldn’t have given Tanaka the go ahead to open the bottles,” Daichi says, rueful. He slings an arm around Suga’s shoulder on their way back inside. “Don’t you kids stay out here too long. Birthday orders.”
“Daichi,” Asahi groans, stifling the urge to palm his face.
“Did you want some?”
When Asahi turns his head, he nearly knocks the cup Nishinoya holds out and sputters an apology to the tune of Nishinoya’s laughter. “C-Crap, sorry about that!”
“Saved it, see?” Nishinoya sloshes the liquid around and offers it to him again. “No harm, no foul. It’s really good, though. I think you’ll like it.”
Asahi chuckles and takes the cider with a raised brow. “You look like you’re enjoying it.”
“Yup!” Nishinoya confirms with a cheeky grin. “Ryuu’s enjoyin’ it even more’n I am, I think.”
Taking a sip, Asahi finds it tastes more like apple juice than alcohol. It takes him a moment to realize that he’d just shared Nishinoya’s cup and the words “indirect kiss” flash in his head like bright, horribly embarrassing neon signs. “I... ah...”
“What’s the matter? Don’t ya like it?”
“It’s not that,” he starts, but before he can say anything else, Daichi pops his head outside.
“Birthday orders! I’m still the captain, you know!”
Nishinoya thumbs behind him. “He’s bossier on his birthday,” he says, his laughter reaching his eyes. He holds out a hand and helps Asahi to his feet. “Come on. Better give the old man what he wants!”
It only occurs to Asahi after they’re already inside that Nishinoya’s hand had remained tucked in his until they made it out of the cold and Tanaka is whisking him away for another cupful of cider.
“The fireworks are ready to begin,” the announcer on the television shouts over the roar of the excitable crowd behind him. “Say goodbye to 2015 and hello to the new year in five... four...”
Around Asahi, everyone has their party hats on, courtesy of Shimizu and Yachi, and chanting along with the celebration on the screen. It’s hard not to get caught up, but somehow the excitement in the room pales in comparison to the excitement in his gut. A nest of buzzing bees, angry and purposeful, sharing space with his latent anxiety considering what he’s about to do.
“THREE!”
He takes a deep breath and holds it, trying to find his bearings as Nishinoya nudges his side in glowing anticipation for the new year.
“TWO!”
His throat feels like sandpaper, mouth cotton-dry despite the generous amount of cider he downed before the countdown began.
This is it. Grow a pair and do it.
“ONE!”
While everyone yells happy new year, he catches Daichi and Suga lean in for their celebratory kiss before he pools all of his courage and turns to Nishinoya. Just as “Happy New Year” forms on Nishinoya’s lips, Asahi takes the plunge and dips his head, slotting their mouths together.
Nishinoya stiffens at first and if Asahi’s eyes had been open, he’s sure Nishinoya’s would be staring in shock. Maybe disgust. Maybe a little of both. But for all his cowardly actions in the entire year he’s been working up to this very moment, he can’t bring himself to care as Nishinoya reciprocates. Slow, steady, like he’s always been. Exploratory and careful, but with an eagerness he shows toward all things he loves.
When they pull away, breathless and a little dumbfounded, Asahi finds Nishinoya’s face cradled in his hands. Confused. Jaw slack and mouth opened to say something that doesn’t quite come.
“Happy New Year, Nishinoya,” he says, cheeks warm from more than just the cider.
“I... um... wow. Hold on, I think I need to process that again,” Nishinoya says before he leans in and this time, he initiates the kiss, fingers grasping Asahi’s shirtfront. By the time he pulls away again, breathing is a distant memory. “Yep, definitely the best New Years I’ve had so far...”
Daichi quietly clears his throat in obvious interruption. Asahi sheepishly turns to meet Suga’s Cheshire grin, but it’s not their approving expressions that catch him off guard. Behind them, Kageyama and Hinata, Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, and most surprisingly of all, Tanaka and Ennoshita, are all locked in their own little worlds, lips busy and eyes shut tight. Kinoshita and Narita are snickering and both looking like they’re taking bets on who would break first, while Shimizu is by the couch attempting to calm Yachi down.
“That was some cider, Daichi,” Suga remarks casually.
“Guess it’s a Happy New Year for everyone else, too, huh?” Without hesitation, Nishinoya takes his hand, fingers fitting between Asahi’s. Warm. Comfortable. Like they belonged there. “Happy Birthday, Asahi-san.”
Asahi grins and squeezes. And this time, he doesn’t let go.