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Asahi has spent exactly three days, two hours, sixteen minutes, forty-two seconds and counting, staring helplessly at his tablet.
It's already getting late and Asahi should really be closing up the bakery soon—Daichi will have his head if he forgets to clear out the trash for the third time in a row, but instead, Asahi is hiding in the kitchen, seated on one of the tiny bar stools that Sugawara insists on keeping 'for the aesthetic', feeling less like a baker and more like a failing business major by the minute.
Here's the issue: It's reaching November, the month of hell and torture for every university student who remotely cares about graduating. Sales have been a bit low, especially because people don't like taking trips down to their bakery during the colder seasons, and they need a way to promote their business.
Kuroo had dropped by about a week ago to annoy slash flirt with Daichi, which isn't particularly out of the ordinary. He had then noticed Asahi frowning over their finances and, being a marketing business major, chipped in the suggestion of a collaboration with another store.
After bringing his idea to the drawing table, the four of them—Daichi, Sugawara, Asahi, and Kiyoko, had agreed that collaborating with a coffee shop is their best bet. Same industry, but just slightly different enough to create an impact. Ideally, they'd pick a shop that doesn't sell many pastries so that they can contribute in that sector, but at this point, Asahi is ready to beg the first person he sees.
Why are business negotiations so damn complicated?
Asahi sighs, giving up again. He shuts off his tablet, stands up to stretch, remembers to take out the trash, before locking up the bakery and beginning the arduous journey home.
As Asahi walks, his phone beeps with a few notifications. He struggles to dig his phone out with everything he's currently carrying, but after a bit of a battle, succeeds.
From: Suga
> ASAHIIII
> have you left the bakery
> reply pls
> hello
From: Asahi
> Huh??? Yes I have
> What's wrong????
From: Suga
> omg
> are you home yet
From: Asahi
> No, I only just left
From: Suga
> AWESOME
> can you help me buy some batteries lol
> triple A
From: Asahi
> I thought you were being kidnapped dude
> Sure
From: Suga
> YOU'RE THE BEST ILY THANK YOU
Asahi huffs, shaking his head. Sugawara loves texting people like it's the end of the world for something completely mundane such as this. Even though they've been friends for years, Asahi still hasn't gotten used to it, his heart rate spiking up whenever Sugawara pulls shit like this.
But, well, whatever. Asahi grimaces at the slight ache in his shoulders and the subtle shiver that runs through his body. He should hurry up and get those batteries before night falls.
Making a U-turn, Asahi heads back up the street, searching for a convenience store. When he finds one, he pauses, glancing at the shop to the side of it.
Asahi doesn't frequent this street very much despite it being so close to their bakery. It's because it's mostly barren here, anyway, the only functioning stores being this 7-11 and an optometry store that looks extremely sketchy. So, it comes as a surprise when the normally empty shop next to the 7-11 has a large sign plastered over the door, the word SOLD written in big bold letters.
Vaguely, he hears Kuroo's voice in the back of his head, questioning who is stupid enough to open a store in a place like this. Asahi quickly shakes it out. He mustn't think such things. Someone might be striving to achieve a lifelong dream or something.
He heads into the convenience store, searching for the batteries that Sugawara requested. After a bit of thought, he decides to grab his dinner from here too, picking a cup of instant ramen and some onigiri. He turns to head to the cashier when his bulky bag knocks into someone, who grunts and stumbles back.
"Shit, sorry!" Asahi gasps, nearly dropping the things in his hands. "Are you okay?"
The person he knocked into looks up, a slight frown on his face. It disappears as fast as it came, though, replaced by an easygoing smile. "I'm good!" he says, except it's more like he announces it, and Asahi winces at the volume.
"A-ah, okay," he stutters out. The stranger nods, narrowly squeezing past him despite there being almost no space in this aisle, and Asahi watches him go, feeling a bit dumbfounded. He tries to shake it off, heading to the cashier to pay for his things. After that, he leaves the store, grunting when he steps out and feels the frigid winter air smack him in the face.
"—Chikara suggested the street just down from here. I'm gonna go check it out tomorrow!"
Asahi glances in the direction of the voice and stops in his tracks. It's the same stranger, but his back is facing Asahi and he's on the phone. He has one foot propped up on the doorsteps of the newly-sold shop.
…Huh.
"Yeah, yeah. I know, but it was the cheapest option! I'll work on promo, I promise. I'll ask around."
Asahi knows he shouldn't eavesdrop, much less insert himself into a conversation that he has no part to play in. Normally, he'd be too nervous to cut into a stranger's conversation, anyway. But something about this stranger evokes a strong curiosity in him. Like a magnetic, unwavering force, or the fierce pull of gravity.
When the stranger hangs up, Asahi takes a small step towards him. "Uh—"
"You!" the stranger blurts, whipping around and pointing a sharp finger straight at Asahi's chest. Asahi freezes like a deer in headlights, wondering if he's going to be told off for listening in or simply existing right now. "I'm Nishinoya. I'm opening a coffee shop right here. Are you from here?"
Asahi blinks. "Like, from Tokyo? No, I, uh, I'm from—"
"I meant if you're familiar with this area," Nishinoya corrects. He doesn't sound particularly impatient, but Asahi still feels his gut churn. He should really stop talking to strangers.
"Yes, I am."
"Dope! Who are you, by the way?"
Asahi blinks again. There is something about Nishinoya that is so… blunt, but not in a bad way, exactly. It's just in everything he does—the way he phrases things, the direct eye-contact that Asahi is struggling to maintain, the way he stands, even. He seems like the type of person to look at the word 'no' in the face and still charge head-on.
Definitely not someone Asahi should be talking to. He can barely handle Daichi's stubbornness on a good day.
"Uh, you can call me Asahi," he manages to get out. He winces, clearing his throat when he hears how stilted he sounds. "I work at a bakery nearby."
Nishinoya's eyes grow as wide as saucers. "A bakery! Are you open tomorrow? What's it called? Mind if I drop by? I'm gonna drop by."
The flurry of questions make Asahi take a deep breath. Still, he presses on, because he's learned a thing or two about attending to a million things at once when working at the bakery. He gives Nishinoya the address as well as their opening hours, which Nishinoya takes down with rapt attention.
When Asahi bids him farewell and returns home, he drops everything on the table, showers, and heads straight to bed. He has a feeling he's going to need quite a bit of energy for tomorrow.
Nishinoya knows he's making an impulsive decision.
His whole life is filled with those. People often tell him to chill out and think things through, but that has admittedly never been his strong suit. Nishinoya likes going with the flow and taking what life gives him head-on, and if life wants him to open up a coffee shop, then open one he shall.
Okay, it wasn't that easy. It was a lot of work, connections, and headaches he didn't even know he could get. But now, the lease is signed, the plans are made, and Nishinoya has got this in the bag.
Which is why he is making his way down the street at ten in the morning, hands in his jacket pockets as he hums to himself, searching for the bakery.
Asahi is an interesting individual. From the two (2) interactions Nishinoya has had with him, he can tell that Asahi isn't much of a chatterbox. There seems to be a permanent frown on his face that makes him look extremely intimidating—the stature and build doesn't help—but after a bit, Nishinoya managed to look past it and see Asahi as he is.
An anxiety-riddled mess, that is. But that's chill. Nishinoya can work with that.
He slows to a stop when he spots the bakery. Peeking through the windows, where a bunch of delicious looking pastries are displayed, Nishinoya only spots two men, both he doesn't recognise. Asahi isn't anywhere to be seen.
Shrugging to himself, Nishinoya pushes open the door, entering the bakery. He is greeted with light brown floors and the warm, comforting smell of bread filling his nostrils. Behind the counter, the one with silverish hair looks up, greeting him with a pleasant smile. "Hi! Let us know if you need help."
The other guy, whose hair is as dark as night and looks a bit tussled, is writing something behind the cash register. Nishinoya bounces up to him, placing his hands on the counter and asking, "Is Asahi around?"
Both men pause, staring at him. Nishinoya waits.
"Uh…" From this distance, Nishinoya manages to catch their names from the tags on their aprons: Daichi and Sugawara.
"I didn't know Asahi was expecting someone today," Sugawara says.
Daichi shrugs. "Me neither. He's out right now. What do you need?"
Before Nishinoya can answer, there's the sound of someone crashing into a shelf or some other tall structure. A few seconds later, the door to the kitchen slams open, revealing the very person he was looking for.
"Oh, hey!" Nishinoya cheers. "I was just looking for you!"
"Nishinoya," Asahi says, blinking in surprise. Nishinoya isn't sure why. He said he'd visit, didn't he? Did Asahi not believe him?
"I hope you didn't knock anything over," Daichi chides, the edges of his lips quirking up when Asahi sends him an affronted look. "Who's this?"
"I met him last night. He's opening up a coffee shop just down the street. Next to the 7-11."
Sugawara whistles. "Ambitious. That doesn't explain what he's doing here, though, especially if he's not here as a customer."
"I'm literally right here," Nishinoya mutters.
Sugawara turns to him, raising his hands in defence. "Ah, sorry! I didn't mean to ignore you. I'm just surprised because Asahi never makes friends, much less a… uh, potential business partner?"
"Who said anything about business partners?" Asahi groans, ignoring Sugawara's earlier jab.
"You have been thinking about looking for a store to collaborate with," Daichi reminds.
"You mean Kuroo's been thinking about that. I've just been, uh, casually looking. It's not the same thing."
"Don't lie! I see you staying back all the time!"
Nishinoya's eyes widen as he listens in to this conversation, the gears in his head turning. As a new business, he's going to need to get public engagement somehow. Tanaka's been trying to find ways to help him promote his shop, but with him in Miyagi and Nishinoya in Tokyo, it's a bit difficult.
However, if these guys are looking for a business partner, then this can only be what Nishinoya would call a golden opportunity.
"You can partner with us!" he blurts out, interrupting their conversation.
The three guys fall silent. As they exchange confused glances, Nishinoya pushes on. "It'll be a win-win situation. You guys get the excitement and freshness of a new business, and I get the public promotion I need to kickstart it all. And our businesses work well together."
"That… doesn't sound too bad," Daichi agrees, nodding his head slowly. "We'll have to ask our manager. When do you guys open?"
"A month or so."
"Ooh, that's the middle of November!" Sugawara chimes in. "It'll be fun. We can do a sort of winter-themed collab. I've been dying to start making those brownies again."
"It's a deal!" Nishinoya says with a large grin, sticking his hand over the counter. He directs it straight at Asahi, who hasn't said much about it yet. "What do you say?"
Asahi visibly hesitates. "Isn't this too… sudden for you?"
"What else do you want me to do, let the chance roll by instead of taking it?" Nishinoya wiggles his fingers. "It's now or never, Asahi!"
"I guess so," he relents, taking Nishinoya's hand. He grins even wider, clasping his fingers around Asahi's palm and shaking it firmly.
He has a feeling this is going to be fun.
A month passes by in a breeze.
Asahi doesn't expect this collaboration to be much of a hit. It was all decided so suddenly, and even Kiyoko had her qualms about it, but she and Kuroo still pulled a few strings to help them. She and Asahi spent quite a bit of time designing advertisements and banners. Kuroo and Sugawara did the social media work. And Nishinoya—
Nishinoya comes over to the bakery every day at sporadic timings, always with something new to share and Asahi's name on the tip of his tongue.
Asahi isn't sure why Nishinoya took such a liking to him, although he's not exactly complaining about it. It's just that he isn't someone who makes friends easily, and people do not tend to flock towards him as naturally as Nishinoya does. If it isn't because of his gnarly appearance, as Sugawara would say, then it's because of his general skittish bird vibe, as Daichi puts it.
But Nishinoya barrels through all that like a wrecking ball. Honestly, he's more like an exploding crash than a person. Asahi isn't aware someone could talk at that volume all the time, but Nishinoya is living proof that it's possible to have a speaker instead of a voice box.
Still, it's not too much of a bad thing. When it's a slow time at the bakery, with barely a single soul around, Nishinoya will come in and prop himself up on the counter despite Daichi's grievances, kicking his legs and asking Asahi about everything under the sun.
It starts off purely business-like at first. Nishinoya asks him about their goods, how long he has to spend in the kitchen preparing every day, what else they plan to make and so on. Asahi, after getting over the initial awkwardness plaguing his soul, found himself looking forward to these sessions. He genuinely loves his job and loves sharing about it, and Nishinoya is always willing to lend a listening ear.
And then it delved into more personal stuff. Nishinoya asks him about his favourite colour and his family and his favourite part of Tokyo, and the excitement in Asahi's heart only increases tenfold.
So it's no surprise that Asahi has begun hanging around outside the kitchen more, hovering behind the counters where Sugawara and Daichi usually stay, eyes glancing to the door every now and then in hopes that Nishinoya will show up soon.
Of course, this change in behaviour doesn’t go unnoticed by his friends, who have decided to make it their personal goals to be as obnoxious as possible.
“Oh, Asahi!” Sugawara croons, wiping the countertop as he approaches him. He’s so full of shit. There’s nothing to clean. He’s been wiping for the past five minutes. “I heard that Nishinoya isn’t free today, so he won’t be stopping by.”
“Oh,” Asahi replies, trying to play it off despite the disappointment sinking over him. “That’s fine.”
“Mhm. But since you spend so much time out here now, mind helping me rearrange the display over there?”
Asahi narrows his eyes. “I think you’re implying something.”
“I would never.” Sugawara blinks innocently.
“Go easy on him, Suga,” Daichi calls, poking his head out of the kitchen. There’s a bit of flour on his cheek. “You know Asahi doesn’t get subtlety.”
“Now you’re both just being mean,” he says with a huff. Just then, the door is slammed open, and Nishinoya stumbles in like a rolling ball of thunder.
They all jump, heads snapping towards him. Someone else walks in behind him, his hands in his pockets and an embarrassed frown on his face. "I know you're excited, Noya, but that was not smooth."
"It's part of the charm, Ryuu," Nishinoya replies pleasantly before waving at them. "Hi! Hi Asahi!"
"I thought you weren't free today?" Asahi asks.
"Who said that?"
Sugawara coughs, sliding away. Asahi quietly kicks his ankle.
Nishinoya shrugs, brushing it off. "This is Tanaka, my friend! He's gonna be in Tokyo for a week, just until I open my shop!"
Tanaka bows. He clasps his hands together as he straightens, directing his next words to Asahi. "It's nice to meet you. Thanks for taking care of my bro!"
"H-huh?" Asahi blinks owlishly while Daichi stifles a laugh behind his palm. "Uh, you're welcome?"
"Anyway," Nishinoya says, pushing Tanaka's hands away, his lips twisted into a slight pout. Asahi resolutely does not look at his lips, his stomach doing an odd flip at the idea. "What are you guys up to?"
"We've been finalising the designs for our first batch of winter cookies," Asahi explains. "Suga's working on the icing formula, but I've been drawing them up."
"Ooh, can I see?"
"Sure," Daichi snorts. "You're the one partnering with us, anyway. You guys can go to the back. Tanaka, wanna take a look around?"
Tanaka nods, not-so-subtly shoving Nishinoya closer to the counter. Sugawara goes over to let him past the counter. Once he's through, he grabs Asahi's wrist, dragging him into the kitchen like he owns the damn place, and Asahi stumbles after with a yelp.
Once the door closes behind them, Nishinoya hops onto one of the stools where Asahi's tablet is laid out, having forgotten about it earlier. It's still on, the cookie designs displayed on the screen. There's snowflakes, snowmen, gloves… Anything that Asahi could think of, really.
"Whoa," Nishinoya fawns over them, zooming in on the snowmen designs. "You're a really good artist, you know? These look so fun."
Asahi feels himself blush head-to-toe at the straightforward compliment. "Oh… Thank you. I'm glad you like them."
At that, Nishinoya throws his head back, laughing. "I'd like anything you made, Asahi!"
He says it so casually, but it knocks the wind out of Asahi's lungs. His cheeks continue burning as he heads up to Nishinoya, sliding onto the seat next to him. Nishinoya is still looking through the designs, but he pauses to give Asahi a gentle smile, one that makes his eyes shine a little brighter and Asahi's heart skip a beat.
"Are you gonna do any Christmas ones?" Nishinoya asks, dragging his eyes back to the screen.
'It's still November."
"That's not a no," he snickers. "You don't feel the jolly spirit of Christmas yet? I think you'd make a really good Santa Claus. Especially with that beard."
"Are you insulting me?"
"I would never!" Nishinoya grins. "And anyway, that doesn't answer my question."
Asahi huffs, propping his chin up on his hands. "I'm not that big on Christmas. That's more of Suga's thing, I think. He makes it his personal goal to outshine all of us with gifts, every single year. I guess I like some stuff. I like hot cocoa."
"Everyone likes hot cocoa."
"I like peppermint hot cocoa," Asahi corrects.
Nishinoya smiles, a secretive glint in his eye. "Now we're talking."
They continue chatting and looking through the designs Asahi is drawn up. Daichi has also been working on perfecting a yule log cake, but that's mostly on Kuroo's request, and because he is incapable of saying no to him. Asahi would roll his eyes if he wasn't so happy for his best friend, and if he wasn't also a little bit jealous of the love they share so easily.
Though, as the days continue passing by and Asahi continues waiting for Nishinoya to visit and brighten his day, he gets the feeling that love isn't too far away for him to reach either.
On the day of opening, Nishinoya finds it to be a lot more underwhelming than he thought it'd be.
It's something he's been working towards for such a long while that it kind of… lost its novelty? He knows he shouldn't say that when they've just opened, but he can't help the feeling. Like it's missing something special, something that gets his blood sparking and his heart leaping in excitement.
It's not all too bad. Tanaka's there by his side, and he has the courtesy of being the first customer.
His collaboration with the bakery hasn't come into full swing yet, so there aren't a lot of patrons. It's a cosy place and Nishinoya is relaxed, but he also feels understimulated, and no amount of soft lofi music from the speakers is fixing his problem.
He lays his cheek on the countertop, holding back a groan. He knows what's wrong: He hasn't gotten the chance to visit Asahi yet.
And no, Ryuu, it's not that Nishinoya is incapable of not spending time with Asahi every day. He doesn't even bother him when the bakery isn't open, even though that might be because Nishinoya has no other way to contact him. But he survives those days easily, so he's totally not a codependent guy.
He sighs to himself. It shouldn't be a big deal, but Nishinoya wishes that Asahi was here.
He can't expect him to drop everything at the bakery and stop by, though. Asahi's probably really busy. Even if Nishinoya really wants to see his stupid face and hear his stupid laugh and pull out that stupid smile—
Ugh, fine. Maybe he has a bit of a crush. Sue him. Asahi is fun to talk to and so cool and Nishinoya has eyes.
It's not a very striking revelation for Nishinoya. He knows he falls in love easily. Not just with people, but with everything around him—places, moments, memories. Nishinoya feels like his heart will explode out of his chest sometimes with how much delight that courses through his veins and this loud, explosive desire for adventure.
But his crush on Asahi doesn't feel completely that way. It feels quieter. Still as intense as everything else, but it lies there festering in his bones, seeping into his every word and action. A soft, subtle kind of love that Nishinoya wasn't aware he could experience.
It's… nice, though. A change of pace.
It also makes the yearning so much more unbearable—
"Wow, this is a nice place."
Nishinoya nearly leaps into the air at the familiar voice. He yelps, jerking off his seat and barely landing on his feet. At that, Asahi bursts out laughing, even if he kindly tries to hide it behind his palms.
Nishinoya sends him a glare that holds no heat, too excited at the fact that Asahi is here. Asahi came to visit him! "Asahi! You didn't say you were coming!"
"Of course I would," Asahi says. Like it is a given. Like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "I wouldn't miss your opening day. Daichi and Suga say congratulations, by the way."
"Thanks!" Nishinoya feels his cheeks ache from how hard he's smiling. "Are you staying?"
"I've got time to kill."
"Awesome." Nishinoya hesitates for a brief second, glancing at the other worker behind the counter, who is not-so-subtly scrolling through their phone, probably also bored out of their mind. Deciding that it's fine, Nishinoya turns around, grabbing a mug. "Give me a second."
Asahi takes a few steps back, probably to find a seat. With a deep breath, Nishinoya gets to work. He eventually whips up two steaming cups of peppermint hot cocoa, which he carries carefully over to where Asahi is seated by the window, watching the people outside.
"Here," Nishinoya says, setting the cups down with a shy smile. "Our winter special. Just for you."
He winces at how sappy that sounds, but Asahi's eyes widen in delight, so he assumes it's fine. He takes a sip, eyes slipping shut, and Nishinoya takes the moment to stare unadulteratedly.
"It's so good," Asahi compliments, his lips stretching out into a cute smile. "Thank you."
"N-no problem," Nishinoya stutters out, crossing his arms tightly across his chest. "It's, um, not officially out on our menu yet. But you get to try it first. 'Cause you're special."
Asahi chuckles. "I appreciate that."
They fall into comfortable silence, slowly sipping away at their drinks and chattering away. It's another thing Nishinoya likes about Asahi—how easily they click. He never feels like he has to struggle for a conversation topic, nor does he feel like their brief moments of silence are awkward. He just feels warm. At home.
When they're done with their drinks and Asahi has to go back, Nishinoya offers to walk him back to the bakery, just for the mere excuse of spending more time together. Asahi does not decline.
It's getting really cold out here. Nishinoya's only in a T-shirt, his jacket still in the coffeeshop, stuffed into his bag because it's too warm inside. He didn't bother grabbing it in his haste, so when a gust of wind blows by, Nishinoya fails to suppress a shudder.
Asahi notices it almost immediately. "Are you cold?"
"No," he lies, trying to seem tough. God knew he'd be too powerful if he could withstand low temperatures. At least he has his fiery personality to make up for it.
"You just shivered so hard I thought your soul was going to vibrate out of your body," Asahi argues. It stuns Nishinoya so hard that all he can do is stare blankly, even as Asahi shrugs off his jacket, draping it around his shoulders. "Here."
"I…" Nishinoya begins, faltering. "It's just a short walk. You don't have to—"
"I insist."
Nishinoya thinks, despite how cold he feels on the outside, his cheeks are absolutely scorching right now.
He hesitantly grabs at Asahi's jacket, pulling it tighter around his body and taking a deep breath. It does in fact warm him up, and he feels all bundled up even if he wants to die from the embarrassment. Not a terrible way to go out.
Nishinoya is certain that he isn't imagining the red in Asahi's cheeks either, and he's certain that it isn't a mistake when their hands brush against each other's.
When they reach the bakery, Nishinoya stops in his tracks, looking up at Asahi. A conflicted feeling swirls through his chest, but Nishinoya hates thinking about conflict for so long, so he does what he always does in situations like these: Just go for it.
"I'm really sorry if I'm reading this wrong," he says, his voice pitched slightly higher from how nervous he feels. Asahi's expression is completely unreadable right now, which isn't something he's very familiar with, but it's fine.
"What is it?" he asks, patient as always.
Nishinoya gulps, counting up to three in his head before bowing. "I really like you and would really like to go out with you, Asahi!"
A strangled noise leaves Asahi's throat. "Wh— wait, here? You're telling me this here?"
"What's wrong with that?" Nishinoya pouts, straightening. Asahi reaches out, placing his hands on his shoulders and frowning.
"It's freezing out here! Also, I like you too, b-but, uh…"
"That's dope," he blurts out. "We should date."
"I just said we shouldn't do this out here, it's not romantic and you deserve better," Asahi huffs, but he looks like he's struggling to stamp down a smile. "I'd… I'd love to. If you'd have me."
At that, Nishinoya feels a weight lift off his chest as relief sinks into his bones. He glances to the side and sees Sugawara and Daichi watching them curiously, whispering to each other. Grinning to himself, Nishinoya walks closer, going up on his tiptoes and planting a kiss on the tip of Asahi's nose. He takes great amusement in watching him flush pink, stunned by the gesture.
"I'll come over once my shift is done," Nishinoya says. "Mind if I keep this jacket for now?"
Asahi nods dumbfoundedly and Nishinoya laughs, bright and airy. With a quick wave, he takes his leave, actually slipping his arms through the sleeves of the jacket on his way and feeling his chest bloom with something warm and hopeful.
This is going to be exciting.