#daichirarepairweek

[bringmemyqueen]

daichi rarepair week - day 5: college au

they ded

[merry-the-cookie]

for daichi rarepair week - day 5 : college au 

i love the idea of iwaizumi and daichi going to the same college so i immediatly thought of iwadai for this prompt lol (i reposted it because the other version kinda hurt my eyes lol sorry)

[0ctohat]

Day 4: soulmates - Iwadai

(this is so late, but all my school work was due on rarepair week)

[oredginals]

@daichirarepairweek DAY 4: Pets / Valentine’s Day / Soulmates AU

[emma-trevelyan]

Daichi Rare Pair Week Day 4: Soulmate AU

Pairing: Sawamura Daichi/Azumane Asahi Prompt: Pets/Valentine’s Day/Soulmate AU Rating: G Ao3

Asahi remembered the day the words appeared on his skin. They were too neat, with curved edges and crisp characters. They simply said, “Hello.” Terrified, Asahi ran to his mother, brandishing his forearm like it was on fire. He was crying, because he didn’t recognize the handwriting, and it had just appeared when he was watching the morning anime hour. He was four at the time.

His mother simply laughed, running her fingertips gently across his skin; “That’s your soulmate, baby boy. Although, it looks like they got their mommy to write a greeting for you.”

“What’s a soulmate?” Asahi asked, still skeptical, and not totally calm. “Why can they write on my arm?”

“A soulmate is a person you’re meant to be with, Asahi,” she explained. “You can communicate this way, because you’re connected. What shows up here shows up on your soulmate. Do you want me to write them back for you?”

Asahi yanked his arm away from his mother… who was this someone he was supposed to be with? Did they know him? Did they go to his kindergarten? Were they that mean girl, Masaki, who broke his crayons and pulled his hair? He didn’t want Masaki to be his soulmate… maybe that nice girl, Yuki… she could be his soulmate. She shared her clay and stuck gum in Masaki’s hair when she was mean to him… he liked Yuki.

But then, it could be anyone in the world. Or rather, anyone in Japan. He was nervous… because they could be really mean, like Masaki… or they could be really nice, like Yuki… but either way, he wasn’t ready to respond.

Not yet.

~~~

Over the years, his soulmate wrote to him constantly. It was slow, at first… simple phrases, in that same neat, crisp handwriting. Then it switched to a wobbly, heavy-handed, messy scrawl in various colors of marker. He also saw smudges of colorful crayon on his fingers, even when he wasn’t coloring that day. Asahi wasn’t very good at his characters yet, so he held off… he was embarrassed. Still, the tangential connection to his soulmate gave him comfort in hard times. When Yuki moved away, when his mom sold the family home and moved them from Kyoto to Miyagi, and when his grandmother passed during a family reunion in Hokkaido… his soulmate had been there.

Although Asahi had never responded. Every time he even considered pressing pen to skin to write back, or just draw a simple doodle to show that he was there, he thought better of it. Some dumb part of him thought his soulmate didn’t want to hear from him, and when his hands and arms were covered in his soulmate’s scrawl, he felt bad for having nothing to say.

Next time… next time, he told himself over and over again.

Next time ended up being in Junior High, when interest in soulmates really started to peak. The few girls in his class who would talk to him fawned over the lines and lines and messy writing all over his arms and hands. They were interspersed with little drawings, and Asahi felt a twinge of affection. The more his soulmate wrote to him, the more he learned. And the more he learned about this person who loved volleyball and rock music and art and video games, the more he started to love them.

So it was disconcerting to say the least when his soulmate went silent. Utterly and terrifyingly silent. After years of constant communication--of learning about them, watching their doodles and drawings come to life on the backs of his hands, and seeing the lists they made for themselves on their arms--for the first time, there was nothing. No writing, no lists. He was afraid for a moment, because he’d heard of this phenomenon--of soulmates dying and severing all connection instantly. But that fear abated as the day went on--his soulmate still smeared ink on their fingers and got pencil residue on the outside of their hand. But other than that, nothing.

He wondered what had changed.

After four days of silence, Asahi started to worry that maybe he’d offended his soulmate somehow, or that they realized who he was somehow and didn’t want to be with him. It was his worst fear come true, and he spent the better part of his morning practice and classes agonizing over it, but sometime after lunch, writing appeared again.

It wasn’t a list, or a greeting like normal. It was a strange squiggle on the inside of his left wrist. Asahi cocked his head at it, squinting, trying to figure out what exactly it was. His soulmate was usually so forthcoming… what were they trying to do?

The squiggle suddenly bolded, like someone had traced over it with frustrated strokes. Asahi paled--it wasn’t a squiggle… it was a heart. Well, half of a heart. His soulmate’s impatience was almost palpable, and it was like a signal. Now was the time. He was finally ready to respond… and his soulmate had been so kind as to give him a starting point.

Asahi picked up his blue pen, and with shaking hands, completed the heart.

~~~

Daichi had learned about soulmates early from a girl in his kindergarten. Apparently, her soulmate got crayon all over his hands every day, and he could even write some words. According to her, they were going to get married someday. Daichi had joined in with the other boys in gently rejecting the idea--girls were gross, kissing was grosser--but something about it intrigued him. Someone he was meant to be with? He’d slept on it, but decided the next morning, he was going to do what he did best--he was going to act.

His mother had written the neat, simple note on his arm as he fought the urge to bounce in place. When she capped her marker, he waited.

And waited.

And waited.

As he grew visibly dejected, his mother took him in a comforting embrace; “It’s ok, little man. Maybe they can’t write yet… or they might not be born yet. You’re young; you never know.”

Daichi smiled, trying to reassure his mother, asking her if they could write a new message the next day. Looking back, it had been a silly request, but his mother had given him a fond laugh and a shake of her head before agreeing. So she wrote another greeting on his arm the next day.

And the next.

And the next.

And every day after that until Daichi learned to write himself. He’d worked extra hard, because maybe his soulmate didn’t want to talk to his mom… maybe they only wanted to talk to him. That made him excited. So when he could finally write a greeting in a bright green marker, he waited. But as always, his soulmate was frustratingly silent.

He didn’t give up. First, he tried different colors, because maybe his soulmate didn’t like the colors he was choosing. Then, as he learned new words, instead of greetings, he wrote questions, because what if they wanted to talk about themselves? Then, he figured his soulmate didn’t want to talk to someone they didn’t know, so he started talking about himself. Then, he figured what if they couldn’t read Japanese? What if they were American or European (how cool would that be!?) and they saw nonsense on their arms every day. So he switched to pictures--he liked drawing pictures anyway. He continued to write, too… just in case.

He wrote everything on his arms. It became a habit, from phone numbers to important dates to reminders to a random thought that occurred to him during his grade 5 literature class. When he got interested in volleyball, he talked about that too. Maybe his soulmate liked volleyball. Maybe they wanted to talk about that? Surely, someday they wanted to talk about something, right?

The winter he turned fourteen, two possibilities came to mind, both equally unpleasant. The first was that maybe his soulmate hated him. Maybe they took a look at this actual crazy person filling their arms with nonsense about his hopes and dreams, wanting desperately to know the person on the other end, and was sickened by the very thought. He tried to dismiss that notion--it was his soulmate… they belonged together--but the doubt clung to him and left him feeling sick inside. He’d heard of couples--soulmates--who couldn’t stand each other.

The other possibility--the one his mother seemed to be leaning on, even if she wouldn’t say anything--was that he didn’t have a soulmate at all. The thought made him feel worse than sick...it made him want to curl in on himself and cry. He shed more tears than any fourteen-year-old boy would likely admit over something as silly as not having a soulmate. He ran his hand adoringly over his heartbreakingly-blank forearm. He just needed a sign… anything. Just to know his soulmate was there. Just to know that somewhere, there was a person just for him. Someone that would love him for exactly who he was, and wouldn’t call him boring or unremarkable. Choking on his own tears, he picked up his marker.

I wish I knew you were there. I’ve never talked to you, but I need you sometimes. And you don’t answer me. Do you hate me? Did I do something wrong? Please tell me… I can fix it. Please. I love you.

Before he could get to sleep, he’d been completely overcome with anxiety, and washed his message away.

~~~

For four days, Daichi was silent. He avoided writing on his arms or marking himself in any way. He tried to not show it, but he was miserable. For some reason, he had put a lot of stock into his soulmate… so many of his dreams and future plans had revolved around finding them. He knew it was stupid. Even if he did have a soulmate, he wasn’t anything special. Who would want him, anyway?

It was harder than he expected, staying quiet. Even if he was talking to no one, even if they didn’t want to hear him, writing to this person--who may or may not exist--had become a part of his daily routine. He wanted to tell this person everything… because they were a part of him. A perfect match…

It was a lazy afternoon towards the end of junior high. It was unseasonably warm out, and him, Michimiya and Ikejiri were taking their lunch on the roof, their sleeves pushed up. Ikejiri arms were covered in neat, loopy handwriting in a language none of them could really read. Ikejiri told them it was French, and his soulmate lived in Paris. Michimiya was showing off the myriad doodles and drawings all over her arms, sometimes interspersed with small, bold, dark writing. Daichi stared at his bare skin, unmarred. He hadn’t even written to his soulmate in a few days. All he wanted was a sign… anything to show his soulmate was there.

He pulled his ballpoint pen out of his pocket...just one more try. Just one more time. His train of thought is both hopeless and desperate, but he didn’t care. He had to try… he had a feeling. He wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing, but he had a feeling that this time would be different. Today, he would know for sure if he had a soulmate or not.

He didn't write anything. He didn’t have the courage to just come out and ask ‘hey, do you exist and if so, why have you been ignoring me?’ Instead, he just drew half a heart on the inside of his wrist. His hand shook the whole time, and he thought how fitting it was that he was staring at an incomplete part while praying for his other half to finish it. There was probably a poetic metaphor there, but he chose not to unpack it, and instead waited.

And waited.

He bolded the outline of the half-heart, careful not to dig into his skin. Enough time passed that whatever hope he’d had started to dwindle. No one was there. He tried to remain positive, perhaps take it with his normal maturity, but he couldn’t. All this time, he’d been writing to no one…

Suddenly, before his very eyes, the heart on his wrist completed itself with blue ink. Daichi stared dumbfounded as he saw writing he hadn’t made appear on his wrist. He had to respond! He had to… do something! He had to--

Without warning, tears began streaming down his face, landing on his forearm. One landed on the small heart, smearing the ink of the half he’d written, but not his soulmate’s. His soulmate’s! He couldn’t even respond when Michimiya turned to him with concerned eyes; all he could do was hold out his arm and point to the untouched blue ink on his wrist.

“Sawamura!” Michimiya exclaimed. “They’re--”

“They’re real!” Daichi gasped, trying to take a proper breath. He was starting to feel dizzy.

“No, Sawamura, they’re writing back!”

Daichi stared down at his arm and, sure enough, angular writing started to appear. It was slow, almost like his soulmate was tentative, or shy.

Hey, you ok?

Daichi couldn’t even be mad. He wanted to be angry, ask why he spent his whole life wanting and waiting and wondering because of this person, but he couldn’t find the conviction. He was too busy being happy that they were real and writing to him! He fumbled for his pen, his hand shaking as he wrote his response.

You’re real!

His soulmate paused for a moment, and for a second, Daichi was nervous he’d scared them off, or made them feel bad. He wanted to reassure them--everything was going to be alright, he wasn’t mad, he just wanted to talk to them. To get to know them.

I’m so sorry I did that to you. That was selfish of me. If I could do it again, I’d have written back when I was 4.

Daichi chuckled--so he and his soulmate were the same age then--and quickly wrote back.

It’s fine! I was just worried that you didn’t exist but you’re real! I’m so happy I can’t even be upset! I just want to know everything about you.

Ha! No pressure or anything! Well, there’s not much to know about me.

You could start with your name?

Azumane. Azumane Asahi.

~~~

They’d just finished their first practice as high schoolers. Sugawara was a scream, and his arms were covered in crude anime doodles and long lines of loopy, thin handwriting. But the one Daichi was interested in was Asahi--tall, shy, and baby-faced, he’d messed up his greeting so badly Sugawara was convinced he was a foreigner. But Daichi wasn’t so sure. How many boys his age could realistically be named Azumane Asahi?

But he had to be sure.

He took a pen out of his pocket--since the first day his Asahi started writing to him, he’d never been far from one--and chose a blank spot on his forearm, one he knew Asahi could see.

Hey, on your left.

When Asahi’s gorgeous eyes widened and his head whipped to the left, landing on Daichi, he didn’t think it was possible to be happier.

[satanic-yogurt]

The Meaning of Our Marks

Summary: An eagle and a crow circle each other mid flight. Below the crow lies concrete streets. Above the eagle vast skies were bright. This is the mark that adorned Daichi's skin, awaiting to find its mirrored match.

Pairing: Sawamura Daichi/ Ushijma Wakatoshi

Word Count: 1627

Prompt: Soulmate AU

Now with a link

An eagle and a crow circle each other mid flight. Below the crow lies concrete streets. Above the eagle, the vast skies were bright. That was the design wrapped around his upper arm.

 As a child, Daichi feared what his soulmate would be like. Why did the two birds seem to be fighting? He didn’t know. His mother had told him the markings represent aspects of their personalities and the things that represent their lives. Perhaps not now, but later on in the future. Daichi would spend many nights staring at the marking, slightly in awe and with a hint of fear at the prospects of what it meant. As he grew older, his understanding of the mark changed. No longer did the birds look ready for battle, instead, it seemed as if they were assessing one another. It was no longer hostility, instead it was curiosity.

 As a child, other kids would look at his soul mark with awe or glee. Some would say it was graceful and cool, others would agree that it was rather intimidating. None the less, they would all excitedly chatter about future meetings with their own soulmates and how they predicted them to be based of of their soul marks. As he grew older, the looks would become slightly pitying. They lived in an era were it had become increasingly facile to find your soulmate after all. Many would take photos of their marks in order to post online with the hopes of finding their other half. Daichi had done it once, but he never had no such luck as some of the others he had met throughout his life. After a while, he realized that there wasn't much point and took the photo down.

 So, Daichi had settled for the old fashioned way of showing off his mark whenever possible and waiting to see who would approach him. Or perhaps await for the day he caught sight of the familiar mark on unfamiliar skin. It was in his favor that the mark was around his bicep, this just made the task much easier. Alternatively, he chose to focus on discovering the aspects that were represented in his marking instead. As shocking as it was to discover, the crow represented his favored team, and by extension, the best three years of his life.

 Suga had thrown many cheerful jokes at him the first time he had discovered his mark involved their school's mascot.

 Daichi had told him to his petals where his mouth is.

 The jokes aside, Daichi was happy with the progress he has made in understanding his mark better.

 The concrete streets below represented stability. It represented his solid will and determination. This is what he believed anyway. It was hard to break through something that made up the foundation of his being. The rest was merely speculation. He was positive that the eagle represented his soulmate, but the skies themselves stood for possibilities and potential. However, Daichi wasn’t sure if it was part of his destiny or his soulmates.

 He had an inkling it was both.

 Once he had entered his third year Daichi felt there was nothing left to analyze in his mark. Finally, all he could do was wait. He was never one who held impatience for these things, but it certainly helped that he was constantly busy. Between his college preparatory classes, practice and his troublesome first years, he had very little time to dedicate towards soul searching.

 He did however, take comfort in knowing that he was not the only one who had a crow representing some aspect of their soul mark. Though, this only lead to Suga taunting him even more and thus began calling him ��papa crow’.

 Regardless, for the first few months Daichi falls into a steady routine. After class, head towards the club room, stop any potential arguments and change. Practice, treat himself, and occasionally, his team to pork buns, before heading home to eat a proper meal. Then he would study, do some light exercise and shower before turning in for the night. It was a comfortable and relatively pleasant routine. In between everything, there were always surprises that would leave him flabbergasted and would leave him distracted

. But still, he sometimes finds himself laying in bed late at night, before sleep can overcome him, and finds himself longing for his soulmate.

 He then wonders if the other feels the same.

 He can’t help but feel his curiosity peek as he reads the article following the Youth World Championship. His achievements were astounding and the notoriety of his skills were amazing. He couldn't bring himself to focus on those aspects. He does hear the rest of the team talking about the young male’s skills but Daichi finds himself focused on a small box of gossip.

 Ushijima Wakatoshi

Soulmate status: unconfirmed

Despite his refusal to show the public his soul mark; on court glimpses have shown two birds in flight. His team gave no comments on the topic.

 Daichi knows better than to get his hopes up. Birds seem to have become a more common thing as of late. With different birds having various meanings, there’s a high probability that the birds mentioned are completely different from the ones that mark his skin. Even so, for a brief second, he finds himself thinking of the ‘super ace’ and the feeling of longing lessens.

 Daichi notices the rise in volume. He pushes any other thoughts to the back of his head and quickly yells at Tanaka and Nishinoya to finish changing. He lets Hinata know that his shirt is on backwards and shouts at Tanaka to get back inside the club room and put on some pants.

 He can hear Suga snickering in the background.

 Daichi can’t help but stare at Ushijima when they first confront him in front of the building. At first, he’s confronted with a slight intimidation. He’s about to compete against one of Japan’s top players after all. But soon, after the out burst of his most troublesome duo, he’s filled to the brim with determination. He’s well aware that this will not be an easy fight, but he knows it will be worth while.

 Soon the match begins and it is as he expected. They struggle for the first set and has to leave it up to Nishinoya to find his rhythm and set their pace. Daichi himself struggles with his receives for a while, feels as if his arms are constricted. Without much thought, he rolls up his sleeves, too absorbed in the game to notice anything else; too absorbed to notice Ushijima briefly staring at the mark during their time out.

 No one thinks much of it, but while Daichi doesn’t notices Ushijima’s stare, he becomes aware of the flailing and pointing his teammate instead. He doesn’t pay further mind to it thought one he realizes who it is. If there is one thing he’s come to acknowledge, it’s the fact that Tendou Satori is strange.

 Time out is over and he makes back to the court, he shouts quick words of encouragement to his teammates and takes his position.

 The game continues and eventually Daichi finds himself face to face with Ushijima at the net; its their serve and Daichi waits for the rally to begin. However, he’s finally become aware of the gaze that's upon him. He momentarily locks gazes with Ushijima and throws him a curious glance. The other takes note of it and looks away, though his face holds a look of contemplation. Daichi hears the familiar wail of the whistle and decides it’d be best to leave the thought alone. He'll have time to process is later, when he isn't in the middle of a match.

  Once the game is won they exit the building high on victory and disbelief. Excitement surrounds them like a heavy mist. Daichi finds himself lagging behind; his knees are sore and his body feels heavy but he finds himself reveling in the sensation. He feels prideful of his team and of himself. They have all managed to grow so much since the beginning. From the extra practice to the hellish training camps. it makes him happy to know that all their hard work has paid off.

 They're going to Nationals.

 He sees Shiratorizawa exit the building shortly after, the team is sullen and though it is of a different brand, they too exit with faces of disbelief. Daichi is surprised to see Ushijima break away from the group, more so when he heads towards his general direction. Daichi remembers his intense gaze from earlier, he figures he man has something to tell him. He waits politely for the other man to reach him and soon they stand face to face, seeming to size each other up for a moment. Ushijima nods to himself, apparently agreeing with a statement he had quietly thought about. By now, Daichi has become vaguely aware of their respective teams curious gazes.

 Ushijima offers him a bow and Daichi is stunned by the words that follow.

 “My name is Ushijima Wakatoshi and it appears that you are my soulmate”

 Daichi can’t help but gape, his mind buzzes momentarily. Ushijima takes this as a sign to continue. He elegantly takes off his jacket and raises his left sleeve to show Daichi the mark underneath.

 An eagle and a crow circle each other mid flight. Below the crow lies concrete streets. Above the eagle, the vast skies were bright.

 Daichi smiles and returns the gesture, carefully taking off his jacket and showing the matching mark adorning his right arm. Ushijima shares with him a small, but ecstatic, smile.

 “My name is Sawamura Daichi and it’s nice to finally meet you”

[cawnvictofmurder]

Damned if I do, dam-ed if I don’t (AO3)

For Daichi Rarepair Week, Day 7: Merfolk AU

Pairing: Bokuto Koutarou/Sawamura Daichi/Kuroo Tetsurou

Summary: When humans begin building a dam on their river, Daichi and his friends must make a choice. Will they migrate to the ocean, like many others of them have, or will they stay and risk being trapped? Unfortunately, either option is damning, just not in the way Daichi expected.

Warnings: None

Word Count: 15, 731

[goshiyachi]

Unexpectedly Pleasant

Fandom: Haikyuu!! Pairing: Sawamura Daichi/ Kyoutani Kentarou Summary: Kyoutani didn’t overthink it. Sawamura did. But at least they got the ball rolling with Kyoutani’s forwardness. Prompt Used: Free prompt @daichirarepairweek

Kyoutani didn’t beat around the bush and walk on eggshells. It wasn’t his style to begin with, he preferred to being direct and not stressing over every little thing that could go wrong. He cared a lot about his bundling relationship with Sawamura even if it looked like he was all calm and collected. It just happened that he wasn’t fond of awkwardness that radiated off his body the way he was unfamiliar with letting someone so close to him. Dogs were easier; they wagged their tails when they were happy, they told people when they wanted to eat and play. Sometimes Kyoutani was able to understand their language better than humans the way it was more simplistic and direct. Maybe that was why he like Sawamura. The guy was reliable, strong and in some ways very direct like Iwaizumi. He had a personality that wasn’t outright scared of himself and Kyoutani could appreciate the way Karasuno’s captain had the air of a proper leader had. He was sensible and something that he felt like he could live with. It was so unexpected to find Sawamura and later on the day accept this attraction that bloomed after over analyzing his team’s defeat.

He didn’t have to scream to strangers that he was in love. All he had to do was look past the sting of his loss and watch Karasuno’s captain smile at his own teammates and see the truth behind his heart pumping hot blood through his body. That was all the confirmation that he needed to find peace within himself. Sawamura took a little longer to notice the way Kyoutani looked at him but with the help of his own forwardness and a nudge from his friends he accepted this weird but pleasant turn of events. They shared numbers, texted on occasion that Kyoutani loved how their time together became more frequent to his liking. He adored how his cheekiness made Sawamura bite back in fun. There was this effortless game of domination that stringed him; it was relaxing to have an equal by his side that made him feel safe. It was by far one of the best decisions of his life to see how Sawamura become so comfortable around him that it didn’t take long for them to start the next little steps such as holding hands. Even if the act itself was an awkward mess Kyoutani moved along enjoying theses small moments of watching Sawamura over think about proximity or timing.

It was hilarious and sweet how someone strong could be gentle. But after five minutes of hands brushing each other and having miscommunications Kyoutani quickly and very clumsily grabbed Sawamura’s. There was a short pause between them with Kyoutani’s ear tips turning red and noticing Sawamura’s hand being clammy against his. But after the short few seconds of walking alongside each other Kyoutani got used to the heat that was emitted within his palm and fingers. It was a foreign sensation; but very pleasant. Sawamura’s thumb creased his softly and slowly that it took all his willpower to not blush deep red. He masked his awkwardness with a cough but it didn’t escape Sawamura as he chuckled out loud making him crack a smile with him as an idea popped into his head. He didn’t dodge the moment that was being presented and quickly leaped into action and basked in glory of hearing Sawamura’s soft gasp after he kissed his cheek. Still holding his hand, Kyoutani couldn’t help but let his grin widen as Sawamura blush deepen and felt his hand grip tighten for a second.

He was thankful; he couldn’t stop feeling good and never wanted to stop. Kyoutani probably looked like an idiot but honestly at that moment he didn’t give a rat’s ass.

[ezzydean]

stars in your eyes, lightning in my heart 7

Daichi Rare Pair Week Day 1: Seasons / Injury / Same team AU

Daichi Rare Pair Week Day 2: Stars / Memes / Modern fantasy AU

Daichi Rare Pair Week Day 3: Colors / Video games / Sport swap AU (kind of)

Daichi Rare Pair Week Day 4: Pets / Valentine’s Day / Soulmates AU

Daichi Rare Pair Week Day 5: Dreams / Road trip / College AU

Daichi Rare Pair Week Day 6: Distance / Rivalry / Superhero AU

Daichi Rare Pair Week Day 7:  Nature / Cooking / Merfolk AU 

The lagoon was a bright jewel in the afternoon light, shimmering and glimmering and shining and sparkling under the sun, its beaches soft and warm, its water cool an clear.  Bright flickers of color appeared in the rippling water, tiny little droplets and splashes breaching the surface.  It was beautiful and serene and safe and Hajime wasn’t looking at a single part of it.  Issei had his feet in the water, kicking slowly and watching the water ripple out from his legs.

A silver and black tail splashed water up into his face.  Hajime scowled as he glared down into the water and Bokuto popped back up to the surface, face the perfect picture of innocence, and folded his arms onto ground next to Hajime’s hip.  He dropped his chin onto his arms and stared up at Hajime, blinking rather owlishly at him.

It should be relaxing.  Comfortable.  A well deserved rest after the chaos of their last few weeks.

Without Daichi there it was too quiet.  Too serene.  Too peaceful.

Yamaguchi popped up on Hajime’s other side, his tail a brilliant gold and red and silver carefully twitching through the water as he mirrored Bokuto’s pose.

“Still no word from him?” Yamaguchi asked softly.  

Hajime shook his head and the mermaids shared a sympathetic glance.

While they didn’t exactly have any plans he wasn’t sure how much longer he and Issei would be able to stay here.  They weren’t made for staying in one place for too long.  Just one of the many reasons their stint in university never really worked out.  Daichi was out there dealing with some of the other reasons it didn’t work and while Hajime didn’t regret not going with Daichi not knowing what had happened or was still happening with him was starting to eat away at Hajime.  He was sure that Daichi was safe, he was too stubborn not to be and he had left with Yahaba and Tanaka and Tsukishima as back up so barring some kind of absolute end of the world apocalypse happening outside the lagoon that none of them knew about… Daichi was safe and sound.

He just should have met up with them here at least three days ago, if not more.  Hajime was getting worried, and so was Issei.

A fish landed in Hajime’s lap with a wet slap and he jerked at the feel, looking down to scold Bokuto only to find that it was Yamaguchi grinning up at him; Bokuto had slipped away to talk with Issei.

“He’ll be back.”

“I know.  He always comes back.”  Hajime tried to push the fish back into the lagoon but Yamaguchi just tossed it back into his lap.

“You need to eat.  Start up a fire and Kou and I will get you a couple more.”

Hajime wasn’t the best cook, none of them were really, but he was good enough that he could manage without turning it into charcoal and before long he and Issei were settling down on the beach with their meal.

“If he’s hurt I’m gonna kill him,” Issei grumbled after he finished eating and collapsed sideways with his head in Hajime’s lap.  Bokuto and Yamaguchi had their heads tilted together as they murmured to each other and watched Hajime and Issei from the water.

Hajime was about to respond when a shadow covered the lagoon and a moment later something hit the water.  Daichi popped to the surface and threw a string of impressively poetic curses at Kyoutani as he flew away into the nearby forest.

Daichi was a bit bruised and scraped but he was alive and Issei was draped across his lap like an overgrown cat and tugging gently at his necklace to get Daichi to bend forward for a kiss.  Hajime leaned against Daichi’s back and watched the stars slowly lighting up the sky high above them.  The water lapped gently at the shore in the background and Daichi’s laugh rumbled through into Hajime’s chest and finally the lagoon felt like the peaceful respite it was supposed to be.

Hajime’s pack vibrated a few feet away and he frowned at it, unwilling to inspect it.  This was their moment of peace.  Their chance to breath in clean air and listen to birds chirp and watch soft waves break upon the shore.  Their slip of a vacation before the world tied knots around them again and yanked them back into the fray.  His pack vibrated again and he felt Daichi’s back stiffen against his own.

He refused.  Not today.

His pack vibrated almost violently this time and Daichi sighed.

“You realize ignoring him will just make it worse in the end, right?”

“Oikawa can go to hell,” Hajime stated calmly.

“Um, babe.  He’s already kind of there.”

Issei finally sat up and peered at Hajime’s pack as it vibrated hard enough to carry it across the sand a few inches.  “Uh who’s Oikawa?”

Daichi twisted and pressed a kiss to Hajime’s temple before rolling over to drag Hajime’s pack closer.

“Don’t worry.  I’ll answer it.”

“One day,” Hajime muttered as he glared at his pack as Daichi dug through it.  “Can we not get just one day of relaxation and walking through the woods and enjoying nature and all that?”

“You kind of hate nature,” Daichi reminded him with a laugh.

“If my choices are dealing with whatever demon shit Oikawa is about to drag us into or dealing with nature I’ll chose nature.”

“Come on,” Daichi glanced over his shoulder with a grin and, not for the first time, Hajime acknowledged that he would follow Daichi to the ends of the world and back without hesitation.  “It’ll be an adventure.”

[notsuchasecret]

Daichi vs. Mega Happy Fun Land, Day 4

@daichirarepairweek

Day 1: Seasons / Injury / Same team AU

Day 2: Stars / Memes / Modern Fantasy AU

Day 3: Colors / Video games / Sport swap AU

Day 4: Pets / Valentine’s Day / Soulmates AU 

Daichi couldn’t smell the chocolate anymore. He had been standing in the little candy shop just inside Oceania, selling treats shaped like hearts and painted delicate blue-greens for hours now, and the scent clung to his skin and clothes. He knew it did, because when Ushijima stopped by on his break and dragged Daichi into a back room to make out he couldn’t stop burying his nose in the crook of Daichi’s neck and inhaling deeply.

“I’m starting to think you only like me for how I smell,” Daichi chuckled, breaking off into a gasp as Ushijima tugged his collar farther down to bite at his shoulder.

“It is one of your many good features,” Ushijima rumbled. Daichi ran his fingers through Ushijima’s hair and didn’t answer.

If Daichi returned to his shift dazed and a little rumpled, well. It was Valentine’s Day after all.

-

The next time Ushijima found him was shortly after Daichi’s shift ended in the middle of the afternoon. His hair was damp from his most recent show, and he had changed out of his park uniform entirely.

“Are you off already?” Daichi wondered aloud, trying to remember back to the schedule posted on their fridge.

“The last show was canceled,” Ushijima told him. “Ukai-san told me to take off early and make sure that you did not bother Hajime or Asahi.”

“I was gonna protest, but yeah, he’s probably right.” Ushijima didn’t smile, but Daichi really hadn’t expected him to. He simply took Daichi’s hand and started leading him through the crowds. “Where are we going?” Daichi asked.

“There is something I would like to do with you,” Ushijima said. Daichi wondered if the tips of his ears were actually turning red, or if it was just all the red and pink balloons and streamers around them playing tricks on Daichi’s eyes.

Ushijima led them to the aquarium at the center of Oceania, easing his way gently between guests and over to a little roped-off corner. Daichi read the sign and snorted.

“What does finding your soulmate have to do with fish?” he laughed. Ushijima shrugged.

“I believe Ukai-san mentioned putting a station up in every area of the park,” he said. “Koutarou and Asahi have already taken it.”

Daichi was about to make fun of the test, and of Bokuto and Asahi for taking it, but he looked up and stopped short. Ushijima was blushing now, refusing to make eye contact with Daichi. “Okay,” Daichi said with a grin.

“You do not mind?” Ushijima asked, glancing at Daichi and away. A giddy, fuzzy, disgusting warmth flooded Daichi’s veins, and he knew he was blushing now too.

“Not at all,” he replied. “How does it work?”

“It is a simple quiz,” Ushijima explained as they took an empty station. “Simply select the answer that you feel best suits you, and at the end it will examine our responses and tell us if we are soulmates or not.” He said it so seriously, so blankly, that Daichi had to smile. Watching Ushijima type in his name as though he were filling out a medical form rather than a silly love quiz, Daichi felt absolutely certain that this man was his soulmate. Or at least one of them.

“I don’t get it,” Daichi said a minute later, staring at the screen. “What does my preferences on bunny photos have to do with anything.”

“Select the one you find the most aesthetically pleasing,” Ushijima said softly. Daichi glanced over to find him puzzling over a question that Daichi had already answered, something about the color of mug he preferred. He’d chosen something at random and moved on. Now he was starting to wish he had taken this more seriously.

“Okay, I think I’m done,” Daichi said slowly, looking over the instructions on the screen. He leaned his head on Ushijima’s shoulder and watched as he answered the last few questions. “Really?” he droned. “Looks are unimportant to you in a relationship?”

“They are,” Ushijima said. “Why do you find that surprising?”

“Nothing,” Daichi laughed. “Just that, well. None of us are exactly unattractive. Or scrawny.”

“That was not a deciding factor in my courtship of any of you,” Ushijima said softly. Daichi smiled and rubbed his cheek against Ushijima’s shirtsleeve.

“I know,” he murmured.

The wait while the program compiled their answers and scored their compatibility was more nerve-wracking than Daichi would have expected. It was just a silly little quiz, it didn’t mean anything. But when the machine dinged and their results page loaded, Daichi found himself standing straight and holding Ushijima’s arm a little more tightly than usual.

-

“Behold!” crowed Daichi, strutting around the living room with several pieces of paper held over his head. “I am the superior boyfriend!”

“Daichi, it was a dumb test that Ukai-san got off the internet,” Asahi said, rubbing at his temple.

“Yeah, and I scored highest on it with each of you,” Daichi bragged. He flopped onto the couch, and immediately their pomeranian crawled into his lap and started licking at his face. “See? Even Mika loves me the best.”

“Mika only loves you right now because you still smell like chocolate,” Iwaizumi huffed.

“And because she loves me the best.” Iwaizumi rolled his eyes.

“She loves Koutarou the best,” Ushijima said, and really none of them could dispute that. The dog loved Bokuto with all her heart.

“Where is Koutarou, anyway?” Daichi asked.

“I think he’s stopping to get dinner,” Asahi said. Daichi hummed, shuffling over until he could drop his head into Asahi’s lap. Iwaizumi was sitting in front of them, so he kept one hand on Mika and reached out with the other to twine in Iwaizumi’s hair.

“Wakatoshi,” Daichi said quietly. “Come here.”  Ushijima stood up and moved to the couch, lifting Daichi’s legs so that he could sit. He settled them into his lap and balanced his book on Daichi’s calves.

It was nice, being able to touch almost all of his family at once, and once Bokuto got home, it would be perfect. Daichi couldn’t think of a better way to spend his Valentine’s Day than right there.

[ryekamasaki]

An Understanding Heart: Day 6

@daichirarepairweek

Day 1: Seasons / Injury / Same team AU

Day 2: Stars / Memes / Modern fantasy AU

Day 3: Colors / Video games / Sport swap AU

Day 4: Pets / Valentine’s Day / Soulmates AU

Day 5: Dreams / Road trip / College AU

Day 6: Distance / Rivalry / Superhero AU

The thing about rare potion ingredients, Daichi muses over as he climbs a hill, is that they tend to be hard to obtain. He got lucky with the nekomata fur, but the other things he knew wouldn’t be nearly as easy. This particular ingredient, for instance, is an odd sort of plant that only grows under and around boulders, but only in relatively shaded areas. This has Daichi climbing up to the foresty area of the nearest mountain, high above where most people hike and camp.

Which is why Daichi is confused when he hears a screeching ruckus from ahead of himself, where Esmeralda flew on, her tiny dragon growl bouncing off the close trees, and then a deep, rumbling voice murmuring in return. There’s another ferocious screech, and Daichi doesn’t know what it came from, but he does know that it’s not one of Esmeralda’s noises, at least not one that he’s heard yet.

“Es?” Daichi calls out to her, keeps walking as he waits for an answer.

Daichi. Her tone doesn’t tell Daichi anything about what’s going on, but it doesn’t really matter, because at that moment he passes into a small clearing where Esmeralda and a fiery feathered bird perch in opposite trees, making terrible noises at each other while a man (tall, dark haired and strong, from what Daichi can tell) murmurs quietly at them, presumably to get them to stop fighting. Daichi sighs and walks up to the tree that Esmeralda is in, holding out a hand to her, even though he knows she’ll likely just ignore him.

She does, just continues to growl at the bird, but the man beside him doesn’t, instead turning to Daichi with a serious face. “I apologize. Helios is usually more approachable. I am not sure why he seems to dislike your dragon.”

“That’s okay. She can be a handful.” Esmeralda turns to Daichi then, spitting out a tiny lick of fire as if sticking her tongue out, and Daichi laughs. “See?” He turns his head to address her instead. “Behave, Esmeralda.”

The man chuckles, and Daichi thinks about how nice the sound is, especially here in the peace of the forest, echoing gently off of the leaves around them. “My name is Ushijima. You are?”

“Sawamura Daichi. Just Daichi is fine.”

Ushijima nods and tilts his head to the side. “Why are you here?”

“Ah, I’m searching for a plant, an ingredient needed for a potion. You?”

“I am also looking for a plant for use in a potion.” Ushijima turns away from the bickering companions, away from Daichi, to look around the clearing before his eyes settle on something and he begins to walk away. The phoenix flaps his wings and follows, soaring across to another tree while Ushijima stops at the base.

There’s a few large rocks there, and Daichi wonders if they count as boulders, if maybe he might be able to find his plant up here. He walks over just as Ushijima crouches down and slips his fingers under the largest rock, lifting it easily from the ground.

“Holy crap.” Daichi’s spoken before he realizes it, and he blushes at the inquisitive look on Ushijima’s face. “You’re that Ushijima. The super strong famous superhero one?”

Ushijima’s nose wrinkles the tiniest bit. “Yes, that’s what they say.”

Esmeralda takes that moment to fly over and drape herself across Daichi’s shoulders, still glaring at the bird in the tree above them. He goes to your college’s biggest competitor, you know. Daichi raises an eyebrow at her as best he can, mentally asks her how she even knows. Kuroo was teaching me stuff. For funsies. And Daichi can’t help but laugh at  how in the few days they’ve had her she’s picked up on Suga’s favorite phrase and adopted it as her own. Do you know what that means, Daiiiiiiiichi?

No, Es, what does that mean? Daichi watches Ushijima put the rock back down gently even as he continues to mentally chat with her, rolling his eyes at the elongation of syllables in his name.

She squints up to the branches of the tree again, makes a tiny growl before she talks again. He’s your RIVAL.

The phoenix ruffles it’s feathers and squawks again, and Daichi turns away to look for more rocks in the clearing before the two familiars can start another screaming match. There’s another patch of rocks a little distance away, and Daichi heads for it. He’s only a few feet away when something hooks around his arm and he jolts, nearly falling to the ground with the force. He regains his balance and stares dumbly at the hand in the crook of his elbow, large and sturdy, holding him back from walking any further.

Ushijima’s deep voice begins to explain before Daichi can ask. “You almost crossed into a fairy ring.”

“Oh.” Daichi blinks and remembers all the lecturing Asahi had given him before he left, a long tirade of things Daichi should and shouldn’t do, lost in the haze of sleepiness and Daichi’s experience with Asahi’s tendency to worry more than necessary. There was definitely something in there about avoiding rings of mushrooms and not eating anything in the wild, no matter how innocent it seems. He looks down at where his toes are just barely brushing against the tiniest fungi he’s ever seen, and he knows suddenly that they’re that small and unnoticeable on purpose. “Thank you.”

Ushijima just nods and lets go of Daichi’s arm, walks carefully around the nearly undetectable circle. Daichi follows, though he makes sure to walk even further away from the falsely innocent trap. They get to the rocks, where there are what Daichi would definitely call boulders, and Ushijima lifts them as easily as if he’s lifting a pebble. Daichi spots the plant he needs immediately, its stem twisted around another plant, and kneels in the dirt to extract it.

As it turns out, the plant twined with Daichi’s is the one that Ushijima has been searching for. By the time that they’ve separated them enough that they each have what they need, they turn to find Esmeralda and Helios laying on the ground only a few feet away, Helios flat on the ground with Esmeralda laying upside down on top of him, glee in her big green eyes when Helios lets out a sigh.

Daichi and Ushijima walk down the mountain again together, since Daichi’s next destination is even further from home, toward the great ocean on the other side of Ushijima’s school. The trek down is a little more lively than the one up, thanks to their familiars taunting each other and racing ahead, determined to try to out fly the other. Eventually they get tired and retreat to the shoulders of their owners, and Daichi waves goodbye to Ushijima with a promise to meet up again on his way back.

You’re not very good at this rivals thing, are you. It’s not a question, and Daichi just laughs instead of answering, continuing on his way.

[bringmemyqueen]

daichi rarepair week - day 4: pets

[merry-the-cookie]

for daichi rarepair week - day 1 : same team au

i’m late orz but here’s a little bokudai, with a close up because why not

[0ctohat]

Day 1: Injury/Same Team AU

Yamagata/Daichi 

[oredginals]

@daichirarepairweek  DAY 1: Seasons / Injury / Same team AU

[emma-trevelyan]

Daichi Rare Pair Week Day 1: Injury

Pairing: Sawamura Daichi/Azumane Asahi Prompt:  Seasons / Injury / Same team AU* Rating: G Ao3

Match point in the semi-finals. If they managed to pull this off, they were going to the finals. They could win. Daichi’s thighs were screaming, his arms were on fire, and his body was bathed in sweat. He stared at his team members, and it was obvious they were in agony. Daichi didn’t know how to rally them--he didn’t know how to get them to fight for just one more round. Just one more. But he knew better than most how exhausting a long deuce could get. They were rapidly approaching the thirties, and Daichi didn’t know how much fight he had left in him. He was nervous--this level of exhaustion wasn’t good.

This was when accidents happened.

He took an easy breath and listened to the sound of Asahi’s palm smacking the ball, his breath coming out in a soft grunt of exertion… Asahi’s presence made it easier. Asahi was their ace. In the end, he would take care of it, if need be. Daichi could rely on him, and in turn, he knew Asahi relied on Daichi. It was their gentle give and take, the same since they were 15 years old. A lot had changed since then, from Asahi’s ever-fluctuating hair cut to the overwhelming power of his jump serve. Daichi was proud to call him his teammate, but he couldn’t afford to pause. Not for an instant, because the opposing team received Asahi’s serve. It wasn’t a clean receive by any means, but an attack was coming. Thankfully, Daichi was in perfect position to pick up and counter. The ball went up, and the rally continued.

Back and forth they went, the ball not touching the floor no matter what they did. Daichi was panting, desperately wishing for the ball to drop...just drop. Preferably on the opponent’s side, of course, but he just wanted it to be over. He was exhausted, his team was exhausted, and his ears were ringing with the roar of the crowd. Then, the ball started dropping. It was out of Daichi’s reach. With looming horror, he came to the conclusion that he just didn’t have another rally in him. He had no more to give. If the opposing team scored, they’d win. They’d destroy them.

Before Daichi could even mourn their inevitable loss, Asahi shot forward, his arm stretched wide. He only just got a hand on it as he dove forward, landing hard on his right side. The ball balanced on the net precariously for a few seconds before plummeting to the gym floor on the opponent’s side--they were unprepared for the save. After a few seconds of silence, the gym erupted into cheers. Daichi was elated--they had won! And they were on their way to the finals!

He turned to embrace Asahi, maybe give him shit for that point, but he wasn’t there. As a matter of fact, he hadn’t gotten up off the floor. He remained where he’d fallen, clutching his shoulder. His face was contorted in pain, his skin had turned ashen with shock, and his whole body was shaking. Their manager, trained in first aid, flew off the bench, her bag at the ready. She’d been the only one to notice in the sudden revelry, but when the team turned to realize their ace wasn’t there, they fell quiet. All Daichi had to hear was their manager shouting to their coach, ‘he’s going into shock’ before his body found his last energy stores to rush to his side.

Tears were running down Asahi’s face, but his eyes were wide. His teeth were clenched shut, small hisses of pain escaping as he tried to catch his breath; “It hurts. It hurts so much.”

“Where?” Daichi asked softly, gently patting Asahi’s hip. He tangled the fingers of his other hand into Asahi’s uninjured hand. “Where does it hurt?”

“Shoulder,” Asahi ground out through his teeth, squeezing Daichi’s fingers almost painfully tight. “My shoulder. When I dove…”

Asahi cut off with a pained sob, trying to curl in on himself to escape the pain. Daichi had never felt so helpless before. Not when he’d collided with Tanaka’s shoulder, not when they’d lost Interhigh...never. Not until a pair of staff members came over to Asahi, shining a small penlight in his eyes and asking him a variety of questions. Asking him if he could stand, asking if he was dizzy or nauseous, asking him where he was… he hadn’t hit his head, Daichi wanted to shout. But he didn’t. He just quietly watched them lead him away, his hands left cold for want of Asahi’s warmth as their contact slipped away.

Only when he felt his coach’s hand at his elbow did he realize he tried to follow. He gave him a firm shake of his head; “Sawamura, we need you for the team meeting.”

“But,” Daichi croaked, his voice thick with emotion. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to be feeling in this moment. Asahi was one of his oldest friends. Was it appropriate for him to cry? Was he supposed to be stoic? Was he supposed to feel this numb? He felt big, hot tears spill out onto his cheeks, and he couldn’t even be bothered to stop them. “But...Asahi.”

“Azumane will be fine. He’s walking on his own, he’s lucid. Nothing you can do.”

Daichi knew in his heart of hearts he was right. He knew it… didn’t make it hurt any less when he went to the team meeting without Asahi at his side.

~~~

Asahi wasn’t in the infirmary when Daichi got out of the meeting. According to the very nice nurse there, he was transferred to St. Luke’s. They were afraid he’d crushed his shoulder, or worse. Daichi texted Suga to pass on the news and resolved to go home for the night, hoping he would have news in the morning. He showered, had his prefered post-match snack, and stared at the wall of his livingroom, attempting to think about anything other than Asahi’s face when he curled  in on himself; Asahi laying in a hospital room, alone and scared out of his mind…

Daichi shook his head rapidly to banish the image, knowing he was being ridiculous. He resolved himself to a long night of the Sapporo in the fridge (no matter how much he regretted it in the morning) and cooking competition shows before his phone buzzed at him. It was a text from Suga.

Two Punch Man 21:37-- Asahi’s in recovery, but they’re keeping him for observation overnight. St. Luke’s, room 617. He’s going to be fine but you absolutely have to see this!! It’s the best thing ever.

Daichi didn’t even respond; he grabbed his shoes, his keys, and his wallet, already punching the number of a cab company into his phone. He could probably take the train, but this way he had more control. If he could beat Tokyo traffic, at least he could be faster.

Maybe.

~~~

Suga was waving to Daichi in the waiting room, holding out a cup of coffee. Daichi felt out of breath, even though his cab driver dropped him off at the entrance. He took the cup from Suga, trying his best not to shake.

“How is he? Where is he?” Daichi exclaimed. “Can I see him?”

“Daichi, please breathe,” Suga chuckled. “He’s in his room in bed; yes you can see him, but he’s…”

“He’s what, Suga?” Daichi growled through clenched teeth.

“Calm down! They just gave him some painkillers and he’s… well, you’ll see.”

“Suga, you’re smiling too much,” Daichi deadpanned, following Suga into the elevator for the sixth floor. He anxiously tapped his foot while he watched the numbers slowly tick up. “Is he… is he really alright?”

“Christ, Daichi, you’d think you were his doting wife or something,” Suga chuckled. “He’s fine, I wouldn’t look so relaxed if he wasn’t.”

“What are you even doing here, anyway?”

“You know Asahi isn’t close with his family,” Suga answered. “I’m one of his emergency contacts. I’m pretty sure they tried you first, but you were probably with the team, still.”

Daichi checked his phone, and sure enough there was a missed call from an unknown number. He swallowed hard, trying to remain positive. Asahi was fine… Suga had just seen him, and he was smiling that mischievous smile of his, so there really wasn’t anything to worry about. Still, he cared deeply about Asahi. He had since they were kids. It was genuinely distressing to see him go down and not get back up. All Daichi wanted was to make sure he was alright…

“We’re here.”

Suga had led him right to 617. It was a three-bed room, but it must have been a slow night because Asahi was all alone by the window. He was swaying slightly, his head bopping to a silent tune in his head. A big, sleepy, goofy smile was on his face, obscured mostly by his messy hair. Suga grinned maniacally, ushering Daichi in before him. What was he up to?

“Asahi?” Daichi approached tentatively, not sure why he was practically creeping into the room. “Asahi, are you OK?”

Asahi’s head snapped around so fast, his neck cracked, but he didn’t seem to mind. His grin widened almost comically; “Daichi! You’re here! Hi, Daichi! Suga, Daichi’s here!”

Suga chuckled; “Yeah, I see that. I brought him.”

“Wow, just,” Asahi sighed. “I can’t believe Daichi’s here!”

“What is he on?” Daichi asked, quirking his eyebrows.

“Not sure,” Suga replied with a shrug. “But he’s been like this since he woke up.”

“Wow, Daichi, you’re just…” Asahi continued like he couldn’t hear them. On closer inspection, his eyes were wide, glassy, and blown completely black. His shoulder was wrapped tightly. “You look really fuzzy right now. And it’s making you look, like… so pretty. You’re just gorgeous.”

Daichi snorted, “Alright, you, that’s enough. You’re high.”

“I am!” Asahi exclaimed. “The doctors told me I did… something? To my thing?”

“You dislocated your shoulder, fractured one of your ribs, and bruised your scapula,” Suga interjected.

“Yeah, that’s it! But they put this needle in my bag thing, and everything went a little glowy? It was weird and scary but now you’re here, and you’re all glowy too! Plus, you’re pretty!”

“You said that already,” Daichi said with a fond laugh, giving into the urge to brush Asahi’s hair back from his face. “You gave us a bit of a scare. But I’m glad you’re alright.”

“I’m fine!” Asahi exclaimed, leaning into Daichi’s touch with a precious coo. “And I said it twice because it’s true! Or was it three times? Either way, I said it because you’re so pretty! I’ve always thought you were pretty. Like, your eyes are fucking gorgeous and I don’t think anyone ever told you that! It was all about Kageyama’s and Hinata’s, but your eyes are pretty. They’re… I don’t know, warm?”

Daichi flushed, “That’s… um…”

Asahi saved him from further humiliating himself; “I want candy!”

Suga laughed; “Asahi, you hate candy.”

“Oh, my God, you’re right!” Asahi exclaimed, scandalized. “What’s happening? Is this even a hospital!? What have they done to me? Is someone psychically implanting their want for candy into my brain? Daichi, are you a Newtype?”

Daichi started laughing--not even able to keep up with his train of thought; “You’re hopeless, Asahi.”

Asahi took advantage of Daichi’s half-step closer, wrapping his good arm around Daichi’s leg; “Ok, I think that you’ve heard this from every living human who’s ever seen you in shorts, but your thighs are magnificent. They’re warm… holy shit, Daichi, they’re soft! Do you moisturize?”

“I can’t believe you forgot the word for ‘shoulder’ and yet you can say ‘magnificent’ and ‘moisturize,’” Suga laughed. Daichi’s eyes widened when he noticed Suga’s phone was up.

“Suga, are you filming this?”

“For posterity’s sake,” Suga answered. “And sending it straight to the group chat. Sacchan will kill me if I don’t.”

Daichi didn’t even want to touch the fact that Suga had a group chat that included Tendou, or the fact that a high and humiliatingly affectionate Asahi would be relevant to their interests. He really couldn’t, because he was suddenly trying to thwart Asahi from poking him in the cheek.

“What the fuck, Asahi?” Daichi exclaimed.

“Sit with me!”

“Asahi, you have been seriously injured,” Daichi deadpanned. “I heard “dislocated” and “fractured” used in the same sentence.”

“Oh,” Asahi muttered in a small, meek voice. His big, calf-brown eyes shimmered with unshed tears and his lips turned out in a pout. “I… see. That’s fine.”

“Oh, look at that, Daichi, now you went and made him sad,” Suga reprimanded, his voice shaking with uncontrollable laughter. “Why don’t you just sit with him?”

“It’s fine, Suga,” Asahi said pitifully.

“Ugh, I never could say ‘no’ to that face,” Daichi groaned. “Budge over, and watch your shoulder!”

“Yay!” Asahi exclaimed, scootching over as gingerly as possible.

The bed was too small for the both of them, but Daichi didn’t really care. They managed to finagle Asahi into a position where his head was on Daichi’s chest, Daichi’s arm was around his shoulders, and his broken arm was gently cradled against their bodies. Asahi burrowed his face into Daichi’s chest, making the most precious little sounds, and Daichi was finding that he was… quite weak.

Suga grinned at his phone while Asahi continued to nuzzle and purr against Daichi’s neck; “I just got a text from Sacchan. He needs me to call him; you two got this, right?”

Asahi gave a noncommittal wave while Daichi stared daggers after Suga; he knew what he was doing. He’d sensed the atmosphere change, and now he was conveniently dismissing himself. If Daichi weren’t half-buried under Asahi’s heavy body, he’d have given Suga  piece of his mind.

But Asahi was soft and quiet and warm, making sweet comments about how warm Daichi was, how comfortable he was. It was clear Asahi was fading fast, though, as he fought sleep mightily.

“Daichi, I don’t feel good,” he whimpered. “And my shoulder hurts.”

“I know, Asahi,” Daichi soothed, running his hands through the long, brown hair. It was unbelievable--thick, baby fine, and downy soft. If Daichi took a deep enough breath through his  nose, he could smell Asahi’s slightly floral conditioner, which mixed with the Salonpas and sweat that lingered on his skin. His breathing was starting to even out a bit, and his good hand was toying with the fingers on Daichi’s free hand. “Try to get some sleep, alright?”

“Don’t want to sleep,” Asahi protested weakly. “You’ll be gone.”

“I won’t be gone. I promise, I’ll stay.” Daichi was beginning to realize that Asahi could ask for literally anything with that pout of his, and he would probably agree. Even spending the night in this uncomfortable hospital bed, which was probably against the rules. He didn’t care.

“I’m sorry I got hurt,” Asahi muttered, nosing at Daichi’s neck now. Daichi’s heart jumped into his throat when he felt those warm, plush lips against his pulsepoint and the scratch of a beard at the curve of his shoulder. “I’m sorry I let you down… that I can’t play tomorrow.”

“I’m just glad you’re alright,” Daichi reassured, continuing to card his fingers through Asahi’s hair. The fingers of his free hand were caught in Asahi’s… when did that happen?

“I wish I was good enough for you, Daichi,” Asahi said, his voice muffled by Daichi’s sweatshirt. “I wish I wasn’t such a failure… I wish it was OK that I loved you.”

Daichi froze as the words sank in; “Excuse me?”

“I love you, Daichi,” Asahi muttered again, his voice slipping as his eyes fluttered closed. Impossibly long lashes fanned over prominent cheekbones and full lips struggled to form coherent sentences. “I always have… since we met. I came back for you, Daichi… I wish I could have said something. I wish I wasn’t such a coward.”

Daichi tried to form thoughts, but they weren’t coming. All they ended up being was a jumbled scramble of Asahi loves me, Asahi loves me, he loves me… He opened his mouth to answer, maybe even ask a question or two, but Asahi’s breathing was deep and even and his fingers had gone limp in Daichi’s hands. He was fast asleep, and Daichi didn’t have the heart to wake him. He ran his thumb softly over Asahi’s prominent cheekbone… God, he was so beautiful. How had he not noticed before?

“You goof,” Daichi whispered, leaning forward to press a soft kiss against Asahi’s hair. He couldn’t remember how words worked… he could only manage soft, giddy laughter. He wished he hadn’t been so blind… that Asahi hadn’t been so timid. He felt like he’d been hit by a bus.

He was in love with Asahi. He always had been, and judging by the giant butterflies in his stomach, he always would be.