#hqtimeskipbb

[pearlsephoni]

Under the Lights of Paris

Can also be read on AO3!

Rating: Explicit

Fandom: Haikyuu!!

Pairing: AsaNoya (Asahi/Nishinoya), background DaiSuga (Daichi/Suga)

Characters: Asahi Azumane, Yu Nishinoya, brief appearances from Daichi Sawamura and Koshi Sugawara

Word Count: 18,479

Summary: In a desperate bid to reintroduce some adventure and excitement into his life, Asahi tags along with Nishinoya to the next stop on his Great World Tour: Paris, one of the fashion capitals of the world. But a trip to the City of Love with his high school crush ends up reintroducing something else into Asahi’s life. Maybe this time, he’ll have the courage to see things through.

Written for @hqtimeskipbb!

A/N: Thank you so much to the moderators for organizing this event! And all my love and gratitude to my incredible team! Myeu (@myeuphorio) drew an absolutely stunning piece of art to accompany this story, and Andie (@fireheartaw) has been the world's kindest beta reader throughout this process. This story couldn't have happened without your hard work and endless support.

Asahi Azumane was feeling stuck.

“I’ve been feeling stuck.” His announcement received dead stares from Suga and Daichi. “What?”

“You? Have been feeling stuck?” Suga parroted back at him.

“…Yes?”

“You? Ye of glass heart, who managed to move to the Big City and pursue his dreams despite nearly bailing several times out of sheer anxiety?”

“‘Ye,’” Daichi snorted into his coffee. “Ok, Mr. Literature Teacher.”

“To elementary schoolers, and that’s not the point.” Suga waved away Daichi’s grin before pointing an accusatory finger at Asahi. “You feel stuck? Mr. Fashion Designer in the big city? You’re telling this to us? The guys who stayed in our hometown?”

“I’m proud of my job,” Daichi protested.

“So am I.”

“And I like our life here.”

“So do I, but that’s not the point,” Suga sighed with a fond smile and a squeeze at Daichi’s hand. “The point is that Asahi took the biggest risk out of us, and now he’s the one who feels stuck?”

“That’s not— I didn’t mean—” Asahi shoved his hair behind his ear with a frown. “I like my life, I do. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. It’s just…I worked so hard to achieve what I have, and now it’s just…just…nothing’s changed!”

The couple’s brows raised with unnerving synchronization. “What do you mean?” Daichi asked.

“Like…you guys moved in together and got a cat. Hinata came back from Brazil and is playing like some sort of volleyball god now? Kageyama went to the Olympics and he’ll probably end up going again, because that’s just the level he’s at. Noya hasn’t stayed in the same country for more than a year, he’s already planning his next stop after Italy.”

“Ooooh, where?”

“Not the point, Koshi.” Daichi looked far too pleased at the chance to fling Suga’s words back at him.

“The point is,” Asahi declared, “that nothing’s changed for me since I landed this job. No promotions, no new apartments, I haven’t even dated—”

“You could, you just don’t want to.”

“Suga.”

“I’m just saying!”

“Just…I dunno,” Asahi sighed. “I think I need a change of scenery. Mix things up a little, just for a bit, y’know?”

Silence fell over the table, broken only by the sounds of quiet sips of coffee and tea. It was a fair response. Asahi wouldn’t have known what to say if either of his friends had brought up a similar problem to him.

Which was why the sight of Suga suddenly straightening with a twinkle in his eye made both hope and dread crawl up Asahi’s throat. “Why don’t you tag along with Nishinoya?”

“...What?”

Suga was probably the only person in the world who could weather a unified exclamation and stares of disbelief from two grown men. “What? Why not? Asahi, you said you’re feeling stuck. What better way to escape that than to go overseas for a bit? Do some traveling! I’m sure Nishinoya would love to have you join him, and that way you won’t have to stress out about doing all the planning and traveling by yourself.”

“I…I…” Asahi found himself at a loss. The idea was crazy, but it also made sense. Par for the course for Suga, honestly.

And yet…something about the idea made a nervous reluctance settle in Asahi’s belly like a rock. It must’ve shown on his face, because Daichi frowned and said with quiet authority, “Give us one good reason it wouldn’t work.”

“I…” His fingers tightened around his paper cup, and the bustle of the cafe blended in with the buzzing in his ears until he could barely hear his own words. “I’d just hold him back.”

Suga’s lips pressed into a thin line as a soft sigh huffed from his nose. “Just ask him, Asahi. You know Noya doesn’t mince words. If he’d rather keep traveling by himself, then he’ll say so.”

“Yeah…yeah, I guess.”

He appreciated his friends’ advice, he did. But when he bid them goodbye and got on the train back to Tokyo, he’d already decided he wouldn’t take Suga’s suggestion. And when he answered a video call from Nishinoya that night and was greeted by him looking luminous on the shores of Italy, his decision turned into certainty.

“Asahi-saaaaaan!!” Nishinoya shouted, a blinding smile stretching across his face. “It’s not too late over there, right?”

“Hey, Noya,” Asahi laughed as he toed off his shoes. “It’s a little late, but I just got home. How about you, what’ve you been up to? More marlin fishing?”

“You go marlin fishing one time…” A dramatic sigh huffed out of Nishinoya, before a sheepish grin tugged at his lips. “Ok, maybe a little. But I’ve mostly been getting ready for my next stop!”

“Really? Do I get to know where? Or are you going to surprise me with a video of you bungee jumping from the top of the Eiffel Tower?”

Nishinoya blinked in surprise. “How’d you know?”

“Know what?”

“That I’m going to Paris?”

It was Asahi’s turn to blink. “You…you are?”

A laugh burst out of Nishinoya. “Yeah, man! What’re you, psychic? Yeah, I’m heading over there next month.”

“Done with Italy already?”

“It’s been a really good couple of months…but I’m ready for the next.”

“Paris, huh…” The city of lights. One of the fashion capitals of the world. Full of some of the prettiest architecture Asahi had ever seen. He’d never mentioned it to anyone, but he did nurse an impossible dream to visit one day.

Except maybe it wasn’t impossible. Here was a chance, staring him right in the face: a trip to Paris with an old friend, a friend he missed.

“Asahi-san?” The quiet call of his name tugged his attention back to his phone, and he felt his cheeks warm at the concern lining Nishinoya’s face. “You okay?”

“Yeah! Yeah, just…thinking…” Ask him. Just ask him. “Hey, Noya?”

“Yeah?”

“I have…I have an idea. And you can say no! Please don’t feel like you have to agree to just make me feel better, I don’t want—”

“Asahi-san.” The concern on Nishinoya’s face was replaced by an amused grin. “I don’t even know what you want to ask.”

“Right. Sorry.” He winced at his automatic apology, and he could see Nishinoya’s smile broaden. “Just…well, not ‘just,’ it’s kind of a big ask, but…” If he doesn’t want to, he’ll say so. Just ask. “Can I come to Paris? With you?”

All emotion drained from Nishinoya, leaving him with only wide eyes and parted lips. “You…you want to come to Paris?”

“Yes? I mean, yes, yes, I do.”

“With me?”

“Yes…unless you don’t want me to, I know you’re used to traveling by yourself, and I have no idea what I’m doing, and I’d probably hold you back—”

“Asahi-san, what?”

“What?”

“Yes, of course I want you to come!” Asahi’s hand shot out to hold his phone away, Nishinoya’s shouts ringing loudly through the apartment. “Dude, what the hell?! Why were you so worried? D’you have any idea how much I miss you?”

A breathless laugh escaped Asahi, relief and excitement bubbling up in him with every word from Nishinoya. “Really?”

“Yes! Holy shit, ok, let’s plan this now, when would you want to come over? Will you be good with work and everything? How long do you want to stay?”

“I, ah…I hadn’t planned that far ahead.”

“So let’s plan now! I’m not gonna give you a chance to get cold feet on me, we need to figure this out ASAP. I’m getting close to my hostel, hang on—”

The next thing Asahi knew, he was shooting off emails to work requesting time off, looking at the cheapest flights he could find, asking a coworker to take care of his plants and keep an eye on his apartment, and making sure he actually had the money for a last-minute trip like this. The only thing Nishinoya insisted on taking care of himself was their accommodation. “Leave this part to an expert!”

By the time they hung up, the call had lasted well over two hours and it was later than Asahi had been up since college. But he didn’t feel tired. When he went to bed, he laid awake for another hour, exhilaration buzzing under his skin. He’d done it. He’d asked. And Noya said yes. And now he was going to Paris with him.

“Oh my god,” he whispered to the ceiling. “I’m going to Paris.”

————————————  ————————————

The next month felt like it both lasted forever and passed in a flash, a confusing blur of excitement and dread as Asahi muddled his way through packing, then unpacking, then repacking-but-less-this-time-for-real, then looking at travel recommendations and tips and tricks for Paris. Yes, Nishinoya was going to be there as his guide and companion. But he wouldn’t have felt true to himself if he didn’t needlessly stress over something that was supposed to excite him.

By the time he was on the flight to Paris, he’d been talked out of bailing on the whole trip at least three separate times by Daichi and Suga, and then an extra time by Nishinoya, presumably because the couple had snitched on Asahi. “If you don’t get over here, I’m going to fly back to Japan just to kick your ass myself.”

“You say that like it’d be a bad thing.”

“Try me, Asahi-san.”

So he got on the flight, despite the heavy weight of anxious dread in the bottom of his stomach. It was nothing new - he’d felt the same weight when he made his move to Tokyo - but he hated the way it robbed him of the joy these experiences were supposed to give him. He was only going for two weeks. This wasn’t a drastic life change. It was a trip with an old friend who he missed very much.

Well…Nishinoya wasn’t just an old friend. A fact Asahi did his best not to dwell on too much. A fact that ended up rearing to the front of his mind when he emerged in Arrivals and saw Nishinoya in person for the first time in…he didn’t know how long.

Seeing him over video call for the past two years couldn’t have prepared him for the moment their eyes landed on each other and Nishinoya’s face split into the brightest smile Asahi had seen since high school. Just like that, the weight in his stomach vanished, and his breath finally came a little easier. “Asahi-saaaan!”

Asahi barely had time to drop his backpack to the floor before Nishinoya barreled into him, arms wrapped tight around him and head tucked perfectly beneath his chin. When he spoke, his words were muffled by Asahi’s sweater. “Holy shit, you’re really here.”

“So are you,” Asahi breathed on a soft laugh, arms tight around Nishinoya’s shoulders. They felt much broader since the last time he’d held them, during their last team huddle his third year. “It’s so good to see you, Mr. Worldwide.”

“You too— wait.” Nishinoya pulled away with a small frown. “Did you just give me Pitbull’s nickname?”

His eyes widened in horror. “I…not on purpose?”

A laugh barked out of Nishinoya, and his bright smile was back on his face as though it had never left. “Man, I’ve missed you. Is this all you brought?”

“I brought a checked bag, but otherwise that’s it. Wait, you don’t have to—”

Nishinoya was already swinging Asahi’s backpack over his shoulder and making his way to the luggage claim, leaving Asahi to sheepishly run after him. “I wanted to get us a nicer place than a hostel for your big trip abroad, so I found a little apartment around the corner from Notre Dame,” Nishinoya was saying when Asahi caught up to him, “but I kinda fucked up and got us a place with one bed and one fold-out bed? You’re getting the actual bed, of course, but I just wanted to let you know before we got there.”

“Wait wait wait.” Asahi caught the handle of the backpack and made Nishinoya slow down with a small tug. “I’m not getting the bed. You planned out this whole trip, you should get the bed.”

“I’m used to shitty beds, Asahi-san!”

“So you agree the foldout’s a shitty bed.”

“That’s not—”

“And stop calling me Asahi-san, I’m only a year older than you.”

“Then should I call you Azumane?”

“What? No, call me Asahi!”

“That feels weird!”

“What do you mean— oh hey, my bag!”

Without him realizing it, they’d made it to the luggage carousel, and the bags from his flight were already drifting past on the conveyor belt. Before Nishinoya could get the chance to grab his bag, Asahi leapt forward and tugged the bright green suitcase off the belt. He couldn’t help the proud grin that tugged at his lips when he turned back to his friend. “Alright. Ready to go?”

There was a strange look on Nishinoya’s face, his eyes sharp over flushed cheeks, but at Asahi’s words he grinned back. “Sure. Taxi, bus, or train?”

“Huh? Ah—”

“I’m kidding, let’s get a taxi. My treat!”

“Oh no you don’t—”

When he’d planned this trip, he didn’t anticipate the first hour of it to be so full of arguments. They argued over who lifted the suitcase into the taxi trunk, who paid the driver, who lugged the suitcase up the stairs to the apartment, and who got the better bed again. Yet through it all, he couldn’t seem to stop smiling. Bantering with and getting teased by Nishinoya was so much better in person, when he could really watch those brown eyes flutter open after being squeezed shut in laughter, and feel the gentle shove of his fist against his shoulder.

“When did you get so assertive, Asahi-san?”

“I can’t be that assertive if you’re still winning our arguments.”

Nishinoya grinned from where he reclined on the fold-out bed, legs propped up on the stack of couch cushions beside it. “Aw, c’mon, I let you carry your bag up here, right?”

“After you paid for the cab.”

He waved off Asahi’s words, though his grin looked a little more proud. “I’ll let you pay for dinner. Let’s head out after you take a shower! You can’t waste your first night in Paris!”

A playful frown curved over Asahi’s face. “Shower? Are you saying I smell?”

“I’m saying I still feel gross after long trips, and I’ve been doing this longer than you.” Nishinoya’s eyes turned a little mischievous as he reached up to rest a gentle hand on Asahi’s shoulder. “And you do smell like stale planes.”

A surprised laugh burst from Asahi, and he gave a soft smack to Nishinoya’s hand. “Point taken, you jerk.”

He was right, of course: a shower was exactly what Asahi needed after the long flight, waking him up from his jetlagged drowsiness and making him feel a little more human, even though the tight space of the bathroom made the shower feel more like contortionist practice to him. He had no choice but to escape to the bedroom to have enough space to change, though the trip took him through the living room and past where Nishinoya was still lounging on the fold-out bed. “Hey, Asahi-san, what did you want for— oh.”

Asahi froze, his damp hair making a small puddle form at his feet and creating trails of water along his body that soaked into the towel wrapped around his waist. “Ah, sorry, the bathroom—”

“You’re fine, go get changed.”

He was more than happy to obey, but as he tugged on a light sweater and khakis and did his best to towel off his hair, he couldn’t stop thinking about Nishinoya’s wide eyes and pink cheeks. His own cheeks warmed, and he could only hope his flush wasn’t too obvious when he stepped back into the living room. “Sorry again about—”

“It’s fine, dude, I get it,” Nishinoya interrupted with a small smile. “Now. How about some dinner?”

Asahi didn’t realize his shoulders were tense until they were relaxing, and a relieved smile pulled at his lips. “What’s good for a Parisian dinner?”

A low whistle blew out of Nishinoya’s lips. “Don’t ask that outside of these walls, you could do some real damage!”

They ended up deciding on a small restaurant with outdoor seating that treated them to a beautiful view of Notre Dame. The view came with a price, but— “It’s fine cuz you’re paying, right?”

Asahi sighed at Nishinoya’s teasing grin. “Yeah, I’m paying.”

Dinner was delicious, a starter of escargot and olives followed by a small steak and roasted vegetables, and finished with a shared creme brulee. They sipped at a dry red wine throughout the meal, and by the time their dessert spoons fell into the empty ramekin, Asahi felt a steady warmth settle over his body like an extra sweater. He wasn’t used to the way red wine made him feel, like he could both fall asleep on the spot and run the entire length of the Seine off the energy buzzing through him. His eyes slid to Nishinoya and found him blinking slowly at Notre Dame with a rosiness over his cheeks, and fondness spread soft through him when those dark eyes found his. “You doing alright?”

“Mm…yep!” Just like that, the haziness left Nishinoya’s eyes, and he straightened in his seat with a sharp grin. “It’ll take more than wine to take me down for the night! What about you?”

“I think wine after a long flight wasn’t my best idea,” Asahi hummed, “but I’m doing alright.”

“Good. I want us to go on a walk after this!”

“Now?” Asahi could hear the start of a whine enter his voice. “Isn’t it a little late?”

“The night’s still young, Asahi-san! And we need to get you adjusted to the time zone.”

Asahi could’ve sat at the table and looked up at Notre Dame for the rest of the night, but after he paid for their meal, Nishinoya led him to a nearby bridge that would take them to the plaza in front of the cathedral…only to run ahead and strike a pose in the middle of the bridge.

“Bienvenue a la ville de l’amour!” Nishinoya loudly announced in what was, as far as Asahi could tell, nearly-flawless French, earning some bemused glances from passersby.

Asahi could only laugh. Here they were, in one of the most beautiful cities he had ever seen, and somehow Nishinoya’s presence still couldn’t be contained. The lights of Paris were warm, covering everything in a golden glow and creating glittering reflections in the Seine, and in the center of it all was Nishinoya, smiling almost as widely as his flung-out arms, as though he were presenting his own creation to Asahi.

He looked…beautiful. His hair had been blown loose by the nighttime breeze, his cheeks were still rosy from the wine, his smile was huge and goofy, and he was standing in the center of the bridge, unintentionally forcing passersby to skirt around him. Notre Dame shone just down the river, and Asahi still thought Nishinoya was the prettiest sight in the city.

Maybe it was the jet lag speaking. But he didn’t think that jet lag could make that observation settle firm and warm in his chest. He didn’t realize he was standing there, silently staring at Nishinoya, until the other man blinked with a small, confused frown and called out, “Asahi-san?”

“Hm?”

“You alright?”

“Ah, yeah, just…admiring the view.” The words slipped out before Asahi could ponder the wisdom of saying them. And just like that, Nishinoya was rendered speechless. His eyes widened and a blush colored his cheeks, just faint enough that Asahi couldn’t be sure of what he was seeing under the Paris lights. “By the way,” he said as he stepped up to Nishinoya’s side, eager to change the subject, “since when do you speak French?”

“Oh, I don’t!” The question snapped Nishinoya out of his surprise, and he grinned at Asahi’s raised eyebrows. “I mean, I know the basic phrases and stuff, and I try to at least get conversational in the language when I stay somewhere. But for the first few weeks, I’m stuck with English. At least my English has gotten really good!”

“I thought the French didn’t like speaking English.”

“Look who did his research.” Nishinoya grinned up at Asahi’s pink cheeks and gently rocked into his shoulder. “Yeah, they don’t love it. But Parisians are used to tourists, and as long as I lead with a ‘Bonjour’ or something, they don’t tend to mind too much.”

“Are you planning on staying in Paris?”

“Mm…nah, not really. Honestly, I was just going to stay for a week or two, but I decided to stay longer for your trip!”

“Really?!”

“Yeah!” Nishinoya shrugged. “Adjusting my trip by a week is nothing compared to having you here.”

“I…wow. That…that really means a lot, Noya, seriously.” The words didn’t feel like enough, didn’t properly convey the surprise and gratitude welling up in Asahi. But the smile Nishinoya gave him told him the meaning behind his words had reached him.

“Like I said, it was nothing. I’m just excited to share a piece of my life with you, y’know?” He finally came to a stop, and when Asahi stopped beside him, he looked up and found the iconic face of Notre Dame looming above them. His breath caught in his throat, the sight of an image he’d seen his whole life finally standing in front of him rendering him speechless. “Well?” he distantly heard Nishinoya ask, “What do you think?”

“I…I think I’m the luckiest guy in the world,” he murmured.

He heard Nishinoya let out a deep breath, the movement making their sleeves brush against each other for the briefest moment. “Yeah…me too.”

———————————— ————————————

Having a crush was different from feeling doomed. Asahi hadn’t understood that until the Tokyo training camp his third year, when he’d still thought his crush on Nishinoya was something that would just pass.

Then their first morning in Tokyo came, and Asahi had woken up to Nishinoya’s face looming over him with an impossibly sunny smile and a loud, “Wake up, Asahi-saaaaaan!”

And for a moment, for a small, sleep-addled moment, Asahi had thought he was still dreaming, and he could only smile drowsily back. Why else would he be waking up to Nishinoya’s smile, if it wasn’t a dream? It was only when he felt hands pushing him upright that he realized - oh. This was real. As real as the bemusement furrowing Nishinoya’s brows.

It didn’t happen again that week. One week couldn’t make him an early bird, but when he saw Nishinoya smiling down at him each morning, he didn’t make the same mistake. He knew he wasn’t dreaming - Nishinoya was real, and so was the heat in his cheeks and the pounding in his chest.

Now, laying in the apartment’s nice bed in the heart of Paris, Asahi wondered again if he was dreaming. His jet lag had made him wake up earlier and feeling more alert than he was used to, just in time to see the golden light of the sunrise begin to stream into the room, and he could hear Nishinoya humming loudly in the shower. He didn’t know it was possible to feel pleasantly sleepy, but that was the best way he could describe how he felt. Maybe jet lag wasn’t as bad as he’d always heard.

For the first time in…maybe ever, Asahi didn’t feel like drifting back to sleep. He actually rolled out of bed and began getting dressed instead of scrolling on his phone for an hour. When Nishinoya knocked on the door, his call of Asahi’s name was quickly choked off by Asahi himself opening the door, fully dressed and hair neatly tied back. “Woah. You’re awake!”

The genuine surprise in Nishinoya’s wide eyes made Asahi feel strangely bashful, his hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck. “I guess the jet lag is kind of helping?”

“Just wait until you go back. It’s always worse going east.” Nishinoya was still toweling off his hair, and when he jerked his head towards the bathroom, Asahi couldn’t help noticing a drop of water trailing down his neck to soak into his shirt collar. “Bathroom’s yours.”

“Ah! G-great, thanks.” He didn’t let himself linger long enough to see if Nishinoya had noticed his wandering eyes.

Breakfast was a small sandwich with a shot of espresso, much less than Asahi was used to having in the morning, yet much more filling than he’d thought it would be. The espresso cup was as small as the tea cups back home, but the tiny handle threw a wrench in the way he held it, and Nishinoya was visibly biting back a smile at the way he struggled to maneuver the cup around. “Please don’t laugh at me.”

“I didn’t say anything!”

“You didn’t have to.”

That made a snort escape Nishinoya, but he didn’t respond beyond making a show of the way he pinched the handle between his finger and thumb. Asahi tried to follow his example. It didn’t help much.

The espresso cup ended up being an omen for the next few days. Paris was beautiful, full of stunning art and architecture and fashion that made Asahi’s fingers itch for his sketchbook, but it also made him feel off-balance. His English was passable at best, his French was nonexistent, and the culture found him blushing more than once at the couples on the street.

He felt like he was back in high school, anxious and easily flustered and in quiet awe of Nishinoya’s easy confidence. Noya moved through the city as though he had been there for years, not a week or two, navigating the metro and asking for guidance in both basic French and incredible English. He could draw smiles and laughs from the locals with just a few sentences, and sometimes he would say something that would direct a smile at Asahi too, though the latter never understood why.

Nishinoya had been traveling for years now. It made sense that he could get adjusted to new countries and cultures and languages so easily. But that didn’t stop Asahi from feeling a strange mix of admiration and insecurity rise in him as days passed.

Still, though…for all of Asahi’s inexperience, Nishinoya never once made him feel like a burden, or like he was holding him back at all. He was determined to make this the best trip possible for Asahi, indulging his requests to see the typical tourist traps and letting him take his time at each one. Even if that meant spending a whole day at the Louvre, slowly winding their way through the palatial museum.

“I didn’t know you liked art,” Asahi remarked when they took a break on one of the benches.

“I…appreciate it. I don’t care about the paintings, honestly. But these…” He waved a hand at the sculptures that surrounded them, all smooth white marble that shone in the sunlight streaming in. “There’s something about sculptures…I dunno what it is.”

“It’s being in the same space as them.” Asahi’s gaze drifted over the sculptures, over the graceful limbs and the fingers that pressed into stone flesh, before they landed on Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss. Their arms encircled each other, Cupid’s fingers gentle on Psyche’s face as they gazed at each other. The tenderness in the piece made something bittersweet lodge in Asahi’s throat, and his voice came out as a murmur. “There’s a tactility to sculpture as an art form that makes it feel a little more real than paintings…at least for me.”

“Is that tactility why you went into fashion?”

His eyes jerked from the forms of Psyche and Cupid to find Nishinoya looking at him with the unflinching gaze that always made him feel uniquely exposed. “I…I guess. I never thought about it like that before, but…yeah, I guess that was part of it. There’s something about creating something that people wear and use on a daily basis, too. Art is always surrounding us because of fashion, no matter where we go. It’s kind of cool, being a part of something like that.”

“‘Kind of,’” Nishinoya echoed with a snort. “It’s really cool, Asahi-san. Seriously.”

The instinct to wave away the compliment was driven off by the genuine admiration shining from those brown eyes. “Thanks,” Asahi ended up laughing with a shy smile. “But I’m still a long ways away from anything I design being worn by anyone.”

“You’ll get there. I know you will.” Before Asahi could say anything, Nishinoya was standing and making his way to Cupid and Psyche. “Is there a story behind these two?”

There was, in fact, a story behind them, a story that Asahi happened to know and was happy to share. He had shared a number of stories during their time in the museum, because Nishinoya always noticed and asked about any pieces that caught Asahi’s eye. Art and mythology weren’t areas that Asahi thought Nishinoya would have any interest in, but that didn’t stop Nishinoya from being an attentive audience, eyes only ever leaving Asahi to peer at details that he pointed out in the pieces.

By the time they left the Louvre, the sun was just starting to set, and their stomachs were demanding a large meal to make up for missing lunch. Asahi tried to apologize for taking so long in the museum, but Nishinoya shrugged his apology off. “Nah, man, it was cool! Listening to you talk made it way more interesting.”

“Still—”

“This is your trip, Asahi-san. I want you to see and do everything you want in Paris! If that means endless museums, then we can visit endless museums!”

Asahi rolled his eyes, though he felt deeply touched by the sentiment. “There’s one more museum I really want to see, and then we can be done with them. No endless museums.” He let Nishinoya finish snickering before he continued, “I came to see you too, Noya. This is a trip for both of us.”

The amusement slid off of Nishinoya’s face, replaced by a startled happiness. “...Alright. But I’m still gonna get you to that other museum.”

For all Nishinoya’s grandstanding, the trip wasn’t all sightseeing. Paris was a big city, and sometimes they had no choice but to use the metro to get from one site to another. But whenever they could help it, they walked, chatting quietly as they wandered along the cobblestone streets and the banks of the Seine. Sometimes they planned their next few stops or the next day, and sometimes they just…caught up, talking about everything and nothing.

Those were the times that Nishinoya’s expertise shone. Any question that Asahi asked, Nishinoya seemed to have an answer, whether it was on the differences in architecture or city planning or the smaller pieces of arts that were sprinkled around the city. He was a far cry from the boy who could barely pass his finals.

“I like to do my research before I travel somewhere,” he said with a shrug when Asahi voiced his amazement. “The locals open up much more when you can show that you have an appreciation for their language and culture, even if you don’t speak the language super well.”

“This goes a little beyond ‘appreciation,’ don’t you think?”

Nishinoya’s sheepish smile was betrayed by the proud glimmer in his eyes. “Well…maybe I wanted to impress you a little, too.”

“Me?”

“Sure. You’re the first person outside of my family to travel with me. I wanted to make sure you had a good time.”

“But…Noya, I…” A shy laugh huffed out of Asahi. “It’s just me. You know I’m easy to please.”

“It’s because it’s you, Asahi-san.”

Every so often Nishinoya would say something like that, something that made Asahi’s heart jolt and eyes widen. But he said it so casually, already talking about the next topic by the time the words fully sank in for Asahi, leaving him no chance to try and clarify their meaning.

Not that he would’ve anyway. Asking for clarification would’ve felt too close to admitting that he still felt something more than friendship for Nishinoya, which he didn’t. He didn’t. He hadn’t since he’d graduated high school, and he certainly wasn’t going to rekindle those feelings now.

Nishinoya did eventually end up leading them to the other museum on Asahi’s wishlist, despite his insistence that they didn’t need to go. It was the Palais Galliera, the most important fashion museum in Paris, a hefty title to bear in one of the fashion capitals of the world.

“Here’s what we can do,” Nishinoya proposed on their walk to the museum. “I want you to enjoy yourself and take as much time as you want in there, but I know if I go with you, you’ll be worrying about me getting bored.”

“Because you would get bored.”

Nishinoya shrugged at Asahi’s raised brows. “Yeah, well…that’s why I was thinking that while you get your inspiration on, I could go and get us some groceries and plan some more ‘local’ activities for us to do. Deal?”

It wasn’t a bad plan. They’d decided to take advantage of their apartment’s tiny kitchen to try and cut down on their food costs, treating themselves to simple breakfasts and dinners that were the closest approximations to Japanese cooking that they could manage in Paris. They still ate out the majority of their lunches and dinners, but it still made a difference.

Asahi had no doubt that Nishinoya would prefer hunting down illusive ingredients across grocers and markets over being cooped up in a museum, but there was that stubborn guilt pricking at him. He fiddled with the strap of his messenger bag as he thought, the weight of his sketchbook and pencils comforting on his shoulder, before he sighed in acceptance. “Alright. But I’m paying you back for half the groceries, and you plan stuff that you want to do. Don’t just plan around what you think I’d enjoy. This trip—”

”—is for both of us,” Nishinoya finished with a crooked grin. “Let me pay for the groceries and you pay for lunch. Then we’ve got a deal.”

He held out his hand as if they were actually making a business deal, and as Asahi took it, he couldn’t help letting out a small laugh. “Deal.”

Nishinoya was right, of course. Asahi would’ve preferred having his company, but by himself, he was able to take his time in each exhibit, pencil moving over the pages of his sketchbook the entire time. He worked entirely in shades of black and grey as he walked through an exhibit, and pulled out his colored pencils when he found an empty bench to work at. He didn’t realize how much time had passed until he received a text from Nishinoya announcing that the groceries were in the apartment, along with the address of a restaurant they could meet at nearby.

It was easy enough to find Nishinoya sitting at a table on the restaurant’s terrace, and when Asahi plopped into the seat across from him, he assumed his raised brows were because he still had his sketchbook out. But instead Nishinoya said, “The man bun’s back!”

“Huh?” Asahi’s hand automatically reached to touch the haphazard bun he’d swept his hair into. “Oh, yeah, it keeps my hair out of my face when I’m working. Does it look bad?” He hadn’t checked a mirror, so it wasn’t hard to imagine how messy it may have looked.

He didn’t expect the smile that crept across Nishinoya’s face. “Nah, not at all. It just takes me back to high school.”

“In…a good way?”

“Always.”

Asahi didn’t know what to say to that. His eyes just widened, and his fingers started fiddling with his sketchbook, reminding him of the unfinished sketches he still had. The reminder was a relief in a way, something to pull his mind away from the sudden bout of shyness he felt. “Oh, would it be rude for me to keep working on these in a restaurant?”

Nishinoya’s fond smile suddenly sharpened into one that reminded Asahi of the way he looked before games in high school. “I’d like to see anyone try to say something.”

Which was how Asahi spent the first part of lunch hunched over his sketchbook, balancing it precariously on his lap while his coloring pencils were spread on the table. He worked quickly, sketching out ideas and scratching color samples next to the sketches to save time, but he was still scrambling to clear away his pencils when the waitress brought their food.

After a week in Paris, he was used to the waiters being spare with their words, with only a few being receptive to Nishinoya’s attempts at starting conversations and getting recommendations. So when this waitress gasped, “Wow!”, Asahi couldn’t stop himself from jumping a little in his seat.

The waitress didn’t seem to notice, her attention fixed on his sketchbook where he had set it on the table. It took a moment before she looked up at Asahi and said something in French.

“I…um…”

“English?”

“A little.”

She smiled in understanding, then said, “Did you draw these?”

“Ah, yes.”

“You are a designer?” Her English was easy to understand despite her accent, but somehow that just made Asahi feel more nervous with his own English.

“I…I am trying to be.”

“You are very good!”

“Thank you.”

She flashed another warm smile before she walked away, and Asahi practically wilted over his bag as he finished packing his pencils…only for him to stiffen in suspicion at Nishinoya’s snort of laughter. “What?”

“She was flirting with you.”

“What?! No, she wasn’t!”

Nishinoya rolled his eyes. “Parisians don’t just strike up conversation with people, not like that. Not unless they’re interested in them.”

“She…she was just being nice!”

The laugh that escaped Nishinoya wasn’t mean-spirited. If anything, he sounded bewildered by his response, though Asahi couldn’t understand why. “How does anyone flirt with you?”

“They, uh…they don’t.”

Nishinoya’s eyebrows raised at that, before a small smile tugged at his lips and his eyes narrowed just enough to make Asahi feel like he’d said the wrong thing. “Nah, they do. You just can’t tell.”

“You sound like Suga,” Asahi scoffed, a little too focused on sliding his sketchbook into his bag.

“Which means I’m right.” Nishinoya met Asahi’s frown with a knowing smile. “You told me yourself, you’ve been so focused on work that you don’t really get out as much.”

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Dropping everything to come to Paris is different from going out on the town for a night. And besides,” Nishinoya’s eyes dropped to Asahi’s bag, “you haven’t exactly left work behind.”

Asahi couldn’t really say anything to defend himself. Without his sketchbook out, his fingers could only fiddle with his wine glass, and he took a sip just to distract himself from the probing gaze on him.

“When was your last relationship, Asahi-san?”

The question shouldn’t have startled him, coming from Nishinoya, but Asahi still barely kept himself from choking on his wine. “Huh?”

“Sorry,” Nishinoya laughed, sounding almost nervous. “You don’t have to answer that.”

“No, it’s just…why do you ask?”

“I just kinda realized you never mentioned anyone to me. Not since we got back in touch.”

“Because there hasn’t been anyone.” He expected to feel a pang of embarrassment or the burn of shame that usually came any time he was forced to discuss his love life, or lack thereof.

Neither came. Something about the steadiness in Nishinoya’s warm eyes made him lift his chin as he spoke, though the words still stalled on his lips. “Dating these days…it feels more like job hunting than finding someone I really enjoy spending time with. It’s just hard for me to genuinely like someone enough to want to date them.”

“How many times have you felt that strongly for someone?”

Asahi shrugged. “There was almost someone last year, but we wanted different things”— charming Sanada, with chestnut hair and a bright smile and smooth words that made Asahi feel more attractive than he’d ever felt before —“there was one in college”— sweet Makoto, Asahi’s first and last real relationship, someone he could’ve seen a future with if the future hadn’t come so fast —“and then high school, but that was just a crush.”

Nishinoya suddenly straightened. “High school?”

“Ah. Yeah.” Shit.

“Who did you like in high school? Kiyoko-san?”

Asahi snorted. “No. She was gorgeous, don’t get me wrong, but no. My being gay kept that from happening.”

“Oh, true. Who, then?”

He didn’t know why he felt so embarrassed over it. High school was ages ago, and Nishinoya wasn’t the sort of person to hold anything from then against him.

Still, his fingers found their way back to his glass, making the dark wine swirl with his fiddling. His cheeks warmed, until they were so hot he wondered if they matched his drink. “Um…you.”

Nishinoya stilled, his eyes widening and making Asahi remember the quiet focus he only ever had on the court. “…Me?”

“Yeah.”

“Me?!”

“…Yes?”

Energy began to creep out of Nishinoya, from his fingers grabbing at his hair and his leg jiggling under the table. Asahi could tell that if they weren’t sitting at a restaurant, he would’ve been running from the nervous energy crawling through him. “Why didn’t— you— why didn’t you say anything?!”

“To you? Co-president of Shimizu’s fan club? And risk making things awkward on the team?”

“That was— I just—” Nishinoya waved at the air. “Suga-san and Daichi-san made it work! And the Kiyoko-san thing…that was more moral support for Ryuu than anything. I would’ve leapt at the chance to date you, are you kidding?!”

He looked so earnest, so genuinely shocked by the news and disappointed by the missed opportunity. Something warm kindled in Asahi’s chest, and a nervous laugh bubbled out of him. “I didn’t even know you were bi back then.”

“That’s—! That’s…yeah, that’s fair.” Just like that, Nishinoya stilled again, his eyes looking distant. Asahi could’ve sworn he could see his belated confession fully sink in, until Nishinoya huffed a deep sigh and ran his fingers through his hair one last time. “Damn. Our ace had a crush on me. Future star designer Asahi Azumane had a crush on me.”

Asahi had expected him to be surprised and maybe laugh off the news, not…whatever this was. The warmth that had started in his chest was rising, creeping up his neck and onto his cheeks, and to his continued surprise, he could see a matching flush on Nishinoya’s cheeks. “It’s not…I wasn’t that big a deal. You were the Guardian Deity, is it so strange that I had a crush on you?”

“Not strange, just…wow.” A small smile finally tugged at Nishinoya’s lips, the sight making relief wash over Asahi. “The Guardian Deity and Karasuno’s ace. What a pair, huh?”

“Who would’ve guessed we’d be in Paris together?”

Nishinoya let out a delighted laugh, and just like that, the tension that had swelled between them popped like a balloon.

But something lingered. That conversation had changed something between them, and while Asahi couldn’t find the words for it, he could still feel the difference, like everything in their relationship had shifted just a little off-kilter. Not uncomfortable, not bad, just…different.

He could especially feel it later that day when they walked along the Seine, the banks of the river rising around them to let them feel like they were somehow separate from the rest of the city. There were always couples sitting along the water, but Asahi never paid them any mind. He didn’t feel the same bittersweet loneliness that he was used to feeling when he saw couples back home. It was impossible to feel lonely when Nishinoya was at his side, laughing at his quiet jokes and watching him with that focused gaze. Something about those eyes made Asahi feel like he was the only person in the world to Nishinoya, making him feel both deeply flattered and uniquely exposed. After his lunchtime confession, Asahi could feel something else in Nishinoya’s focus, something that he couldn’t find a name for.

“Where are we headed now?” he asked, trying to keep his apprehension out of his voice. “This isn’t the way back to the apartment.”

“Hey, look at you, already learning the city!” The grin Nishinoya shot him didn’t make him feel any less nervous.

“Not well enough to know where we’re going.”

Nishinoya rolled his eyes when he realized Asahi was lagging behind him, before he hooked their arms together and forced him to match his speed. “If you could get out of your head and take a look around, maybe you can figure it out.”

Rude. But Asahi followed the advice, letting Nishinoya cart him along while he looked around at the buildings looming over the riverbanks. That’s when he noticed one building in particular that seemed to be getting larger with every step they took.

“Are we going to the Eiffel Tower?”

“Yep!”

“But…why?”

Nishinoya raised a brow at him. “You’re in Paris and you don’t want to see the Eiffel Tower?”

“I do, but…we’ve been seeing the Eiffel Tower. We can see it everywhere we’ve been going.” He didn’t know how it was possible, but it seemed like some part of the iconic tower was visible no matter where in the city they went, even if it was just a distant view of its top.

“Okay, fair,” Nishionya laughed, “but there’s a light show that happens every night, and we haven’t stopped to really take it in yet, so…figured the light show was as good a time as any to do that.”

Nishinoya used “we,” but Asahi couldn’t shake the feeling that they were going to see the light show for his sake. Nishinoya wasn’t really one for seeking out the typical tourist traps, but in the time that Asahi had been there, they’d been to one almost every night. The thought made guilt start to rise bitter in his throat for the umpteenth time that trip. “Noya, do you want to see it?”

The sigh that left Nishinoya told Asahi that he could detect the guilt behind the question. “Yes, Asahi-san. I want to see it, and I want to see you see it. I like seeing the city through your eyes.” He squeezed the arm that was hooked with his and met Asahi’s eyes, and with that alone, Asahi knew there was no space for questions. They were seeing the lights of the Eiffel Tower.

The sun had begun to set as they walked, and by the time Nishinoya steered them to a staircase that took them back to street level, night had fallen over the city. The Eiffel Tower was glowing, and even though it had been a constant companion throughout the trip, Asahi could still feel his breath catch at the sight of it towering over them, lit up so bright his eyes stung. Or maybe that was the threat of tears.

“Asahi-san.” His eyes jerked away from the tower to find Nishinoya watching with a small smile. “C’mon, let’s get out of the way of the stairs.”

“Ah, yeah, sorry.” That smile tilted down a bit, enough for Asahi to catch himself. “Or…not sorry?”

Nishinoya just snorted and led them down the wall that blocked off the river banks below. He didn’t seem to have any intention of unhooking their arms, and Asahi didn’t, either. It felt natural to be this close to him, arms looped together and shoulders brushing with every step.

“Here,” Nishinoya eventually announced. “How’s this view?”

There were still some people milling around them, but it wasn’t nearly as crowded as the pseudo-festival area at the base of the tower, and they could see the full spread of lights without anything getting in the way of their view. “It’s perfect.”

“Good.” Asahi didn’t need to look at him to know he was smiling, and he could feel a smile spreading across his own face. How could he not smile? For all his anxiety and overthinking, he was still here, in Paris, with one of his oldest and best friends, looking up at one of the most iconic buildings in the world.

And then the lights started flickering, a series of bulbs blinking up and down the entire tower. It was glittering, sparkling, the lights creating a dance that was almost a visual siren’s call. Without realizing what he was doing, Asahi moved forward, and he distantly noticed Nishinoya’s arm falling from his as he leaned against the wall.

He didn’t know how long he stood there, gazing up at the light show and unable to look at anything else. The world felt like it was just him, the glittering tower, and the warm presence of Nishinoya at his side. Eventually, the blinking bulbs slowed, going from glittering to slow flashes, and then, finally, stilling completely. Only then did Asahi realize his view of the lights was blurry from tears.

His hands shot up to wipe at his eyes, and he could hear a soft laugh escape Nishinoya. “Did you like the show?”

“Clearly,” Asahi murmured with a wavering chuckle. “It was beautiful.”

“Yeah…it was.” Asahi lowered his hands and found Nishinoya watching him with a small smile again.

They’d just watched one of the most iconic buildings in the world light up in a stunning light show, and yet…looking at Nishinoya now, Asahi felt like he was looking at a work of art. Something about the way the lights softened the curves of his face reminded him of the sculpture of Cupid and Psyche, of the lovers’ tenderness that had left something aching in him.

He didn’t ache now. There was something else blooming in his chest as he watched a few blonde hairs touch Nishinoya’s eyelashes and make him blink rapidly with a confused frown, and before he could stop himself, Asahi was reaching out to brush the stray strands out of his eyes.

Nishinoya’s eyes widened just as Asahi’s fingers froze, barely grazing the tip of his ear. “Sorry!” Asahi gasped, jerking his hand back. “Your hair was just— you looked uncomfortable, so I— sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize. I appreciated it.” Nishinoya’s smile was reassuring, and there was something extra in the warmth of his eyes that made something in Asahi’s gut jolt.

Despite Nishinoya’s reassurance, Asahi could feel a strange energy buzzing through him as they walked back to the apartment, and he thought it was buzzing in the air between them too, but he couldn’t be sure. He didn’t feel sure of anything - ever since lunch, he’d felt slightly off-balance, like he was trapped in the moment of panic when he missed a step on a staircase. Except this felt better, somehow.

It didn’t make sense. He didn’t make sense. Nothing made sense.

———————————— ————————————

The next day marked one week since Asahi had landed in Paris, which meant it was time for them to leave tourist mode and enter Nishinoya Mode.

“I can’t believe you guys laughed at me for ‘Rolling Thunder’ when that is the sort of name you can think of,” Nishinoya scoffed.

“What? We’re gonna be living more like how you usually do, right? So…Nishinoya Mode.” He was partially joking - it was surprisingly fun to tease Nishinoya.

“You’re so lame, Asahi-san.” His words didn’t sting, not when they were accompanied by such a sunny smile.

Nishinoya Mode wasn’t as exciting as the name may have suggested. Instead of hunting down a tourist site and seeing iconic landmarks, their days were filled with errands and wandering around the city, occasionally splitting up for Nishinoya to look into gigs and Asahi to start to catch up on work. At night, they did still look for new places, though now those places were restaurants and bars, not once-in-a-lifetime sights.

On the third night of Nishinoya mode, he managed to convince Asahi to sit right at the bar, chatting easily with the bartender, who looked at Asahi’s red ears with clear amusement.

“She’s saying we might need something stronger than beer to loosen you up,” Nishinoya murmured with a grin.

“I thought beer was this place’s specialty?”

“It is. That’s how you know you look tense.”

Asahi frowned at the clear fun Nishinoya was having with teasing him, though he couldn’t begrudge him, not really. “I can’t believe you’re ganging up on me with the bartender.”

A delighted laugh barked out of Nishinoya, before he said something to the bartender in a mix of English and French. Whatever he said made a similar laugh burst from the bartender, and she replied with two glasses of beer and a gesture at Asahi.

“She said not to worry, it just means we’ll be good business for them…or something like that, I’m not sure.”

Asahi chanced a look at the bartender, and found her waiting for him with a smile and a wink before she moved on to the next customer. “...Ah.”

“You’re gonna make half the waitstaff of Paris fall for you at this rate,” Nishinoya scoffed. He didn’t mean to be mean, Asahi knew him better than that, but it was still startling to see the bitterness lining his smile, along with…was that jealousy? No. It couldn’t be.

“Who knew an anxious grown man would be such a hit?”

That made a genuine chuckle leave Nishinoya, melting away the harsh lines on his face. “You’d be surprised.”

The bartender was quick to realize Asahi didn’t return her interest, but she was still friendly and generous with the beer. There was a reason the beer was the bar’s specialty - it was surprisingly refreshing, and went down smooth, without leaving behind as much bitterness as Asahi was used to.

Time seemed to melt away as they sipped at the beer and chatted, somehow still not running out of things to talk about after over a week together. The few times the bartender chatted with them, she taught them a random French vocab word or two. Maybe it was because of the beer, but Asahi’s embarrassment over his butchered pronunciation felt worth it to hear Nishinoya’s giggles.

They didn’t realize how much beer they’d had, nor how late it was, until Asahi glanced at his watch and was met with wavering numbers. “Noya,” he murmured, getting his attention with a clumsy hand on his shoulder, “Noya, we should go. It’s late.”

The beginning of a pout started forming on Nishinoya’s lips, before he caught sight of Asahi’s watch and his face changed to surprise. “Oh! Shit, yeah, let’s go. I think they’re closing soon.”

Asahi slid out of his stool first, and was pushing it in when he heard a cry from behind him. He turned just as Nishinoya began to fall, and his hands managed to shoot out and catch him before he hit the floor.

“Holy shit.” The words left Nishinoya on a gasp as he clung to Asahi, staring wide-eyed at the stool.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, my foot just got stuck on—” Nishinoya’s eyes left the stool to look up at him, and Asahi suddenly realized how close their faces were.

Time seemed to slow for a breath, as he became aware of everything at once: his arms secure around Nishinoya, the hands holding his shoulders, the brush of their chests against each other with each breath, the rosiness of Nishinoya’s cheeks, the slight sheen of sweat over his face that made him look like he was glowing in the bar lights, and his lips…his lips were still parted from his gasp, looking as soft as Asahi had always imagined.

And he realized, in a flash of clarity, that he wanted to kiss him. He wanted to kiss Nishinoya so badly, he thought he could pass out from it. It would be so easy. There were only a few centimeters between them, it would be nothing to close that space, if he just—

“Asahi?”

The soft voice was all he needed to come back to himself with a jolt. “Ah! God, sorry, I don’t— I just—” He lingered just long enough to make sure Nishinoya was stable on his feet, before he pulled away. “Sorry, just…the beers, and…sorry.”

“Why’re you apologizing?”

“Because—” What could he say? How could he explain himself? How was he supposed to admit that his past high school crush turned out to be very current, that he wanted to kiss Nishinoya and…and more?

He couldn’t. He wouldn’t. His stupid feelings weren’t worth ruining the trip.

But that just meant he couldn’t say anything at all. He just stood there, hands hanging at his sides and grasping at nothing, face so warm he thought he might catch on fire.

“Asahi-san?”

“Nothing,” he finally choked out. “It’s nothing. Just…the beer messing with me.”

Nishinoya looked confused and worried and…almost disappointed, though Asahi wasn’t sure if his own wishful thinking was making him see that. “Are…are you okay?”

“Yeah, just…ready to head back.”

“Okay.”

That was it. No questions, no prying. Just Nishinoya paying for their drinks and batting away Asahi’s hand when he tried to pitch in.

A silence fell between them as they left the bar and made their way back to the Seine, their steps sounding unusually loud on the stairs down to the bank. As uncomfortable as the silence was, Asahi preferred it to the conversation he’d thought they would be having.

He should’ve known Nishinoya wouldn’t leave his behavior unaddressed.

“Asahi-san.”

“I’m okay, honestly.”

“That’s not what I want to ask.”

“Noya, please—”

“Asahi.”

There it was again. He’d thought he’d imagined it when Nishinoya said it before, but now he knew he’d heard it right: his name, just his name, no suffix attached. His name, pure and simple, said with a soft concern and entreaty that sounded foreign coming from Nishinoya.

A helpless laugh escaped him. “Now? You’re dropping ‘-san’ now? When we’re fighting?”

“We’re not fighting.”

He shot a look of disbelief to his side…only to find it empty. He had to look over his shoulder to see that Nishinoya had stopped and was staring hard at him. Those brown eyes, usually so warm and open and excited, were now filled with that strange look that Asahi noticed every now and again, though he could never figure out what it was. “...Noya?”

“We’re not fighting,” Nishinoya repeated, voice firm. “I’m trying to ask you a question, and you won’t let me.”

Asahi’s shoulders sagged. Nishinoya was right, but that just filled him with dread. “Because I’m scared of what you’ll ask.”

“Don’t run from me, Asahi. Not again.”

You ran first. You left for Europe. But no amount of anxiety or beer would make those words come to his lips. The only words he could muster were, “Ask, then.”

“Were you going to kiss me?”

Blood rushed to his face, making his cheeks burn and his ears ring. “Noya—”

“It’s a yes or no question. Were you going to kiss me?”

He could lie. It would be the easiest thing to lie, to say “No” and leave it at that. But he knew Nishinoya, knew any lie he told would be caught and strain the trust between them. And even if he could get away with it, the look on Nishinoya’s face made him feel so…helpless. So incapable of hiding from him.

So he told the truth. He sucked in the deepest breath he could, and exhaled a soft, “Yes.”

Nishinoya’s eyes widened, and he was silent for a moment. Asahi could almost see the instant his answer had fully sunken in, before Nishinoya nodded slowly and asked, “Why didn’t you?”

“Because I was scared.”

“Of what?”

“Of scaring you away.” Nishinoya didn’t say anything, didn’t move at all, and that was all Asahi needed to know he wasn’t satisfied with that answer. “...Of you not feeling the same way. Of me crossing a line.”

“You could’ve asked.”

“I was scared of what you’d say.”

“Thought you were past letting your fear stop you.”

“Not with this. Not with you.”

Nishinoya’s face softened at that, and he finally stepped closer to Asahi. Just those few steps were enough to make Asahi’s breaths come easier. “Ask me now.”

“Ask you what?”

“Ask to kiss me.”

All his lovesick teenage daydreams hadn’t prepared him for this, for Nishinoya standing in front of him on the banks of the Seine, golden under the lights of Paris, speaking words Asahi had never dreamed he would actually say to him. He didn’t know if he could breathe, much less speak, but he managed to find his voice lodged somewhere next to his pounding heart. “Noya—”

“Yu.”

“Yu,” he breathed, voice trembling, “can…can I kiss you?”

“Yes.”

One word shouldn’t have been able to nearly bowl him over. It took everything in him to keep speaking. “Do you want me to?”

“Asahi.” Nishinoya’s fingers were cold against his face as they brushed a stray lock of hair behind his ear, but it felt like they left a trail of sparks in their wake. Then Nishinoya’s hand was resting on his cheek, and Asahi thought his face would burst into flames. “Kiss me.”

There it was again, that strange look in his eyes. Except now Asahi understood: it was a mix of longing and desire and fondness, all settling into the quiet focus he’d only ever seen from Nishinoya on the court.

And just like on the court, it pushed Asahi into action. His hands came up to cradle Nishinoya’s face, thumbs brushing over the smooth curve of his cheekbones the way he’d always imagined. Then he was leaning in, eyes fluttering closed as he felt Nishinoya’s breath ghost over his skin…only for him to stop when their foreheads leaned against each other. “Are you sure, Yu?”

“Asahi.”

“I can’t…I can’t go back to how we’ve been if we do this.”

“I don’t want us to.”

That was the final push he needed.

The first brush of their lips made him gasp, sending a feeling like electricity prickling through him. The second brush turned into a proper kiss, their lips fitting together with a soft warmth that made him melt with each press.

He was out of practice, and he was sure it showed, but for once, he didn’t care. How could he care, when Nishinoya was kissing him with such tenderness? How could he care, when the feeling of Nishinoya’s tongue gently licking into his mouth was making him feel dizzy with happiness?

He could sense Nishinoya holding back, could feel it as vividly as he could feel the fingers stroking up the back of his neck and into his hair. A part of him was grateful for it - he wanted to relish this first kiss, use the slow pace to properly soak in the sound of the soft groans escaping Nishinoya’s throat and how he felt curved against him, his body somehow still just as strong and lean as it was in high school.

But a different part of him, a part that liked to take control after a few drinks, didn’t want Nishinoya to hold back. He’d already wasted so much time holding back, and now he wanted everything, wanted Nishinoya to pour all his passion and want and focus into him.

He didn’t mean to act on that. He didn’t expect himself to nip at Nishinoya’s lips and pull a surprised grunt from him. Not that he regretted it, not when Nishinoya’s response was to lightly tug at his hair and trace his tongue along his lip.

“Asahi-san,” he distantly heard, “Asahi.”

“Hm?” He felt drowsy as his eyes blinked open, and he could see that mirrored in Nishinoya’s heavy gaze.

“I want you.”

Just like that, desire socked Asahi in the stomach, stealing his breath and making his blood flow red hot. It was all he could do to breathe, “Me, too,” but it was enough. Nishinoya’s eyes, already so warm, looked like they could make sparks fly as his fingers trailed from Asahi’s hair to wrap in the front of his shirt. “I mean I want all of you, Asahi.”

“I know,” Asahi huffed with a soft laugh, “Me, too. I’m all yours, Yu.”

A quiet growl rose from Nishinoya’s throat before he brushed a kiss to Asahi’s lips. “Let’s get back to the flat before I jump you in the street.”

————

Nishinoya managed to behave himself on the walk back to the apartment, settling for tangling his fingers between Asahi’s and letting his thumb trace patterns on the back of his hand. But the moment the apartment’s door closed behind them, Asahi found himself being pressed against it, hungry lips covering his own and chilly hands stealing under his shirt. He didn’t have the chance to feel self-conscious about his figure, which had softened considerably since he stopped playing volleyball. He was too busy trying to keep up with the tongue licking into his mouth and the fingers making his muscles jump with their touches.

“Yu,” he gasped when he managed to pull away, “Yu, wait for me.”

“Can’t,” Nishinoya groaned, already pressing kisses down Asahi’s neck. He could feel teeth scrape lightly at his skin, right where his pulse was jumping, and a moan escaped him before he could bite it back. “Sure you want me to slow down?” Nishinoya’s words were colored by a laugh, and it was all Asahi could do to nudge him away.

“I want to enjoy this.” Asahi punctuated his words with a kiss, just in time to feel the way they made Nishinoya’s breath hitch. “I want to enjoy you. I don’t wanna rush.”

“Okay…okay.” Nishinoya kissed him slow and tender, his focus now switched from frantic urgency to licking deep into Asahi’s mouth and carefully tugging his bottom lip between his teeth. It was both exactly what Asahi wanted and a little too much, desire spreading warm and sticky through him. He was glad, now, for the way Nishinoya still worked urgently at his clothes. Every brush of his fingers against his skin made his pulse leap and made him work a little faster at Nishinoya’s clothes in return as they clumsily made their way to the bedroom.

By the time Asahi fell onto the edge of the bed, they were both shirtless and Asahi’s pants were practically falling off his hips. With every bit of skin that he exposed, Nishinoya had groaned and brushed either lips or hands against the new expanse, until Asahi’s cock was straining at the thin material of his boxers.

“Fuck,” Nishinoya breathed against Asahi’s ear when he traced the curved outline through the fabric, “you’re so hot, Asahi. Wanna swallow you whole.”

The feeling of those fingers against him combined with those words dragged a ragged groan from Asahi, his breath beading against Nishinoya’s neck. He couldn’t form words. He just wanted, and wanted everything. He wanted to pull Nishinoya into his lap from where he stood between his legs, wanted to feel all of his weight against his body. He wanted to continue sucking marks into the lines of Nishinoya’s collarbones, lick at his dusky nipples, stroke his fingers through the downy hair of his thighs, trace the lines of his lean muscles and bite the curve of his ass. He wanted to learn every part of his body until he could perfectly imagine the way he felt in his hands when he was alone again.

But first, there were hands coaxing his face back and fingers trailing along the sides of his glasses. He could see Nishinoya consider sliding them off, and his hands covered his wandering fingers, making them still against his face. “Leave them,” he murmured, “I want to see you.”

Nishinoya’s eyes widened, and he practically whimpered, “How do you keep saying the most romantic things?”

“Does it help if I tell you I don’t know how I’m saying them either?”

“Not really,” Nishinoya laughed, “but it is flattering.” He brushed a sweet kiss to Asahi’s lips before whispering, “What do you want to see me do?”

Ideas flooded Asahi’s mind, but it was hard to focus on any specific one when Nishinoya was pressing his lips and teeth down his neck. “Anything. Everything.”

“Gotta be more specific.”

Fingers stroked down his body to run along the outline of his cock again, making his hips and breath stutter. A single idea finally settled in his mind. “What was that about swallowing me whole?”

A huff of air hit his throat, and when Nishinoya pulled away, Asahi could see mirth glittering in those brown eyes. “That’s more like it.”

Now that he knew what Asahi wanted, Nishinoya moved as though all urgency had left him. He was slow as he moved down Asahi’s body, pressing slow, languid kisses to his skin and lingering at any spot that made him jerk or moan. Teeth pressed against his collarbone, a tongue curled around his nipples, nails drew a line down his spine, and fingers lingered at his waistband. A shuddering breath shook out of Asahi when Nishinoya met his eyes and flashed a smirk before hooking his fingers into the fabric.

Anticipation and lust were clouding his head, making him feel strangely weak as he lifted his hips for Nishinoya to slide his pants and underwear down his legs. He didn’t know if the feeling of his cock being freed made that fogginess better or worse. But as he watched Nishinoya kneel between his legs and take his cock in his hand with a careful reverence, Asahi felt like he was in a dream. He had to reach out and let his fingers stroke into Nishinoya’s hair before he could feel sure this was real, that this incredible, fierce man was gazing up at him from beneath his lashes.

“You with me, Asahi?” The quiet words sent the lightest gust of air over the head of his dick, and Asahi could feel his breath stall in his chest for a moment before he could answer.

“Yes. Always.”

Those dark eyes softened, and Nishinoya pressed a sweet kiss to Asahi’s thigh, before he parted his lips and licked a long, firm stripe up his cock.

A moan escaped Asahi before he could slap his free hand over his mouth. The movement made Nishinoya’s eyes flicker up at him as he continued to tease him, letting his breath huff over the crown of Asahi’s dick only to go back to licking and kiss up and down his shaft. It felt good, of course it did, but it also made Asahi get even harder, until the only thing he could think about was how badly he needed more: more pressure, more suction, more something.

“Noya…” he finally pleaded, his hand leaving his mouth to clutch at the sheets, “Yu, please, I need…I—”

“Then let me hear you,” Nishinoya ordered quietly. His hand fell on Asahi’s, pressing it a little more firmly into the bed as though he wanted to make sure he couldn’t cover his mouth again. “I want to hear how good I’m making you feel.”

“But the neighbors—”

“—have heard worse.” The smirk on his face was almost wicked as he held Asahi’s gaze and brushed another kiss to his aching length. “Forget about them. Focus on me.”

He already was focused on him. He was practically putty in Nishinoya’s hands after all of his kissing and caressing. But he couldn’t muster the air or words to say that. It was all he could do to nod desperately and breathe, “I am, please— ah!”

As soon as he agreed, Nishinoya closed his lips around Asahi’s tip and sank down. It took everything in him to keep himself from thrusting further into Nishinoya’s mouth. After all of his teasing, the warm, wet suction of his mouth made Asahi feel like he was drowning in bliss. His hands tightened, one in the bedsheets, the other in Nishinoya’s hair, and the groan it pulled from Nishinoya created delicious vibrations around Asahi.

He knew Nishinoya wanted to hear him, wanted to hear the pleasure he was bringing him, but Asahi could barely get enough air to breathe. His mouth hung open, desperately gasping for air, only for it to escape him on a groan when Nishinoya curled his tongue around him and gently cupped his balls. It didn’t make sense, how such a soft touch could make electricity zip through him, but just the swipe of Nishinoya’s thumb over the thin skin was enough to make his muscles seize up from pleasure.

At some point he couldn’t keep sitting up, his body sagging back until he was being held up by his elbows. He felt a hum vibrate through him, before the sweet suction was replaced by a firm hand sliding effortlessly over his wet length. Nishinoya’s mouth stayed busy, pressing messy kisses to his hip, then up his stomach, until his lips could close around one of Asahi’s nipples. The combination of the pressure on his cock and the tongue flicking around his nipple made Asahi’s head fall back with a guttural moan, and then there were lips mouthing wet o’s along his jaw, tracing a path to his ear.

“That’s it,” Nishinoya whispered, his hot breath sending shudders down Asahi’s spine. “I got you.”

“Yu,” Asahi whined, “Yu, I— you’re—” His words got lost in another moan, and he distantly noticed the soft groan that escaped Nishinoya. He’d known that the other man was enjoying reducing him to a shaking, moaning mess, but it was one thing to know that, and another to hear it.

Satisfaction flashed hot through him, only to be quickly followed by pure need when Nishinoya said, “Tell me when you’re close. I want to taste you.”

It was as if he’d summoned his orgasm. The moment he whispered those words, Asahi could feel a pressure building, threatening to pop if Nishinoya kept up his work.

“Now,” he was just barely able to gasp. His orgasm washed over him without much more warning, but Nishinoya worked faster, kneeling back down and sealing his lips over Asahi’s cock just in time to catch the first spurts.

Maybe Asahi was groaning, maybe his mouth was hanging open in a silent moan - he couldn’t hear himself over the blood rushing in his ears, and he didn’t care. His whole world was narrowed down to the feeling of Nishinoya sucking him dry, lips and tongue and hand working at him until oversensitivity made him gently push Nishinoya away.

His eyelids felt heavy when he blinked them open and met Nishinoya’s gaze. He looked like sex incarnate, kneeling between his legs, licking at his lips, eyes glittering in the golden light that snuck in between the blinds. He pressed a soothing kiss to the inside of Asahi’s knee, and rested his cheek there when he murmured, “How are you feeling?”

How did he feel? He felt like every muscle and fiber of his being had been replaced with molten gold, making him feel heavy and fluid at once. He felt like he’d never felt that good before, and would never feel that good again. He felt…he felt… “I feel like I need you to kiss me.”

Nishinoya moved like he couldn’t scramble up his body fast enough, one knee sinking into the bed outside of Asahi’s hips in his rush to press their lips together. Asahi responded with just as much urgency, mouth immediately opening under Nishinoya’s as his fingers stroked into his short strands. He moaned at the taste of himself on his tongue - it was strange, but addicting, making him chase the taste as he licked into Nishinoya’s mouth.

Nishinoya was whimpering into him, short, desperate sounds escaping him with each kiss, and he kept pressing forward, pressing closer, until he was straddling Asahi’s lap. The position made his still-erect dick brush Asahi’s stomach, and reminded him that it was his turn to get to work. He gently nudged Nishinoya’s face away, and the sight of his eyes blearily blinking open to look confused at him made fondness chase away the post-orgasmic haze that had fallen over him. “Get naked and come here.”

Nishinoya was suddenly much more alert, almost falling off of his lap in his haste to shove off the rest of his clothes while Asahi kicked off the fabric at his feet and pushed himself up the bed. His body still felt weak, but the sight of Nishinoya’s cock springing out of his boxers, so hard it looked almost painful, brought his focus back to him. He stacked some pillows behind his head until it was propped up when he laid back, and he could watch as Nishinoya crawled up his body until he was straddling his hips. “How’s this?”

Asahi shook his head, a smile threatening at his lips. “Come closer.”

Nishinoya’s brows furrowed, but he obeyed, letting Asahi’s hold on his hand coax him further and further up. Only when he was kneeling over Asahi’s chest with his knees practically tucked under his arms did his eyes widen with understanding. “Oh.”

The only thing keeping the tip of his cock from brushing Asahi’s lips was the deliberate way Nishinoya tilted his hips back, but that was the opposite of what Asahi wanted. His hand left Nishinoya’s to curve around his waist and nudge his hips forward, while he licked his other hand and wrapped it around the stiff length bobbing in his face. That alone was enough to pull a shaky groan from Nishinoya, one hand bracing himself against the headrest and the other sinking fingers into Asahi’s hair. “Asahi…Asahi, are you sure?”

It was sweet, the way his concern contradicted with the fingers twitching in his hair. Nishinoya’s desire was written plain on his face, in his flushed skin and parted lips. His eyes were heavily hooded as he gazed down at Asahi, and while, yes, it was strange to have to look up at him for once, the view made Asahi’s dick twitch almost painfully.

But he’d already had his turn. He needed to focus on Nishinoya now, needed to focus on licking at the precum almost dripping onto his lip and craning his neck to press kisses up and down Nishinoya’s length. He could hear a gasped swear, and even though he wanted to look up and see the look on Nishinoya’s face, he had to focus on opening his mouth to welcome him in.

The moment he felt his weight on his tongue, Asahi groaned with relief. All of his senses were narrowed down to the way Nishinoya’s arousal tasted and smelled and felt, and it all simmered down into pure want. He wanted nothing more than to sink down until his nose was buried in the dark hair waiting for him at the base, but he couldn’t do it, not in this position. He had to settle for pulling his hand along the length while he pushed his head forward, letting his lips meet his fingers before pulling them in opposite directions.

Maybe it wasn’t enough for him, but he could hear the noises spilling from Nishinoya’s lips, could tell he was doing the job right. His eyes fluttered open to look up at Nishinoya while his tongue swirled around his tip, and another groan rumbled from him at what he saw.

Nishinoya looked wrecked. His eyes were squeezed shut and his lips were wide open, slick and red from their kisses and his teeth sinking into them. His hair was loose, falling over his forehead and sticking to his sweaty skin. The light of the city snuck between the blinds of the bedroom window to create golden stripes across his skin, making him glisten like a god, a god Asahi was more than happy to worship.

Then his eyes opened and met Asahi’s, and he could feel the shudder that ran through his body. “Oh, god,” Nishinoya moaned, “oh, fuck, you look so good, you’re so good, holy shit—”

His words broke off with a cry, fingers tightening in Asahi’s hair to pull his face forward. Asahi gagged around the length pressing at the back of his throat, did his best to open up as much as he could at that angle, his hand stroking at what his lips couldn’t reach. The back of his neck ached, unused to this angle, but he was too focused on the incoherent mess he was making of Nishinoya to care about his own discomfort.

He hollowed his cheeks around him, and Nishinoya wailed, his entire body curving over Asahi’s head as he babbled, “So good, Asahi, you’re so good, oh my god, that’s it, right there—”

Asahi groaned at the praise, and at the thickening taste on his tongue. It only took one more curl of his tongue before Nishinoya was coming with a shout, sending hot spurts down Asahi’s throat as he worked to swallow it all. He sucked him dry and licked him clean, until Nishinoya finally let go of his hair and pulled his softening dick out with an almost-pained gasp.

In the time it took Asahi to clear his throat, Nishinoya had fallen to his side on the bed, one leg still draped across his body. Not that Asahi minded. Despite the exhaustion weighing at him, he still wanted to press as close to Nishinoya as possible, wanted to tangle their legs together and wrap their arms around each other.

So he did, pulling him close until he could press his nose to his sweaty, messy hair. He could feel more than hear Nishinoya’s soft laugh, his breath brushing against his neck as his arms tightened around him.

A few silent seconds passed, before Nishinoya broke it with a murmured, “Wow.”

“Yeah.”

“That was…”

“...Good, right?”

Another laugh puffed warm across his skin. “Good? That was amazing, Asahi. You were amazing.”

Asahi hadn’t thought his skin could get any warmer, but somehow his cheeks managed it. “So were you. Yu, you’re so…so…”

“Sexy?”

“Beautiful.”

Nishinoya stilled, and for a breath, fear flashed through Asahi. Had he said the wrong thing? Was that emasculating for Nishinoya to hear? He hadn’t meant it to be, maybe he should’ve—

Then there were lips on his, pressing deep, tender kisses that made him melt against Nishinoya as certainty chased the fear away. No, no…he’d said the right thing.

They didn’t say anything else. They just kissed until they couldn’t fight against their exhaustion anymore, and they had to pull away to tug a pillow in place for Nishinoya and place Asahi’s glasses on one of the bedside tables. When sleep finally pulled Asahi under, it was to the feeling of hair tickling his chin and his arm pinned under Nishinoya’s weight.

———————————— ————————————

Asahi woke slowly in the morning, as he always did. Awareness came in steps - he could feel the soft covers on his skin, could hear the morning bustle of the city outside, and when his eyes blinked open, he could see the stripes of sunlight that crept in through the blinds.

Those details were normal. What wasn’t normal was the realization that he was naked under the covers, that there was an extra weight in the bed, and that there was something, or someone, warm at his back.

The memories came creeping back as he slowly, carefully rolled onto his back and looked to his side…where Nishinoya was fast asleep on his stomach, face half-covered by the pillow.

So the previous night was real. His confession, their first kiss, the delirious pleasure and borderline desperation to press skin to skin…Nishinoya’s mouth covering him with perfect, wet suction, and the way he tasted when Asahi returned the favor…it was all real.

Holy shit. Now what?

That wasn’t something he could decide on his own. For now, he could get his glasses on, and shower, and maybe even have some breakfast ready when Nishinoya woke up. He didn’t know what conversation awaited them, but he assumed food would make it easier.

His hand reached for his glasses, only to land on the wooden surface of the bedside table, right where they usually sat. “Shit,” he muttered, squinting at the table, then at the floor, then patting at the covers carefully, not wanting to wake up Nishinoya.

“They’re over here.”

Well. So much for not waking him.

Excitement and anxiety and disbelief all clashed in Asahi when his eyes landed on Nishinoya and found him smiling sleepily up at him, his hair a loose mess over his face and his cheeks slightly flushed from the warmth of sleep. When he spoke, his voice was just a touch rough, adding confused arousal to the cocktail of emotions swirling through Asahi. “G’morning.”

“Ah…morning. Could I, um…” He gestured lamely at the blurry outline of his glasses on the table at Nishinoya’s side.

A hoarse chuckle rumbled out of Nishinoya as he reached for the glasses. But instead of placing them into Asahi’s waiting hand, he straddled his covered lap and slid them onto his face, punctuating their return with a gentle kiss. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a while now,” he murmured when he pulled away, hands still cupping Asahi’s face.

“Oh,” Asahi breathed. Disbelief was still looming in his mind, but it was settling into something a little sweeter as his hands rested on Nishinoya’s thighs. He couldn’t believe that the previous night had happened, that Nishinoya wanted him back, that he was waking up next to him all warm and naked and smiling.

That disbelief must’ve made its way to his face, because when Nishinoya pulled away, there was a bemused tilt to his brows. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just…”

“Don’t say you ‘can’t believe this is real’ or something.”

“But I can’t!” Asahi laughed helplessly. “Noya…Yu, I…I never thought this could happen, that you would ever feel the same way about me that I feel for you. But it did, and it’s real, and it’s amazing, you’re amazing, and now I…Yu, I don’t know what’s next.”

And there it was. The worry had been lurking somewhere in his mind, but now that he’d said it out loud, his anxiety came roaring back. “I don’t know where we go from here. I’m going home soon, and you’ll still be here, and I would never want you to stop traveling, not for me, but missing you is going to be so much worse now. But I don’t want to go back to just being friends, and I don’t want this to be some sort of one-time thing. This trip has been…so much more incredible than I could’ve ever imagined, but I…I don’t know what happens to us when it ends. I just…I don’t know.”

Nishinoya had been quiet as he rambled, hands coming to rest against his collarbones and thumbs tracing light patterns into his skin. When Asahi fell quiet, he felt those hands cradle his face and tilt it up, before he was being kissed with a tenderness that made him feel like he might cry.

“Here’s what I know,” Nishinoya murmured, breath ghosting over Asahi’s lips. “I know you like me, and I know I like you. I know I don’t want us to go back to being friends after this. I know I don’t want this to be a one-time thing. I know our lives will have us across the world from each other. I know long-distance is hard. But I also know that we’ve managed to keep in touch so far, and I know that what we have is worth the work.” With each sentence, he brushed a kiss over Asahi’s lips, nose, forehead, cheeks, jaw - it was as though he couldn’t bear to be more than a breath away.

Asahi let a hand trace a light path up and down Nishinoya’s back as he spoke. The feeling of his skin warm beneath his palm and the slow, quiet sound of his words helped Asahi’s thoughts stop racing, and his voice didn’t waver when he breathed, “What are you saying?”

Nishinoya finally pulled away just enough to look at him, and Asahi felt a delicious shiver run up his spine at the look in those eyes. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever get used to being on the receiving end of that desire. “I’m saying I want to be your boyfriend, and I want you to be mine.”

Words failed Asahi. Nothing he could think of felt like enough. He didn’t want to just say “yes,” he wanted to climb to the top of the Sacre-Coeur and shout it to the entire city.

Words failed him, but actions didn’t. He kissed Nishinoya like his life depended on it, like his heart would stop if he didn’t pull a gasp from him and trace his tongue along the top of his mouth. He pressed Nishinoya against the bed, and he could feel Nishinoya’s fingers running through his hair and his body arch against him as he trailed kisses from his lips down his lithe neck.

He felt something nudge at his hip, and his hand dragged down Nishinoya’s body to stroke at him…when a loud rumble erupted from between them. Asahi pulled away and caught a flush spreading across Nishinoya’s face as his eyes widened, and a laugh burst from him before he could stop it. “Hungry?”

“We had a busy night!”

Asahi couldn’t stop laughing as he slid out of bed and pulled Nishinoya upright. “Let’s get some breakfast in you.”

He moved to step away, only for Nishinoya to use their tangled fingers to tug him back until he was standing between his legs. “Hey…is that a yes?”

It was strange, seeing even a hint of doubt lingering in those eyes, and guilt immediately pricked at Asahi. He pressed a chaste kiss to Nishinoya’s lips, before murmuring, “Yes. If I could shout it to the whole world, I would.”

A soft whimper escaped Nishinoya before he stole another kiss. “Stupid breakfast. I want to stay in bed with you all day.”

“Bed will be here after we eat,” Asahi laughed, craning his head back before Nishinoya could keep kissing him and coax him back into bed. “Come on.”

Asahi did make breakfast while Nishinoya showered, but only because he scrounged up every bit of self control in him to resist the other man’s - his boyfriend, he corrected with a thrill - attempts to get him into the shower as well. “That shower is barely big enough for me by myself,” he mumbled against Nishinoya’s insistent kisses. “I’d squish you if we went together.”

“What a way to go, though.”

He only got Nishinoya into the shower by steering him into the bathroom while he continued kissing him, then shutting the door as soon as he disentangled himself from his arms.

Breakfast was simple, just sunny side up eggs and some toast with coffee. One of the slices of toast was a little burned on one side, which had nothing to do with Asahi getting distracted by the sight of a freshly-showered Nishinoya, clad only in a towel, grabbing a change of clothes from his bag.

The rest of his trip in Paris was strangely, wonderfully domestic. True to “Nishinoya mode,” the last few days were filled with simple errands and keeping an eye out for gigs he could pick up and getting deliberately lost in the city to see where they’d end up. The main difference was that they were much more reluctant to split up, now that those last days were their only chance to explore their new relationship before Asahi had to leave.

“I always thought your life was full of exciting adventures everyday,” Asahi mused as they wandered through one of the more residential areas, ambling along hand-in-hand.

Nishinoya’s laugh sounded a little weary. “So does everyone back home. My travels are great, I wouldn’t trade them for the world, but I do still have just…a regular, daily life between all the adventures.” His eyes looked cautious as he watched Asahi, who could feel his gaze with a prickling awareness. “It’s not always exciting.”

“No…but I’m glad it isn’t. This is nice, Yu, honestly.” The relief that washed over Nishinoya’s face melted Asahi’s heart. It really was nice, more than nice. It startled him, how easy and right those days felt, just living with Nishinoya without hurrying to the next big destination of the day. The days weren’t boring, of course they weren’t - Asahi was becoming more and more certain that wasn’t possible with Nishinoya - but they were much more relaxed.

He didn’t want to say it out loud, not now, not after just a few days, but he could feel the truth of it settle warm in his chest: he could picture their future together like this.

A soft sound pulled him out of his thoughts, and he looked down just in time to see Nishinoya burrow into his arm. “It’s gonna suck, being alone again,” he mumbled into his sleeve, just loud enough for Asahi to hear. “You’ve made two weeks feel better than the full years I’ve spent in other countries.”

It took Asahi a moment to reply, only trusting his voice once the lump in his throat went away. “These have been the best two weeks of my life. I really, really wish I could stay longer, make them the best month of life, maybe more. But…”

“Duty calls.”

“Not ‘duty’ so much as my regular old job,” Asahi chuckled, “but…yeah. You’re not going to be alone, though. You’ll meet new people, make new friends, just like you have been this whole trip. You have a way of drawing people to you. I know that better than anyone.”

There was a light flush on Nishinoya’s cheeks and a pleased glint in his eye, but there was also a small frown on his lips. “It’s not gonna be the same as having you around.”

“It’s not. But if you miss me so much, I guess you’ll just have to come back to Japan to see me.”

“I guess so,” Nishinoya said with a playful roll of his eyes. “And what about you?”

“What about me?”

“Would you want to travel with me again?”

Asahi grinned. “Just try to keep me away.”

Paris still took his breath away. Two weeks was far from enough to make him get used to its beauty. Even the sight of Notre Dame just around the corner from their flat made him pause and wonder at the fact that he was really there, in Paris, with the first man he’d ever wanted now pressing a kiss to the back of their held hands.

But what really made him feel impossibly lucky were the nights he fell asleep with his sweaty skin pressed against Nishinoya, and the mornings he woke up with nimble fingers brushing his hair behind his ear and lips whispering his name between kisses along his shoulder. It was the sound of Nishinoya saying his name with no formality and all tenderness, the feeling of his arms wrapping tight around Asahi’s waist, their fingers tangling together, and their lips parting against each other.

Nishinoya had never been a shy person, was never one for concealing how he felt. In hindsight, Asahi should’ve been prepared for how passionate he was in a relationship, how plainly he wore his heart on his sleeve. Nishinoya wasn’t shy about holding his hand or ducking under Asahi’s arm so that it draped across his shoulders, and while they never recreated their dreamlike first kiss along the Seine, Asahi always obeyed the unspoken request of Nishinoya standing on his toes with his chin raised, even when his cheeks were burning.

It all fit so easily into the rhythm of his last few days in Paris, but there were moments where time seemed to blessedly come to a pause. They were quiet moments, but still ones that Asahi couldn’t believe he got to be a part of, moments like Nishinoya twirling himself under Asahi’s hand when they walked past an accordion player on the street, and the first time Asahi tried a La Duree macaron to the sound of Nishinoya laughing at his awestruck face, and Nishinoya quietly singing along to the music they played while cleaning up after a meal.

Then, on Asahi’s last night in Paris, Nishinoya presented a tube of lube and a condom packet with red cheeks and his lips pressed in a determined line. Asahi understood immediately - it was a hard message to get wrong - but he still had to ask, “Yu, are you—?”

“You can say no,” Nishinoya said, “of course you can. I just…wanted to feel you in me before you left. And your flight is kinda late tomorrow, so it should be ok for me to tire you out tonight.” Despite his red cheeks, there was still a devious slant to his grin, and strangely enough, that was what made Asahi’s initial nerves ease a bit.

“Of course I want to,” he said with a nervous laugh, “but I just…it’s been a while for me. I might be a little rusty.”

“So am I. But I’ll talk you through it. I know you’ll listen to me, and I’ll listen to you.”

With those words and a deep kiss, Asahi was ready to give Nishinoya anything he asked for.

If their first night together had been fast and desperate, then their last night was slow and tender, gentle fingers and soft gasps and moans pulled from deep in their chests. The image of Nishinoya straddling Asahi’s hips while he sat back against the pillows was one he wanted to save for the rest of his life. He never wanted to forget the look of those dark eyes fluttering closed and those lips parting with quiet noises as he carefully spread Nishinoya open on his fingers. He wanted to save the sound of his moan when he found his prostate, wanted to hold onto the feeling of him clenching around his fingers and his breaths against his neck when he fell forward.

It still felt surreal that he could unravel Nishinoya like this, but if this trip had taught him anything, it was to not question the joys life had given him. He certainly wasn’t going to question whatever had led to him laying there and guiding Nishinoya onto his cock, groans dragging out of both of them at the slow, tight, slick slide inside. It took everything in him to hold still when he bottomed out, focusing instead of pressing soothing kisses along Nishinoya’s shoulder as he trembled against his chest.

“Are you okay?” he whispered into his hair, and it took an extra beat before Nishinoya nodded and pulled away enough to meet his concerned gaze.

“Yeah. You can move.”

“Are you su—?”

Nishinoya silenced him with a kiss, before slowly lifting himself off Asahi’s cock and letting himself fall again. An embarrassing sound ripped out of Asahi at the clenching tightness around him, but any embarrassment he would’ve felt was chased off by the satisfied smirk on Nishinoya’s face and his hands being guided to Nishinoya’s hips. A tentative thrust pulled a shuddering gasp from Nishinoya, and that was all Asahi needed to continue moving.

The rhythm they found was different from the ones they’d fallen into during previous nights, slow and drawn-out in a way he didn’t expect from Nishinoya. The younger man was deliberate with the way he moved his hips, bracing himself against Asahi’s chest as he worked himself up and down his length. Asahi’s fingers twitched where they held onto Nishinoya’s waist, but he let himself follow the same speed, even though it was killing him slowly. It felt like he could feel every ridge of Nishinoya’s walls clenching around him, and he could see the effect of his slow thrusts in the flush that worked its way down Nishinoya’s chest.

It didn’t take him long to figure out how to aim for Nishinoya’s prostate, but even the moans that fell from Nishinoya’s lips didn’t convince him to pick up his speed. “Yu,” Asahi finally breathed, “Yu, you’re killing me.”

“Good.” Nishinoya’s smile was downright wicked, even with the haze of desire that covered the rest of his face. “I want you to remember this when you’re back home.”

“Like I could ever forget.”

He spoke without thinking, but he couldn’t regret his words, not when they startled the smile off of Nishinoya’s face. He would never get tired of the way Nishinoya looked whenever Asahi surprised him with heartfelt words. Even in the middle of riding Asahi so well he thought he might die from it, Nishinoya’s eyes widened and his lips parted in a silent gasp. “That’s not fair,” he whined, “I’m trying to make you miss me more.”

“There was a contest?” Asahi laughed, before a moan cut his laughter short.

“Nah. Just making sure you miss me at least as much as I'll miss you.”

The playfulness lining his face made affection bloom in Asahi’s chest, and he rocked forward to capture Nishinoya’s lips in a kiss. When Nishinoya eventually cried out with his orgasm, his lips were parting against Asahi’s and his arms were draped over Asahi’s shoulders, holding him close as he made a mess on both of their bodies. Asahi followed soon after him, unable to hold out for much longer with Nishinoya’s walls clenching around him. His arms tightened around Nishinoya’s waist, and he could feel the precise moment Nishinoya wilted against him, boneless with his release.

Asahi was careful with Nishinoya as he cleaned them both up, gently easing him onto the bed and wiping him clean with a towel he’d wet in the bathroom sink. He was rewarded with a contented sigh and a sweet, sleepy smile, and when Asahi pulled the covers over them, Nishinoya didn’t hesitate to burrow into his chest. “Do you have to go tomorrow?” he murmured.

“Unfortunately,” Asahi sighed. “But I’ll call you as soon as I’m back, and I’ll bother you every day that I can.”

“It’s not bothering me when I want that,” Nishinoya scoffed, before pulling away enough to gaze at Asahi with eyes brimming with longing. “Asahi, I…I…”

Concern pricked at Asahi as he brushed messy blonde strands away from Nishinoya’s forehead. “Is something wrong?”

“No, just…I…” Nishinoya’s lips twisted as he searched for the right words, only to wilt around a sigh. “Never mind. It’s nothing.”

“Don’t say that, Yu. Don’t hide from me.”

“I’m not hiding, I just…” Nishinoya began tracing nervous patterns into Asahi’s skin. “I know it’s only been a few days, and maybe you’ll think I’m crazy, but I…Asahi, I…I think I might be falling in love with you.”

“...Oh.” The word left Asahi on a breath.

“Yeah. You don’t have to say anything, I know it’s soon—”

“I think I’m falling in love with you, too.”

Nishinoya’s words died as he stared up at Asahi. “Really?!”

“Yeah. Maybe it’s because we’ve known each other for so long, and I already loved you as a friend, and maybe as more than that, but…I’m feeling it, too.”

“Wow.” Nishinoya let a hand rest against Asahi’s face, his thumb tracing along his cheek. “Wow.”

None of the words Asahi could think of felt like enough, and his only response was to take Nishinoya’s hand from his cheek and press it against his lips. But it was enough. A smile spread wide across Nishinoya’s face before he burrowed back into Asahi’s chest, arms tight around him, and they ended up drifting to sleep holding each other close.

———————————— ————————————

Waking up the next morning felt like the hardest thing Asahi had ever done. He stubbornly ignored the sunlight pouring in, turning his back to the window in favor of pulling a willing Nishinoya close. But it wasn’t long before Nishinoya was leaning up to whisper, “Asahi.”

“No.”

“You gotta get ready to go.”

“Don’t wanna.”

“I don’t want you to either!” Nishinoya’s laugh sounded unsteady, and when Asahi finally opened his eyes, he was stunned to see tears threatening to spill onto Nishinoya’s cheeks.

“Oh, Yu…” he breathed, hands immediately cupping his face and tracing his damp lash lines.

“I’ll be okay,” Nishinoya murmured with a wet sniff, “but you won’t be if you miss your flight.”

Asahi whined, but after a sweet kiss, he relented and let Nishinoya tug him out of bed.

It was almost too easy to pack up his things. He hadn’t bought much in the way of souvenirs, just an Eiffel Tower keychain he’d bought to make Nishinoya snort and a magnet for Daichi and Suga. The rest of his stuff was folded back the way they’d come, and before he knew it, his small suitcase and backpack were sitting at the apartment door. They were left quietly looking over the tidy apartment, now only sprinkled with Nishinoya’s few belongings.

“Let’s eat out for breakfast,” Nishinoya eventually declared. “Make your last morning in Paris a little special.”

“Any day in Paris with you is special,” Asahi said, smiling at the pink that rose to Nishinoya’s cheeks, “but alright. My treat.”

Despite all their best efforts, breakfast passed too quickly. No amount of tiny sips at their espresso or picking at their breakfast sandwiches would stop their plates from slowly becoming empty, leaving them no excuse to keep dodging the impatient looks of their waiter.

So they passed the time on the bridge to Notre Dame, watching the sun creep along the sky while Nishinoya told Asahi about his plans for his next stop in his tour of France. Asahi was still a little in awe of the way his boyfriend was able to prepare himself to build a new life in a new city every couple of months or so. He’d always had a special talent for drawing people to him with his boisterous charisma, but that didn’t stop Asahi from being impressed by him.

“It would be better with you,” Nishinoya countered his compliments with a wistful smile.

“Anything would be better if we were together.” Asahi looked at Nishinoya, watched his hair get tousled by the breeze and his eyes trace over the lines of the Notre Dame and the Seine. His brows were set a little lower than usual and he was chewing his lip, telltale signs of his dread over Asahi’s departure. The bright sunlight didn’t soften Nishinoya’s feature the way the warm golden lights of Parisian nights did, but it did highlight the lines that had grown sharper since he’d left for his travels and the alert awareness of his eyes, and Asahi felt his heart ache with longing for more time with him. “Paris wouldn’t have been the same without you.”

The dread melted off of Nishinoya’s face as he met Asahi’s eyes, replaced with that look of startled adoration that Asahi had come to look forward to. He took a moment to brush a stray lock of hair behind Asahi’s ear, visibly settling himself before he said, “Hey. Kiss me one last time in Paris?”

It was Asahi’s turn to be driven to silence, though his silence was thanks to a lump that had lodged itself in his throat. He just nodded, and obeyed the fingers that had wrapped into his collar and led his face down to Nishinoya’s.

He didn’t know how long they kissed each other on that bridge, lips parting for gentle tongues and soft sighs. All he knew was that it wasn’t long enough, would never have been long enough. Only the sound of Notre Dame tolling the top of the new hour could make them break apart, newly aware of the trip they still had to make to the airport.

They took the metro instead of a taxi, using the longer commute as an excuse to steal extra minutes with each other. It was a bit of a struggle, holding his suitcase still while keeping their balance on the rocking train, but it was worth it for the moment when Asahi had to crowd Nishinoya into a corner to avoid the people leaving and entering the car at different stops.

“I think you’re enjoying this a little too much,” Nishinoya grumbled with a badly hidden grin the fifth time it happened.

“Me? Never.”

The metro announcement of each stop felt like a countdown that Asahi hated, listing each stop that brought them closer and closer to the airport. And then, finally, they reached the end of the line, leaving them no choice but to step off the train and face the entrance to the airport.

“Well…” It was strange and heartbreaking to hear such resignation from Nishinoya, especially when Asahi knew there was nothing he could say to make things better. No matter what he said, he’d still have to leave his side and return to Tokyo.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t try. “Yu…I meant it, when I said you made the last two weeks the best weeks of my life. Even if we’d spent them as friends, they still would’ve been incredible.”

“Yeah…but I’m really happy I made you confess.” Relief washed over Asahi when Nishinoya flashed a cheeky smile. “I think that made the past week even better.”

“Me, too,” Asahi laughed.

The smile faded from Nishinoya’s face as he stared at Asahi, and he finally took his hand with a squeeze as he said, “Call me when you get back. It doesn’t matter what time it is here, I want to hear from you.”

“Of course.”

“Tell Daichi-san and Suga-san I say hi.”

“I will.”

“And…come back sometime, okay? There’s a lot of places I want to take you to.”

“Okay. But you have to come back first.”

Nishinoya rolled his eyes with a smile. “Fine.”

They stared at each other for another beat, before they met each other in one last kiss. It was slow, and tender, and made love spread warm through Asahi like a hot cup of espresso. When they parted, he murmured, “Hey.”

“Hm?”

“I love you.”

Nishinoya’s eyes widened, and he pressed another kiss to Asahi’s lips with a soft whimper. “I love you, too. Now go, don’t miss your flight.”

“Alright, alright.” Asahi let Nishinoya gently shove him towards the escalators that lead into the airport, but he paused at the bottom to look back at Nishinoya and call, “Hey! I’ll see you later.” Not a goodbye, this wasn’t a goodbye, he’d make sure they stayed in even better contact than before, if it was the last thing he did.

Even at a distance, he could see understanding settle over Nishinoya’s features, before a bright smile lit up his whole face. “See you later, Asahi!”

[thefledglingdm]

hello, all!!! i am thrilled to share my contribution to the @hqtimeskipbb! i’ve had an amazing time working with all these talented writers and artists, and thank you again mods for all your hard work!! (YES i am going to keep appreciating you for that!!).

art for this fic was done by melly on twitter. please give her work some love, it is so gorgeous and fun!!!

Summary:

Sakusa said – said, not asked: “Miya. Where is Hinata.”

Atsumu rolled his eyes. “Dancin’ on the table wit’ Inunaki.”

“No, he’s not.”

“‘Course he is, Omi-Omi, I just saw ‘im.”

Hot, powerful fingers grasped the material of his shirt. They yanked him around so he was face-to-face with Sakusa, who had forgone his mask for the moment to enjoy his drink. Which meant Atsumu had a front-row-seat to his pretty mouth set in an annoyed, displeased line.

“No,” Sakusa said, “He’s not.”

-

on the eve of their one night in tokyo following a match, atsumu, sakusa, and bokuto somehow lose hinata. they have mere hours to find their star player, or risk their coach's wrath.

Written for the Haikyuu!! Time Skip Big Bang.

Chapters: 1/1

Fandom: Haikyuu!! Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio Characters: Miya Atsumu, Sakusa Kiyoomi, Bokuto Koutarou, Hinata Shouyou, MSBY Black Jackals Additional Tags: Post-Time Skip, Post-Canon, Pining Miya Atsumu, Mutual Pining, alcohol consumption, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Swearing, Fluff and Humor, clown-car buffoonery all over tokyo, Romantic Comedy, Team Bonding, Written for the Haikyuu!! Time Skip Big Bang, Drunken Shenanigans Series: Part 1 of runner, runner // daybreak

[myeuphorio]

Under the Lights of Paris

Introducing my art for the @hqtimeskipbb! It has been such an incredible honour to host this event, and due to some blips in the early days, I was also given the honour of being able to work as an artist for the incredible @pearlsephoni. Along with our team beta @fireheartaw, the group has created something truly phenomenal, and as I have said on our social media, I really hope that everyone gives their hard work a lot of love 🧡

You can find Pearl’s work for this event on her Tumblr and on AO3!

[vannahfanfics]

Perfect Link

Category: Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Haikyuu!!

Characters: Tadashi Yamaguchi, Hitoka Yachi

Here is my piece for the @hqtimeskipbb​! A big thanks to my artist fei, whose art you can find here, and my beta Lane. I hope you all enjoy this sweet YamaYachi!

Tadashi’s life was looking up, he thought as he looked in the mirror, craning his head a little while he drew the razor over the stubble of his chin. The days until he graduated college were ticking down into the teens, and he already had a good job lined up for him, which was more than some of his classmates could say. He lived in a nice apartment overlooking a quaint business district full of little tea shops and antique stores. It was sleepy in a good way; no shady business going on after nightfall, but still plenty to do when Tadashi was struck with the urge to take an afternoon walk. Yes, Tadashi was luckier than most, with every little piece of his life falling into place. 

However, there was just one singular missing puzzle piece that was beginning to daunt him to no end—he was single!

Of course, having a girlfriend wasn’t necessarily a requirement for a nice life. But it would sure make it a hell of a lot nicer! All through college, he told himself that the right girl would come along, that he just needed to give it time. Well, he’d given it way more time than he thought it would take, and his bed was still as empty and cold as the night he’d moved in. It used to not bother him, but lately, with Kei flaunting a cute honey on his arm on social media and even bringing her up in passing conversation, Tadashi was admittedly getting a little jealous. 

“It’s not weird, right?” he asked his reflection. A glob of shaving cream fell from his razor to the sink with a wet plop. That was really the only sort of answer he was going to get, he supposed, and he couldn’t really call it a good one. Sighing, he tugged the bath towel off its hanger and used it to clean the gloop of white, frothy cream up, then used it to wipe the remainder from his face. As he drew the soft cloth down his face, pulling down his bottom eyelids, he looked miserably into his reflection. 

He couldn’t take it any longer. Drastic times called for drastic measures. 

So that’s how he found himself lying on Hitoka’s bed while she skittered around the room in her fluffy pink pajamas, squealing to the high heavens in excitement. 

“Ahhh, I can’t believe you’re finally letting me make you an online dating profile, Tadashi!” she beamed while she scuttled back across the room with her laptop in tow. Tadashi smiled wanly. As she climbed onto the bed next to him, his body bounced with the slight dip of the mattress. She snuggled up next to him while she typed avidly into her computer, pulling up a dating website titled Perfect Link. “Don’t worry! We’re going to find you the perfect woman.” 

Already, Tadashi was beginning to question the idea of searching for a girlfriend through a dating site. Sure, plenty of people found love that way, and there was nothing inherently wrong with it; however, plenty of creeps used dating sites for more nefarious reasons. What if he got catfished? No one would ever let him live it down!

However, it was hard to argue with the happy sparkle in Hitoka’s eyes. He swallowed his objections in favor of peering over her shoulder. At the very least, he could let Hitoka have her fun, right? 

“Okay!” Hitoka cried as she clapped her hands. She then flexed her fingers and poised them over the keyboard. A blank profile, already prepared with a flattering photo Hitoka had snatched off of social media, was displayed on the screen in front of them. On Tadashi’s drive over, Hitoka had filled in most of the boring personal information—his age, his birthday, his hometown—and now, it was time to get into the juicy details. “First question! If you could go anywhere on vacation, where would you go?” 

“Hmm,” Tadashi frowned, tilting his head to the side while cupping his chin in thought. “There are lots of nice places to go, but if I had to pick, I’d like to go to the mountains. It’s just so peaceful and quiet, and watching the sunrise over the hills is pretty awesome!” 

“Ahh, how romantic!” Hitoka sighed dreamily in appreciation, body sagging while her fingers flew across the keyboard. “I love the mountains, too… Staying in a cozy cabin and snuggling up with your partner? Bonus points if there’s a hot tub!” 

“Yeah, yeah!” Tadashi nodded in encouragement. 

“Maybe we should plan a mountain getaway as friends sometime!” Hitoka grinned, turning to poke her tongue out at him. “Anyway, onto the next question—what’s your favorite movie or book genre?” 

Tadashi felt embarrassment flood through him at the thought of answering the question. But, it was just Hitoka, right? She wasn’t going to judge him, and besides, she needed these answers to make an honest dating profile. When she looked at him expectantly, he looked down at his lap with a sheepish mutter of, “Romantic comedies…” 

“A-ha! I knew it!” she squealed. To Tadashi’s surprise, it sounded more delighted than mocking. He peeked through his bangs to see a happy smile on her face, glowing radiantly like the sun. “That’s my favorite, too! None of the other boys really enjoy them, and even Kiyoko doesn’t care for them much. If I would have known, Tadashi, I would have dragged you over here for movie nights a long time ago!” 

“Yeah?” he laughed, rubbing at the back of his neck. That sure sounded fun—snuggling up to Hitoka just like this, both in their pajamas, gorging themselves on popcorn and soda and candy until they couldn’t move… While he fantasized about it, Hitoka moved on to the next section of the dating profile. 

“Okay! This is the last one. Sweet candy or sour candy?” 

“Sweet candy, all the way!” Tadashi answered without hesitation. “I can’t take sour candy. It makes me scrunch up my face like this!” He squinted his eyes and pursed his lips like he was sucking on an extra-sour lemon, and Hitoka giggled mirthfully at his very skillful rendition. 

“Yeah, me too! One time, Shouyou got me a snowcone and sprayed it with sour juice and it was awful! I felt like my tongue was gonna fall off!” She copied Tadashi’s scrunched-up face for extra effect, making him laugh. She looked so cute, her little nose wrinkled and her gloss-covered lips puckered. It’s a wonder someone hasn’t snatched her up already, he thought, then looked back to the dating profile. 

“All right, enough of that,” Hitoka giggled. “Let’s put you out there!” She scrolled down to hit the “submit” button, and all of Tadashi’s details were saved. “Now we wait for someone to message you!” 

“How long will it take?” Tadashi asked while Hitoka pushed the laptop off her legs and stretched her arms above her head. 

“Hmm, it depends. If someone really thinks you're cute, maybe you’ll get a message in a few minutes!” she grinned. 

“Ah, come on, I’m sure it’s not that impressive,” he said with a bashful sulk, rubbing at his neck again. Part of Tadashi’s problem was that he was painfully plain; sure, he was smart and athletic, but compared to all the other people he hung out with on a daily basis, he sure wasn’t a stud. Surely no girl would be attracted to him that quickly just based on some words and a halfway-decent picture— 

Ding!

“Ah! There it is! Your first message!” Hitoka squealed. She lunged for the computer, sprawling out on her belly and frantically clicking on his inbox. “She says that you sound like a really laid-back, cute guy and she’d love to get to know you!” 

“Uwah! What do I say back?” Tadashi cried, panic instantly shooting through his veins. This was a girl, a real-life female, wanting to get to know him! What should he do? What should he say? 

It was a good thing that he had recruited Hitoka for this, for she knew exactly how to proceed. 

“Let’s look at her profile!” Hitoka said, sticking her tongue out while she pulled it up. “Let’s see… She goes to your college, Tadashi! She studies literature, and she played volleyball in high school! It says here that she likes vacations on the beach and romantic dramas. Not a perfect match, but she still sounds like a good fit!” Hitoka said, pulling the chatbox back up again. “Let’s see… How about, ‘You look very beautiful! I’d definitely like to get to know you better. Tell me about your volleyball experience! I played in high school too!” 

“Whoooa! Hitoka, that’s a perfect response!” Tadashi marveled. How could she come up with that so easily?

“Hehe, you came to the right place!” she preened, holding a hand under her chin with a self-satisfied look. Tadashi shifted his gaze from the bubble with the ellipses on the screen to the girl lying next to him, and he smiled softly. The two of them had grown closer over high school and maintained a tight friendship throughout their college years. 

You know, I hope this girl is as great as Hitoka.

With Hitoka’s help, Tadashi conversed with the girl late into the night. They set up a date at a coffee shop for the following day, and Hitoka agreed to tag along low-profile, just in case Tadashi got in a bind. He spent the wee hours of the morning tossing and turning in his bed, his heart pounding against his ribcage with anticipation; come tomorrow afternoon, he would be sitting in front of a girl on a date! What was he going to do? What was he going to say? How was he going to keep from embarrassing himself? 

Despite all the uncertainties, he found himself excited. The following day passed like a dream, and next thing he knew he was standing in front of the coffee shop, with Hitoka smoothing the creases of his polo out. 

“There we go!” she grinned, stepping back to admire him. She helped choose his outfit, of course, dressing him in a pair of tan slacks with a polo—casual but still sophisticated. Tadashi blushed under her scrutiny, and it deepened when she licked her thumb to smooth down a piece of his hair that was sticking up. After one more once-over, she gave him two thumbs up. “Okay! You look great, Tadashi! I’ll go ahead and go sit in the coffee shop. Your date should be here in about five minutes. Just act natural, okay? No girl is worth it if she doesn’t like you for you!” 

“Thanks,” he smiled, genuinely reassured by her words. She whirled on her heel and bounced into the coffee shop, her white pleated skirt swishing around her thighs and the too-long sleeves of her light pink cardigan flapping around over her hands. Tadashi’s smile warmed as he watched her go inside, a fuzzy feeling making a home in the center of his chest. 

She really is a sweet and cute girl. I hope she finds somebody that’s good for her… Somebody who appreciates her like I do.

Maybe after he settled things with this date, he would repay the favor for Hitoka. Right now, he had to worry about himself. 

The girl was punctual, precisely so, as she walked up at the exact minute they had agreed to meet. Tadashi straightened up as she shyly approached; she gave him a bashful smile, tucking a piece of her black hair behind her ear while she peered up at him through her long lashes. 

“Tadashi Yamaguchi?” she questioned. 

“Yup, that’s me! You’re Haruka, right?” he grinned, hurrying to open the door to the coffee shop for her. “It’s really nice to meet you. You look great!” he told her as she walked by. She was dressed in slim-fitting jeans, a nice blouse, and some sandals; it complimented her mature look. She murmured a shy “thank you” as she pushed her glasses up her face. Tadashi walked behind her—not too close just so he didn’t make her nervous—as they approached the counter. 

He immediately looked around for Hitoka. His nerves settled as soon as his eyes landed on her; she sat in a corner, scrolling idly on her phone. She must have felt his eyes on her, because she glanced out of the corners of her eyes at him. She quickly flashed him a discreet thumbs-up before sipping her iced latte, completely inconspicuous. 

Tadashi stopped at the counter next to Haruka, who was poring over the menu. 

“Ahem, so, get whatever you want,” Tadashi smiled nervously, tugging his wallet out of his back pocket. “It’s my treat.” 

“Oh, thank you. That’s generous,” she said, looking up at him. Tadashi felt his heart thump against his ribcage. She had a slight cinch to her eyebrows, a pinch to her lips that betrayed she was uncomfortable. Did he do something wrong? He thought it was customary to pay for a girl’s food and drink when he was on a date. She fiddled with her glasses again, dropping her gaze to the counter. “It isn’t necessary, though. I find the whole tradition of a guy paying for a girl on a date to be a bit…” she trailed off, searching for a word that probably wouldn’t insult him. 

“I-it’s okay!” Tadashi cried, waving his hands in dismissal. He honestly didn’t want to know how she would finish the sentence because it would probably embarrass him regardless. “If that would make you more comfortable, I’m okay with that.” 

She relaxed a bit, to Tadashi’s relief, and then turned back to the barista. Though she’d been pondering the menu, she ended up ordering a plain black coffee. Tadashi felt a little bit silly ordering a caramel frappuccino with extra sweetener then, but he had always had such a sweet tooth; he could only stand coffee-based drinks if they were more cream and sugar than anything else. Haruka raised an eyebrow when the barista handed him his tan-colored coffee smoothie laden with whipped cream and caramel, and Tadashi felt the heat rise to his face. 

Hitoka never looked at me funny when I ordered sweet drinks, he thought as he sulkily wrapped his lips around the straw. 

They walked to a table by the window, sitting across from one another. Now that he got an up-close look at her, Haruka was almost intimidatingly academic; her eyes were hawkish as they trained on him, like they were searching him for any imperfections. It made a nervous sweat bloom on his skin, and he hid his wobbly smile by sucking down his frappuccino. 

“So, you graduate soon?” she questioned. 

“Y-yes, that’s right,” Tadashi said, popping his lips off the straw to smile shyly at her. “In just a couple of weeks. You’ve still got about a year left, right? What do you want to do with your degree?” 

“I specialize in literature and its effects on politics,” she answered, straightening up in her seat with a prideful smile. “After I graduate, I plan to teach at a college and be active in the political community with my research. There are many ways that literature can impact social and political circles.” 

“Wow, that’s ambitious!” Tadashi praised. “Great for you. You seem headstrong; I’m sure you’ll be able to do that. I don’t have any plans nearly as grand as that,” he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just want to have a nice, stable life and play volleyball in my downtime.” 

Haruka hummed, her eyes growing slightly lidded. Tadashi’s smile started to droop again at the realization that she didn’t seem remotely interested, and worse, looked disappointed at his lack of drive. Not everybody had to have some great big plan to change the world, right? He had talked to Hitoka plenty of times about it, and she always agreed that as long as he was happy with where he was and what he was doing, then that’s all that mattered. 

His gaze drifted to Hitoka. She was beaming, practically glowing with happiness, as she watched him from the other end of the café. It made him kind of nauseous, seeing how happy she seemed to be at him chatting up this girl while he basically floundered like a fish out of water. He didn’t vibe with this girl at all; right now, he would much rather be sitting with Hitoka. They always had a good time. They had so much in common, looked at life the same way, had so many happy memories already under their belts—hell, he might as well say to hell with this and date her! 

Oh. Oh. Oh.

“How could I have been so stupid?!” he cried suddenly, grabbing his hair and tugging it in both directions away from his head. Haruka jerked up, looking at him with startled eyes. Tadashi hopped to his feet, making the chair scrape back across the floor, and bowed his head so deep his forehead slammed down against the table. 

“I’m sorry, but this isn’t working out! You seem like a nice girl and all, and I hope you find someone to make you happy. But I’m a complete dumbass and am in love with my best friend and totally didn’t realize it until now, so if you excuse me, I’m gonna continue to make a fool of myself here. I hope you have a nice day.” He straightened up, exhaling sharply out of his nose to expel some of the steam from the whirring gears in his head. 

Haruka blinked at him, then gave him an amused smile. 

“It’s a shame we’re not as compatible as we thought, but I’m glad I was at least able to help you. Thanks for the nice time, and good luck with your best friend.” She stood up and gave him a polite bow, taking her coffee and leaving the store. Tadashi inhaled sharply and then marched straight up to Hitoka, who had stood up and was looking between him and the coffee shop door in utter bewilderment. 

“Tadashi? What’s that all about? Did it not work out?” 

“Nope,” he quipped as he stopped in front of her. 

“Oh! Well, that’s okay. We can find someone else for you—” 

“No, we can’t,” he said, and the firmness in his voice made her clamp her lips shut. He sucked in a breath, preparing himself for what he was about to say. Honestly, though, he didn’t really need to steel his nerves much at all; it felt so right, the idea of being with Hitoka, that he wasn’t scared at all. He stepped forward, staring her right in the eyes as he said, “I don’t need any dating apps or anything else. I’m not going to find the one for me that way, Hitoka, because I already have.” He grabbed her hands, making her gasp. She squeezed his hands on reflex, but didn’t look down, too caught up in his fiery, passionate, intense stare. 

“You’re the one, Hitoka. You’re perfect for me in every way. I don’t want anyone else. I want you.” 

Hitoka’s eyes flooded with tears. She let out a sniff, then slipped her hands from Tadashi’s to furiously try and scrub them away. 

“I don’t—I don’t know why—” she laughed nervously between hiccupy sobs. Tadashi smiled softly and reached up to gently thumb her tears away. She looked up at him with watery eyes, and his heart clenched at how much love swirled in those warm chestnut breaths. “I… I never realized how much I wanted to hear you say that.” 

“I guess we’ve both kind of been idiots, huh?” he laughed softly. Hitoka chuckled, nodding in agreement while she tried to continue to staunch her tears. Meanwhile, Tadashi cupped her cheeks, gently sweeping the pads of his thumbs back and forth over her soft skin. 

Suddenly, the coffee shop erupted into claps and cheers. The two of them whipped around to see that Tadashi’s little stunt had not gone unnoticed; they’d attracted quite an audience, as everyone in the shop was applauding his emotional confession. Hitoka blushed and buried her bright red face into the crook of his neck, burning so hot that he could feel it on his skin. He just smiled wanly and slipped his arm around her waist, tugging her close. 

He’d found his perfect link. He was on top of the world, coasting on the clouds, and nothing could bring him down right now. He turned his head to press a kiss into her fluffy blonde hair, then smiled to himself. 

Yup. Perfect.   

Enjoy this oneshot? Feel free to peruse my Table of Contents!

[ao3feed-daisuga]

Under the Lights of Paris

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/RO4G6Zj

by pearl_scribbles

Even a dream job can start to feel like just a job, and as the daily grind of adulthood wears him down, Asahi begins to crave something new to bring some excitement back into his life. When Nishinoya mentions that his next stop in Europe is Paris, one of the fashion capitals of the world, Asahi decides to take a risk and ask if he can join in on his travels.

The trip turns out to be exactly what he needs, and being around Nishinoya reawakens a zest for life and adventure that Asahi hasn't felt in a long time. But a trip to the City of Love with his high school crush reawakens something else in Asahi. Maybe this time, he'll have the courage to see things through.

Written for Haikyuu Timeskip Big Bang!

Words: 18591, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Haikyuu!!

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Azumane Asahi, Nishinoya Yuu, (background) Sawamura Daichi, (background) Sugawara Koushi

Relationships: Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu, (background) Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi

Additional Tags: the start of Nishinoya and Asahi's Big World Tour lol, Traveling, Paris (City), Getting Together, Slow Burn, Porn With Plot, like...a lot of plot, so much plot that calling any part of this porn feels wrong lmao, Fluff, First time (with each other), Blow Jobs, Anal, hqtimeskipbb

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/RO4G6Zj

[thefledglingdm]

hello, all!!!! i am so so excited to share my second work for this year’s @hqtimeskipbb event! thank you again to the mods for all of their hard work organizing everything from start to finish!!

please check out the lovely accompanying art made by tealberets over on twitter as well!

and please enjoy!

Summary:

Perhaps it wasn’t any one moment. Perhaps it was all of them, all together, suddenly slapping Hinata Shouyou like a volleyball upside the head and forcing him to see the truth.

Hinata Shouyou was in love with his best friend.

And he had six hours to tell him before he left the city, and his window of opportunity closed.

-

with mere hours to go until his bus leaves the city and he leaves his friend behind - again - hinata races across tokyo to tell his best friend he loves him.

Chapters: 1/1

Fandom: Haikyuu!! Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi, Shimizu Kiyoko/Yachi Hitoka, Tendou Satori/Ushijima Wakatoshi Characters: Hinata Shouyou, Kageyama Tobio, Miya Atsumu, Sakusa Kiyoomi, Bokuto Koutarou, Ushijima Wakatoshi, Yamaguchi Tadashi, Tsukishima Kei, Yachi Hitoka Additional Tags: Post-Time Skip, Getting Together, Pining Hinata Shouyou, Oblivious Hinata Shouyou, Drunken Shenanigans, Feelings Realization, Angst and Feels, First Kiss, Jealousy, long-overdue emotional introspection, Canon Compliant Series: Part 2 of runner, runner // daybreak

[fireheartaw]

It was an absolute blessing to read and beta this fic for, Pearl.

A wonderful author, kind person, and beautiful soul all around. If you love Asanoya, you’ll love this!

Under the Lights of Paris

Can also be read on AO3!

Rating: Explicit

Fandom: Haikyuu!!

Pairing: AsaNoya (Asahi/Nishinoya), background DaiSuga (Daichi/Suga)

Characters: Asahi Azumane, Yu Nishinoya, brief appearances from Daichi Sawamura and Koshi Sugawara

Word Count: 18,479

Summary: Even a dream job can start to feel like just a job, and as the daily grind of adulthood wears him down, Asahi begins to crave something new to bring some excitement back into his life. When Nishinoya mentions that his next stop in Europe is Paris, one of the fashion capitals of the world, Asahi decides to take a risk and ask if he can join in on his travels.

The trip turns out to be exactly what he needs, and being around Nishinoya reawakens a zest for life and adventure that Asahi hasn’t felt in a long time. But a trip to the City of Love with his high school crush reawakens something else in Asahi. Maybe this time, he’ll have the courage to see things through.

Written for @hqtimeskipbb!

A/N: Thank you so much to the moderators for organizing this event! And all my love and gratitude to my incredible team! Myeu (@myeuphorio) drew an absolutely stunning piece of art to accompany this story, and Andie (@fireheartaw) has been the world’s kindest beta reader throughout this process. This story couldn’t have happened without your hard work and endless support.

Keep reading

[fireheartaw]

Please the work these wonderful people created!! Pearl, your story, and Myeu your art - I am just in awe and so blessed to work on this with you both!!

Under the Lights of Paris

Introducing my art for the @hqtimeskipbb! It has been such an incredible honour to host this event, and due to some blips in the early days, I was also given the honour of being able to work as an artist for the incredible @pearlsephoni. Along with our team beta @fireheartaw, the group has created something truly phenomenal, and as I have said on our social media, I really hope that everyone gives their hard work a lot of love 🧡

You can find Pearl’s work for this event on her Tumblr and on AO3!