just a note these are totally non-linear. they are just 14 moments in times between Asahi & Yui
(about 2400 words so it’s a bit longer than the junk drawer bits)
1.
Asahi only half watches as Michimiya approaches Daichi and says something to him; Suga is at his side, chattering a mile a minute and he’s trying to listen to him and make sure they don’t walk into anyone on their way out of the school. It’s their last day as high schoolers and the mood is somber and happy in equal turns. Daichi lets out a bright laugh and pats Michimiya on the shoulder with a grin. Asahi tunes out Suga and turns his attention fully to Michimiya just in time to see her eyes dim a little. Then she shakes her head with a small smile, as equally somber and happy as the day in general has been, and blinks rapidly. Their eyes meet and somewhere deep in the back of his mind Asahi thinks ‘Oh’ when her smile flashes into something brilliant and she straightens her shoulders, laughing as Daichi throws his arm over her and Suga’s shoulders and drags them towards where Kiyoko is waiting for them all.
2.
Sometimes Yui isn’t sure if she loves her job or wants to strangle everyone she works with. The two feelings aren’t mutually exclusive, she figures, as she tunes out yet another coworker’s mindless blathering. Her phone rings and she answers it without even looking at it.
“I swear you’d think I work with a bunch of children. We’re not in the academy anymore. Why do they insist on acting like it?”
“Because boys are dumb and these boys feel threatened by you. As they should because you are amazing.”
Yui laughs. “You know just how to brighten my day Asahi.”
3.
They don’t normally use local police for security for events. But a long string of mishaps that Asahi wants to stay as far from as possible has made it a necessity. And as the newest designer on the team that means Asahi gets the crappy job of being the go between for his boss and the police. He nervously straightens his jacket, tucking away a stray hair from his artfully messy bun, and knocks on the door to the security office.
There’s a lot of scuffling and laughter and a frustrated voice calling out and then the door opens and a figure steps out into the hallway. Asahi presses a hand to the center of his chest and vaguely wonders if this feeling of ‘Oh’ will ever go away when he sees Michimiya Yui squaring her shoulders and meeting his eye.
4.
Yui stares blearily at the door of the fridge. It’s not her fridge. She’s not entirely sure whose it is. There’s a lot of things she doesn’t know right this moment. But there are plenty she does. She knows that Suga is evil, Daichi is no better, Tetsurou is passed out on the kitchen floor near her feet which serves him right, Iwaizumi arm wrestles like his life is on the line and holy damn if that man was even remotely interested she’d jump into bed with him.
“I want a puppy,” she announces, unprompted, to the kitchen.
“I want a painkiller,” Asahi mutters from behind her.
She spins around, startled, and trips over Tetsurou. Asahi manages to save her, though he settles her on her feet and bolts out of the room a moment later, looking nauseous and miserable.
“My hero,” she murmurs, rubbing her arms idly where he had grabbed her. His hands had been so warm.
5.
She’s laughing, laughing so hard she’s ugly crying with tears and snot and hiccups and she can’t even reach out and punch Azumane on the shoulder. She has to settle for throwing her phone onto her bed and burying her face into her pillows. She can’t remember the last time she’s laughed this loudly, this… freely. Probably sometime back in high school. When she gets herself under control enough to breathe properly she grabs her phone and scowls at Azumane.
Azumane looks truly unrepentant and innocent and something in her chest tightens and she thinks ‘huh’ as he smiles gently at her.
6.
He waves her off, face flushing so much he wonders if he has any blood left anywhere else.
“It’s true,” Michimiya says softly. Softly but sincerely. Her words have a trace of steel in them that makes Asahi’s spine straighten despite himself. “I’ve always admired you.”
“You have plenty of cops and real heroes and shit to admire.” He tries so hard to avoid looking at her. She makes it nearly impossible when she kneels in front of him. He wants to tell her that she’ll get the knees of her tights dirty but the way she looks up at him and takes a deep breath, eyes flashing, makes all his thoughts scatter.
“I do. And I still admire you. What you went through back in school? Everyone always talking about you? The rumors about you being a delinquent and all that stuff that followed? And then everything that happened with volleyball? The way you came back and broke through? Inspirational.”
“Oh,” he whispers.
7.
Yui watches Asahi frown at the papers spread out in front of him and rub at his forehead. He’s already got a headache, she can tell by the set of his shoulders and the way he keeps rolling his head back and forth, and he’s going to make it a million times worse if he doesn’t relax soon. Especially since he’s not wearing his glasses.
She doesn’t tell him to stop though, to take a break, even though she knows she could easily convince him to. Instead she sets a mug of tea and his glasses on the table in front of him and tells him to take the dog out when he inevitably goes for a run later while she, and the rest of the world, are fast asleep.
8.
Yui looks over at him, eyes sparkling with joy, and then leaps into his arms with a shout. He catches her easily and smiles up at her when she wraps her legs around his waist and props her elbows on his shoulders.
She leans down and nudges his nose with her own.
“I love you,” she whispers against his lips.
He can feel the tension in her body, the way her shoulders are tight and squared despite the way she seems to lounge against him.
‘Oh’ he thinks as he stares into her warm eyes.
“I know,” he whispers back. She sinks against him with a content hum.
9.
He doesn’t even want to participate in an arm wrestling competition. But Noya had looked at him with puppy eyes and he’s always had a weakness for Noya. And for puppy eyes. And for Noya’s puppy eyes. So here he is. At the table. Rolling his shirt sleeves up while Noya fans his face and dramatically collapses against Tanaka.
“Lordy,” Noya shouts out. “I thought Daichi and Yui were the ones with the guns.”
Asahi is beginning to regret even agreeing to come to this get together with Noya. So between that and giving into the puppy eyes it’s a pretty typical Friday night.
What isn’t typical is Michimiya sitting down across from him, elbow on the table, and grinning at him. He gulps and slides his hand into hers, trying hard not to think about how much smaller than his it seems.
He fails.
10.
It crushes her heart a little, when Sawamura doesn’t get what she’s asking him and simply lets out that laugh of his that she’s come to love and pats her shoulder. It’s the day they graduate and she finally got enough courage to tell him her feelings and okay it crushes her heart a lot. Especially when he turns away with a grin and pulls Sugawara into a conversation without a second thought. She watches him for a moment, almost certain she’s going to start crying, before she manages to blink away her tears with a shake of her head. She looks past Sawamura and locks eyes with Azumane and he looks so concerned, so contemplative that she can’t help but flash him a reassuring grin. Sawamura laughs again and tosses his arm around her shoulder to steer her and Sugawara towards the gate but before she turns away from Azumane something flickers across his face.
‘Huh’ she thinks as Sawamura guides her around fellow students, warm against her side. She kind of wishes she would have had time to get to know Azumane and Sugawara better before today.
11.
“No,” he says as sternly as he can. “We can’t.”
Yui pouts up at him, eyes wide and pleading. She’s dripping water all over the floor and he wants this argument to be over so he can yank off her wet clothes and wrap her in a warm, dry towel.
“But Asahi,” she coos.
“Nope.”
She lets out a huff of frustration and then bends down to scoop up the bundle at her feet. He knows what’s coming and tries to brace himself but not even his years of dealing with Noya can prepare him to face down double puppy dog eyes from the woman he loves and an actual puppy.
12.
“I love you,” Asahi announces one night. Out of the blue. His hands are twisted in his lap and his eyes dart up to her face and then away, again and again.
‘Huh’ that little voice in the back of her mind says as she sets her carton of take out on the table and reaches for his hand. He flushes bright red when she tucks herself against his side with a smile.
13.
“I don’t know how you do it,” Azumane says. His phone has been buzzing all night, rattling across the counter until she had finally put it on silence and tossed it onto the chair across the room. He’s beyond stressed and she wishes she could do something for him. But all she can do right now is sit on the other end of the couch and watch as someone who has become one of her best friends breaks down.
“I really don’t,” he continues. “You’re always so bubbly and cheerful. You don’t let anything get you down. You’ve always got a smile and the patience of some kind of saint.”
Yui snorts. Azumane looks at her in confusion.
“Everything gets to me,” she admits.
“But you’re so confident and-”
She snorts again. “I am insecure as fuck, Azumane. I’m always afraid that I’ll say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing and everyone will realize how much of a fraud I am.”
“But then…” He tilts his head and looks at her, really looks at her, and a thrill runs through her at being the center of his focus. “How do you do it?”
“I pretend. And I find something that makes me able to keep going no matter what.” She smiles at him, suddenly tired and more than a little unsure of where this conversation is going to go.
“And what’s that? What that something?”
She licks her lips and notices the way he’s watching her as if her answer was the key to everything he was searching for.
“Well for the last year or so…” She takes a deep breath. “It’s been you.”
“Oh,” he whispers.
He looks awestruck and he blinks rapidly as he processes it. Then he gives her a brilliant smile and reaches out for her hand.
“Huh,” she lets out when their fingers meet and warmth settles in her chest.
14.
“It’s just been a shit week,” Yui says softly. “I miss you.”
“I miss you too.” He can hear the snickers behind him. He’s heard more than one snarky whisper about who wears the pants in his and Yui’s relationship. They don’t bother him nearly as much as they would have in the past. Yui’s shared plenty of her steel backbone with him over the years they’ve been together and he uses some of it to straighten his shoulders and spin his chair around to give his coworkers an unimpressed look. It’s doesn’t completely stop the snickers but it at least makes them all look sheepish.
“It’s been a shit day and a shit week and you know that asshole I was dealing with last week? Well he’s back in the station again and he’s been a royal jackass and I just. I really wish you weren’t on the other side of the country right now.”
Her tone sets off his mental alarms and he straightens even more. He can feel the scowl on his face as he presses the phone to his ear to hear her even more clearly. She’s breathing steadily but there’s a stuffy quality to the end of her inhales that means she’s been crying and she takes a deep breath and swallows thickly before she starts talking softly which means she’s sitting on the couch clutching a cushion. He knows his girl. She won’t flat out ask him to come home. But she wants to.
“I know. I hate being away too,” he says distractedly. A few of his coworkers snicker again and he glares at them. For once they shut up.
“I just-” her voice breaks off as she lets out a sob.
“Shit. Yui,” he says the moment he hears her suck in a breath. “Love. Who do I need to beat the shit out of? Say the word and I’m there. I’ll pick up Noya and Ryuu on the way.”
She lets out a watery laugh. “You’d come all the way back just to beat someone up for me?”
“Of course.”
Fifteen minutes later he has his things packed away and his temporary desk cleared. He can do all of this work from home. Which he tells the lead designer he’s been working with when he explains that he’s leaving. The man tries to get him to stop and reconsider staying for just a day or two more.
Asahi stares him down, eyes narrowed, until the man nods once and asks Asahi to send him his portion of the collaboration as soon as he has the chance.
When he tells Yui about what happened she laughs until she’s nearly in tears and tells him she wishes she could have seen it.
“You scared the shit out of them babe,” she explains as they’re curled up in bed. “When you drop into Ace Mode? You’re intense.”
He flushes and pulls her against his side, kissing her face until she giggles again and buries her nose against his throat.
Summary: It felt like a rush in the veins but, the movement itself was slower and slipperier.
Chapter 1 here and second under the cut or here
Growing up wasn't exactly the most exciting thing nor comfortable. It was a painful experience that had a pinch of confusion and dread. It had its upsides, but for a really long time life in general, was a battle field of trying not to scare your neighbors when they dropped their bags of food or school work. Or get shifty looks from senior citizens in the trains and grocery stores. It was hard to get mothers warning their children of stranger danger using the closest example as yourself; the sting never dulled. It was difficult growing taller than most of your classmates. And it was really hard to look cool and being mistaken as a hoodlum. But that was just a daily struggle for Azumane Asahi who had to get used to over. But besides that constant list of things to get over with, it didn't even introduce his current concern in regards to his pathetic love life. Which in fact was a lot messier and hella confusing to an excruciating point.
When the world labeled people it was hard to be anything else than that stereotype. Childhood was a murky slope that only grew slipperier as Azumane went into high school. After many failed crushes and acquaintances, it was a good break to be included in his volleyball team. Besides his tall developing build his shy personality definitely constructed him. After a good few laughs from his fellow first years at the time they learned and poked at his glass heart. It wasn't pleasant in the beginning, (it never is) but, Azumane learned in a young age his heart would always be a very easy target. After the usual beginnings of gaining friends, it seemed for a while Karasuno became a good portion of his life. That is until he found himself that he was in definitely to be screwed in many forms in life but, at the moment, Azumane felt like life really loved to fuck him over more than usual. He remembered right after the defeat of his seniors during his first year of high school leaving an unaccomplished goal in the court and resulting of himself and his friends taking up the role of caring for their lower classmen something clicked; like the whole risks to falling in love. But apparently his heart refused his logic and past records. After one midafternoon he noticed how Daichi’s friends was particularly cuter than usual; not that she wasn't before but something clicked inside his brain. Her eyes were more vibrate to look at, her smiles dazzled him more often and embarrassingly enough he was starting to enjoy the painful punches he received when she was in a really good mood.
And that was an another complete mystery as to why he liked it when the pain came from her. But to keep moving forward his face was sometimes too easy to read under the watchful eyes of Sugawara. He lived with his nagging and how Michimiya spent time with Sawamura. Sometimes it was pity looks from team, but he kept his head high and laughed it off. When Sawamura began to look at Nekoma’s captain like how he saw Michimiya he was surprised at the twist of events. He didn’t have to anything for Suagwara and himself to feel the shift of her strained smiles. He wanted to comfort her by all means but, they just weren’t that close. So he watched as she supporting the bundling relationship of Sawamura and Kuroo.
“Love is fickle, isnt’ it.” Sugawara was peering at the window and watch Michimya talk to Sawamura. When he didn’t cast his eyes on them Sugawara clasped a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sure things will work out fine.”
He didn’t know what to say or do but nod and walk away wondering why he just couldn’t catch a break. When it came to the captain’s romance things were definitely in high spirits. From behind
the scenes Sugawara and Yaku always had their eyes watch the subtle shifts the two dorks took; and it usually resulted with them smiling and feel a little better that the confession was over and done. But that only opened to them snooping and regularly checking up on them. Sometimes they would text each other and gossip and in between school and practice they always managed to make little trips to watch the duo awkwardly date.
“I bet it'll be two months before they kiss.” Sugawara sipped his drink when Yaku took their usual conversation up and rolling as he watched them sitting on a bench. His ice cream cone somewhat forgotten.
Sugawara leaned on one side of his shoe, “Really I was thinking a month and a half.”
“Should we really be betting on their mile stones though?” Azumane said as he finished paying for his share of food.
Both Sugawara and Yaku looked at him and then lifted their own eyebrows together. Sugawara was the first to speak. “You're right we should focus on the next confession.” He swiftly grabbed Azumane’s arm and pulled him closer with a devilish smirk appearing as he looked at Yaku, “Do remember the girl that you met last week, Michimiya Yui?”
Azumane quickly knew where this was headed and gulped. Yaku got the memo and started to chuckled as he gripped Azumane’s other free hand so he wouldn't run away. “Ah yes she was such a pretty girl. Don't tell me Karasuno’s ace can't get the courage to tell her how pretty she is.”
Azumane by then was frozen by the attention and dripped with cold sweat. He looked ahead and was not comforted when Daichi blatantly ignorant his pleads for rescue; instead he watched Daichi smirk in satisfaction that the attention was drawn away from him for the time being.
Sugawara laughed at his frozen state, “Oh don't worry my friend that won't stay like that for long. Because if Daichi get a date then surely you can too. You're in good hands.”
“Shouldn't we help him?” Kuroo asked when he saw what Daichi was watching.
“Oh let them have fun. And it'll be good for him in the long run.”
“Oh?” Kuroo could only laugh as he pulled Daichi closer, guilty that he was also happy with the attention momentarily gone for the time being. “Poor soul.”
The more time Daichi spent time with Kuroo the more he loved learning about him and his little habits he had. Like his strong ties he had with his friends and family; and that was particularly dominated with Nekoma’s setter and childhood friend, Kozume Kenma. For most the time Daichi had time to physically see Kuroo, Kenma was by his back side or front depending his pace as he played with his video games. It was still a fun experience for him because Kenma always slipped out embarrassing and enduring stories of his boyfriend. On occasions he brought along Hinata because they were already great friends from the short time they met or Yachi as well because it was no brainier that they would soon make it official. Most of the time Sugawara joined if he wasn't coaching Azumane with Yaku.
In all it looked like Daichi’s life was only getting brighter and busier. He also liked when Kuroo’s face would light up red when Daichi was the first one to incite things because usually it's Kuroo that hugs him or slowly stretches his fingers to brush off crumbles on Daichi’s cheeks or mouth when they went out to eat. It was always warm inside his chest when they got so close that sometimes Daichi felt like he was doomed to keep his cheeks blush-red when he was around Kuroo. But what got him to see the ties Kuroo had with Kenma was the way Kuroo took care him. He always made sure he ate, did his homework and that he didn't lock himself inside his room just playing video games; thankfully it looked like Hinata and Yachi were helping too always seeking him out more often.
“He's opening up more since he was introduced to Hinata.”
Daichi looked up from his drink when Kuroo spoke up. In front of them was Kenma and Hinata walking with Hinata telling a story about his little sister. Kuroo smiled, “I'm really glad we decided to play you guys.”
The way Kenma relaxed with Hinata was definitely a good sight to see for Kuroo at least. For Daichi he understood and bumped shoulders with him. “‘Me too.”
The dates themselves were a lot lazier and calm that left both of them in a good place. They laughed, they talked and had fun; it was an easy thing to just hangout that it made this whole dating scene seem not as scary but feasible and worthwhile to keep up. Of course, when they finished and walked away to their respective homes they would be bombarded with thousands of questions from their friends. While Kuroo would be sly with his answers when Yaku texted him and shadowed him the morning, Daichi was little more defenseless from Sugawara and Shimizu tag teaming him for details throughout school and in between breaks during practice.
“So you just ate popcorn and watched the movie?” Sugawara eyed him carefully, “And you want me to believe that you were an innocent kid in a dark lit room alone with your boyfriend?”
Daichi’s face only got more red, “What kind of guy do you think I am?”
“Apparently your boring strict aptitude isn’t a façade.” Sugawara sounded a little too disappointed for Daichi that it made him take a step away from. “Oh well, maybe with Kuroo that might change with time.”
Shimizu laughed lightly as she petted his arm, “One could only hope I guess. How is Azumane faring with Michimiya?”
Sugawara snorted, “Oh the list of what didn't happen is bigger than what did Shimizu.”
He walked away after that, not bothering to ask for his notes for math back from him. Anything was better than listening to Sugawara and Shimizu compare Azumane and his own pace of romance. Because if he was honest it felt like having another set of parents watching their backs and commenting on them. It wasn’t completely horrible but it could get annoying after some time that Daichi would sometimes try to avoid them and their comments. It didn’t work but for the most part he was grateful that he had friends who were personally invested to his relationship. And spare some for Azumane as well.When he was out of rang the light atmosphere became a little heavier. Shimizu and Sugawara had small smiles in encouragement.
Sugawara leaned on his seat and looked at Azumane. “It’s not a bad thing to like her and for you to seek out a better friendship.”
Shimizu added and looked at the crumbled letters Azumane started for Michimya. “Everything heals with time; and we want you two to be happy just like Daichi and Kuroo are.”
“Then why are you milking out a confession from me?” Azumane managed to say without too much bit in his voice. “The last thing I want to do is make things worse with her knowing that I liked her since our first year. I don’t want to pressure her and feel like a second default choice just because her crush got with someone else.”
He got from his spot unable to talk about this any longer. Everything was spinning and his lungs were hurting especially with the hushed voices near them pitying him his predicament. The last thing he ever wanted to do was fight with his friends. “Don’t. I appreciate your willingness to help out but just let me make my own choices.”
Shimizu made space for him to walk; and as she looked at Sugawara they couldn’t help but nod to each other and understand the delicate nature of wounded hearts and poor placed crushes. “Well it’s going to be a little stiff after practice.” Sugawara said as the noises of other students raised their volumes.
