Work Text:
Asahi walked out of KFC holding the precious commodities close to his chest. It's Christmas Eve and that means the famous fast food restaurant will be jam-packed with people picking up their reserved meals and even those who dared to try their luck in still being able to purchase some fried chicken even without calling in to reserve their Christmas pack. Most of the latter are probably fathers who forgot what day it is today. Fortunately, Asahi remembered. In fact, he has been equally dreading and anticipating this day for some time now. After all, It's the first time he and Nishinoya will be celebrating Christmas Eve together. Just the two of them.
There really is no reason for him to be nervous about it. It's not as if they were actually "together". Sure, one can say he has been harboring a crush on Nishinoya for quite some time now. About a few years maybe? Probably started around the time Asahi first saw him play when they were both still in Middle High School. It's not a big deal, really. They are just friends who happen to be sharing the same apartment. And it was only because Nishinoya insisted that it was better if they live together in the urban jungle that is Tokyo while they both try to become professional volleyball players. It was only recently that they both got signed by the same D-league team and now they are also teammates.
Suffice to say they spend most of the time in each other's presence. About 24/7 if you want to be a bit specific. It's not Asahi's fault they can only afford a tiny apartment big enough to fit two futons side by side and Nishinoya keeps dragging him to the nearby public bath "to save money".
Asahi is not complaining. Really. He shouldn't be feeling like this anyway. He will only make it weird for Nishinoya. Because Christmas Eve is for couples and a couple they are not. No matter how much Asahi wishes they were.
"ASAHI-SAAAAAAAAAAAANNNN!!!"
It didn't take him long to pinpoint the location where the loud voice is coming from. Nishinoya was waving his arms cheerfully as he stands on top of the circular bench hugging one of the illuminated trees. Asahi can already see the disapproving frowns sent Nishinoya's way so he hurried to where the libero was.
"Did you get the food already?" The libero greeted him with a bright smile rivaling the Christmas lights decorating their surroundings.
"Yeah." Asahi said as he smiled back. His was more subdued but his eyes were warm with joy.
"That was fast!" Nishinoya looks genuinely amazed. "I thought it would take you longer. The line looks really long from here."
"Aaaahhh the people in front kept letting me move ahead... I couldn't turn them down..." Asahi mumbled his embarrassing experience. I guess there are times when it's convenient that I look like this.
It didn't take Nishinoya long to understand the implications of Asahi's explanation and after a few seconds he was laughing hysterically.
Asahi should probably be more offended but he figures he has grown more accustomed to it now and he even gave a little chuckle because it is quite funny. Not to mention seeing Nishinoya laugh has always been one of his favorite things. Even if him laughing was to Asahi's expense.
After Nishinoya's laughter died down, the libero was able to say "Oh man we should tell Ryuu and the others about this. It's another great episode of Asahi's Adventures In Tokyo." Nishinoya didn't waste any time typing the story down so as to send it to their group chat.
Asahi just shook his head quietly, already accepting his fate. He can already imagine the ribbing that will be sent his way, especially from Suga and Daichi. It will be another topic they will be teasing him about when they see each other again next week when he and Nishinoya will go back home to celebrate the New Year with their families.
He is really looking forward to that, to be honest. It's been a long time since they have been with their friends and families. It's great that they are always communicating via the convenient messaging systems and other social media websites. They even keep in contact with the players from their rival volleyball teams. It was actually through the help of Kuroo that they were able to find the cheap but decent apartment where he and Nishinoya now live.
"SANTA-SAN!!!" Nishinoya blurted out of the blue, startling Asahi and making him almost drop the KFC paper bag.
Lo and behold, there is indeed a man dressed as Santa Claus in front of one of the shops. Asahi can understand Nishinoya's excitement. It's also his first time seeing a Santa-san in person. Christmas isn't as celebrated back in Miyagi unlike here in the capital city.
"Come on!!! Let's go check it out Asahi-san!"
Nishinoya didn't wait for Asahi's response as he yanked the much taller boy by the hand as if it was an easy feat. It helped a lot that Asahi also let himself be dragged along without resisting too much.
Asahi thinks this situation probably illustrates their relationship quite well. Nishinoya pulling him along to something exciting and worthwhile while Asahi lets himself be led, trusting the libero's guidance. Asahi has come to learn that being with Nishinoya means spontaneous trips leading to unexpected priceless discoveries.
"Santa-san!!!" Nishinoya shouted, trying to get the man's attention.
This near, Asahi could tell that the man behind the fake beard and red suit is actually a foreigner, making his acting more believable. It's no wonder the shop was able to attract more customers. Asahi thinks if it wasn't this late there would be more kids surrounding the man. Right now, there's just a pair of little girls who seem to be sisters with Nishinoya buzzing around like a bee as he waits for his turn. Asahi opted to stand back and hopefully blend in with the small crowd that formed in front of the store.
"Is that your son?" The woman beside him suddenly asked.
Asahi froze for a moment, not knowing how to respond. It was not as if this was the first time he has been mistaken for Nishinoya's father. Sometimes, people would think he is the libero's uncle because of the lack of similarities between their features. There was also one traumatic event when they were out shopping for clothes and the people around them stared accusingly at Asahi as he tags along with Nishinoya who was asking for Asahi's opinions on what to buy. It was only when they got home that it finally dawned on him what those judgmental stares were for.
"Uh... we... that is..." Asahi fumbled with his explanation, not knowing how to define his and Nishinoya's relationship.
"Asahi-san come here! Let's take a picture!!!"
"Asahi-san?" The confusion in the woman's face became more apparent.
"Um yes... I've got..." Asahi trailed off as he hurried towards Nishinoya, choosing the lesser evil. He would rather stand beside Nishinoya in front of all these people instead of being left alone answering intrusive questions from total strangers.
"Ho ho ho Merry Christmas!" Santa-san said in a perfectly accented greeting.
"Cool right?!" Nishinoya said, looking very much like a kid showing off his toy
.
But it is cool and Asahi can't deny it. "Very cool."
"C'mon let's take a picture and show it to Ryuu and the others!" Nishinoya already has his phone ready and Asahi only needed to bend down so he can fit in the frame.
"Oh this is nice!" Nishinoya commented after inspecting the photo he took.
"Thank you Santa-san." Asahi said as he bowed his head, both in gratitude and bashfulness.
"You're welcome." The jolly old man replied. Though this close, Asahi was able to notice that he was younger than the white beard and wig implied.
"Thank you!" Nishinoya piped up beside him.
The older man then bent down so he can be on eye-level with Nishinoya and then asked "What do you want for Christmas, little boy?"
Asahi flinched, wary of Nishinoya's reaction. As much as Asahi gets mistaken for an old man, the libero also gets his fair share of embarrassing blunders like this. To his surprise though, instead of getting flustered and stammering out a correction as is the norm for the libero, Nishinoya only tilted his head to one side and asked "Like a wish?"
"Yes." Santa-san replied with a kind smile, the corner of his eyes crinkling with mirth.
"Hmmm..." Nishinoya hummed as he looks towards Asahi with a thoughtful look in his eyes.
Asahi shrugged in response, but his amused half-smile and excited brown eyes urged Nishinoya to go along with the gimmick.
"I have to whisper it, right?"
"Yes."
And so Nishinoya stood on his toes to reach Santa-san's ear and whisper his wish.
Santa-san suddenly choked on a gasp as he looked at Nishinoya and then at Asahi in bewilderment.
"What's wrong? Is it impossible?" Nishinoya asked in apparent confusion.
Asahi is just as confused, if not, even more so, but before he could ask for clarification, a little boy dashed between him and Nishinoya heading straight towards the man in red as he shouts "Santa-saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!!".
It startled Asahi and made him look around and realize that there were a couple of children waiting for their turn to meet Santa-san. So he put his hand on Nishinoya's shoulder to get his attention and then jerked his head to the side indicating that they should probably leave now. Nishinoya nodded and followed Asahi's lead.
It wasn't as crowded as Asahi expected but there were certainly more people compared to when he goes here to shop. Most of the stores are also decorated for the holidays. Asahi would have compared it to last year but back then he opted to go home to his empty apartment and sleep off his loneliness. A year ago, he wouldn't have thought he would be out in the streets basking in the shining lights and colorful decorations, but the arrival of Nishinoya in his life changed everything. Just like it did when Asahi was in his 2nd year of High School.
"Christmas tree!!! Let's take a picture there too!!!"
Asahi nodded in agreement while chuckling in amusement as Nishinoya towed him off again by the hand for another 2-shot. They kept doing that for all of the interesting decorations they encountered. Nishinoya took a lot of photos and at least a dozen of those are of them together.
It was only when he stopped looking around at the displays and glanced at the people around them that Asahi noticed the puzzled and even disgusted stares sent their way. With horrified gasp, he hastily removed his hand from Nishinoya but the libero was quick to react and swiftly grabbed hold of Asahi's hand again.
"Don't mind them." Nishinoya stated, his voice firm.
"But-" Asahi started to argue.
"You are having fun, right Asahi-san?" Nishinoya asked, squeezing Asahi's hand. The brightness in his eyes more intense than any of the illumination displays they have seen tonight. It made Asahi balk and reconsider his priorities.
"It doesn't matter what people think. As long as you're not hurting anyone there is no reason for you to stop doing what makes you happy." The libero declared with full conviction.
"... I guess you're right..." Asahi agreed with a sigh, still a bit anxious.
"Are you happy, Asahi-san?"
The uncharacteristic hesitation in Nishinoya's countenance was the final nudge Asahi needed to have full faith in the libero's words. It pains him to see that he made the confident libero feel this way.
"I am." He squeezed Nishinoya's hand tightly and nodded resolutely as he stared straight into the libero's eyes.
The smile that slowly bloomed on Nishinoya's face made all his doubts fade away and Asahi couldn't help but smile back openly.
"You know, if you frowned at them, I bet you can scare them off." The libero whispered with a naughty smirk.
Asahi snorted.
"I'm serious! C'mon! Try it Asahi-san!!!"
It does seem like a genuine suggestion despite the libero giggling between words. So Asahi decided to glare at the next person he sees looking at them with displeasure. The unfortunate recipients are the couple walking the opposite way and towards them. It was the woman who noticed them first and she proceeded to point the man towards them as she frowned in disdain while the man said something that made her smirk wickedly and look at them with condescension. Asahi's frown was unforced and was an automatic reaction to their actions. The woman jerked back, clearly frightened. The man, however, looked like he was raring to start a fight, but when he took a good look at Asahi's face and noticed the bulging muscles under the taller man's coat, the man chose to scamper away, hurrying off with his girlfriend who appeared to be very disappointed by her lover's decision.
Nishinoya sniggered as soon as the couple were away. "What did I tell you?"
Asahi frowned. "I didn't really mean to scare them off."
Nishinoya shrugged his shoulders. "Well they should have minded their own business anyway."
Asahi made a noncommittal noise.
"Forget about them! Look at the illumination, Asahi-san!!! We don't have this back home!" Nishinoya said in wonder. His cat-like eyes reflecting the shining bright lights around them.
Asahi smiled fondly. Yes, the spectacle around them is indeed beautiful, but he can't help but be enthralled by Nishinoya's adorable reactions to them instead. His infectious excitement and unbridled enthusiasm make everything more fascinating. The way his eyes dilate and sparkle at each new discovery is extremely charming. His innocent curiosity and pure joy is very reminiscent of that of a child. It's no wonder people still mistake him for being much younger than his actual age.
"Asahi-san stand over there! Let me take a picture of you!"
Asahi followed Nishinoya's instructions and even did a silly peace sign for the heck of it.
"This looks great!" Nishinoya crowed in delight.
"You've taken so many pictures, Nishinoya." Asahi observed in amusement.
"Well yeah. It's our first Christmas Eve together after all."
That took Asahi completely by surprise. He didn't expect Nishinoya would find this occasion something worth remembering by. He thought maybe the libero didn't put much importance to the non-traditional festivity and isn't one to celebrate it.
Maybe he meant it more like it was his first time celebrating Christmas Eve in Tokyo... Yeah... That's more reasonable.
With that depressing thought in mind, Asahi said "We should probably head home. It's getting quite late and the fried chicken is getting cold."
"Ah! We need to get the cake from Yuki-san too!" Nishinoya exclaimed in alarm, suddenly remembering the strawberry shortcake he requested from the small bakeshop near their apartment. "Let's hurry, Asahi-san!"
Thankfully, their stop was only two stations away from the shopping district. It didn't take them long to reach the modest bakery ran by the Abe family. It has been theirs for generations. They used to only sell dango until Yuki-san's father studied to become a patissier and applied his education to improving their business. Yuki-san herself is an accomplished patissier and currently has a granddaughter following her grandmother's footsteps.
All of these he has learned from Nishinoya who has quickly befriended the old lady. It only took Asahi a few days of living together with the libero to find out that his fondness for sweets was not limited to soda flavored Gari Gari Kun.
The shop was already closed by the time they got there but Nishinoya, being close friends with the owner, has the special privilege of entering through the back door of the bakery. The libero has mentioned before that Yuki-san is still awake at this time because this is when she prepares the dough to be used for tomorrow. It only took Yuki-san a minute or so to open the door after Nishinoya politely knocked on it.
"Ah! Yuu-chan! I was afraid you wouldn't come."
"I'm sorry Yuki-san. I didn't realize the time. We went to the shopping district to check out the decorations." Nishinoya admitted with a chagrined smile.
"I see, I see. Ah Asahi-kun is here too. Come on in. It's cold out here." The old lady waved them inside with a sweet smile adorning her pretty face.
It is actually unfair to call her "old" as Yuki-san has aged gracefully. Despite her age, she leads an active, not to mention healthy, lifestyle and it shows on her face and physique.
"I have your strawberry shortcake chilling in the freezer. Would you mind getting it for me, Yuu-chan? It's quite easy to find. It's the only strawberry shortcake in there. I'll just prepare the box for you."
"No problem, Yuki-san."
Nishinoya already knows his way around the bakery seeing as he helps Yuki-san whenever he has free time. Not with the baking, but with cleaning and other odd jobs here and there. Though the libero did mention that Yuki-san has started teaching him how to bake a few weeks ago.
"Wow!!! This looks amazing Yuki-san!"
Asahi gasped in awe once he saw the cake. It was a small round sponge cake and one look will tell you how much love and hard work was put into it. Surrounding the cake are white chocolate shavings formed like petals. On top, there are five strawberries sprinkled with powdered sugar nestled between dollops of whipped cream. In the center, there is a bar of dark chocolate with "Merry Christmas" written in English. And to top it all off, there perched an inedible Christmas decoration as an added touch. It even has bells on it!
"I added a bit of chocolate in there because Yuu-chan has mentioned you have a penchant for chocolates, Asahi-kun."
"Uwaaa thank you, Yuki-san." Asahi bowed deeply in gratitude as well as to hide his flushed face.
"Yuki-san you're the best!!!" Nishinoya applauded as he beams with pride.
"Only the best for my favorite Yuu-chan." Yuki-san said as she pinched Nishinoya's cheek gently. It made the libero preen under her affection. Their actions familiar and comfortable.
"Ah! We ordered some fried chicken for you too, Yuki-san. I have it here." Asahi said as he presents the one of the two KFC Christmas boxes he was holding.
"Oh my, you shouldn't have."
"It's the least we can do since you do so much for us Yuki-san." Nishinoya was quick to object.
It's true. Nishinoya would often bring home some free bread or small cakes whenever he visits the bakery. Yuki-san is another reason why living in Tokyo doesn't feel as intimidating as it did a year ago for Asahi.
"Aaaw thank you."
"Merry Christmas Yuki-san!" Nishinoya greeted as he went to her for a hug.
"Merry Christmas Yuu-chan. Asahi-kun come here and let grandma hug you too."
"Ah Me-merry Christmas Yuki-san."
"You don't have to be so shy around me. Merry Christmas Asahi-kun. Now come, let's box your cake so you two can head home. It's already late."
After putting the cake carefully inside the box and gently placing it in the pink paper bag, Yuki-san showed them to the door and waved them good night.
"We'll be back in a few days for some breads and cakes to bring back home for the New Year, Yuki-san!"
"I'll be waiting then. Take care on your way home, you two."
They got back to their apartment in under 10 minutes. The bakery is just a short walk from where they live. As soon as they got inside, Nishinoya went to the kitchenette to prepare some warming tea. After hanging both their coats and lining up their boots properly, Asahi quickly started on laying out the kotatsu.
"Asahi-san, let's use the peppermint tea Saeko-nee gave us!"
It came as a delightful surprise when Asahi found out that he and Nishinoya share the love for tea. One would not typically expect that the libero to be the type that has a fondness for that kind of beverage, but when Nishinoya explained that he grew up with tea-loving parents, Asahi immediately understood how that possibility came to be. Asahi himself just likes the various tastes. He and Nishinoya find joy in looking for different and unique flavors. Sometimes, they joke about being connoisseurs with the way they discuss the intricacies of making and consuming tea.
"Do you want me to reheat the Kentucky?" Asahi asked as he walks to the kitchen after preparing the kotatsu.
"Did it get cold?"
"A bit, yeah. We were out in the cold for at least an hour."
"But it was fun right?" Nishinoya confirmed with a confident grin.
"Really fun." Asahi readily agreed. "Give me a copy of the photos okay?"
"Sure!" Nishinoya shouted but it was drowned by the sound of the kettle boiling. "I'll bring the tea to the kotatsu and then I'll come back to help you with the food."
Asahi nodded, already taking the fried chicken out of the box to put them in the microwave. They worked in silence as they prepared their Christmas Eve feast. Words not needed to inform the other of what needed to be done. Each of them instinctively moving in response to the other. They have been living together for about nine months now. Nishinoya followed him to Tokyo almost immediately after his graduation. His reentry to Asahi's every day life came as a welcome surprise to his bleak and lonely days in the bustling city.
In no time, they were comfortably settled under the warm blanket of the kotatsu with the food laid out quite nicely on the table and the cups of hot tea warming their cold hands.
"Do you think we can finish all of these tonight?" Asahi asked as he contemplates the amount of food before them.
"Hmmm we can eat the leftovers tomorrow?" Nishinoya suggested. As usual, he was sitting on Asahi's left side.
"Yeah, before practice." Asahi nodded. It's great that their coach decided to have their training start an hour later just for tomorrow in consideration of the Christmas Eve celebrations.
"Let me take a photo before we eat!"
"Again?" Asahi chuckled.
"Yeah! I want to remember our first Christmas Eve together." Nishinoya said with a dazzling smile.
There it is again. "Y-you don't mind celebrating it with me?" Asahi asked hesitantly.
"Huh?" The libero seemed genuinely baffled by Asahi's question. "I want to celebrate it with you!"
"B-but what about g-girls? Like Shimizu..."
"Kiyoko-san? I want to celebrate Christmas Eve with her too!"
"Then you would rather be with Shimizu?" I figured.
"Well yeah." Nishinoya nodded affirmatively.
Asahi was unable to hide his disappointed sigh.
"I want to be with Ryuu too!" Nishinoya went on. "And Chikara and Kazuhito and Hisashi. Also Suga-san and Daichi-san and Shouyou! I want to celebrate Christmas with everyone again! Even Tsukishima!!!" Nishinoya admitted with wide eyes.
Oh.
"S-so you just want to be with the team again?"
"Yeah!!! Don't you?" The libero looked ready to argue if Asahi said no.
"I-I do too!"
"Great!!!" Nishinoya nodded once to signify that he was done with the silly questions.
But Asahi isn't satisfied yet.
"W-wait! Isn't Shimizu special to you?"
"Of course she is!" Nishinoya is scratching his head in confusion now. "Asahi-san why are you asking weird questions?"
"D-don't you want to be with her today? I-It's Christmas Eve, you know." Asahi retorted with a defensive tone.
"What do you mean?"
"You know that Christmas Eve is for couples , right?" There. He said it. There's no going back now.
After a beat, Nishinoya asked. "Are you asking me if I want to be with Kiyoko-san? Like together together?"
"Yeah." Asahi huffed out in a defeated sigh, his head hanging low.
And yet Nishinoya had the gall to laugh at Asahi's dejected form.
"D-don't laugh." Asahi mumbled as he crossed his arms and frowned in misery.
"But that's impossible Asahi-san!" Nishinoya puffed out as he tried to calm himself down. "I can't be with Kiyoko-san! She's a Goddess and I'm just a mere mortal!"
What?
"What?" Asahi admits this was not how he imagined this conversation was going to play out. And he actually considered a lot of possibilities in his mind.
"What?!" Nishinoya is looking at him like he was crazy for even suggesting such a thing.
But Asahi isn't out of his mind. He has a point and he wants to get it across.
"Nishinoya." Asahi started firmly.
"Yes?" Nishinoya answered promptly as he looks straight into Asahi's eyes.
And under that unwavering gaze, Asahi's feeble confidence began to crumble.
"Why me?" He mumbled under his breath as he tried to cover his burning face with his hands. But Nishinoya's quickly intercepted his before they reached their destination.
"Why not you?" The libero leaned forward, eager to hear Asahi's reply.
"I-I heard Mika-chan likes you. I thought you were going to ask her out for tonight. She even gave you a gift for your birthday." Asahi whined as his mind whirled with depressing thoughts.
"Hmmm I don't want to be with her on Christmas Eve. And I love the coat you gave me on my birthday."
It's true. Nishinoya has been using that coat everyday without fail. Asahi had to teach him how to properly keep it clean because he refuses to have it washed.
"What about you Asahi-san? I heard Inoue-san confessed to you on Valentine's Day. Why did you turn her down?" Nishinoya has his head tilted cutely to one side but the glint in his eyes betray his keen interest on the subject.
"I-I don't like her like that... and... there is... someone else... I like..." Asahi stammered until he had his head buried under his crossed arms on top of the table.
"Hmmm that's me right?"
The table and its content rattled after Asahi abruptly stood up. He jerked his head towards Nishinoya, his mind reeling from shock.
"Wha-?! How did you know?!"
"You didn't know?"
"Of course I know!!! How did you know?!"
"Asahi-san, everyone knows."
"What?!!!"
"Oh except Mika-chan. But I think now she already knows."
"Wait!!! Who is everyone?"
"Everyone!!! Even Kageyama knows."
"Kageyama too?!"
"Asahi-san, are you seriously telling me you didn't know?"
Unlike Asahi, Nishinoya slowly stood up during their exchange, but he now has his hands on his hips as he scrutinized Asahi with a disgruntled expression. It made Asahi cower in fear.
"Asahi-san, why do you think I followed you all the way here?"
"W-well you w-wanted to be a p-pro volleyball player too, r-right?"
"Of course I do! But I didn't need to live with you to do that." Nishinoya now has his arms crossed and is clearly becoming more upset as their conversation went on.
"I-I thought you w-wanted to s-save money."
"Well there is that." Nishinoya frowned harder. "Are you honestly saying you didn't know? All this time and you didn't realize..." Nishinoya's irate tone grew weaker with each passing word as it is replaced with a more somber one.
It worried Asahi and he immediately tried to rectify the situation. "B-but I do like you Nishinoya! Very much so!"
"Well I like you a lot too!" Nishinoya huffed in annoyance.
Asahi thinks there is something wrong with this scene. Never could he have imagined that the moment he has been yearning for would have come to fruition like this. In all the various scenarios he has conjured with his very active imagination, not once did he envision that he and Nishinoya would be confessing to each other in this absurd way. And to think the one with the helicopter was what he thought to be the most ridiculous one.
He slowly made his way towards the upset libero who has his back turned towards Asahi. He stopped about a foot away from Nishinoya and asked in a gentle whisper "A-are you angry at me, Nishinoya?"
The libero heaved a deep sigh and suddenly he was hugging Asahi tightly at the waist as he buries his face on the much taller man's chest.
"We're so stupid." Nishinoya mumbled on his sweater.
Asahi can only chuckle at that.
Nishinoya then looked up and said "I figured I was stupid but I didn't realize you could be this dense, Asahi-san."
That made Asahi wince. "Aaahhh I'm sorry. D-do you not like me anymore?"
Nishinoya snorted, clearly affronted. "I still like you very much even though you're a giant dweeb." And he hugged Asahi tighter to soften the blow.
"Haha thanks." The comment didn't do much damage on Asahi's pride as he has already accepted that observation to be true. "S-so you still like me even if I'm a wimp?"
Nishinoya hummed in thought, considering Asahi's question carefully. "I think admitting and acknowledging one's weaknesses takes a special kind of strength too."
Times like this remind Asahi of how lucky he is to have Nishinoya in his life. And he's falling in love all over again.
"C-can I kiss you? I... I've always wanted to."
"You do too?! I thought you weren't into that. Now I realize you're just a big dummy." Nishinoya laughed as he stood on his tiptoes and reach up for a kiss.
Asahi muttered an apology as he lean down to kiss the waiting libero.
"Ah! Wait!"
When Asahi opened his eyes, he realized he was kissing Nishinoya's hand instead. "Huh?"
"What time is it?!"
Asahi looked at his watch and answered "It's almost midnight."
"The exact time!"
"Uh 11:58."
Nishinoya sighed in relief. "Good. We can still do it."
"Do what?"
"Midnight Kiss!"
"What's that?"
"It's when couples kiss on Christmas Eve. Ryuu told me all about it."
"Tanaka? You talk to him about us?!"
"Of course! He is my best friend. Don't you talk to Daichi-san or Suga-san about this?"
"W-well I try to but they always end up making fun of me instead of giving me proper advice." Asahi admitted sadly.
Nishinoya laughed at that and cooed "Poor Asahi-san" as he patted Asahi's cheek consolingly. "Is it midnight already?"
"Umm... 12 seconds."
"12! 11! 10! 9! 8! 7! 6! 5!" Nishinoya lunged up for every number, teasing Asahi by making silly kissy faces.
In return, Asahi held the libero's face still as he leaned down and counted "4... 3..."
Nishinoya's lips were sweet, possibly because of the peppermint tea and it was all Asahi ever dreamed of and more.
Asahi was first to break the kiss and ask "How was it?"
"Minty!" Nishinoya cheerfully commented.
Asahi chuckled. "Let's try again."
"Wait!" The libero held up his hand again. "First, presents! Let me get mine."
Asahi huffed a laugh at the libero's peerless energy. "I'll get mine too."
"Merry Christmas Asahi-san!" Nishinoya greeted as soon as he was back, thrusting a rectangular shaped box wrapped in a shiny red paper with a see-through green ribbon that looks a bit crumpled. "I kept it in my bag. I didn't know where to hide it." Nishinoya admitted shyly.
The adorable expression on the libero's face made Asahi smile with fondness. "Thank you. Merry Christmas, Nishinoya. Here's my present for you." Asahi handed the white paper bag decorated with tiny snowflakes and a fancy red ribbon to the libero.
"Open yours first!" Nishinoya insisted excitedly.
"Okay!" Asahi sat down and started carefully opening the present. Nishinoya kept urging him to hurry but he didn't want to ruin the gift the libero gave him.
As soon as the kneepads inside the simple white box became visible, Nishinoya asked "Do you like it Asahi-san?"
"Oh this looks great! Thanks Nishinoya!"
"I noticed your kneepads were getting worn out and then I remembered Ueda-senpai mentioning how great the Mizuno LR6 kneepads were. I tried it out before buying and it has great support and it's easy to move in these. Plus! See! It's black and orange! I bought a pair for me too so we can match! C'mon try them on Asahi-san!"
"Ah! Wait! You need to open my present too." Asahi reminded the ever energetic libero.
Asahi expected Nishinoya to just rip the paper bag open, but Nishinoya actually gently untied the ribbon and slowly took out the gift inside.
"It's a muffler. I'm sorry, I tried to look for a red one but they don't have it in that color so I chose grey. Uh... You said before that you don't like wearing scarves because sometimes it feels choking so I thought you can use this muffler instead because it isn't tight... and you only have to put it over your head..."
"Are you trying to dress me up Asahi-san? First the coat and now a muffler."
"I-I'm not!" Asahi denied vehemently. "It's just you tend to forget to wear winter clothes even though you get cold easily..."
The next thing he knew, Nishinoya's lips were on his again for a quick kiss. "This is awesome! Thank you Asahi-san!" And he was given another kiss after that.
"I-I love your present too, Nishinoya. I was thinking of replacing my old one and you chose the one I wanted to buy."
"It's my first present for you and I wanted it to be perfect!"
"Ah... ummm... actually..."
"What? What is it, Asahi-san?"
"Ah d-do you remember two years ago w-when we celebrated Christmas with the team?"
"Yeah! What about it?"
"W-well, back then, Tsukishima left without taking the h-hachimaki you made..."
"Tsukishima that bastard!"
"A-and I still had it on s-so I brought it home..."
"Oh really?"
"Y-yeah... I still have it... I brought it here... I used to wear it... when I was feeling down..."
"Last year?"
"Yeah." Asahi admitted wistfully. "It was effective though! Whenever I wear it, it brings out my fighting spirit!"
That made the worried frown on Nishinoya's face fade and be replaced by an affectionate smile. "I'm glad. But you don't have to worry anymore, Asahi-san. I'm here. You'll never be alone again. I promise."
Asahi needed to clear his throat before he could say "T-Thank you. I'm here too. As long as you'll take me."
"Always."
Unfortunately, the tender moment was ruined by Nishinoya's growling stomach. Asahi promptly laughed. His short burst of laughter dissolved into chuckles when he glanced at Nishinoya's flushed face.
"Let's eat, Nishinoya. We have to wake up early for tomorrow's practice too."
"Yeah." The libero grumbled shyly.
"Don't feel bad. I'm hungry too." And to make the libero feel a bit better, Asahi leaned down for a quick kiss.
It was actually quite effective. "Hmm I guess we'll be kissing a lot from now on."
"You don't like it?" Asahi paused.
"I love it!" And to prove his point, Nishinoya went up for another one but before their lips could touch, the libero shouted "Ah! My wish came true!"
"Wish?"
"To Santa-san! I said I want to have a Midnight Kiss tonight with you!"
That explains the man's reaction.
"Oh man does this mean Santa-san is real?!"
"No. It was Jesus who made your wish come true." Asahi commented in a completely deadpan voice.
It took a full minute for his joke to sink in and have Nishinoya rolling on the floor with laughter.
"Th-thank you, Jesus." Nishinoya hiccuped in between bouts of laughter.
"You're welcome." And that made the libero laugh even harder.
Nishinoya looked so adorable with his flushed cheeks and shining eyes that Asahi couldn't help but lean down to continue where they left off.
"Are you happy, Nishinoya?"
"Very happy. You make me happy, Asahi-san."
Nishinoya's assurance coaxed a warm and open smile from Asahi. The libero has the uncanny ability of making Asahi unguarded and bringing out his more adventurous side. For as long as they have known each other, Nishinoya has only ever wanted what was best for him and the libero has proven that time and again. He doesn't know what he did to deserve Nishinoya's bright presence in his life but Asahi vows to never let that brilliant light dim.