Your Silence Speaks Volumes

For HQ Rare Pairs

It wasn't a passion that burned. It wasn't an all-consuming flame that loved so strong, so hard that it incinerated until nothing was left. No, it wasn't the type of love that Shakespeare's deft pen scrawled into delirium and death. It wasn't the type of love that maddened into licks of oil on canvas – that ached, that cried, that broke with every breath. There was no tragedy, there was no pain. It was like the frothing shoals ebbing and flowing in an eternal give and take. It was the kind of love that lasts. The kind of love that grows old together in sickness and in health. The till death do us part kind of adoration. That's what they had.

It had started the middle of their second year at Karasuno High. The sideways glances. The lingering brushes of fingertips when towels and water bottles passed between hands. Practically everyone had seen it coming before they had even recognized their own feelings, so it came as no surprise when they officially announced their relationship to the team towards the end of third year. The response received was a chorus of "finally" from their long-time friends.

The only ones who'd been shocked by the news were Hinata and Kageyama, ever oblivious to everything but volleyball as usual. Tsukishima had teased them well for having not noticed. And Hinata had burned red in embarrassment, blubbering and apologizing for no reason, Kageyama standing stiff unsure of what to do in such circumstances. But even though late to the party, Hinata was among the most enthused supporters of their relationship, second only to Nishinoya and Tanaka who loudly cheered the revelation while simultaneously crying for the fact that their goddess was now taken.

They'd grinned and patted Asahi on the back, congratulating him for manning up and confessing, and were shocked stupid when Asahi told them that it had in fact been Kiyoko who'd taken the initiative to ask him out first. That day it had been just before a match and she'd given him a handmade omamori and told him to win. Filled with the strength, empowered by her words, he'd gone out and done just that. Though if asked, Asahi would say in a heartbeat that the only reason he hadn't broken under the pressure like he had before when faced with an insurmountable wall the time before, was because Kiyoko had been there, standing by the benches, clipboard hugged tight against her chest, a determined look in her eyes. And after it was all over and Karasuno had emerged victorious, she'd approached him, hands fidgeting in the hem of her jersey and gaze shifting nervously from side to side, before settling on Asahi's face, cheeks stained pink as she said "I love you."

Asahi had been thoroughly scolded by Suga and Daichi for having not had the balls to say it first and making Kiyoko do something so out of her comfort zone. The apologetic: "I meant to but she beat me to it," Asahi had protested with easily became the defining mark of their relationship. The jests all in good humor as he was ever so often reminded by the teasing imitation of his friends.

xXx

Come graduation no one had really known what to say when they both stated their intentions for the future. Asahi would take over full time at the flower shop he'd been part-timing at all the while, and Kiyoko – whom everyone was sure would go on to college – would take up work at the small family run walk-in clinic in her neighborhood. With her grades she could have easily gotten into nursing school and earned far more for her time, but while she wanted to help others, what she sought was the homey closeness of a small place where she knew everyone by name – all the neighborhood children coming by with their cuts and bruises from playing a little too hard, and the grannies and grandpas that stopped by to sit and talk even if nothing was wrong. Even without credentials from some big university, a caring smile, a comforting shoulder, a listening ear… that genuine concern and attention were things that couldn't be learned.

What's more, what the two wanted more than anything was the freedom to stop by and see their cute baby crows grow. Three years was a long time to devote yourself to something, and they had become inextricably attached to the club they'd spent their high school years in. The gym slick with the sweat and tears of experience. The air of frustration and determination hovering in the bleachers. The screams and shouts and squeaks of shoes against polished floors echoing off the walls. They didn't want it all to become a nostalgic memory. They could never be there as they had when they were attending Karasuno, but like coach Ukai, they didn't have to give it up.

Asahi would always enter the gym, first with Kiyoko arriving shortly after from the clinic. She'd slip in quietly and lace her fingers with his. He'd fluster a bit, stiffening before settling and lifting their entwined hands, lips brushing across her knuckles in a silent gesture of respect and adoration. Kiyoko would smile and lean against him affectionately before slipping away to talk to Yachi.

By the time they arrived the team – new crows and all – would be well into their practice for the day. New captain Ennoshita had really stepped up to fill the shoes Daichi had left behind – more confident, working harder than anyone else not to disappoint the expectations placed in him – a real pillar of strength. Asahi would smile encouragingly when those searching brown eyes turned to him for approval.

At break Hinata would break away from Kageyama's reprimands to report his progress, chirping delightedly to the man he still respected as ace even now that he was no longer competition for the position. At first it had been overwhelming to him, but Asahi had grown fond of Hinata in a way he hadn't when they'd been teammates, ruffling his hair and grinning though his gaze would always stray across the room to where Kiyoko was good naturedly ignoring Nishinoya and Tanaka as usual, sparing her attention to the new crows in need of encouragement. And just when Asahi thought Kiyoko was too busy to pay him any mind, she'd glance up meeting his gaze with that knowing glimmer and it would warm his soul to the very core.

xXx

It had been in Karasuno's gym that held so many memories for them that Asahi had asked Kiyoko to marry him. It hadn't been planned, though the modest engagement ring had been burning a hole in his pocket for almost a month since he'd impulsively bought it. The team was in the middle of practice, Kiyoko was laughing at something Yachi had said and in that moment she's just looked so beautiful to him the words tumbled out. "Marry me." He hadn't even realized he'd said it aloud until he discerned the shock on her face, the blush on Yachi's, and the silence that had fallen across the whole gym – no screeching shoes, no smack of the ball, no raucous voices calling for the ball. All eyes were on them and he had started to panic when her eyes began to glisten as though ready to cry.

"Sorry! Sorry! Are you-"

"Yes," Kiyoko nodded, lips tugging up at the corners, lifting her glasses with one hand and brushing at mirthful tears with the other.

"Yes," she repeated, adoring eyes meeting his gaze again.

There were cheers and congratulations as Asahi fumbled awkwardly for the ring, bringing it out with a bashful lopsided grin.

xXx

It was in the following summer after a quiet wedding with their friends and family when the gym at Karasuno was filled with the enthusiastic wail of their baby girl. Soft curls of chestnut hair and eyes as clear and blue as Miyagi's sunny summer sky. The pride in Asahi's eyes matched the joy in Kiyoko's as friends flocked around, tentative hands petting soft marshmallow cheeks, earning hiccupy little giggles and babbles.

They'd named her Chiyo, like the love that they shared – eternal.

End

A/N: So I wrote this as a request from someone on tumblr's hq rare pairs. I don't write het pairs but I was so happy to have a request, not to mention the idea did seem cute to me that I agreed right away. The request was to write an AsaKiyo fic where neither of them goes to college and they become the mama and papa crows at Karasuno. There was also something about Florist!Asahi, early engagement and a baby girl. Talk about a lot of stuff I don't usually deal in ^^;

I tried out a vignette kind of thing and it ended up being pretty short – I'm somewhat embarrassed for offering up something so short after keeping the requester waiting for over two months ORZ But aside for having some difficulty putting myself in the headspace to write these two, I was seriously procrastinating because I was scared I'd screw up. So my sincerest apologies for the wait, I hope it's not too bad.

Thanks as always for your time, all comments are very much welcomed and appreciated :)