The white wash walls were reminiscence of a hotel, coupled with the plain, sterile feel of a hospital. Walking from the cold chill of the outdoors, the brightly lit foyer was warm and welcoming. Beyond the foyer a loud dinning hall was blustering with activity. Ushering Nishinoya up the near by stairs, Asahi looked over his shoulder and back down at the dinning hall.
"We're not really supposed to have guests." Cracking up in a fit of giggles, Nishinoya raised an eyebrow at him.
"You're breaking the rules for me? How adult life has changed you." Rolling his eyes as they paced onwards up the stairs, Asahi nodded to some students coming down the opposite way and entered through an open door of the fourth floor.
"Fourth floor, number six zero one. In case you get lost at all." Following the tall boy down the hall, Nishinoya tried to count the number of doors between the bathroom and the door Asahi stopped at. "You need a card to get everywhere, like even to go to the bathroom."
"So what you're saying is, we can't ever be apart?" Scanning his card, and opening the door Asahi shrugged.
"I suppose."
Taking off his shoes, Nishinoya took in his surroundings. The studio apartment was tiny, smaller then his room at home and impossibly small for only one person.
"How do you live here?" Squeezing himself past Asahi as he dashed to the tiny window, Nishinoya looked down onto the street below. "It's tiny."
Sitting back in the compact office chair in front of the desk, Asahi swung himself around slowly.
"You get used to it. I kind of hate it. It's why I love coming home on the weekends." Flopping down on the bed Nishinoya rolled around on the hard single bed, fluffing the blankets and covers as he did.
"I don't think I could live here. Is it loud?" He asked, listening to a flurry of footsteps crashing down overhead as the upstairs neighbours ran around. Leaning back in his chair, Asahi glanced at Nishinoya out of the corner of his eye. The small ace looked good all spread out on his bed, his hair tussled from his roll around, with the black of his shirt looking right at home atop his home made quilt.
"It can be. Tuesday and Saturday nights are the worst. When people go out to the clubs. Tuesday garbage day and the trucks are so loud outside."
Struggling to sit up and shedding his coat, Nishinoya flopped over on his belly, pushing his face into the pillow. It smelt like Asahi's shampoo and the neutral scent of the whole building.
"At least you have a TV." Grinning at Nishinoya's priories, the tall boy leant back further in his chair, putting his feet up on the bed. His hand still felt warm where Nishinoya had held it. Usually his hands were cold and a little achy from his years on the court. But now they just felt soft and warm. Clasping his hands before him, Asahi couldn't keep a straight face, watching the small lib patrol his new surroundings. Kneeling down to check inside a cupboard, fiddling with the taps at the sink, he opened the fridge twice before returning to the bed and snuggling under the quilt.
"So because we're not really allowed to have guests over, we have two options." Stretching against the mattress, Nishinoya craned his head to the side.
"Oh?" Nodding Asahi sat his feet flat on the ground.
"Yeah, so we can either go to the RA and rent a futon for the time you're here." Sticking his tongue out, Nishinoya thought about his minimal savings and budget for this trip.
"Pass."
"Or we can just share the bed." Laying flat on his back, Nishinoya stared up at the plain, white wash ceiling. Smiling at the other boy over his shoulder, Nishinoya caught Asahi's dark gaze and stared him down.
"We'll share the bed."
Feeling the water trickling down over his skin, Asahi forced his hand to the tap. Turning hard, the water came to a drizzling halt. Catching a quick shower before bed was somewhat of a challenge, but Asahi always seemed to manage a spare cubicle. He would be lying if he said it had nothing to do with his size. The other boys tended to stay away when the saw him entering the bathroom. The cubicle walls weren't really tall enough to keep him out, not that he ever looked. Squeezing out his hair, Asahi stepped out of the shower, feet hitting the uncomfortable foam mat with a gentle thud. Towelling down his body and wrapping up his hair, the tall boy took his time drying off.
He was getting himself all worked up for nothing. It was just sharing a bed, there wasn't anything more then that. It wasn't a big thing. So why did it feel like that? Nishinoya had immediately claimed the bed as he space as Asahi had prepared for sleep and organised some activities for the next day. He'd looked so at home, all snuggled up and drowsy in his quilt. Even if it was just sharing, they would be close, close enough that Asahi could touch him and feel him. So close after so many months of being alone.
Shaking his head as water dripped down his back, he slipped on his boxers and singlet. Hopefully the heaters would be on by the time he got back to his room. Otherwise it'd be chilly night. Except that he had Nishinoya's body heat now and he was a natural furnace. A happy little shiver ran down his spine as he exited the bathroom and almost skipped his way back to his room. Scanning his card he ducked quickly inside as a group of students rounded the corner, chatting loudly.
"People are so loud here, I hate it." The room was hot, the heater pumping at full volume had caused the windows to fog and the chill of the shower to immediately dissipate.
"It's because it's the weekend, the weekdays are usually quieter, you'll see." Humming as he shuffled across the bed, Nishinoya moved closer to the wall, opening up some extra space for Asahi.
"It's annoying, at least the country is quiet." Tossing the towel in the laundry hamper, Asahi fiddling his phone, putting off hopping into bed until the last moment.
Opening up the bedsheets, Nishinoya offered him a half of the bed. Switching off the light beside the bed, Asahi felt his face blush as he noticed Nishinoya's shirtless state.
"Sorry if my feet are cold." Snorting at him, Nishinoya kicked his feet out against Asahi's as he slipped under the covers. The room was so warm, the small oil heater attached to the corner of the room was pouring heat into the room at an alarming rate. Some nights Asahi wished he could turn it off, or at least down. But they were controlled by the central office downstairs. And it was always cold downstairs, heat rose and as it did the higher levels got uncomfortably hotter. Opening windows was the only solution, but tonight's cold air was simply too much for that.
Rolling up against the wall, his nose almost touching plaster as Asahi's shoulders touched his, Nishinoya huddle in closer. Hugging the wall to avoid taking up to much space.
"There's plenty of space, just relax. Sorry my shoulders are so big." Laughing, Nishinoya shimmed back a little, breathing easy as he went limp against the bed.
"I like your shoulders, don't apologise for them." Pleased by the compliment, Asahi stretched out along the sheets, the dip in the mattress kept drawing him closer, bringing him ever nearer to Nishinoya's back with every breath. Frowning, Asahi twisted his spine, rolling over putting his back to Nishinoya in case they should both fall into the dip throughout the night. Waking up nose to nose would be mortifying, or would it be?
This was their chance to change everything. To take that extra step towards starting a real relationship together. The one they should have started last night but didn't. It had taken such a long time to get to this point, and he couldn't let anything happen to jeopardise that. Closing his eyes and trying to force himself to sleep, Asahi took a heavy breath feeling Nishinoya squirm behind him. They could make this work.
Unless they couldn't. Nishinoya had forgiven him up to his point, but what if he couldn't open his heart any further? What if Asahi had lost his trust for good? Lost his smile and energy forever. Even having him here in his tiny, dim little room had made his life just a little bit brighter. What would he do if Nishinoya left and he was alone? No weekends to look forward to, no Nishinoya to greet him online or at the station which he stepped off the train on Friday afternoons. Sniffing as his nose began to run in the heat and his eye stung with un-fallen tears, Asahi could feel himself shaking. He couldn't mess this up. This was one of the most important things he was facing in his adult life, and he was bound to mess it up.
"You're thinking too loud." Stiffening against the bed as Nishinoya's word broke the silence of the quiet room, the tall boy froze. Coughing to cover his quiet sob, Asahi stuttered over his words, mumbling some incoherent ramble of noise. "Shush, go to sleep." The dip in the bed suddenly vanished as Nishinoya shuffled closer, snaking his arm out and over Asahi's lean hips. Letting his hand drop limply over the giant's torso, Nishinoya rubbed his nose against Asahi's back, nuzzling into his warmth and wiping his nose at the same time.
Blushing as Nishinoya spooned behind him gently, Asahi relaxed back against the solid weight of the boy behind him. The arm around his middle tightened slightly as Nishinoya snorted, his quiet snoring signalling his easy descent into sleep. Following suite, Asahi lay back content, his mind at ease as Nishinoya's quiet snores lulled him to sleep.
They would be fine.
