It was like someone had reached into his chest and was shaking his heart and lungs violently. Asahi couldn't breathe. He was staring right at her, brown orbs meeting vibrant green. His silence hung in the air, and he knew he needed to say something - anything. He couldn't find the words. In some distant part of his mind, everything made sense. Why she was there - why she'd spoken to Shimizu.

Yet the realization that this was - that she was his soulmate… it left him in a daze. He could tell she was getting worried, the longer he stayed silent. He needed to say something. Anything. Anything at all. What could he say?

"I'm… um…. I'm Azumane Asahi. Nice to, uh, eat- I mean, nice to meet you!…?"

A beat of silence, then he could hear stifled laughter of his teammates around him. He couldn't possibly be more embarrassed than he was in that instant. How stupid could he be? She'd just told him that they were soulmates - and he'd seen the proof in her reaction to Suga's blow - yet the first thing he does is introduce himself? And then he even flubs that. What kind of idiot-

She was laughing. The blonde girl was standing in front of him, head thrown back in absolute delight. It was infectious, and even Asahi couldn't help the way a slow and unsure smile spread across his lips. She was gripping her sides, and he could tell she was trying desperately to get her giggling under control.

"Hi," Niko bit her lip, choking back another laugh, "Azumane-kun." His heart skipped a beat and butterflies erupted in his stomach at the way she said his name. "I'm Kobayashi Niko. Nice to meet you, too."

He was silent again. Watching the way her lips curled up in a crooked smile before breaking out into a wide grin that made the corners of her eyes crinkle up. Listening to her broken laughter as she tried to reign herself in.

Nearby, Daichi, Suga, and Kiyoko glanced between one another. Kiyoko covered her mouth as she laughed softly. "She was going to tell him after practice. That's why she's here."

Daichi covered up his laugh with a cough, looking at his vice-captain with an ever-widening grin."Nice going, Kōshi." The grey-haired male immediately flushed a bit, his hand finding the back of his neck.

"Oops." The simple half-hearted statement was enough to make the players closest to them snort and try to cover up their laughter. "Well," Straightening up, Suga reached up and gripped Asahi's shoulder suddenly. As the ace looked at him in a daze, the setter gave him a wry grin. "I think we can all agree that you're exempt from clean-up tonight. Use your time wisely."

Suga pushed him forward, and Daichi motioned for him to go. Asahi sent them both an appreciative smile before turning back to Niko-

Niko, who was suddenly extremely close to him. Only centimeters between them, her head was tilted back as she looked up at him. From this distance, he could see the spattering of freckles on her nose and the way there was a ring of forest green around her sea-green irises. Spluttering, he took a step back.

While her cheeks were still warm, Niko couldn't help the way she smiled at his reaction. Reaching forward, she grasped Asahi's hand lightly. "Maybe we could go talk outside?" Her eyes met his again, and he nodded dumbly. That was all it took for her to grin brightly at him and turn towards the doors. She led him from the gymnasium silently. He followed behind her, a smile slowly curling his lips upwards as it began to sink in.

Once they were outside, Karasuno's team burst into noise. Mostly consisting of Nishinoya and Tanaka. "SHE'S ASAHI'S SOULMATE?"

"I THOUGHT SHE WAS-"

"Stop yelling!" Suga's hand connected with their heads again. The silence was momentary.

"I thought she was dating Shimizu-senpai!" Said girl stopped and stared at Tanaka as he said this. His cheeks glowed red. "I mean-um- it looked like she was confessing to you out there earlier!"

"No, she was just talking to me about Azumane-kun. It's why I brought her with me to practice."

And just like that, she walked away. The boys were left shouting and arguing about the new development with Asahi's soulmate. A few harsh warnings from Daichi ensured that no one disturbed the ace and Niko while they were talking. It left the second years disappointed, but no one was brave enough to defy their captain.

At first, neither Niko nor Asahi spoke. For Niko, the fact that they were completely alone made her a bit nervous - because she wanted to make a good impression on him, and didn't want to mess up. Asahi was in a similar boat, trying to build up the courage to talk to her.

The two of them meandered through the school grounds aimlessly, walking almost a meter apart. Finally, after building herself up internally and giving herself pep talk after pep talk in her head, Niko shuffled over closer to Asahi. "So," She started softly, looking up at him from the corner of her eye, "tell me everything. I want to know you."

When he began talking, after some brief hesitation, Niko kept her attention on him. His eyes darted back and forth between the path they were walking and her, but he was never able to keep his eyes on her for long. Every time he looked at her, she was staring up at him with the biggest smile on her face, and it made his breath hitch and his heart beat wildly in his chest.

Asahi told her everything he could think of, ranging from his birthday to his favorite food and hobbies. He explained how he'd been playing volleyball since junior high and that he'd always been a wing spiker. That he'd met Suga and Daichi in his first year, and that they all dreamed of taking Karasuno back to nationals.

The more he spoke, the less hesitation there was in his voice. He fed off of her curiosity, his voice growing stronger and his breath steadying as they walked. Stories from junior high, and then high school, kept her entertained. Every time she laughed, Asahi was pulled in by her radiance and found himself chuckling alongside her.

When he reached a lull in his storytelling, Asahi glanced over at her and immediately flushed. Niko was staring straight at him. Her sea-colored eyes were wide, her lips curled up in a crooked smile. Silence stretched between them. Then suddenly, he looked away and reached up to rub the back of his head. "Ah, but… Um, tell me… about you?" He murmured, cheeks growing warm once again as he trailed off lamely.

Niko was basking in the warmth that Asahi radiated. He was so shy, and unsure of himself, but an absolute sweetheart. It wasn't hard to tell that he cared for his teammates very much. They were like a second family to him. Each story about them was told with such adoration and fondness that at times it almost felt like she was hearing intimate secrets.

The fact that he wanted to tell her those things made the butterflies in her stomach throw a wild party. Her hands were clammy with excitement, and if they hadn't been walking, Niko knew she'd be fidgeting in some way. When he turned his attention to her, she realized she'd been staring a little too intensely, and shifted her gaze away just as he looked to the ground.

His voice wavered a bit as he spoke, but his words brought a smile to her face anyway. "Let's see… My birthday is just a few days after yours!" Niko exclaimed, bouncing right back from her embarrassment moments before. She nudged him with her elbow lightly, and grinned up at him. "The fifth of January! My favorite food is rice pudding - and I make a killer version, so I'm definitely going to have you and your team try it at some point!"

Niko was quick to delve into her own life, no ounce of reservation in her as she bounced from one topic to the next. Where Asahi had been unsure of himself, she left no room for timidity as she spoke. He began asking questions and indulging her own curious nature by answering hers. The two of them went back and forth, flitting between subjects endlessly.

When they somehow managed to circle back to the gym, the duo paused a few feet from the door. As they turned towards one another, a bright grin met a slow smile. "We should probably go in and get our clothes so we can change. I still need to head back to the train station before it gets too late." Niko said, her eyes meeting his.

"I'll… Can I walk you to the station?" Only a momentary slip-up, a blip of hesitation. Niko caught onto the fact that he was speaking slightly more confidently now, and she was giddy at the realization.

"I'd really like you to." She was quick to agree, her head bobbing up and down. After a brief pause, Asahi nodded as well and smiled. "I'll meet you back out here after we change!"

"Okay."

Like a bolt of lightning, she zoomed into the gymnasium. The group of players that had been clinging to the windows scattered as the door burst open, all of them trying desperately to appear as though they hadn't just been eavesdropping on the two of them. In the back of her head, she made a note to tease them about their spying later.

It took a matter of moments for Niko to retrieve her bag and dash back to the door. She jolted when she was halfway outside, and suddenly skidded to a halt and looked over her shoulder at the Karasuno players. "It was great meeting you all! I hope to see you all soon!" Just like that, she turned and bolted in the direction of the girls' locker room.

Everyone was quick to focus their attention on the ace when he came inside. Several shouts of his name echoed in the gymnasium, and he hesitated as he walked towards his bag. He wasn't sure if he should stop and talk to them or…

Luckily, due to the quick deflection of Mama Suga and Dada Daichi, the first and second years were fended off long enough for him to get his bag and leave for the changing rooms as well. The disappointed yells of his kouhais followed Asahi as he bid them all goodbye, but he was shooed out of the gymnasium quickly.

Asahi was quick to rush through changing, pulling off and yanking on his clothes haphazardly in his eagerness to go back outside to talk to Niko. His hands were shaking the entire time, both from excitement and nerves. His heart was playing a wild rhythm against his ribs, and he had to take a moment to calm himself down before he exited the changing rooms.

He met up with her a short distance from the gym, an unsure smile spreading across his lips as he halted about half a meter from her. If he'd been bothering to pay attention to his surroundings, he'd have seen quite a few prying faces peeking out at them from the gymnasium window, but he was too focused on her to notice anything else.

As he was trying to come up with something to say, Asahi watched as Niko began digging through her bag. In a flash, she pulled her phone from its depths and shoved it in his hands after unlocking it. "Give me your number so we can text and call. Please?"

Asahi blinked, momentarily stunned. Then his cheeks grew warm, and he nodded, pulling open her contacts and adding his number. "Okay." He said before handing her phone back. The brush of her fingers against his palm sent electricity zipping through his veins. Niko typed something in it before shoving it into her bag. He felt his pocket vibrate, and realized that she'd texted him.

This time when they began walking together, Niko was close enough that her arm brushed his every now and then - which made Asahi's mind go fuzzy and his face grow warmer and warmer. Even as his teammates called out to him, he barely registered their words, and didn't even manage a response. With his soulmate beside him, Asahi found himself unable to concentrate on anything else.

Again, as Asahi walked alongside Niko, he found himself being pulled in by her openness and warmth. She had no qualms about asking questions or bouncing between topics of conversation, and never once tried to fill the silence when he hesitated on an answer. Instead, every time, she gave him the chance to speak, and only once he was completely finished did she say anything.

For Asahi, she was like a breath of fresh air. Her confidence gave him something to lean on, and his nerves slowly ebbed away. Every brush of her hand against his still jolted his entire body, and made his mind go blank, and each time his eyes met hers, Asahi felt his heartbeat stutter in his chest. Yet, his voice steadied and he spoke with less stuttering over time.

When they walking into the train station, Asahi realized that time had positively flew by. It wasn't a short walk by any means, but it felt like barely five minutes had passed. A ping of disappointment raced through him at the realization that she would be leaving so soon. Niko turned to him, a small smile curling the corners of her lips up.

"Thank you for walking me here, Azumane-kun." Her eyes met his, and Asahi swallowed thickly, nodding rapidly. His skin flushed, and he found himself rubbing the back of his head.

"Asahi." He blurted out, before balking and rewinding. "Ah. I mean. You're welcome. But call me Asahi. Please." Asahi felt like his whole body was on fire. He'd meant for that to come out a lot less awkwardly than it had. They were soulmates, though, so he wanted her to call him by his first name. Plus, if he was honest, he wanted to hear how his name sounded from her lips.

Her giggling made him refocus, and he hesitantly brought his eyes up to hers once again. "Very well, Asahi." His heart leapt against his ribs, thundering in his chest. He could listen to her say his name all day. "But only if you call me Niko." The twinkle in her eyes gave him no room to say no.

A quick nod affirmed this. "Okay… Niko." Her cheeks grew warm, but she held his gaze. "I'm sorry for keeping you so long today, um…"

"Don't apologize! I wouldn't have stayed so late if I didn't want to. I hope you feel the same." Niko waited for a short nod from him. "Good! I'll text you when I get home, then?" She said hopefully, watching him closely.

Asahi couldn't help the way his face split into a soft grin at the prospect. "Yes, please."

Her heart was going to leap right out of her chest, Niko was sure of it. Asahi's grin was absolutely heart-stopping. What the hell, doesn't he know how dangerous that grin of his is? Then again, what she wouldn't give to be able to see that all the time. Every day-

She fumbled through her bag, pulling out her phone and opening the camera in mere seconds. Before Asahi knew what she was doing, she'd taken a photo of him. His grin faltered a bit, his eyes widening as he stuttered.

Looking up at him, Niko bit her lower lip lightly before shrugging nonchalantly. "I needed a picture for your contact info. You can take one of me." She giggled, grinning cheekily. As he continued to stumble over his words, she laughed and patted his arm. "I'll send you one tonight, then. Come here for a moment, please?"

Beckoning him to lean down, Niko had to take a deep breath to calm her nerves. Asahi bent forward slowly, unsure of her intentions. His mind ground to a halt when she leaned forward, gripping the front of his jacket lightly. He was vaguely aware of the train pulling up and passengers spilling off of it.

Electricity shot through both of them as Niko's lips landed on Asahi's cheek. Just as fast as she pressed her lips to his skin, she pulled back. The tips of her ears were burning. "I really enjoyed talking to you - I hope we can do it again soon. Thank you again for walking me here! Bye for now, Asahi!"

The ace was still leaning over, eyes wide and his face every shade of red imaginable when the train doors closed. Slowly, he brought a hand to his cheek where her lips had been. He began trekking back out of the station hazily. A grin curling his lips up, stretching across his face slowly as he went over the action in his head repeatedly.

On the train, Niko was quick to slide into a seat and clutch the front of her vest. Her whole body felt like it was on fire, and she found herself pressing her hand to her lips. She couldn't believe she'd just done that. Scratch that - she couldn't believe she'd just done that and hadn't immediately exploded from some combination of excitement and embarrassment. Yet as the train lurched forward, the smile that spread across her face was unstoppable.

When she got home, Niko had to fend off her parents' questioning of her whereabouts but managed to convince them that she was safe, and that she'd tell them everything tomorrow. They let her off the hook with a suspicious warning that they'd better get all of the details or else. Somehow, Niko knew that the 'or else' involved her best friends torturing her for information.

Only after promising multiple times to tell her parents everything did Niko finally get released from their overprotective clutches and sent on her way with a plate of food they'd saved for her. She bid them goodnight and kissed them both on the cheek before dashing up the stairs two at a time.

Niko spent the evening texting Asahi, only pausing long enough to take a shower and return to bed. WIth her hair falling in dark waves around her shoulders, and no makeup on her face, she took a quick picture and sent it to him before she could overthink it and back out.

When he received a photo of her with damp hair, a grin on her lips and fingers up in the peace sign, Asahi swore his heart stopped. He was quick to save the picture, ignoring the way his stomach was doing cartwheels.

They both fell asleep with their phones next to them, texts lighting up their screens and smiles on their lips. If asked, both would tell anyone that it was the best night's sleep they'd ever gotten.

A/N: This chapter was fun to write - nervous Asahi fumbling over himself so much and their first interactions as soulmates - it is definitely one of the more cutesy chapters! As always, thank you to everyone who is following along or otherwise supporting the story! I appreciate you all! :)

Guest: Haha, it was a long time coming! Tanaka and Nishinoya are definitely always over the top in their excitement about everything :p

chibi-no-baka: Thank you so much! You'll definitely get to see her interacting with some of the other schools in the future, and making friends with more of the little crows :D

animefreak112097: Thank you! Ahaha, now we get to see nervous Asahi trying to make a good impression and being adorable :p

narutolover10110: Ahhh, I'm so glad to hear that! These two are so cute, I love writing them, so I'm so happy to hear that you're enjoying their story! :D