Notes: Brief mention of my OC in this chapter... I just secretly really love Tsukki! He is my moon and stars (I think I'm funny) and I loved adding this in ever so subtly.


Leaving Asahi to his classes, Nishinoya took his time walking back to Tia Takoyaki. His mind at been made up since the night before. Heading straight to the shop, determination in his eyes, he knocked on the door regardless of the closed sign and waited until one of the chefs answered. Requesting for Awatia with a polite bow, Nishinoya waited on the chilly street, hands in his pockets.

"Good morning Nishinoya-kun, you're back earlier then I expected." Smiling at the old man as he came through the threshold of the shop, Nishinoya could barely contain his excitement.

"I want the job." Blinking surprise, Awatia laughed at his enthusiasm.

"Good, that's what I wanted to hear." Patting him on the back and looking back to his shop, Awatia waved him inside. "Come through and we'll go over all the formalities, you want the room to?" Speechless Nishinoya nodded.

"Yes please, but can I have a roommate?"

Pausing for a moment, the old storekeeper shook his head.

"Is the rent not cheap enough for you? I can lower it if you want to do some retail work at my wife's stall at the Sunday market." Running a hand through his hair with mild agitated, Nishinoya danced from foot to foot, trying to phase his words with a finesse he did not possess.

"My friend, the one I'm visiting. He's looking for a new place to live at the moment. He's a college student and would be willing to work to, he's really quiet and doesn't make much noise." Humming, the conflict was obvious on Awatia's face as he thought over the request.

"It's only a small room, are you sure two people can live up there?" Nodding eagerly, Nishinoya pointed down the street towards the dorms.

"Not a problem, we've been staying in those campus dorms all week and those are ten times smaller then the apartment."

If Awatia turned him down now, his whole plan would go down the drain. Everything he'd been planning, everything that had kept him awake all last night would be for nothing.

"I'll have to meet this friend. Would he be comfortable with that?" Following the old man through the dark, unopened store and kitchen Nishinoya nodded.

"Of course, thank you." Raising an eyebrow at him Awatia directed him down into a small, cabinet office.

"Don't thank me yet kiddo, I might say no."

Jumping down the front steps of the store, Nishinoya took a big breath before striding down the street. The afternoon sun had taken away the majority of the chill and the clouds were scatter throughout the sky. His duties were simple enough and with the possibility of promotion if he wanted to start working in the kitchens and the apartment was the same as before. Simple, small and furnished it would be perfect, especially if Asahi passed Awatia's interview process.

Turning the corner and stopping in at a small shrine, Nishinoya sat for a quiet moment before patting down his pockets to locate his phone. This job would be all good and well, but there were still factors that would work against them. He still had a job lined up at home and what would his parents says?

Flicking through his contact with delayed and deliberate slowness, Nishinoya's finger lingered over the call button, uncertainty coursing through him. Taking the plunge, he tapped the screen, sitting back on the small garden bench, listening to the dial tone.

"Foothill General Store, how can we be of service?" Grinning Nishinoya resisted the urge to laugh.

"You sound like an old woman, what's with that?" The sound of a raspberry was blown down the speaker so loud Nishinoya was forced to wrench the phone back from his ear.

"You talk a lot of shit Noya, how's Asahi? Have the city boys corrupted him yet?" Smiling as he watched a woman walk by with her dog, Nishinoya blew out a sigh.

"He's alright," he paused. "He's Asahi, so struggling a bit but putting on a brave face. But still country, he'll always be a country boy."

Falling into a quick conversation with the Ukai was easy. He was friendly and chill enough that Nishinoya was put well at ease after a couple of minutes of small talk and chatter.

"You feeling lonely or something?" Frowning, Nishinoya bounced his feet up and down, getting down to the purpose of his phone call.

"Not really, but real talk now. If I was to tell you I was offered a job down here. Would you think it would be a good idea?"

"Of course" There was no hesitation in Ukai's voice, he was so quick off the mark Not was sure he'd misheard.

"Seriously? Like I should take it?"

"So you were offered a job?" Coming clean with the vague outline of the week's events, Nishinoya was unsure how much to divulge to his coach. It wasn't as if Ukai was that old fashioned and somewhere along the line Nishinoya was sure his clever coach had cottoned to their relationship, but that didn't mean it made it any less embarrassing.

"There must be something in the water with you kids this week." Scowling as he thought over the odd nature of the comment, Nishinoya waited until he heard the exhale of what was doubtless a cigarette on the other end of the line. "So your plan is simple, take the job, bail Asahi out, live together happily ever after. Does that right?" Snorting, Nishinoya shurgged.

"Yeah I suppose. If my folks okay it."

"You're eighteen years old kid, your parents don't own shit." Rolling his eyes, Nishinoya hopped off the benched and began to walk along the path bedside the small park behind the shrine.

"Says the man who works at his mother's store." The soft tisking echoing through the phone was enough indication of what his coach thought of snark remarks.

"Just remember that this is your life, take the opportunity to get out and see the world a bit. Live dangerous, live for you." Smiling at Ukai's poetic words, Nishinoya mind was made up.

"I will, thank you." Pausing hear to the quiet, satisfied grunt on the end of the line, Nishinoya waited for his coach's reply.

"You're welcome. And don't worry about your job back here or anything." A wave of guilt washed over him in a hot and cold flush, enough that the lib physically stopped in his tracks.

"Yeah I'm sorry about that-"

"Don't be. It worked out pretty well actually." Turning the corner and looping back towards the college dorms, Nishinoya frowned.

"Why? Didn't want to put up with me for the year?" Teasing him with small chuckle, Nishinoya heard a snort come through the phone.

"Not going to lie, it sounds a bit like hell. But no Tsukishima needs a job so I can offer him yours now."

"What?" Slipping through a crowd of people on the street, Nishinoya was sure he'd misheard. "Tsukishima? The high and mighty Tsukishima needs a job? Surely rich mummy and daddy have his back."

"Not everything is so simple." The serious tone coming from Ukai put an awkward dampener on the conversation. Waiting patiently at the traffic lights, Nishinoya cleared his throat before approaching the situation from a different angle.

"Well I'm just glad I could be off help. And thanks, you know for the chance and everything."

"You're alright, just don't waste it okay? Make the most out of it, for both of you guys." Blushing as he entered the dorm foyer, Nishinoya bid his coach good bye before jumping up the stairs two at a time. Happy to find a tearless and relaxed Asahi relaxing in bed, Nishinoya leaped atop the tall boy with a graceful dive.

"I have good news."

"Oh you saw as well." Raising an eyebrow, Nishinoya sat back on Asahi's hips.

"What?" Laughing Asahi passed the small man his phone, the blue and white of Facebook staring back him. Eyes roaming over the small text on screen, Nishinoya couldn't hold back the chorus of laughter that bubbled forth.

Kei Tsukishima and Mesuke Uehara added a life event - Expecting a baby. Due May 16 th .

Falling in beside Asahi, his side hurting from laughter, Nishinoya scanned through the comments with interest.

"Well that suddenly makes a world of sense." Taking back his phone before Nishinoya could comment with anything nasty under his profile, Asahi rolled over to face him.

"You knew something?"

"Just something coach said before, speaking of which." Sitting up, Nishinoya took a deep breath before taking Asahi's hand in his own. "I've been thinking." Humming Asahi squeezed his hand gently, his fingers rubbing little circles on the undersides of his wrists.

"Same." Smiling, Nishinoya nodded.

"Yeah, we should start thinking about having a baby as well." Laughing in unison, Asahi nudged him gently.

"I'm serious, and don't be like that. Tsukishima is probably shitting himself." Running a hand through his hair, Nishinoya fluffed up his crown to buy himself some time.

"Somehow I don't think so. He's working the Foothills store with Ukai. He got my job." Making a small noise of understanding, Asahi smiled.

"Well that worked out well for them. So what you're going to be sharing shifts?"

"Yeah..." Drawing out the conversation wasn't working so well any more, and changing the subject would have just been rude, it was crunch time. "So I was thinking..." Pausing to take a breath, Nishinoya took in Asahi's smiling face and the weight of the world lifted off his shoulders. "I'm taking the job, with Awatia at the takoyaki shop and I'm moving in to that apartment and you need to come with me."

Blinking in surprise, Asahi shook his head, opening his mouth and closing it like a stunned fish.

"But what about the job at Foothills?" Shrugging Nishinoya went over his phone call with the coach, his amused discovery about Tsukishima and his interview with Awatia. Sitting up off the bed with a sluggish step up, Asahi held his head in his hands, thinking over Nishinoya's plan.

"You want to just up and leave and go do this and move out, like now. What about your things? Your parents will pitch a fit, my parents will pitch a fit." Feeling a dull ache beginning to enter his head, he flopped back on the bed. "You can't be serious."

Setting his jaw with a stubborn nod, Nishinoya put on his most serious of faces.

"I am, it'll work. Come on, isn't this what you wanted? What you were talking about the last time." Wincing, Asahi hid his face behind his hands. Because it was exactly what he'd wanted, exactly what he'd purposed to Nishinoya back then on the roof. He couldn't go back on it now, especially as Nishinoya was being so serious and so sure.

"It was" he said slowly, choosing his words carefully, "but are you sure? This is a big thing."

"I know." Crossing his legs, Nishinoya rocked back and forth on the bed. "And I am sure." He paused looking to Asahi with amber eyes suddenly unsure. "Don't you want me to stay?" Back peddling quickly, Asahi let his hand rest on Nishinoya's knee, stilling him as his rocking became too insistent.

"Of course I do, but I don't want you staying here just because of me."

"Why not?" Leaning over the bed, Nishinoya stole a quick kiss from his lips with record speed. "I don't want you to feel sad or mistreated or anything. And I haven't been there for you since you left and I don't want you to suffer any more. And I miss you and-." Clearing his throat, Nishinoya felt his cheeks radiating heat as he pushed on with his confession. "And I love you, so don't be sad and just say yes."

Pinned to his spot, Asahi could only blink, feeling his stomach flip flop at Nishinoya's words. He'd just said love hadn't he, love? Most unmanly love and for him? He didn't mean to, but it was either laugh or cry.

"Don't laugh at me!" Growling at him with a look that could kill, Nishinoya pushed his hand away. "I'll laugh at you, sissy." Covering his mouth as a chorus of chuckles threatened to spill form his lips, the tall boy took a deep breath before reaching out to the libero, pulling him into a rib breaking hug.

"I'm not laughing at you, I'm just a little overwhelmed." Sitting back to smile down at his small lover, his heart pounding Asahi nodded his head with sudden clarity. "Alright, we'll do it."

Smiling, eyes wide and shinning Nishinoya clung to the front of Asahi's shirt with tight fists.

"Really? You're sure?" He wasn't, but Nishinoya didn't need to know that and with the hope gleaming so brightly in his eye.

"Yes, let's do this." Whooping with excitement, Nishinoya quickly became sedate as he thought back to his interview with Awatia.

"You have to meet Awatia first though, but you'll be fine, everyone likes you. You only pay by the week here yeah?" He did, but couldn't remember telling Nishinoya that, but that wasn't surprising, it was just the kind of person Nishinoya was. Nodding he watched Nishinoya jump up and stretch, a spring in his step as he did. "Excellent, everything falling into place." Grinning he pulled out his phone and sat down at the desk.

"Calling your parents?" Nodding, Nishinoya put his feet up on the desk, holding his phone between his cheek and shoulder.

"You should do the same, I'm sure they'll be thrilled to find out you're going to living with me." Chuckling softly as Nishinoya started up the conversation with his mother, Asahi lay back against the bed, fiddling with his own phone and trying to draw up the courage to give his own parents the news. He doubted they'd mind, ever since high school Nishinoya had been seen as some what of a positive influence on him and they'd been pleased with that, and now would be no different. Closing his eyes and listening to Nishinoya's chatter, Asahi felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his chest, leaving him able to breath easy for the first time in months.

Hanging up with a final promise to collect his rent invoices, Asahi let out a heavy sigh, feeling exhausted all of a sudden. His parents were supportive of his move, especially with the price of rent being cut dramatically, Nishinoya was just an added bonus. Laying back against Nishinoya's risen knees, he blocked the small boy's view of the TV, receiving a nudge in the back in retaliation.

"They seemed cool with it all. You still feeling okay about everything?" He sounded nervous, more nervous then Nishinoya usually ever did and it tugged at his heartstrings to hear the usually boisterous boy so worried.

"Of course," and it wasn't a lie. The shock of Nishinoya's proposal had worn off now, especially since he'd spoke to his parents. Going over his plans out loud, hearing the joy in his own voice mirroring Nishinoya's made him feel one hundred percent sure that their plans were achievable and not as foolish as he'd first thought.

"Good." Pushing on Asahi's shoulders and forcing him lower then the television screen, Nishinoya made a pleased noise as his viewing went undisturbed. "Thank you, for everything." Humming as he folded himself over the edge of bed, trying in vain to find a more comfortable position, Asahi gave up as he glanced over his shoulder at his friend.

"You're welcome." Shuffling down the bed, his cheek flushing bright red, the tall boy licked his lips nervously. "I should be the one thanking you." Rolling onto his stomach as he slipped off the bed with the grace of a big cat, Asahi smiled. "My hero."

Blowing him off, Nishinoya patted the mattress beside, beckoning the other boy up the bed.

"I think I have that on a shirt." Scoffing, Asahi scrambled up the bed, nuzzling in close as Nishinoya thought over his T-shirt collection in depth.

"Some how I wouldn't be surprised." Settling down into the quiet warmth beside his friend, Asahi pushed his face into the pillow, inhaling the mingling scent of his shampoo and Nishinoya's hair gel. Everything was going to be okay.