joyfulmusebox | (no subject)

(no subject)

[ The journey to the station, meeting up with the guy, relocating to their final destination and making the appropriate transaction in a seemingly empty room has all gone successfully enough. There's the unspoken concern for Nazuna's companion but that is a matter to be addressed once they've secured their privacy. He does glimpse up at the other boy as they proceed down the hall though he's soon distracted with searching for the room number that matches with his key card.

Ah.

Nazuna comes to an unannounced halt and blindly reaches behind him to grab at Asahi to prevent him from wandering further. While no apology is offered, he's quick to withdraw his hand to wordlessly focus on working the door open. There's a short click almost immediately and he pushes his weight against the door before the back handle unintentionally knocks against the wall and reveals the room in its full glory. After the light switch is flipped up, that is.

As his shoulders slump forward, Nazuna forces himself to stand properly once more. He peers over to Asahi nd jerks his head in the room's direction, expecting him to go inside first.

What's waiting for them isn't horribly lavish and just barely misses the mark of passing for a standard hotel room. There's a good sized bed at the far end, a television monitor hovering above a dresser, a miniature fridge and a door that presumably leads to a bathroom. But the lack of windows and one wall being partially lined with mirrors serves as a reminder of the room's purpose.

It's all stuff that is going to be investigated further in a second.

A sigh of relief leaves Nazuna when he finally steps inside. The hood of his jacket is pushed off his head when the door is closed. Okay, he can relax for two seconds. Now he squats down to get his shoes off. ]

This is all ours for the next three hours... ♪

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Huh?

[ He glances back at Asahi, brow raised. Why's this guy blushing... ]

Do you have a hidden talent or something?

Hidden talent...

[He pauses and considers this quite seriously for it being such a baffling question, and probably a joke.]

Um, I can curl my tongue into a clover shape...?

Really... ?

[ He shifts his body slightly more in Asahi's direction, drawing a leg up to his chest. ]

Okay, you have to do it now.

[Still blushing, Asahi nods and shyly opens his mouth. He twists his tongue so that the tip is folded on itself in a way that looks like 3 distinct flower petals, or a three-leaf clover. After showing it off for a moment, he shuts his mouth and sheepishly scrubs the nape of his neck.]

So, uh, there's that..?

[ He furrows his brow before snorting. Asahi definitely wasn't fibbing. ]

Oho~? So you really do have a hidden talent! But maybe I shouldn't have expected less from someone who has fortune cookies compliment him on his abilities.

[Being called out on that conversation makes Asahi stammer.]

I had forgotten about that... ah. Do you think that's why it said that?

Not at all. It said that the job was performed on the knees, right? So that doesn't match up.

[He laughs awkwardly, and nods the reminder.]

Right... maybe it just meant scrubbing floors. Or receiving! Uh, in volleyball, I mean. Though I'm not nearly as good at that as some of my teammates..

Edited 2020-08-12 23:00 (UTC)

[ The light teasing is interrupted by Nazuna's curiosity. ]

So you end up on your knees a lot when you're playing? Does it hurt?

Huh? [He said dumbly, not expecting the sudden shift in tone.] I guess I don't, not that often. If I have to dive for a ball I will, but usually I land on my chest when I do that? Um, but last year I did take a pretty bad fall onto one knee when I tried to save a ball, so I started wearing a kneepad just in case it happens again..

[ The sad backstory doesn't quite keep his attention when there's so much other stuff in that explanation. ]

Your chest?

[ He gasps out, leaning more into the other boy. ]

You really can take a beating like that~? Jeeze, I really don't know much about volleyball at all?

Ah, yeah? It's something we practice a lot, too. Actually, our team uses dives as penalties whenever we lose a practice match. [He explains, gesturing a little with his hands.] It's probably safer to fall on your chest than on just one arm or leg? Um, you're less likely to hurt something, I mean. So as long as you know the right way to do it, it should be fine? You might just get bruises.

That all makes sense when you put it that way...

[ His shoulders relax a little and he straightens up. ]

I'll admit, I do a lot of stuff on stage but I think falling on my chest would be kind of scary~? I haven't fallen enough or in the wrong way for me to actually get hurt.

It's good you've never gotten hurt! [He says quickly, frowning just at the thought.] I don't know if falling that way would be helpful on stage? Usually when we dive it's because the ball is going to hit the ground...

But, um, if you're going to perform and dance on stage maybe it's good to learn a safe way to fall, just in case?

If I'm going to fall, it'll be thanks to some outside force. I've worked on my technique enough to avoid injuries like that.

[ And he's actually sounding confident with his own explanation. ]

We all grow self aware of our bodies when we train, whether it's sports or art. But participating in a game is a little more unpredictable because it's not choreographed down to each second, right? So I think it'd be better if you worried more about yourself.

[Asahi considers this. It's true that Nito's following choreography, which has to be different than relying on instinct to drive movement, and he knows he could never really be good at that. But those outside forces do still exist, so of course he's going to worry.

Ultimately, though, Nito knows his own body best. And Asahi really isn't going to offend a guest who's come all this way to see him. So he shrugs and chuckles sheepishly.]

I'm not too worried about getting hurt on the court. I just don't want to let my teammates down.

Just don't wreck yourself in the process. I can only imagine that they don't want to let you down, either.

[ A hand reaches to lightly trail along the middle of Asahi's chest before bumping against his chin. ]

It seems like I was right~? You're more interesting to watch.

[He won't wreck himself. If anything, Asahi still worries that he isn't working hard enough. He's not like Nishinoya, Kageyama, or Hinata; he doesn't have their same all-consuming love for volleyball, the need to breathe, eat, and sleep it. But he can't let them down, let Daichi and Suga down, because he's not good enough. He has to rise to the occasion, like a good Ace should-

Then Nito's touching him in a way that makes Asahi have to suppress a shudder. All thoughts of volleyball disappear immediately, though the feeling of inadequacy remains.]

Am I really that interesting?

[ The ends of his mouth fall slightly as his hand ventures higher to gently cup Asahi's face. It's evident that someone is now not feeling the best thanks to Nazuna's big mouth. So he has to fix whatever that's not beyond his control. ]

Yeah. I wouldn't be here if that wasn't the case, you know?

[It's not really fair for Nito to blame himself for Asahi's issues, not that he knows it's what the other boy's doing. Still, his gentleness makes Asahi smile a little.]

Thank you. That makes me really happy, that you're here. That you want to be. Um. That's probably very sappy..

Haha, at least you know~?

[ He gracelessly drops his hand into Asahi's lap as if it's suddenly too heavy for him to support. ]

You don't have a big chest from all the dives but from that large heart of yours.

[Is his chest large? Right now it feels very tight and constricted. Probably because he's overwhelmed by how nice Nito is.]

T-thank you. Um. [What does he say? What does he say? Asahi reaches and takes Nito's hand in his own.] Y-you're so kind, Nito-san.

[ His eyes widen for a split second before he huffs softly. ]

No, I'm not kind. I don't say stuff that's not true.

[ Speaking slowly, Nazuna shrugs once. ]

And I know for a fact that what I just said is absolute reality.

[Asahi swallows hard. Nito is everything he isn't; self-assured, well-spoken, good-looking, charismatic. He's incredible. Asahi's had a little crush on him since the first time they met, but now his heart is swelling with something much bigger.

Entirely at a loss for words, his cups Nito's cheek with his free hand and firmly kisses his lips, hoping to convey physically what he can't bring himself to articulate.]

[ Asahi takes him by surprise when his follow up isn't another self-deprecating comment. There's half the mind to pull back and tease the guy but it doesn't strike him as appropriate. That raises the question of who here is sappy.

The fingers on the hand that's holding Asahi's just barely fidget right before he reciprocates in earnest. He has no reason to be invested in the television when he's too preoccupied with scooting closer to the other boy. ]