All the broken things - Asanoya

7:Not the same

Those few minutes that took them to drive to the hospital seemed like the longest ones in Nishinoya's life. Takeda-sensei was talking about something for the whole time, but the pumping of the blood in the young boy's ears and the nasuea, which came every time he remembered the news that might be waiting for him, prevented him from understanding anything.
The only thing that could occupy his thoughts in this situation was the memory of Asahi's smile and how much he missed him. He missed talking to him, the small accidental touches, having fun together. He missed the way he always applauded his digs and saves, and Asahi was always the first one there to reach out to him so he could help him to stand up. He was always concerned about Nishinoya. It is so lame that it took a tragedy to find out that Asahi might have felt the same way about him as the libero did. Maybe if he would confessed when he planned to... Then they would walk together... And he could maybe saved Asahi...
A hand on his shoulder pulled out Nishinoya of his thoughts.
- We are here.
The libero felt like somebody made a knot on his stomach.
What if this is the end? He is not ready to say goodbye yet.
The whole thing felt like a dream as he walked through the well known corridors till the room where he spent  countless hours waiting for a miracle in the last two months.
He never did that before, but now he reached out with his shaking hands and knocked .
He is not ready to just walk in there yet.
Kou was the one who opened it, his eyes were red, and the tears left a shining mark on his face.
-What...? - Nishinoya needed a stone hard selfcontrol to not run away as his darkest guesses seemed to come true.
No, no, no, no.... It can't be true!
Kou opened the door wider and stepped aside so the libero could see inside a door.
And now Nishinoya understood why Kou was crying as the hot tears run down on his own cheeks too.
Inside there were three pairs of warm brown, identical eyes looking back at him.
Mrs. Azumane, Mino, and.... Asahi!
The hospital bed was set higher, so the patient could be half sitting without effort and his eyes were open!
- Noya? - the rusty and cracked voice was the sweetest sound to Nishinoya's ears he could have imagined.
Till now the boy was just standing in the entrance, big tears filling his eyes and uncontrollably pouring out of it.
He was scared to move, to even say anything so he wouldn't break this magic.
- Let's give them a moment alone - Asahi's mom stood up from a chair next to her son. Till now, in the last half hour since they arrived to the hospital after a call which informed them that there was a sudden progress in her son's condition she was holding his hand and didn't let go for even a second.
A firm push on his back directed the libero closer to the bed.
- Don't tire him out too much - Kou warned him, but there was an encouraging smile on his lips.
The door soon closed behind the three of them, leaving the two highschoolers alone.
Nishinoya closed up the remaining distance between him and the bed, constantly looking in the eyes of his teammate.
- You are back - his voice was shaking from the emotions he held back.
- It seems... - Asahi still looked surprised about the libero showing up right after his family.
It was a weird feeling seeing that boisterous ball of energy he adored so much standing next to his hospital bed, crying his eyes out.
He would have never dreamed that he could be so important to Noya. But on the other hand Asahi always wanted the libero to see the best version of him, not the bedridden state he was, unable to even move his hands without getting exhausted.
- I am sorry to worry you..
The apologetic smile appeared on the spiker and that was enough to break through the daze Nishinoya was still in.
He crumbled on the chair next to Asahi, reaching for his, not even considering that they never used to be touchy with each other.
- I thought I lost you - he was straight up sobbing, the stress and fear of the past weeks all coming up - I was so afraid!
Asahi reached up to try and comfort the short boy, Nishinoya seeing his attempt leaned closer so he would had to move so much. The spiker wiped away the tears from the gleaming amber eyes.
- I missed you.
One of the monitors started to bip a little faster as Asahi's pulse raised.