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“...Tough match, huh, Asahi-san?”
“Yeah…”
Looking up towards Asahi, Nishinoya sees his purposely blank face and averted eyes.
“Well, there’s always next time! We just have to work a little harder so that we can beat everyone in our way before the qualifier rounds for the Spring Interhighs! Then we’ll pound ‘em into the ground so hard, they won't even know what hit ‘em!!”
“Yeah, sounds good.”
Noticing the dismissal, Nishinoya looks towards Asahi, and finds panic in his eyes. Beginning to worry, Nishinoya hesitantly places a gentle hand on Asahi’s arm, in an attempt to gain a reaction, “Asahi-san?”
At the lack of reaction from Asahi, and the now clear panic and destruction running through Asahi’s brain, Nishinoya hears Asahi’s breath begin to speed up, and connects the dots.
Muttering, “Shit, shit shit,” Nishinoya looks up towards Asahi and pulls him towards the sidewalk. If he is unable to stop the panic attack before it starts, then at least it won't happen in the middle of the street. Remembering what Sugawara and Sawamura had told him previously about Asahi’s panic attacks, he runs through his options.
“Asahi-san, I need you to look at me.” As Asahi looks down towards Nishinoya, Nishinoya reaches a hand out and says, “Can I touch you?”
With a silent nod as his only answer, he rests his hand on Asahi’s jaw, and begins to pace his own breathing. “Asahi-san, breathe with me. In, and out. In, and out. Good. Again, in, and out. In, and out.”
Continuing this way for another few minutes, Nishinoya manages to get Asahi’s breathing back to a relative normal, and starts to continue their trek to Asahi’s house, albeit slowly.
Once at Asahi’s house, Nishinoya practically drags Asahi to his bed and sits him down, where his breathing has picked up once more and is now crying. Nishinoya isn’t exactly sure what to do now, so he reaches around Asahi, begins to rub his back and starts to sing, “I know you're clinging to the light of day. To tell you everything's a-okay. And medication don't do much. Yeah, it just numbs the brain.”
Feeling Asahi start to calm, Nishinoya lays them down and sings with a little more confidence, “Guess you might say I’m a little intense. I’m on the bright side of being hell-bent, so. Take it from me you're not the only one who can’t see straight.”
Stopping to take a large breath, Nishinoya feels Asahi sigh and curl into Nishinoya’s embrace, so he sings lower and into Asahi’s hair, trying to get him to relax and not be so tense.
“If you are ever in doubt, don't sell yourself short, you might be bulletproof. Hard to move mountains when you're paralyzed, but you've gotta try. So, I'm callin’ out, Get up, Get up, Get a move on. Get up, get up, what's taking so long. Get up, get up, get a move on. Stop stalling, I'm calling out.
“‘Cuz I believe you can be whatever. And I agree you can do much better, trust me.” Punctuated by placing a gentle kiss on Asahi’s forehead, Nishinoya realized that Asahi’s fallen asleep.
With this, Nishinoya whispers, “I’d rather twist myself in knots than watch you give up on your dreams, Asahi-san. I love you.” And falls asleep himself.