Haikyuu Imagines

With Yuu Part 2 (Nishinoya)

You cut yourself short, refusing to confess then and there.  Liking Noya was something you were willing to take to the grave.  

"Well," he began.  "Maybe we can go together, then.  I turned down a few offers, too."  Noya rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.  "We can go as friends or something."

A lump of lava simmered in the back of your throat, burning your vocal cords, as you struggled to get words out.  The  heat crawled up your neck and into your eyes that you hoped weren't giving away how you feel.  Because as much as you want to go with Noya, you don't want to be just his friend.  This is a jarring reminder that this is how he'll always see you. 

But maybe, this event will offer you the closure you need.  Maybe you'd share a couple dances, and you'd be able to calm your unsteady heart and go back to the way things were.

"I'll go," you croaked before clearing your throat.  "I guess that means we should decide what to wear, huh?"  You tried to keep any hint of emotion out of your voice.  "Should we do light blue since that's your favorite color?"

"Um, sure.  I'll come by and pick you up at 7, and we can grab food before or after.  Sound good?" Noya asked.  "Now let's start on that math homework due tomorrow.  I definitely need all your help."

You pulled out your notes and walked him through the equations. He claimed that he never understood the material in class, but somehow when you taught it to him, it made perfect sense.  It pained you that after this stupid dance, you'd probably try distancing yourself a little bit.  Which meant not coming over every day after school.  You wondered if someone else out there would help Noya with his math homework.  Or tend to his nasty volleyball bruises.  Would he be okay without you?  But more importantly, would you be okay without him?  Growing up together meant bucketloads of memories, moments, feelings–how were you supposed to let them all go?

"Oh, I just got a text from my parents.  They need me home to help with dinner," you lied.  "But text me the details for what to wear and stuff."

You packed up your things, flashed him a convincing smile, and cried on your walk to your neighborhood.  Why did no one ever advertise this part of love?  The painful, cruel side where pretending was all you could do in order to keep everyone happy.  

You carefully inched down the stairs in your dress composed of frills, ruffles, and at least a thousand shiny gems.  They cast little reflections across the wall as you walked towards Noya who waited at the bottom of the staircase with your parents.

"She looks so beautiful in emerald green," your mother swooned.  "Noya, you did such a great job of deciding on a color."

You smoothed out the green layers in your dress and latched onto his arm.  Honestly, you were surprised he chose this dark, rich color, too.  Why would he go with something so bold and different when he could have played it safe with his usual sky blue?

"Alright, Y/N.  I guess we're heading out," Noya grinned.

The two of you waved to your parents, and Noya led you to the car where he'd prepared flowers.

As you settled down in your seat and looked over at him, you heard your pulse roar in your ears.  You knew Noya was attractive but in this black suit and green tie, he looked really good.  His usual spiky hair was more tame today.  It was fluffy and fell flat over his forehead, revealing just a peek at his eyebrows.  Those large eyes focused on yours, and you forced yourself to play with the flower petals.

"You look so beautiful, Y/N," he said gently.

"You too," you replied as naturally as you could. 

On the ride to the venue, you made for small talk–asking about the math exam you'd had earlier in the day.  Both of you were relieved to have done well.  Finally, your best friend veered the car into a spot and helped you to your feet.  He laughed at you for wobbling in your bedazzled heels which made you a whole two inches taller than him.  Maybe you should have gone with flats. 

As you entered the dance floor, you spotted some of your friends.  Noya immediately found his volleyball guys who eagerly waved him over.

"Mind if I-"

"Go for it," you encouraged him.  You didn't ask if he'd come back for a dance because you had a feeling he wouldn't.  Friends didn't have that burning magnetic feeling towards each other, so it was natural he wanted to leave your side when he saw his buddies.

You joined up with Yachi and Kiyoko who were by the snack table.  The two complimented your dress and makeup right away and asked where Noya was.  Even Yamaguchi joined your group, asking if you two had come together.

"Why don't you just tell him you like him?" Kiyoko suggested.  "If he's a good friend, which he is, he'll be understanding about it.  The worst that could happen is a little tension before you get back to normal."

Yamaguchi nodded.  "It's sad seeing you so hurt.  If confessing is hard, maybe you can ask him to a dance."

You glanced over at Noya who stood with his volleyball group.  They laughed loudly as one of them attempted to dance, and they all mimicked the guy's poorly coordinated moves.  Noya must have felt your gaze on him because he turned your direction and locked eyes with you.  Whispering something to his friend, he jogged over and grabbed a glass of fruit punch beside you.

"How's it going?" he asked, and you cursed Yachi, Kiyoko, and Yamaguchi for leaving the snack table for the dance floor.  Right now, you didn't want the space.

"It's alright.  How about you?" 

"Same," he sighed.  "Hey, Y/N, they're about to pick a new song.  Do you want to dance with me?"

"Sure," you smiled.  But Noya didn't lead you to the main dance floor.  Instead, he took you outside to the patio where you could still hear the music, but you could also hear each other.  The music started and you realized it was a slow song.  Which meant Noya would–

A sharp gasp left your lips as one of his hands found its place on your waist and the other in your hand.  Naturally, you put your free hand on his shoulder and began to move slowly with him to the rhythm.  Once you got into the literal groove of things, Noya began to experiment by twirling you around and dipping you backwards.  You felt the muscles tense in his strong arms, and you found yourself laughing and giggling as you two grew more bold with your moves.

"I love you," Noya said out of nowhere, breathless from dancing.  "I love you so much, Y/N.  I'm sorry it took me so long to spit it out."

Not sure if you were dreaming, you pinched Noya's shoulder, and he winced.  

"I definitely felt that.  But anyways, I heard the conversation you had with Yamaguchi," he started as the two of you slowed your pace.  "I was worried about confessing too soon because I didn't want to lose what we have.  But I also wanted something more.  I just wanted to be respectful and and not screw things up."

You should have kissed him, but what did you do in that moment?  You laughed.  And cried.  And buried your face in the crook of his neck because now your makeup was beginning to run down your face from the waterworks.  There were just so many emotions going through you, you didn't know how to react.  But Noya calmly embraced you and patted your back until the crying stopped.

"I love you, too," you sniffled once you'd pulled yourself together.  When you stepped back to look at Noya's face, you realized he'd been crying too.  The underside of his eyes were an unmistakable puffy red.  

You didn't need to be dating to say those words because that was simply how the both of you felt.  You loved looking after Noya when he got hurt.  Or struggling with him through pre-calculus.  And he loved laughing at your jokes and being in your warm presence.

"Why don't we ditch this place and go grab ice cream?  I found a cool place not too far from here."  Noya grabbed your hand and the two of you began to run to the car as if you were in some rom com movie.

"I don't care what we do.  As long as I'm with Yuu."

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A/N: WOWOW writing this one gave me all the butterflies :)

Question of the imagine: What song would you want to dance to at prom?