What are the odds

21

That night was different than the rest. For starters, Daichi was awake and secondly, worry for Narita had made all of them quiet and sullen.

The second years had formed a sort of barrier around Narita, with Kinoshita at his injured side, protecting him from outside elements while Ennoshita was on his other side, pressed right up against the injured boy in order to provide warmth. Tanaka was spooning Ennoshita while Nishinoya was curled in a ball above the other boy's heads.

He had, of course, dragged Asahi with him who was curled around him in a similar manner to Tanaka and ennoshita, this had prompted Suga and Daichi to settle just behind him, the pair snuggled together with Suga's back pressed up against Asahi.

Neither of them were surprised when Hinata came up to them asking if it was okay for him to lay by them with a nervous looking Kageyama behind him. Upon saying yes, Hinata imediatly possitioned himself under Daichis arm, snuggling up to his chest and making himself seem smaller and younger than the older boys had ever seen him. Kageyama follows, covering Hinata's back with his chest and pinning their captains arm between them.

Yamaguchi and Tsukishima were the last to join the odd little cuddle pile situating themselves just above the other first years and third years heads, Yamaguchi throwing an arm over Tsukishima so that his fingertips are brushing his captains shoulder.

It was warm and comfortable and almost made it possible to ignore the now predominant smell of blood and rotting flesh.

"I miss my mum," Daichi hears someone sniffle, the honesty and pure vulnerability shocking him.

"So do I," Someone else echoes.

"I miss Natsu," Hinata says making both Daichi and Kageyama tighten their grips on him.

Ennoshita feels Tanaka's grip tighten on him and a wetness where his face is pressed. He finds himself putting his hand over Tanaka's as a show of support.

Out of everyone, it's quite possible that Tanaka had it the hardest when it comes to pissing people. At least everyone else can think about times with the people they miss, they can think about what it was like to see them smile to see them laugh. Tanaka had no idea who it was that he was missing, but he still felt that significant ache in his chest and a sense of longing for some family that he couldn't even recall. He hated that.

"It doesn't seem like anyone's going to sleep any time soon," Ennoshita says just loud enough to be heard over the soft sniffles that had started filling up the room, "How about we talk for a bit? maybe we can tell each other about someone we miss?" He suggests surprisingly earning varying levels of agreement.

"I miss my dad," Daichi starts when no one else speaks up, "He's uh, a lot like Takeda-sensai, smart good with words, he always knows what to say to cheer me up or make me laugh. He also tells the dumbest jokes like there was this one time, that Asahi came over, and you know how he looks like jesus," This comment earns some snickers and a indignant "I don't!" from Asahi.

"Well he went up to Asahi and asks 'You know how to make holy water right?' and of course for some reason Asahi actually does know how to make Holy water so he started explaining it and dad just interrupts him with the biggest grin and goes 'you boil the hell out of it' and then puts on the kettle. God Asahi's face afterwards," The captain snickers along with the rest of the team, feeling Hinata's adorable giggles against his ribs and Suga's louder chuckle against his neck.

"Oh god yeah this one time when we were first years, Saeko- ah Tanaka, your sister, came to pick you up from practice and she was so hungover just as we walked out she said really loudly 'Oh jesus christ please make this headache go away," Nishinoya starts laughing almost hysterically, "a-and this- this big oaf, he walks up to her to o-offer her some painkillers," He breaks off into laughter, Asahi can't even bring himself to be annoyed with the smaller boys inability to finish his story, too caught up in the glorious sound of his laughter, something that everyone in the group had been missing for the past few days.

"She just looked at him," Kinoshita continues laughing softly, "with such shock amd then promised him she would start attending church and he was so confused,"

"It was adorable," Noya exclaims loudly and Asahi feels heat rush to his cheaks.

"You think I'm adorable?" He asks softly enough for noone else to be able to hear over their own laughter. Nishinoya turns in his grasp, looking up from where his face was now pressed into the hard muscle of the older boys chest.

"Very adorable," He says qietly with a shy smile. Asahi felt a large grin split accross his face. He usually hated getting complimented, often too worried about whether they were honest or true to actually take the compliment as it was but from Noya it was different. A compliment from the second year was somehow able to hit him right in the heart making him melt into a happy puddle of goo. He never had to worry about if Nishinoya ment it because Nishinoya always told him the truth, no matter what.

It was one of the things he loved about him.

He finds himself pressing his forehead to Noya's both of their eyes closed as they ignored their team around them, even as the other boys continued laughing and telling their stories.

Asahi felt much braver with his friends at his back -literally in the case of Suga who was pressed against him from shoulder to ass- and his eyes closed and so, with the added support of his friends around him, he whispers the three little words that have been in his head all year but he'd been too afraid to say.

"I love you,"

He doesn't feel Noya pull away from where he was pressed tightly against his chest so he takes that as a good sign. "Asahi, open your eyes," He hears Noya whisper and so he does, coming face to face with Noya's eyes, alight with happiness to match the smile on his lips. "I love you too," He says before placing a brief kiss on the older boys lips.

"Ugh gross, Asahi and Noya are kissing," Narita whines jokingly, his voice breathy and shaking from the effort it took him to say those simple words.

Everyone around them laughs and theres various exclimations of "damn finally," especially from Suga who proudly reaches behind him to pat Asahi's hip in congragulations.

They continue talking as a group even as some of them start nodding off, Narita and Kinoshita being among the first, Yamaguchi quickly following and Suga not to loong after, though he is woken up at Daichi's booming laugh when Hinata loudly exclaims "I bet Kageyama misses milk the most, this is probably the longest he's gone without it,"

"Shut up idiot," Kageyama had thrown back pinching the soft skin under hinata's ribs. The action only results in the smaller boy laughing more, his laugh contagious enough that Daichi couldn't help but join in, especially when Tsukishima eloqitly points out "King didn't deny it," And Kageyama just grones in response Hiding his face in the shoulder of the still laughing orange haired boy.

Soon enough, the sun is starting to make its way above the horizon and everyone is asleep except for Daichi and Hinata who was lazily drawing little volleyballs -no not circles, volleyballs- on Daichis chest as both of their eyelids began to droop.

"You know I'm proud of you, right kid?" Daichi says softly beaking off into a yawm. Hinata's fidgetting freezes as he looks up at the older boy in surprise.

"You are?" He asks vulnerably. Daichis eyes hadn't opened back up after that yawn but he was still awake enough to give the smaller boy a small "mhm" and nod.

"Thanks dad," The orange haired boy says only partly joking making Daichi crack one eye open to look at the smaller boy. He leans forward pressing a parental kiss to the top of the unrully orange hair, "Sleep now," he tells the small boy before he finds himself drifting off into dream land.