𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 (𝘜𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘫𝘪𝘮𝘢 𝘹 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳)

CH 18

"I'm telling you that you won't be dating Ushijima if it weren't for me!" This was the nth time Uncle Fuki has tried to gain credit regarding the dating news of you and Ushijima. Sighing, you rested your head against the head rest of the couch before turning your head to the kitchen. "Aunt Yumiiiiiii..." You dragged monotonously. Within seconds, your aunt popped out of the kitchen holding onto a plate of fruits and made her way to the living room. "One more time and you're sleeping on the couch." She narrowed her eyes at her husband who instantly zipped his lips and straightened his back.

The stern features faded into a soft one when Aunt Yumi turned her attention to you. She expressed how delighted she was and you have grown up well. "Making your own decisions for your love life is important, dear." She emphasized, obviously shooting Uncle Fuki's behaviour. Grumbling under his breath, Uncle Fuki slumped against the couch and aggressively chewed on the apple slice. A clap sounded as Aunt Yumi suggested Ushijima to have dinner tomorrow. "Isn't it too fast?" "Nah uh~ Not when it's Ushijima! He's such a sweetheart." She wagged a finger. "Alright? I'll prepare dinner earlier and make sure to keep someone in check and save you from embarrassment." She narrowed her gaze to her husband who sat there innocently pretending not to listen to the conversation.

"Do I look alright?" Ushijima asked while tugging the collar of his turtleneck. Accompanying that was a slight frown while his eyes were on the road as he has been expressing his nervousness since you met him before heading to your place. Amidst this, you found it endearing to see him this manner. In the eyes of the public, he always seemed confident during matches and this side of him was refreshing. When he pulled over outside your house, Ushijima looked at the rear mirror to check his hair and straightened any wrinkles on his clothes.

Giggling, you cupped his face to make him look at you. "Don't worry, Wakatoshi. Your dressing's on point, your hair is styled and you smell good! You even bought flowers for my aunt and she'll love you for that!" You assured. All tensed feelings were swept away upon hearing your words as Ushijima nodded with a small smile. "Thank you, y/n." "Yeah? Don't fret about it. I'll be there for you." You hummed and kissed his forehead before getting out of the car. Unlocking the door, your voice chimed through the walls as Ushijima took his shoes off and placed them aside neatly. "Oh my, you guys are early!" Aunt Yumi grinned sweetly to welcome both of you. "Good evening, Mrs Hibarida. These are for you. Thank you for inviting me for dinner." Truth to your words, sparkles filled Aunt Yumi's eyes at the lovely bouquet. "You shouldn't have, Ushijima. C'mon, let's get you youngsters in." She ushered further into the house.

"Oh ho ho! Our kiddos are here!" Uncle Fuki cheered. He proceeded to talk to Ushijima after settling down with a few questions to tease him. Ushijima flustered but tried his best to answer Uncle Fuki but as time went by, you were getting annoyed by the older man. "What did I tell you?" A voice boomed from behind to see Aunt Yumi cocking a brow. It was as if they had an agreement earlier before you returned home with Ushijima for Uncle Fuki to not blatantly tease Ushijima. "Sweetheart, why not bring Ushijima to your room and I'll call you when dinner's ready." Aunt Yumi suggested as you listened to her. Upon walking by her, you mouthed "Thank you" for saving Ushijima from embarrassment as she laughed lightly and nodded.

"You can hook your trench coat here." You pointed at the hooks behind the door upon closing it. Nodding, Ushijima took his coat off and hung it on an empty hook. You were on your desk arranging your belongings neatly when you realized Ushijima stood in a corner quietly when he could have taken a seat. "What's wrong, Wakatoshi? Why aren't you sitting?" You wondered. "But the only option for me to sit I'd your bed." He stated, fully aware that your desk chair was too small to hold his size and weight. Without a word, you held onto his hand and sat him down on the edge of the bed. "You don't have to do careful, Wakatoshi. I know you wouldn't hurt me." You stroked his brown-olive hair.

Since young, Ushijima was taught to be gentle and considerate around girls as a sign of respect. This heightened when he was aware that his weight and muscle built was higher than the average male due to his career. The last thing this sweet man wanted was for him to hurt you due to his strength and how intimidating he looked. The feeling of your fingers running though his hair relaxed him and eventually, he found himself wrapped his arms around you. Ushijima even leaned forward to rest his head against your chest. "You tired?" You whispered, understanding he met you directly after a meeting with his sponsor. "A little." He replied truthfully and you appreciated it.

A small pout formed as Ushijima nuzzled your warmth for comfort. "If my uncle does something stupid that I know will make you fluster, I'll kick him." You stated to break the silence. "Don't do that, y/n. I'll be alright." Ushijima laughed and angled his head to fixate him eyes on you. "Didn't know you're like this." He referred to how you were ready to deal with Uncle Fuki without a second thought. Hearing that made your eyes widen as you pulled away from the hug slightly to have a better view of Ushijima. "Is it too much? Do you not like it?" You gulped, swallowing a lump in your throat. "No, I don't mean it that way. What I meant was you standing up for others and I appreciate it." Ushijima explained what he meant.

Relief washed over as you nodded with an awkward smile. You tend to act rash for the people you care about to protect them since you were surrounded with that aspect from young as seen by Uncle Fuki and Aunt Yumi. They were always there to make sure you were alright and would confront whoever was making you feel uneasy. It was just a thing you were brought up in since being away from your mother.

"That's a relief. I just didn't want you to feel uneasy, Toshi." A hand immediately clamped over your mouth when the shortened version of his name escaped your lips. This was embarrassing! You have been thinking about names to address Ushijima to be more affectionate. Lots of pet names were thought through but you ultimately decided not to use it, finding some irking. 'Toshi' derived from 'Wakatoshi' seemed to be enough. You just prayed for a hole to swallow you from this embarrassment. "Toshi, huh?" Ushijima's deep voice interrupted the crisis you were facing. "I-I'm sorry, it just-" "I like it." Ushijima let out a closed-eye grin.

Groaning, you planted your face in your palms and felt a gentle pull towards the direction of Ushijima. You sat next to him with a cloud pouring raindrops of embarrassment, feeling your hands detaching from your warm face. "Don't be like this, y/n. I like it, I really do." Ushijima kissed your temple sweetly. "You do? I'm glad then." Your lips tugged into a small smile. "How long did you take to make this up?" He wondered gaining another groan sounded the room. "Uh... Probably, two nights-ish?" Your eyes squinted to recall those moments. Humming, Ushijima felt you snuggling up to him with a slightly jutted bottom lip. Your cheek practically squished against his muscular bicep and arms trying to wrap around his toned waist.

"Don't tell that to Tendou."
"Never."