Lead Wings | Ushijima Wakatoshi x Reader

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖊

You tie your shoelaces and get up, stretching your body one more time before exiting your apartment. The cold air of the morning hits you as you step outside the building, but it's a refreshing feeling. Even a nostalgic one, but you know for sure that this is not the time to dwell on the past or on 'what if's. You've already made up your mind and are ready to face everything that is going to be thrown at you.

It's weekend and you decided to go out jogging in the morning. Bokuto and Kuroo were still sleeping when you left since their practice starts later today. You use this as an excuse to stop thinking about the letter you got yesterday, but as your legs keep moving faster and faster, you find yourself running with no exact destination. It's what you do best: chasing something, but not having an idea of what you actually want.

You're pathetic, you're a failure. Everyone put their trust in you, but you never met their expectations. What are you doing here? Why are you still trying?

'We are sorry to inform you—'

"(Name)?" You are snapped out of your hectic pace and chaotic thoughts by a deep voice. You stop and turn around to meet those emotionless olive eyes. You gasp for a deep breath of air as the world starts spinning around you. You overdid it, again, but what's new? Before you can fall on the ground, two strong arms catch you. 'Good job', you tell yourself. Now he is going to witness you fainting live.

When you come back to your senses, you find yourself sitting on a bench, with Ushijima closely looking at you. He gets up.

"I'll bring you a bottle of water, wait here," and as he promises, he returns quickly with a bottle of cold water and hands it to you. You finish it whole like it was one shot of vodka. He takes his seat back on the bench, but keeps his distance. Always so polite.

"Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah. It's the first time I'm going out jogging since I've been out of the hospital," he doesn't say anything so you turn to look at him. In the short time you've spend together, you have come to realize that Ushijima communicates his emotions through body language. And now his eyes look at you with concern but also with distrust. "What is it?"

"You looked like you were about to cry. I thought that someone was chasing you since you were running that fast," 'Fuck, really?' Truth be told, you were actually running away from your problems, from something that will happen anyway.

"You are worrying me, (Name). Tell me what's wrong," his tone still stays the same, but his eyes soften. 'God fucking dammit, stop being so perfect.'

"I received... some bad news yesterday"

"Does it have something to do with your volleyball career?" You hesitate.

"No," yes, "my grandpa is back in the hospital after collapsing again," you want to punch yourself in the face.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I hope he gets better soon. But that's not a reason to push yourself like this. Your body is still recovering," you puff on your nose.

"My grandfather was the one that taught me and my brother volleyball. Keishin quit after high-school so all of his attention was on me. What about you, Ushijima? From where did you learn volleyball?"

"My father. He quit before getting married to my mom though. He asked her to let me be left-handed. It is thanks to him that I'm able to play like this. I was lucky," the subject deviates from here and you end up talking about his current team, your university one.

"You're not going to return to your team until next year, right?"

"Uh, yeah...Why?" You answer hesitantly. You don't like where this is going.