A request from my Tumblr!
Title: Confine
Pairings: Ushijima x Reader
WARNINGS: Yandere themes, swearing, a bit of misogyny, Ushijima is lowkey creepy
Summary: Ushijima would like to extend your trip to the countryside from a couple months to forever. He'd also like you by your side. Unfortunately, your preferences aren't necessary.
confine
/verb/
restrain or forbid someone from leaving (a place).
It wasn't that you didn't enjoy the city, it was more that you needed a little break from the hustle and bustle.
When you and your boyfriend broke up, you were left scrambling to find a new apartment. The best place you could afford was in very poor condition and in a shady neighborhood, and even that sapped more of your resources than it should.
The last straw that broke the camel's back was the retail company you worked at laying you off. You weren't fired or anything, you just weren't essential enough for them to keep you when they downsized for cost-cutting reasons.
As you looked at your puffy eyes in the yellowing, stained mirror, and tried to ignore the shouting of the other people in your building, you made your decision.
"Fuck it," you muttered, walking back into your bedroom and pulling out your suitcase.
"Are you sure you don't want to settle down here for a longer period of time? I know we don't have any apartments here, but you could find a small house for pretty cheap."
You smiled fondly at the woman in the driver's seat beside you, "I'm sure, mom. I'll only be here for two months. Maybe three. I'm a city gal, not a country gal."
"Fine, fine," Your mother laughed, recognizing the hint of exasperation in your voice, "Well, you are welcome to stay with us as long as you need. I talked to Okashi, my friend that works in that cute little diner, and she'd love to give you a job as a server there!"
"Just like that?" Your eyes widened. You planned to get a job, save up your earnings along with the little you had before hopping on the bus to the Miyagi Prefecture, then move back to the city, but to get a job right off the bat like this was more than surprising.
"Of course, dear, she adores you" Your mother smiled, "You met Okashi a year or two back, remember? You were surprised to see a lady my age with bright pink hair."
A mental image of a middle-aged woman with bubblegum-colored curls, shining blue eyes, and an enthusiastic way of talking. Last time you'd seen her, you were fresh out of college, and yet she'd cooed over you like you were starting your first day of school. Somehow, it wasn't too annoying, the way she did it. She was more like one of those old aunties from the movies that just want to shower you with kisses.
"If there's anything I can do to help around the-"
"Stop that talk right now!" Your mother cut you off sternly, "I already told you we're happy to have you. There's no need to work for us, it'll be a pleasure for your father and I to be able to see you."
You smiled gratefully at her before turning to look out the passenger-side window. In place of the familiar busy streets were acres of land growing a variety of crops, fences encompassing horses and cows, and little country roads. Towering skyscrapers were replaced with thick forests and fruit-filled orchards.
The countryside was like an entirely different world than the city was and, even if you preferred the city life, you could picture living here too.
But you always planned to return to the city when your two months were up.
"I can't thank you enough for letting me work for you," You said to the peppy woman facing you.
Okashi waved away your worries with a hand shining with a new coat of bright red polish on her long fingernails. Her lipstick was just-as-intensely red as her nails and her cheeks were dusted with a pink nearly the same color as her curly hair.
"No problem at all, darling! Not many new folks around here looking for work, and you're gonna need a place to earn money if you're gonna be saving up for only a few months, darling!"
You smiled up at her, your heart warming with gratitude, "When would you like me to get started? I'm free at just about any time- it's not like I have anything to be doing while here."
Okashi's response was a huge grin and a bundle of clothing being shoved into your arms enthusiastically. You returned her smile and hurried to the bathroom to change into what must be your new uniform.
Sure enough, it was a pink and white outfit, one that reminded you of one of those old retro diners. A white apron and simple light-pink dress. It was cute, in its own way, you supposed, but it definitely not something you would consider wearing outside of the diner.
You'd barely walked out of the bathroom when the light tinkling of a bell sounded throughout the tiny building. You weren't exactly sure if the diner you worked at was popular or not, but a glance at your watch told you the place had literally just opened. And, yet, there was a long stream of people happily chatting their way inside.
The majority of the customers were elderly people, like you mostly expected, but plenty were people around your age- college students, young adults, new couples, etc.
Okashi flitted around the store, talking to everyone with familiarity, seeming to know every person that entered the diner. It wasn't the first time you'd been a server, not by any means, but you were a little nervous to be in a place where outsiders weren't very common.
Soon, Okashi was pushing you towards a table, handing off your current one to another server, and saying "You don't have a boyfriend, right? Why don't you help out that table? Plenty of handsome boys your age!"
Clearly Okashi was playing cupid, but you humored her and walked over to the table. You had no intention whatsoever of dating anyone out here, since you'd be leaving them behind soon enough.
"Hello, my name is (Y/n) and I will be your server today! What can I get you started with?"
The tall red-haired boy at the table ordered first, then helpfully told you what his giant of a friend wanted. The man next to him was tall, intimidating, bulky, and angry-looking. From what you could tell, his peeved expression seemed more like a default one. Like he always looked so serious and imposing.
The other two males at the table, a gray-haired man with a smirk on his face and a darker-skinned man who smiled kindly at you, gave you their order and you scuttled off to grab the group's drinks, sweating under the intense gaze of the largest man at the table.
He scared you. You weren't sure exactly why, but he did. Maybe it was his size or his expression. Or maybe it was the aura you got from him or the way his eyes pierced through you and refused to even blink as you handed him his drink.
"Do you all know what you would like to order or do you need more time?"
The redhead spoke up first again, "No, we know what we'd like." He put in his order once more but, when he started to order for his larger friend once more, a deep, rumbling voice cut through his.
"What do you recommend?" The large man was staring at you, his deep voice washing over you.
His friends looked flabbergasted, even more than you were sure you did. You blinked owlishly before offering your input.
"I recommend the burgers, to be honest. I know it's a pretty generic option, but I tried one and they seem really good." You were embarrassed to be put on the spot like that, but you really did remember liking the burgers back when your mom brought you to the diner a few years back.
"I will have a burger then," The large man said, expression betraying nothing.
You nodded shyly and took the other two orders before heading back to the kitchen and relaying the information to the chef. Your cheeks burned when you heard the large man being teased by his friends, catching the redhead's comment on how he "must really like the pretty server".
When their food finished, you brought it back to their table and asked if they'd be wanting dessert. The redhead nodded, asked for a chocolate cake, then nudged the giant man sitting next to him.
Instead of asking for dessert, the man said, "I am Ushijima Wakatoshi. It is nice to meet you (Y/n)."
How were you supposed to respond to that? You nodded awkwardly, "It's nice to meet you too. Would you like dessert?"
"No." A blunt response, but not a mean one. You honestly weren't sure what to think of the man and you were left wondering if he was perhaps just bad at socialization.
The group left as soon as they were finished, but you couldn't shake the feeling that he was staring at you the entire walk out. He unnerved you, and maybe that was rude of you to judge him so harshly without knowing him, but you couldn't help but think there were red flags popping up in the corner of your mind's eye.
Ushijima showed up in the diner every day, sometimes staying for hours at a time, reading or typing away on a laptop. Despite how busy he seemed, you could always feel his eyes on you.
You worried, at first, that you were just being paranoid, but Okashi brought it up to you after a few days.
"Is he your boyfriend yet? If not, you should really ask him out, he's probably too shy to ask you if he hasn't already! It's sooo obvious he likes you!"
If Okashi wasn't in her 50s you would have mistaken her voice for a high school girl's. You blushed, turning your face away in embarrassment, "There's no point in dating when I'm leaving in a month."
Then, it happened. You didn't think you'd been talking too loud, although you do admit the diner was a bit quiet, but it was loud enough.
Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Ushijima's form stiffen and his eyes widen. He didn't bother to hide his staring this time, but his expression didn't change. Somehow... you could tell... he was upset about your revelation.
Why should I care? It's not like I returned any feelings he might have for me.
Still, it felt weird when he didn't come into the diner for the rest of the week.
On the following Monday, Ushijima showed up at the diner again. He never glanced up at you, not even once, leaving you to wonder why he was there. Okashi had mentioned in passing that he rarely visited before you started working there.
As much as you wanted to believe he just started liking the food, the fact that he told the server he "didn't want anything yet" worried you.
Why didn't he order anything? If he isn't hungry, why is he here?
Something felt very, very wrong. And you weren't sure what it was... but it scared you.
Ushijima left just a few minutes before the diner closed, but the weight wasn't lifted from your chest. If anything, the feeling worsened. You locked up the store with a heavy heart and hurried out the door, bidding goodbye to Okashi.
It wasn't too dark, not with the street lights shining their pale light down on the main road. But the path to your parents house had far fewer lights and denser trees. Your heart caught in your throat as you went through the woods, the darkness washing over you until you felt as though you were choking in it.
You were so on edge that the scream barely took a second to escape your mouth when a muscular arm wrapped around your waist. Your shriek of terror was quickly cut off by a large hand cupping your mouth.
"Stop." The deep, rumbling voice frightened you into submission, tears leaping to your eyes when you placed the familiarity. How could you even be surprised by who it was, when he was acting so strangely since the moment you met him?
Ushijima scooped you up effortlessly in his arms, fingers still pressed tightly into your cheeks. "Don't know what you're going on about, wanting to leave town... We just met and you're already trying to leave me. After two people fall in love, it's not right to just leave the other behind right away."
Even if the large man's calloused palms weren't clapped tightly to your lips, you wouldn't have been able to say a word. You were entirely dumbfounded by his delusions. Did you somehow lead him on? You can't imagine you did, not on purpose at least.
For the love of God you only talked when you took his order. How the hell did he get it in his head that you were some sort of lovestruck Romeo and Juliet couple? What the hell was wrong with this guy?
"You shouldn't be going into the city and working there. It's dangerous for a woman. You should be working in the home for your husband."
The words caused anger to rise inside of you and you delivered your best kick to his chest, despite the awkward angle you were in. It was like you hadn't done anything at all. He didn't flinch or falter in his steps in even the smallest bit.
"It will be fine (Y/n). I will be your husband and keep you where you belong. In the country. In the house. With me."
You couldn't even comprehend why he was doing this to you, but there was one thing you knew for sure. Something that froze the blood in your veins and renewed your fighting spirit.
The house you were heading straight for wasn't your parents'.