Au: Regular (timeskip)
Tags/Warnings: GN! Reader, uhhhh
Word Count: 1.6k
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Suzaku glared at the pitch as the boys ran after the flying ball. His fingers fiddling anxiously with each individual hair, to the point of plucking them out, has you staring at him with more concern pulling your features than necessary. He huffed to himself and you finally caved.
"Uh, coach? Are you okay?"
His eyes flicked to your first, followed by his head. "Can't you see the problem?"
"I've been more cornered that you're gonna give your chin a bald patch, so no."
"Look." He jutted his chin out. "Toshi's unbalanced."
You took a minute, watching Ushijima run up to the net and plant his feet before lifting himself into the air and swinging down with his left arm. His weight was pushed forward, making him float towards the net much more than normal.
"He's favouring his right," you hummed.
"Ya, but why?"
"Likely just pulled a muscle last game. He was playing full-out non-stop."
"As he should have."
"Humans aren't machines, and even machines are prone to breaking. He just needs a good stretch and some heat. I'll take him out after this round."
"Oh, he's going to love that," Suzaku's voice droned sarcastically.
"If he wants to keep playing, he's gonna have to."
After an additional fifteen minutes, the team was finally let go for a water break. Hoshiumi ran in front of the rest to get his bottle, on the other hand, Ushijima was staring down at each step he took, a pinch growing between his brows.
"Yah, Wakatoshi!" his head shot up at your voice. You nodded your head to the gym exit. "You're with me." Behind you, Hoshiumi gossiped, eager to see the taller man's reaction to being taken out of play. You huffed. "It's just practice, you seagull. Stop squawking and get back there."
The silver-haired man laughed, chugging back his water before running back to the net, and you led Ushijima out and away from the gym.
"What's this for?" he asked.
"You're tight. Just got to stretch you out and let you recover a bit." You looked over your shoulder at him, saw his harsh expression, and smiled. "The sooner you're better, the sooner and longer you can play."
Softening, Ushijima nodded and followed you into the next room. A plush orthopaedic mattress sat in the middle of the room, and without prompting, the lumbering sack of muscle lowered his 200 pounds of weight onto it. He shut his eyes and sunk into the mattress with a sigh.
You chuckled. "Okay, let's start from your legs. What's bothering you?"
Without saying a word, he patted his left glute and back thigh, showing where the tightness was.
"Alright, knee up."
You grabbed his shin, pushing it up to his chest. He was as flexible as his muscles would allow. If he weren't so buff, his knee probably could reach his shoulder on a good day, but with the tightness, it couldn't. Passing 90 degrees, he let out a small huff that sounded like a big dog having a dream. You loosened up before pushing forward again, hoping to stretch out the muscle.
Eventually, Ushijima seemed to be fully lax against the mattress. So much so, you wondered if he had fallen asleep. So, with him comfortable, you switched. Hand and lower stomach against the outside of his knee, and right hand on his left shoulder, you pushed.
He grunted, eyes opening the widest you've seen, before sending you a dissatisfied stare.
You cuckold. "Butt sore?"
"Yes."
"Relax your muscles, Toshi."
As he followed your command, your body weight sank further against his knees and with an extra push, a satisfying crack came from his back.
"Big boned!"
"I'm just big."
"Oh, I'm sure."
He looked to the side, a bit of rosiness appearing on his ears, and you grinned to yourself once you realised why.
After twisting his other side out to even out his back, you sat him up and took hold of his left arm.
You didn't even need to ask what was tight on his arm. Easily, you began moving his arm around, contorting it in every position possible to stretch out the kinks beneath his skin.
"What mystery movie do you like the best?"
"Hmm?" You met Ushijima's eyes. "Oh, Hmm. Have you watched Knives Out?"
He shook his head. "Should we watch it next time?"
"Next time?" You found it hard to hide the grin on your cheeks.
"Tomorrow."
"How do you know I'm not busy tomorrow?"
"Are you?" he asked expectantly, still with a steely expression. It didn't seem to match, but it was just so perfectly him.
You let the grin explode onto your face. "Now I am."
•──────⋅☼⋅──────•
Your home was messier than Ushijima's and had more western furniture than Japanese, becoming an odd fusion that was distributed by the occasional mess on every counter or seat.
Leading him to your couch, you quickly swiped up your launching laundry and threw it into the basket behind your bedroom door.
"I, uh, didn't have time to plan food or anything for today. Do you want to order something? I'll pay."
He paused, observing your (rather small) couch before sitting. "Hayashi rice."
"Uh. Okay. I'll call. Do you mind pulling up the movie while I order?"
Being in Ushijima's home felt like being ushered into a dragon's den, Ushijima being in your home felt like trying to bring a dragon into a mouse hole. It felt too small for him and made you skitter around to find space to breathe.
He was there, in your home, where not many get to enter. No problem, not at all. You peeked out of the kitchen, phone ringing in your ear as you watched him search for the movie.
Ushijima waited for you to return to the couch before hitting play. "Is this a movie I want to pay attention to? Or is talking allowed?"
"Hmm, I think some talking is fine, but you'll also be a bit too absorbed in the plot to say anything."
Ushijima nodded, watching the screen start to change colour, and slouched into his seat.
Having already seen the movie and already knowing the ending, you settled for watching Ushijima's expression. Studying each and every twitch he made in reaction to a new piece of information or twist. You smiled every time his eyes flicked a bit wider.
About 20 minutes in, the food arrived, and you were reluctant to leave your spot on the couch. Your eyes trained on Ushijima as you got up and walked back towards the door, grabbing the food as quickly as possible to get back to the couch.
When you sat the bag on the table, Ushijima scooted closer to the middle. Your breath hitched, but you distracted yourself by sorting out the plates. Maybe you could use the movie to distract yourself.
It didn't work. With him sitting closer, Ushijima's body heat seemed to radiate into your skin and only made it harder to look away from him. It was only when you were trying not to stab yourself in the cheek that you managed to turn away. His elbow brushing against your every time he lifted the food to his teeth made it difficult, though, and each brush only seemed to get longer and longer. It had gotten so bad that you only noticed the movie ended when Ushijima's head turned and made eye contact.
"So," you choked. "What did you think?"
"You are pretty smart."
"Huh?"
"It was enjoyable. But I also think that only someone that strives for knowledge and understanding would want to watch this movie without prompting from another person. So, I think you are a smart person."
"Really. Um, thank you. But, what are your thoughts on the film? You were pretty focused."
"Hmm, I was." He nodded, "I wanted to solve the mystery before they revealed it, but I don't think I would have anticipated how it went."
"Is there anything you think you would want to be different?"
He stared at you, thinking for a moment before shaking his head. "I don't think so. I'm not sure if I'd be able to improve the plot at all. But, I do want to watch it again and see if I can notice the clues."
You smiled, "Well, I guess we can put mystery movies on the list of things you like."
He nodded, glancing down at the empty takeaway bowl in his hands. "Yes, among other things."
•──────⋅☼⋅──────•
Ushijima was back on an orthopaedic chair, letting you contort his body around to get every strain and crack out of his body before the game. But his left butt cheek would not let up.
"Toshi, I know you have fantastic control over your body. Please relax so you can get out there and warm up."
You folded over his thigh more, leaning down a little closer than you'd want to while on the clock in hopes that that extra force would help stretch him out. It didn't.
Lifting your head, you glared at him, expecting Ushijima to have his eyes perfectly relaxed and not see the angry stare.
They weren't closed, and instead of giving up and getting off him, you froze up.
He blinked, eyes flicking to the side as he took a deep breath, before staring you down with a confident look you'd commonly associate with being on the court.
"I want to date you."
"Heh?" It was your turn to tense, muscles becoming rocks.
"I want to date you. I hope I can take you on a date, a proper one." He waited for you to respond, but still frozen and carried by the strength of his leg, you couldn't. "Please, just say yes. I'll buy you more wine."
"Yes."
Finally, his leg released, sending out a loud crack, and you scrambled off. You stared out into space, realising that you had been holding the position instead of having a tight muscle.
"I'll pick you up tomorrow."
"Toshi—"
He had already had out the door and toward the stadium, leaving you blicking in his wake.
"Did he really just..." You suck onto the mattress, staring into nothing until you heard a loud cheer. Schweiden had gotten a point.
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University makes me braindead. If ya'll want another part, let me know what you want to happen cause I don't I could imagine it up at the moment. -Bacon
Posted: 12/03/2023