—Some months again after the BBQ party—
Ushijima Wakatoshi often visits you every three months or a couple more months after. He usually stays in the country for not more than three days.
You had him sleep at your place instead of having him stay at a hotel. He practices at the indoor court, lift weights at the gym inside your house, and he could even eat your food, so he had no complaints anyway.
And today was just like one of those days. It was a hell week and he was lying on the couch at the living room. It was around 10 and you realized a problem when you looked at your stash, completely forgetting to restock on an ingredient.
You approached Ushijima as you needed something from him. The athlete glances at you. He was reading the magazine comfortably on the couch that was long enough for his legs to completely stretch.
The bastard looked really comfortable in your house from the way he lazily lies on the long couch. But you told him to make himself at home anyway. If you had neighbors, they'd probably mistake him for your long distance boyfriend from how he instantly fetches you right after class and goes with you home while he's carrying his luggage and all.
But of course, he isn't like that. In fact, you know the perfect label for him.
He is your long distance doggo.
"Goliath, come with me to the nearby convenience store." You say to him.
"Why?" He asks.
"The reason is embarrassing." You say.
He looks up, taking a guess. "Are you scared of the dark?" he asks.
"I am not a child." You pouted.
But yes, you were afraid of the dark. But you ain't gonna tell him that that was the reason.
"Then what is it?"
"It's the police." You say.
The police? He gives you a questioning look. Why would you be afraid of the police?
He thinks about it for a minute.
Until he realized why.
Ahhh...
"You... get mistaken for a minor?" He says and he was right on the mark. You pout and nodded. "Okay. Okay." He agrees, standing up.
"What will you be buying?" He asks after the both of you went passed the gate.
"Milk. We ran out." you say.
"You aren't gonna grow anymore."
"It's healthy! And who says?" you glared at him. "We need it for tomorrow's breakfast anyway." You added and that automatically shut him up. "Let's hurry then." He says sharply.
You had him lead the way. His strides were long, hurried, and fast. If you were a normal person, you'd probably die trying to match his pace. But you weren't like that. You had other problems at the moment.
it was very dark. Since it was an isolated compound, there weren't even people passing by. Ushijima Wakatoshi noticed how you were suddenly silent, instantly knowing that something was wrong.
"G-Goliath." You say to him, bumping into his back in panic.
He sighs internally. And here you say, you weren't a child.
You clung on to this arm like you would a pole and he lets you, finding it oddly nice to have you acting this vulnerable. It felt like he won in something and you immediately gave him a scowl, noticing a feeling of defeat like some sort of psychic.
But Ushijima Wakatoshi thought hard after. He was thinking of something to talk about but he was still rather curious at the same time.
"Why... are you afraid of?" He asks.
You glared at him as if you didn't want to admit that you were but the jig was up. "This is an isolated area right?" You start off. He nods.
"And there's a forest nearby right?" You say. He nods again. "There's a large tree that you usually pass by here since it's rather close to the house."
"There is?" He asks, thinking of where he had heard it.
"Yes, Yes. They say if you stand there at 10:10 in the evening, something will happen." You informed him like how a child would to their parent.
He suddenly thinks hard. It was 10 when you asked to go out of the house. And it should be 10:10 right about... now.
He suddenly stops. "What'll happen?" He asks. "If you stand still, your head will suddenly move forward and back as if someone's hitting the back of your head." You say.
"It shouldn't be something as hard as a volleyball then." He says simply and you frowned. "No. Of course it isn't."
"Then what is there to be afraid of?" He says with an unshaken conviction and you scowled. But you composed yourself. You wanted to clarify what the story was really about.
"Because. Someone hang themselves there...
And what's hitting the back of your head when you stay still is...
...their feet."
"So we should just keep our distance from the tree." You say as he turns silent. But he remains unmoving as you look at him.
"You mean that tree?" He suddenly points out.
"MAMAN!" you immediately squealed and jumped on his back. It was a piggy backride you did out of fear and he held your legs as you tightly hold on his neck.
You think he would make a run for it. But to think he suddenly went closer to it.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING." You screamed.
"I want to see if it hits as hard as a volleyball." He says sharply. You didn't know if he was teasing you but you didn't care. You want out of here.
"GOLIATH." You panicked.
"USHIJIMA." But he wasn't stopping.
You take a deep breath.
"WAKATOSHI." You say and his eyes suddenly widened.
It was the first time he's heard you say his name and it sounded oddly nice, as it brought an expression to his face that he wasn't used to making.
"Yes, Claire?" he smiles, calling your name, clearly amused at the whole thing.
The cheeky grin that appeared on his face temporarily, made your face red. But you had your priorities straight.
"Con...venience store." You say with a glare.
"Okay." He says and immediately walks away, while still carrying you on his back.
"You're light." He says, noticing it now.
"Of course I am." You frowned, knowing the weights he was used to lifting. Compared to that, of course you'd be light.
"You don't want to go down from there?" He asks as he looks at you.
"No... This is your punishment." You pout.
"Yes. Yes." he sighs.
And a figure suddenly appears on the tree as it watched the two of you from afar. It looked like it was floating, like a fairy. It looked amused at what it had just witnessed. It wished to look more but it couldn't. It couldn't. Because the necklace of rope around its neck says otherwise.
A/N: Yes, even the dead ships it.