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For Ushijima Wakatoshi, most of his life is spent on the court.
He's a volleyball player who played the sport as early as he can remember so of course most of his time is spent there.
But for Ushijima, a lot of important things outside the sport happened there as well.
Most of them had to do with you.
The feeling of unease creeps up behind him as he approaches you, sweaty hands clenching into fists and unclenching after a few seconds to help him release the tension that's been building up inside of him.
Practice has already finished and the last member of the club has just left the gym so now it's only you and him.
You were waiting for him since you two have plans to get dinner together before he'd walk you home and then go back to his dorm.
"Be my lover."
It was meant to be a question in all honesty but it sounded more like an order with how Ushijima said it and he internally winces at how demanding his tone came to be.
People think that he's dense about things outside of volleyball, which is true to an extent but he's not that naive especially with relationships since...
Your eyes widen at his words and your head turns to face him so fast that you thought you might get whiplash.
"I'm sorry can you say that again? I just need to make sure I'm not hearing things."
You replied, hoping that you aren't going even more crazy than you already are (not sorry) and that Ushijima is asking what you think he's asking.
It's only been a few months since you started dating each other and on top of that, both of you are really busy because of studies and volleyball, limiting the time you could spend together as people who have romantic interests in each other.
"I would like to make us what other people call "official" if that's what you want as well."
The ace rephrases his words with a little more depth to them.
"I want that as well"
You admitted with a shy smile, Ushijima was relieved and glad that you're both on the same page.
He's not that naive but he would still thread really carefully in some aspects of your relationship as it started.
This leads to a lot of misunderstandings from time to time that you both eventually get over as you progress further into the relationship with him.
The two of you settle into a routine, a routine that both of you are comfortable in. It's the kind of love where you don't necessarily have to say "I love you" to let them know how you feel about them.
Ushijima is a direct and blunt person after all and as time passes by, you tell him that you don't want him to thread carefully around you, don't want him cherry-picking what words he would say to you. You want him to say what's really on his mind and be honest even if it sometimes hurts the two of you.
It's one of the qualities that you've come to love about him after all.
He knows that aside from his father, you're his biggest fan, his biggest cheerleader. All these people would cheer and shout for him each game but he would only look for you.
Look for you in the stands and would block out all the other noises just to hear your voice, just to hear you cheering just for him.
Win or lose, you're there for him and he will do the same for you until you don't want him to anymore.
Before you know it, it was already graduation and you two are going to move on with the next phase in your lives.
"You don't wanna take pictures with them Wakatoshi?"
you ask, entering the gym where he was serving a ball across the net and it hits the water bottle with accurate precision, knocking it out from where it was standing.
"I don't mind. I would just like to play here one more time before leaving."
He answers and he looks at the other side of the court while you look at him.
It may not be obvious to other people but just for a second, a brief second, you could see the uncertainty glaze over his features as he holds onto the next ball he was about to serve.
"Teach me how to do a jump serve."
You told him, putting your hand over his bigger one, caressing the knuckles with the pad of your thumb reassuringly and he looks at it before looking at you and nodding, doing what he was told.
He was about to leave Shiratorizawa's court and step into an even bigger one but as long as you're on his team, he doesn't have anything to worry about.
It was a few years later that you officially met one of his parents.
They know about your existence through social media because of how rarely Ushijima uses it and when he does, he usually posts pictures of you two on vacation or just pics of you that he thinks are cute, with your consent of course.
His father's ecstatic. Really ecstatic to say the least. Things may have not gone well for him and his son's mother but he's glad that his son has found his own happiness, his own person to call home.
The overall visit to his dad is a success as all three of you enjoyed the dinner and got along well, you left them alone for a bit to have them catch up so you decided to wash the dishes even if his father insisted not to.
Luckily for you, your boyfriend is on your side in this one since he knows your giving him an opening and he picks up on it.
You look back out to the living room where Ushijima and his dad are chatting, and you could see the same fond smile he'd show from time to time on his face at that moment.
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Life can sometimes go off track for everyone, no one is an exception, unfortunately.
"We'll be taking our leave."
You wanted to say something, anything to make the situation better but you got nothing.
Ushijima grabs you by the hand and walks you out of the place, his mother's place.
You could tell that he was seething with the way his mother was talking lowly about you. Saying that she doesn't approve of your relationship with her son and started nitpicking everything about you.
The straw that broke the camel's back was when she said that Wakatoshi could do better. Which lead to the loud screeching of the chair that echoed throughout the home and the two of you bidding an early goodbye to his mother because he had enough.
"Wakatoshi..."
You could see him gripping the steering wheel so hard that you could see the veins on the top of his hands.
It was a quiet ride back. The radio wasn't helping that much either to fill up the silence as the music was a direct contrast to the current mood yet did absolutely nothing to lift yours and his spirits up.
In all honesty, he was hesitant to let you meet his mother for this exact reason. He gets along with his father more than he does with her and for a good reason.
By the time you two got back to your shared apartment the anger on his face dissipated into silent fury.
"Don't believe anything she said. She's wrong."
Ushijima says, putting the car in park.
"She had no right to say that to you. No one has any right to say that to you."
The last thing he wants to happen right now is for you to leave and end this relationship with him because of that.
You could tell that in a sense, he took this even more personally than you did.
You took it pretty hard actually but when you realized that his mother is just that kind of person, you knew you had to let it go, hoping that she'd warm up to you at some point or simply accept the fact that you're here to stay whether she liked it or not.
"She never cared. She just accepted that I was there but did nothing. She was never there even when she could be but she just never was. Not in my first game, not in my middle school graduation, not in my high school graduation, not in my worst moments, and not even in my best, nothing."
It wasn't a touchy subject in your relationship because it was rarely brought up. Ushijima didn't need anyone's approval but yours because this is yours and his relationship, not other people's. Only you two should get a say in what goes.
You feel like this is something that he needs to get off his chest so you stay silent.
"She wasn't there when I had trouble with my studies, with volleyball, with my health. She didn't even have to pay for tuition since I had a scholarship back when I used to go to school for fuck's sake."
The venom that laced his words was a clear indication that this is more than just one moment, one instance, one situation. It's the accumulation of years of neglect and lack of contact, communication, and affection that now resulted in how he acts around certain people, how he acted towards you at the start of your relationship.
You unbuckle your seatbelt and gave him a hug. He blinks for a second or two at the sudden affection before reciprocating it. Letting out a shaky sigh while doing so.
Both of you agree to talk about this tomorrow when you're both not physically and emotionally drained.
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"I-I couldn't save her..."
You sobbed out, sitting on the couch after a tiring day at the hospital. Ushijima sets the cups of tea on the table.
Saying something like "I'm sorry" or somewhere along the lines of that is nothing more than pointless in Ushijima's opinion.
It's not like you can save everyone that comes through those hospital doors. Death is an inevitable thing and all of us will die someday.
That doesn't make it less painful for people in your position though who pour their heart and soul into each and every person that becomes their patient, wanting to help them get better and live the best lives that they could live.
So he stays by your side, waiting for you to come down so he can help you get ready for bed and put that mind of yours that's constantly running to rest even just for a few hours at least.
These are the times when he reminds you that you're not a failure(even if you feel like one), that there are several factors that contribute to how a person lives or dies.
He doesn't shift the blame or blame anyone at all, he doesn't sugarcoat his words and tells you that you could save anyone and everyone because that's impossible.
Ushijima simply says that sometimes, things just don't go the way you want and you have to just move forward even if it hurts.
You can cry in anguish and feel all these emotions all you want because at the end of the day he's there to help you help yourself get better and feel safe.
He's the tether that keeps you from straying too far into the darkness. Even if you do, he'll find a way to bring you back home no matter what because he knows that you would do all that and more for him as well.
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"You did amazing today, Wakatoshi"
You cheered, handing him his drink as you two exit the stadium, heading towards the place where Ushijima made dinner reservations for the two of you.
Ushijima doesn't really like big fancy restaurants, he prefers places more intimate and homey but every once in a while, he likes to splurge on you even if you actually prefer the same places he does.
Ushijima simply wants you to experience all good things in life and all types of experiences that you could also share with him.
So at the end of the day, you two could settle down and simply remember those experiences, whether good or bad it will always bring a smile and a laugh to your faces.
When he paid for the dinner you thought you two would head home and watch a movie or something but it looks like Ushijima had other plans.
"Where are we going, Toshi?"
You ask him as he misses the turn.
"Somewhere that we both know very well."
Despite that description, it's pretty vague since you both live around this place which means you know a lot of establishments here pretty well.
This is why it surprised you when you two ended up in Shiratorizawa.
"Close your eyes and give me your hands please."
Ushijima said and you obliged, putting your full trust into him as you close your eyes.
He leads you along up some small steps and you could hear a metal door open, he leads you in and tells you to open your eyes after a few seconds.
You two were in the gym and your eyes widen upon seeing hundreds, heck maybe even thousands of paper cranes hanged up in the room by string, some of them were even glowing and some had flowers on them.
Ushijima then tapped his phone and a song suddenly began playing, he offers his hand and you accept it, dancing a classic waltz along with the slow and calm tune that played from the speaker somewhere in the room.
As the song finishes and you two stand there, Ushijima speaks up.
"Some cranes have specific numbers, I would like you to open them from one to ten"
Curiosity fills your mind and you agree.
According to Japanese legend, folding a thousand paper cranes brings a person happiness and good luck. In some versions of the story, the person may be granted a wish by the gods. In Japan, the crane is a bird of happiness – a symbol of luck and longevity. It lives a thousand years, and each crane in the senbazuru symbolizes one year of happiness.
You look around for a minute or two with Ushijima helping you find the first crane.
"I wish to become one of the greatest volleyball players in Japan."
It says in the crane and it clicks, these are Wakatoshi's wishes. The second one was easier to find.
"I wish for you to save as many people as you can"
You smiled at the words and at him before trying to find the next one.
"I wish for you to be able to come to all of my games and watch me grow"
You read out loud and looked over to Ushijima who simply looked back at you and wanted you to continue.
All his wishes may be "basic" and simple as some might say but it is straightforward, just like Ushijima.
"I wish for us to live long and healthy lives"
"I wish to be able to see my father more often"
"I wish to have the ability to play volleyball until the very end"
You internally chuckle at this one, it was expected nonetheless.
"I wish to always be able to be there for you at all your highs and lows and in-betweens."
It may sound quite arbitrary but you knew that you both have busy lives. He's an athlete and you're a surgeon, there are times that you don't see each other for a while because of this but you both are very understanding since you're both on the same boat.
"I wish to be able to make you happy all the time."
"You always do Wakatoshi."
You whisper mostly to yourself but he still heard it.
"I wish for us to always be each other's home"
Your heart melted in all honesty from the dinner to the dance, to the cranes, it's not even a special occasion, you've made sure that you didn't miss any special events when it comes to him.
After a minute or two, you look to him for help in finding the last crane. To your surprise, he hands it to you himself.
The last crane was a bit crumpled which made you believe that Ushijima held onto it for some time.
"I wish to be able to wake up by your side for the rest of our lives. To grow old and grow old together, to be each other's person we would come home to, to watch the sunset and sunrise together, from living life to the fullest to simply doing mundane chores at home...
I wish for you to accept my invitation..."
You finish and look at other parts of the paper to find no writing.
You turn to Ushijima and your eyes turned as wide as saucers, you subconsciously let go of the piece of paper you were holding.
"In the thirteen plus years I've known you and in the ten that we've been together, we've had our highs and lows. We have bought a house and made it our home, we have laughed and cried and cheered together for more than a decade.
For more than a decade I have found a home in you, I hope that you have found one in me too. I may have a lot of things I still need to work on and improve but I wish to be by your side while I do so...
Will you accept my invitation and marry me, y/n?"
Ushijima said as he was already bent down on one knee and was waiting for you to finish reading the last paper crane the entire time. His hand holding a little velvet purple box with a diamond ring inside.
"Yes. A thousand times yes!"
You cried and he slips the ring on.
Ushijima was ecstatic and you were too busy crying yourself that you didn't realize that one tear that slipped out of his eye as he went in for an embrace.
He feels like his life is truly coming together. The final piece of the puzzle has been put and he feels complete, this is where he belongs, in your arms.
It wasn't long before the world knew that Ushijima Wakatoshi(28) has proposed to his partner and is going to get married really soon.
He uploaded the picture that you two took after the proposal, in the gym with all the paper cranes around you two.
For Ushijima Wakatoshi, most of his life is spent in the court.
He's a volleyball player who played the sport as early as he can remember so of course most of his time is spent there.
For Ushijima Wakatoshi, the world is a court, with you on his team and him on yours, he knows that he could win any and every game that life throws at him.