Work Text:
Ushijima was having a rough day, to put it lightly. He was frustrated that he had let so many things upset him today, but now it felt like he was one wrong touch away from exploding. He just wanted to get home and talk to Satori about his shitty day. As he sat stiffly in his seat on the subway, he couldn’t help but relive his terrible day.
When he got to his second class of the day, he was surprised to see that there was a note on the board letting the class know that their teacher would not be coming in. There were instructions to read from a chapter in the book and answer the questions at the end of the section. At first, Ushijima was pleased. It would be an easy assignment that he could finish quickly, allowing him to re-watch footage from his team's last practice game for the rest of class.
When he sat at his desk to begin, though, he was annoyed to find that only some of the students were quietly working. The rest were talking, creating a very distracting buzz. It would be alright, though. He would simply put his headphones on and block them out. But, when he reached into his bag to retrieve them, he couldn’t help the quiet curses that he mumbled under his breath. He looked down to see that his headphones were indeed not in his bag, most likely forgotten at home.
Still, he tried diligently to focus on his work, but his classmates grew steadily louder, until he could no longer even pick out his own thoughts from the cacophony. Ushijima felt heat prickling behind his eyes and his hands trembled over the keys of his laptop. Even his breathing echoed in his ears, his heartbeat like drums, adding further to the already overbearing noise. He wanted to get up and leave desperately, but he was glued to his seat, unable to do anything more than flit his eyes over the words on his screen, unable to process their meaning.
When class finally ended, Ushijima wasn’t able to move until nearly everyone had left the room. When the noise faded, he packed up his things slowly, trying to regulate his breathing. It had been a long time since he had last been that affected by loud noises, and he really wasn’t sure why it had been so intense today. He made a note in his head that from now on, he would always double-check that he had his headphones before leaving for class.
At least now, though, he could go get some lunch. Maybe food would help him calm down. He made his way across campus, gently tapping his hand against his leg every other step. When he arrived at the quiet little cafe he had lunch at every Tuesday, he breathed a sigh of relief at how empty it was. He quietly ordered his usual, settling down at a small table for two. He silently tapped out the tune of the anime opening he and Tendou had been watching recently, smiling kindly at the lady who brought his food over to him, before digging in.
He was finally starting to feel more himself, when someone approached his table and took a seat in the other chair. It was a girl he recognized from his literature classes. She had blonde hair, and a pretty face, and always sat in the chair three down from Ushijima. She had often initiated conversations with Ushijima, asking about what he likes to do for fun, and had even invited him out to a couple of parties. He always refused politely, though. After all, he would much rather be at home with Tendou on the weekends. They always watched a movie together on Friday nights, it was a comforting routine.
“Hello, Ayako-san,” Ushijima greeted politely.
“Hey, Ushijima-san,” she responded, grinning brightly. It was a nice smile, if not as stunning as Satori’s. “What are you up to today?”
“After I’m done with my lunch, I have two more classes before I can return home.” He paused before asking, “And you?”
Tendou had told him that asking small questions was a good way to get the other person to carry a conversation. “People love to talk about themselves, babe!” he had grinned.
“Oh, not much,” she started, “I just finished my last class of the day, and I was gonna grab some lunch before heading home.” She paused, looking at Ushijima expectantly. He tried to think of something to ask her. Finally, he settled on something food-related, since they were at lunch.
“What do you like to get when you eat here?” he asked.
She blinked at him, seemingly surprised by the question, as though it was very random. “I get the chicken wrap,” she said, grinning brightly once more. “It’s really good.”
She stopped again, and Ushijima was beginning to grow tired of the conversation. “This would be so much easier if she would also ask me something,” he thought.
As the silence drew out, Ayako-san just watched Ushijima. While he felt slightly awkward in the silence, she seemed excited, leaning closer to him over the small table. “Hey, Ushijima-san?” she finally asked, breaking the silence.
“Yes?” he prompted.
“Having lunch with you is nice and all, but would you want to get dinner sometime?” she asked, looking up at Ushijima through her lashes and prodding her foot against his leg under the table.
This was very unexpected. They weren’t really having lunch, she had just sat down at his table, only in the same cafe as him by coincidence. And he wasn’t sure, but dinner usually meant a date, and Ushijima was very much already dating someone else. He was trying to find the best way to refuse, when she spoke up once again. She leaned in even closer, speaking in a whisper as though she were telling him a secret.
“A big strong guy like you probably works out everyday, right? Well after dinner, I could give you some exercise, if you want.” (author’s note: that felt so disgusting to write >~<, I’m so sorry Ushiwaka)
Ushijima furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Sure, he worked out fairly often, but not normally after dinner, he preferred early morning or afternoon workouts. And why would she want to exercise on a date? Was this actually a date then?
Then, he remembered what Tendou told him to do when he was confused by what someone said. “Just be honest, Ushiwaka. Ask them to explain it to you.” Ushijima just wished that other people were as easy to talk to as Satori.
He took in a breath, and admitted, “I am confused.” The look on her face dropped, but he continued. “Can you explain what you mean in more detail?”
At this she blushed, though Ushijima wasn’t sure why. “That’s…” she started, though she was smiling again now, “That’s something we should probably discuss privately, don’t you think?”
Ushijima frowned, he was even more confused than before. He wasn’t the best at reading body language, but people often blushed when they were embarrassed…what was she embarrassed about? Ushijima decided to look at it all separately. First, she had asked him to dinner, a common date venue. Second, she offered to work out with him, but after dinner, and phrased it as though it was something to be kept secret.
Suddenly, it clicked. Ushijima recalled something he had read once in one of Tendou’s magazines. The column had said, “Sex is a great way to burn calories,” and then gone on to list various suggested positions. Oh no. She was offering to have sex with him, Ushijima was sure of it, if a bit flustered by the proposal thrown out in the open. Sure, Tendou was bold sometimes when they were in public, but that was different; he and Tendou were boyfriends after all.
“I think I understand now,” Ushijima started, “I must refuse your offer however, as I already have a partner.”
Where he was expecting disappointment, the look on her face morphed into one of determination. “Well,” she began, moving to stand, “If you ever get tired of them, you know where to find me.” She slid a small, folded piece of paper across the table as she spoke. She gave him one last grin and a wink before turning to leave the cafe. Ushijima noted that she hadn’t ever gotten any food.
He unfolded the paper to find a phone number written on it. He glared at the little numbers, offended. As if he would ever leave Tendou for someone else; the very idea of it brought a strange and unpleasant feeling to his chest. He grumpily finished his lunch, throwing the small piece of paper away along with the rest of his trash when he was done. He gathered his things, zipping up his bag and sliding it over his shoulder, before heading off to his third class.
His last two classes went over smoothly. Ushijima kept glancing at the clock though, impatient to finally get home after a long day. When class was finally over, he waited for the rush of students to file out, before standing and walking towards the door. He took his phone out of his pocket, intending to text Tendou that he would be home soon, when someone crashed into him, spilling their very hot tea down Ushijima’s front.
His classmate shouted several choice words. “Oh my god! Are you okay? I’m so sorry,” they rambled on, hands fluttering over Ushijima’s soaked shirt.
“It’s fine,” Ushijima said, though he made no effort to hide his distaste.
“Here, let me-” they tried, but all Ushijima wanted now was to leave.
“Please, don’t worry about it, I was on my way home anyway.” He really hoped they would leave it at that.
After a few more stuttered apologies from the other person, Ushijima stomped his way to the train station, ignoring the side glances he got from strangers at his currently very damp attire.
What a shitty fucking day.
Ushijima was finally home, though. He noticed that his movements were jerky and rushed when he went to unlock the door of their apartment, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. He just wanted to get inside and get out of his cold and sticky clothes. Finally getting his key to turn, Ushijima opened the door, closing it none too gently behind him and locking it.
Toeing off his shoes and dropping his bag in the doorway, Ushijima was already starting to pull off his shirt. The feeling of it against his skin was making his muscles twitch unpleasantly, and he shivered when the cool apartment air touched his damp skin. When it was halfway up however, he paused at the sound of a low whistle coming from the living room. “Wow, Ushiwaka,” Tendou chuckled, “Miss me that much, did you?”
Tendou’s voice was like a balm on his prickling skin. He could already feel his awful day fading away. He moved to walk farther into the living room, but was stopped by the gross feeling of his wet pants gripping his legs. He had dutifully ignored it on the way home, but now that he was here, he couldn’t stand it any longer. When the only sound he made in response was a painful whimper-like huff, Tendou was by his side before Ushijima could blink.
“Hey,” Tendou soothed, taking in the state of his boyfriend's clothes. One look into his eyes, however, and Tendou’s whole face changed. “Ah,” he thought, “It’s been one of those days.”
His eyes softened and he moved closer, stretching to his full height so that he was just that bit taller than Ushijima, aided by the fact that the ace was slouching. Tendou helped his boyfriend out of his shirt slowly, making sure that it didn’t drag on his skin any more than absolutely necessary, cooing soft assurances.
“Rough day?” the redhead asked, moving to unbutton his pants next. Ushijima only nodded in response. After helping him step out of his soaked trousers, Tendou threw them to the side, taking his boyfriend’s hand and leading him to their bathroom.
They hadn’t put a name to it yet, this state that Ushijima fell into sometimes. Hours, or sometimes full days, when his outside persona had broken down so far, that it was up to Tendou to build him up again. He would hardly speak, only eat if fed, and needed to be able to see or feel Tendou at all times. The redhead was always happy to help, feeling like he needed this time just as much as his ace did. He enjoyed the feeling of being needed, that he was able to help Ushijima when no one else could, and the trust he saw in those warm olive eyes made him fall that much more in love with his Wakatoshi every time.
The other boy was silent as he watched Tendou turn on the tap, running a warm bath. He smiled as the redhead poured oils into the water, breathing in the calming scents. They both knew that when he was in this headspace, bubbles, bath bombs, and bath salts caused a sensory overload, spiking his distress. He felt an overwhelmingly warm feeling watching Tendou prepare something as simple as a bath with such care, knowing exactly what Ushijima needed. As the water was running, Tendou also undressed, leaving only his boxers. “Now we’re even,” he smirked.
When the tub was full, Tendou gently tugged off Ushijima’s briefs before ushering him into the bath. Ushijima sank into the water with a content hum, but looked up with confusion scrunching his brow when he didn’t feel Tendou follow. Leaning down to kiss his forehead, Tendou gave his boyfriend an amused smile. “I’ll join you in a second, baby,” he placated, enjoying the flush on Ushijima’s cheeks. “Here, lean back.”
Tendou took his time, gently running his fingers through his boyfriend's hair and scratching his nails over his scalp. He hummed a quiet tune, pleased when Ushijima closed his eyes and sank deeper into the curve of the tub. When he was done he tapped Ushijima’s shoulder, telling him that it was time to rinse and tenderly worked the shampoo out of his hair, smiling when Ushijima opened his eyes and watched his face hovering above him.
When his hair was clean, Tendou stood, removing his boxers and slipping into the tub behind Ushijima. He sighed happily when Ushijima leaned back against his chest, winding his arms around his boyfriend’s middle, and resting his chin on his shoulder. They sat in silence for a long while, Tendou humming as he washed them both, drawing shapes in the suds on his back and chest. The redhead was trailing his fingers gently along Ushijima’s arms when he finally murmured, “The water is getting cold, Toshi. We should probably get out now.”
Ushijima nodded in agreement, but made no effort to remove himself from his boyfriend’s chest. Tendou only chuckled, using strength that most people didn’t think he had to move Ushijima off of him and climb out of the tub, before lifting his ace out as well. He wrapped them both up in warm, fluffy towels and opened the drain, before leading his sleepy-eyed boyfriend into their bedroom.
He sat Ushijima on the end of the bed, quickly grabbing his comfiest hoodie and sweats. “Arm’s up, Toshi,” Tendou instructed, voice soft and gentle. Ushijima complied, silent as the redhead redressed him. He breathed in deeply once the hoodie was over his head, comforted by the smell of Tendou clinging to the material. Tendou applied gentle pressure to Ushijima’s chest, easing him to lay back on the bed. The other boy complied easily, lifting his hips to help Tendou slide the briefs and then the sweats up to his waist. He watched patiently as Tendou slipped on some sweats as well, before holding his arms out in a silent request. With a grin on his face, Tendou complied easily, climbing onto the bed. They both scooted back before laying down, Tendou’s head on the pillow and Ushijima’s head tucked under his boyfriend’s chin, his cheek squished to the redhead’s chest. Tendou held him close, his fingers drawing lazy patterns on Ushijima’s back and running through his hair.
“You wanna talk about it?” Tendou asked. Ushijima merely hummed and shook his head, nuzzling further into his boyfriend’s embrace. They remained that way until their breathing evened out and they fell into a peaceful sleep, Tendou pressing gentle kisses to his forehead, and Ushijima wondering what he did to deserve a love like this. They both knew that they would eventually have to get up and make dinner and actually do some work, but for now, they were happy to hold each other and pretend that they would never have to let go.