Disclaimer: I don't own jack!
Summary: When time and chance eventually collided to provide the opportunity he'd been waiting for.
Pairing: Ushijima/Kagome
Suggested Listening: King by Laren Aquilina
Touch of White
Part I: The Girl Next Door
He ran the same route every single day. Through the town, by the old book store still operated by the Ito family and up the steps to the local shrine. It kept his body in top form. But that wasn't the only thing that his route had done for him.
He spotted her the second she began to wave her arms enthusiastically. Higurashi Kagome. His neighbor for the past several years. He slowed down to a stop in front of her.
"Toshi! Back again?" A bright smile was flashed his way. The daughter of the shrine's monk stood at the top of the steps—clearly awaiting his expected arrival. Ushijima nodded once in response. She continued on, "Good luck today! You've got a tournament, right?" The young woman came to his side. He'd been running this path for several years now. He'd alternate his time and direction occasionally due to weather, but no matter what she was always there when he arrived.
"Yeah. We're heading to the semi-finals." His answer was brief; containing only the information that was needed. This time her smile morphed into an energetic grin.
"Then that means that you're almost there!" She clutched her hand into a fist, pushing it towards him. "I've got faith in you Toshi!" He blinked. Awkwardly, he raised a loosely curled fist. Careful of his own strength, he nudged his knuckles against hers. It was something she'd always done with him.
For luck
She had said. However the truth was simpler. It was a show of support and the gesture was fully appreciated.
"Thank you." Ushijima noticed the proximity between them. There was a short distance that always seemed to separate them. They'd always been fairly close but she and her family were exceptionally welcoming of his presence. "Are you going to watch your prefecture's tournament?" It was a simple question but the undercurrent of his real inquiry laid just beneath the surface. She went to Nekoma and had the same classes as its current Captain. As such, they'd expectedly gotten close over time.
She laughed lightly, "Kuro would probably sulk if I didn't show." He recognized the flush as one when she spoke of someone she liked. In this case it was Kuro Tetsurou. She didn't talk about her love life often, but it became a more frequent topic after she began dating the Nekoma team Captain two years ago. It was likely the longest relationship she'd had since he'd known her.
Ushijima made a noise of understanding. Their conversations usually went like this. She'd greet him, wish him luck and when he'd ask about her life it'd inevitably lead to Nekoma and Kuro. He'd assumed that it was probably her way of attempting to connect to him through the sport he enjoyed.
"Anyways, theirs don't start until next week. So I'll probably drop by later on to cheer for you." Her grin was just as bright as before. "Just don't let the boys know. They'll get upset."
He nodded, the slight edge of his lips quirking upwards. Without fail she also had a habit of 'sneaking' to his games to offer a supportive cheer. As the manager of Nekoma's Volleyball team, it'd stand to reason that they wouldn't be too enthused about her rooting for a possible rival. He rather enjoyed her enthusiasm though. Even above the drowning voices in the background, he could always hear her in from the stands. Always cheering for him and offering support in the moments when their games got difficult. It was nice.
Ushijima politely took the towel she generously offered him. He wiped the sweat from his neck and face briefly, allowing it to hang over his shoulder when he was done. This part of their visit always felt the most natural. It was simple enough. No forced conversations. No talk about Nekoma or Shiratorizawa. It was always just them taking a moment to observe the sky above.
It was overcast today. A dark cloud roamed in the otherwise sea of blue. He closed his eyes to take a breath. It was calming. The breeze picked up into a gentle gust. The scent of rain and jasmine filtered through his senses.
How many years had they'd done this now? Seven? Eight? Or had it been even longer? He couldn't remember. Delicate fingers traced along his curled fist. He loosened his hand to allow her to take hold. He wasn't sure how it'd started. Perhaps it'd been a rainy day. She had always been a bit on edge in their younger years at the first sight of an unusual cloud. What was certain though was the amount of comfort she took in his presence alone. This act was merely the reassurance of their place in each others' lives. They'd never been lovers but they were simply there for each other.
Their fingers intertwined loosely. It was an old habit that hadn't faded through time or other relationships. For just a few minutes each day it was only himself, her and the small space between them. He tried not to dwell on that subject for too long. Instead he focused his attention on the heat of her touch. His brows furrowed slightly.
Kagome's hands were unusually warm today. A sure sign of an impending fever. Ushijima fought the urge to sigh. She shouldn't be going to his game. Not if she were to be coming down with an illness. There'd still be the finals. He could wait to hear her support until after she felt better.
"You should rest." His voice cut through the comfortable silence. It was also part of their routine to go through this. While he'd made a habit of jogging, she'd made a habit of pushing herself beyond her limits.
"How do you always figure me out?" Kagome tipped her head up to smile warmly at him. "It's like you just know when I start feeling a little sick."
An unusual feeling flitted through his stomach. It didn't hurt but he felt at odds with himself. Gently, he curled his fingers over hers a little more tightly.
"Your hand gets warm." He chose to answer her question directly. A light blush went across her face in what he presumed to be embarrassment. Why that might be, he wasn't quite certain. There was nothing to be ashamed of. "We'll win." The young man stated simply. "So rest for now. There's still the next game."
Kagome's smile softened, "Alright I'll go rest." She squeezed his hand a tiny bit. "I'll see you in the finals." With that her fingers fell away. The warmth of her touch was replaced with the slight chill of the breeze.
Ushijima waited until he'd seen her return inside of the shrine, safe from further exposure to the mild elements. For as long as he'd known her, she'd been the type to take to illness easily. A small cold could last for several weeks. Fevers had been a constant battle. Still, she carried on with the same amount of determination. She not only matched her peers but outshined them in many aspects. He'd admit that he felt somewhat concerned when she originally told him that she'd been invited to join Nekoma's Boys Volleyball Team as its manager. He worried that she'd push herself excessively and drive herself back into a constant state of illness like she did during their middle school years. However that wasn't quite what had happened.
He lifted his gaze to the clouded sky. He didn't know much about Kuro. In fact about the only things he did know were what Kagome had told him. What became clear after the first few months of her joining the team was how much the captain watched her for signs of sickness. At the first symptom, he'd promptly send her home for rest. He had taken to keeping a watchful eye on her where Ushijima had been unable to.
His teeth clenched as the thought hit him. In all these years, the gap that separated them still remained. Try as he might, he had no clue of how to close it. The space could take the form of the slight breeze, the small partition between their chairs or even Kuro himself. Regardless there was never a moment in which it wasn't present.
The breeze picked up. It'd be best if he returned home soon. The rain would likely start pouring on his trip to the semi finals.
The spiker's mind summoned the image of Kagome's grinning face and flushed cheeks amongst the crowd of Shiratorizawa supporters. She'd always stand out from the rest. From her exuberant cheers right down to the way she called his name. It was always there for him. He pulled the towel from his neck. He'd have to return it later after the game. He'd use the opportunity to check on her health as well. Otherwise his mind would be distracted during the battle on the court.
Ushijima began to jog back down the shrine steps. He had to focus. He was confident that they'd win against their opponents but he couldn't allow himself to cause his teammates any difficulties along the way. His mind forcefully summoned the image of her smile once more. She'd be waiting for him. That much he knew. For the first time since his days at Shiratorizawa Middle School, he hoped that the game would pass quickly.
Seeing her in the stands during his spikes, hearing her cheer his name at the last point to be scored and feeling her arms around him at the end of a match were what he looked forward to the most. The illness that came and went with its own current had always caused him to worry. It struck with varying degrees without warning. Yesterday she'd been full of life. Smiling, taking his hand gently and offering him her upmost support. Today she looked just a bit paler. The beginnings of a fever colored her cheeks and a small sheen of sweat had covered her forehead.
But she still waited.
His fists clenched as his feet carried him down the shrine with ease. He'd win this game. Just so that he could see her one more time tonight. He wouldn't be satisfied until he did. With that in mind, the young man made his was back where his teammates would be waiting for him. It was time to win.
Ushijima returned to the shrine steps for the second time that day. The match had gone on for far longer than expected. His eyes narrowed as he began the long stroll up the steep hill. The whole reason he began his jog up this shrine was because it'd been close to home and offered a prime work out routine. He'd done it since his late years in elementary despite his family's protests.
The first time he came, Kagome had been at the top. It'd been an odd meeting with her gazing at the overcast clouds above and a broom three sizes too big clutched between her tiny fingers. He'd been out of breath to boot so his sudden appearance had surprised her.
She'd given him a wide-eyed look. Then a grin spread over her lips as she held out her hand to him. Even now he wasn't sure what'd inspired him to do it, but he'd taken it without hesitation. For several minutes they'd stood together in silence with their hands interlocked. This was how their ritual had been born.
He paused as he came through the shrine's entrance, politely slipping his shoes off in the genkan. Kagome's mother offered a familial greeting, pointing up the stairs towards her daughter's room.
Ushijima nodded once. It was a silent request that he allow her to sleep once he gave his usual greeting. This was also something that he'd done once her health had taken a turn for the worse. Even when she couldn't go see him, he'd return to her home and visit with her. Usually she'd encourage him to open up about how his day went and asked for a play by play of his game; despite already watching it live from her bedroom. The one time he'd asked about it, she'd responded that it was because she always enjoyed hearing things from his perspective. She'd likened to watching a movie from a new angle, making the entire storyline more refreshing.
The spiker gave her door a quick knock.
"Come in," Kagome's voice weakly welcomed him. His brows furrowed into a deep line. Had it already progressed that far? He entered the room with ease, taking in the collection of pictures displayed proudly along her wall. Many were of her and the Nekoma team, but a few more prominent ones were from their youth together. The most notable was of a joint fishing trip their families took together.
They had been in the later half of their elementary days. Kagome had been dwarfed beside him. Buried up to her knees in river water, mud and a dirt caked face. But carried between her spindly arms and his in an awkwardly diagonal angle was a fish that nearly doubled the length of her body at the time. They caught it together with her holding the reel and him pulling the creature out of the water. They released it once they were done but the photo had since hung proudly along her wall with the rest of her important memories.
"How'd it go?" She reached her hand towards his. The young man carefully sank into his usual spot beside her on the bed. He remained sitting up as her head curled to pillow itself upon his hip.
"We won but it was a long game this time." His answer was direct and to the point. His mind remained zeroed in on the slightly labored breaths she took. The fever had worsened. The heat of her hand practically burned into his palm. He only hoped that this one would break by morning.
"I saw," Kagome's smile was tired. It was full of the kindness he'd grown accustomed to but it was clear that she was having difficulty staying awake. "You did great, Toshi."
His free hand brushed a few strands of hair from her face.
"You should rest. Your fever will spike if you don't." He couldn't help but to remind her. A bottle of cold medicine rested upon her nightstand. Beside it was a notebook with a time noted in the middle of the page. Judging by that she would be due for her next dosage in two hours. He'd be home by then, he thought with some reluctance.
"Alright. Night, Toshi." She gave his hand one last squeeze before her eyes slid close. He waited until her breathing became even—a sure sign that she'd fallen asleep.
Even here, he could feel the divide opening up between them. For so long he'd wanted to close it. He'd wanted to reach across the space and fill in the gap.
Ushijima carefully lowered her head back onto her pillow. He still had hold of her hand with his own. They'd always been so warm. Now he just wanted them to feel normal. He wanted to wish away the fevers that plagued her. He extracted his fingers carefully.
The young man glanced down at the woman whom he'd only known as 'the girl next door' for so many years. How long would it take to fill that gap? How much longer would it be before he could finally find the opportunity to do something about it.
His eyes observed the paleness of her pallor. It reminded him too much of her final year in middle school. She'd spent more days lying in bed than she did in school. Still, he'd come by to find textbooks sprawled across her lap and desk. Her assignments would be filled to perfection. She'd always been incredibly intelligent. She had a goal in mind and there wasn't anything in this world that would stop her. It was that very tenacity that sparked his respect.
Ushijima brushed the stray bangs of hair from her forehead for the second time that night. In a single motion he tucked them behind her ear gently. Kagome gave a soft sigh, her lips pulling into a tiny smile.
The gap was real. It was here still in front of him. He splayed his palm over the side of her face. It was still too warm. His thumb followed the curvature of her cheek. She hardly stirred.
The young man leaned over her sleeping form. Just this once he'd close the distance. He'd grasp at the only thing he could.
With gentleness that surprised himself, he pressed his lips to the space above her brow. His eyes slid closed and he held still for only a few seconds. Just once he wished that this illness would disappear. That the space between then would evaporate along with it. A pipe dream, to be sure, but he still wished or it nonetheless. In a breath's moment he drew away.
"Good night." Ushijima finally responded. He stood from his perch. He silently made his was across the room. His hand hovered above the switch to shut off the light. She was pale, sweat upon her brow and her breathing still as labored as before. The one difference was the smile. It was soft and full of the warmth that her dreams provided. His eyes burned the image into his mind. He only hoped that she'd be well by morning, but if not then this image was all that he'd need to power through the finals against Karasuno tomorrow. In a quick motion he shut off the light. Leaving the shrine for the final time that night.
Tomorrow he'd earn his victory. Just as he'd promised.