Greetings my little balls of sunshine,

a long time has passed since I have uploaded anything and I thank you all for your love and supprot.

As per usual real life is a bit of a drag and there were so many things going on that I didn't have time to sit down a write.

However, since I wanted to spy on Trumps Twitter I now have my very own Twitter...after many years...at age 27...woop.

Anyway, if you guys want a little inside into my life, see what ideas are sprouting or what I'm up to, feel free to look for me. The NightOwlIvy, a little adveture who wants to see the world.

Anyway, enjoy this chapter and as always, stay safe and healthy. Keep your distance and wear a mask :)

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: Well, that's fine too. But I still wish you happiness :)

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Chapter 58 - A warmth

"Please stand back. The train is arriving," the announcement echoed across the track at Tokyo station.

Ushijima patiently waited in line with many other passengers for the sleek silver bullet train to roll in and come to a hold. His rucksack and small trolly were packed for one purpose; to visit Tamiko. He would sleep over the Kageyama household for the weekend and then head back to Tokyo. But only one of the three Kageyama's knew about this and that heightened the excitement.

Only seconds after he had sat down the train rolled into motion, the buildings whizzing past the window faster and faster as the train reached its top speed. Despite this it took a while until grey buildings gave way to green open space. There were a few stops on the way including the city of Fukushima. Of course, the train didn't stop there. It just rushed through. He remembered the earthquake clearly. It had been the second year of high school and it was in the middle of a lesson when the earth suddenly shook. Not long after the tsunami hit the coast. His mother immediately called him back home until school started again. But he didn't want to think about a past disaster. He wanted to see his girlfriend.

"Next stop; Sendai station. Please prepare your luggage to get off the train. We will depart immediately after arriving," the announcement said.

Ushijima put on his jacket and like a few others he got his belongings and headed for the next door. Since he was the first there he could gaze out of the window of the train as a few familiar buildings whizzed past. The few buildings suddenly turned to the view of the station and slowly the train came to a halt. As soon as the doors opened he stepped outside. While Ushijima headed to the next stairs the train already left for the next part of its journey.

Sendai station was a lot smaller than Tokyo station and a lot more manageable to navigate. He followed the flow of people past the shops and out of the shinkansen travel area of the station. After scanning the sea of people he spotted a familiar face amongst the strangers. Kageyama Shiyori also spotted him and waved.

"Welcome back," Shiyori greeted him as he approached her.

He nodded and followed her out of the station to the carpark. She asked him a lot of questions from the get go. How was work? Did he enjoy his new home? What was the neighborhood like? He told her about the only neighbour he knew; Hamada Sumi. Shiyori also had a lot to ask about her although he couldn't answer much. She was just an acquaintance, nothing more.

"I do trust you, Wakatoshi-kun but I hope it stays that way," Shiyori said. "Temptation is a curse."

"I dislike her laugh," he told her.

"That's very honest of you," she said. "But my daughter has a lovely laugh."

"Yes, she does," he agreed.

"She is so much like her father," Shiyori confessed. "After all the therapy and reflecting on my past actions I am ashamed of the choices I have made. It's her father's laugh I fell in love with years ago. It has always pained me after the divorce to see her because I always saw him in her. Because I rejected him I subconsciously rejected her as well."

Ushijima glanced at Shiyori who had paused before the parked car. From time he had learned to read faces better. He could see the sad smile on her face. After a heavy sigh she smiled at him and opened the car.

"I have so much to make up to them," she revealed. "I hope I can pay her back in full until she moves out."

"I'm sure you will," he said.

"I'm already so proud of her," she admitted. "I've put her through such hard times, yet she managed to live with it. She is so independent and took such good care of Tobio. And I'm glad she has such good friends to support her."

He nodded and stored his trolly in the back of the car. Then he took his usual seat in the passenger seat, only that it wasn't Tamiko who was driving. Shiyori drove just as carefully as her daughter although she talked a lot more behind the wheel. Tamiko was a quiet driver in comparison. This time she told him how she met his father. He didn't really listen since the surroundings grew more familiar and the home of the Kageyama's came into view.

The rain which began to fall when they had left the station had developed to a little bit of a downpour. Shiyori gave Ushijima the only umbrella in the car and both headed for the door. The smell of the rain calmed his nerves a little. He had never stayed over someone else's house with all other family members under the same roof. He hadn't asked yet where he would sleep. Was he allowed to sleep in her room or did he get the sofa in the living room? At least it wasn't the first time he had set his foot into this home.

"Ushijima-san?" he heard behind him.

The former Shiratorizawa ace turned around to see his girlfriend's younger brother walk through the gate. He was still in his school uniform since he had just come home from school. He was sent home early today since there was no training. The rain had also surprised him and his clothes were very drenched. The setter noticed the baggage that Ushijima was carrying as he patiently waited to be let inside.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I'm here for Tamiko." he said and hovered a finger before his lips. "But it's a surprise."

"And what a surprise," Shiyori said as she unlocked the door. "Wakatoshi-kun will stay with us for the weekend."

"Thank you again, Kageyama-san."

"Don't worry about it. Come in come in," she urged.

Not much had changed in the house itself. The furniture was still sleek and modern, black and white. The photographs were still at the same place, with the addition of Tamiko's graduation photo with her mother by her side. Unlike all the other photos, both women were smiling brightly before the cherry trees. A smile also crept over his own lips to know that Tamiko was feeling so much happier now than during her high school days. It seemed a little too good to be true that everything had worked out so smoothly, apart from the court appointment.

Shiyori told him to deposit his luggage in the corridor for now while she went to the kitchen to offer him some refreshments. The kitchen was unchanged from the last time he had stepped into it. He remembered Tamiko cooking him a meal here. How that had planted her Freesia bulbs into the pots. Their time to bloom had already past but it had arrived just on time on her birthday. Soon it was his own birthday. What would she surprise him with?

"Is Tamiko here?" he asked after a while.

"Yes, but she has a visitor from university at the moment," her mother explained. "They should be done soon."

Ushijima raised an eyebrow.

"They currently have to do projects. Tamiko and this boy are working together right now."

This made his stomach turn a little. His girlfriend was with another guy? Was it something serious or could he trust her, like she had told him not too long ago? His head told him he could but his heart had other ideas. Many scenarios played through his head, from harmless to worst. He would've raced up the steps and looked into her room if he could.

As if on cue a door opened upstairs and voices emerged. He recognised Tamiko's voice straight away. The male voice he didn't like one bit. The two of them were still discussing their work and the boy thanked her for her hospitality. Ushijima stood and walked to the doorway to the foyer and glared up the stairs.

The boy may have been their age but he looked so scrawny and fragile, it was a miracle that he could carry all those books at all. He almost dropped them when he tried to adjust his glasses and his goofy smile didn't make it any better.

Tamiko on the other hand looked older than she was. Her hair was cut to her shoulders now, her glasses framed her face neatly and like her mother, she wore a long cardigan. She had changed a lot in his eyes. It took all of his mental and physical strength not to pounce on her right now. So he crossed his arms and waited.

The pair had descended a few steps when Tamiko's eyes fell on him mid-sentence. She froze completely, then began to quiver a little and then it all burst out like an explosion.

"Toshi-kun!" she squeaked, skipped a few steps and threw herself against him.

Ushijima had reacted just in time, opening his arms to embrace her tightly. She did the same, holding him with all her strength. However he did keep an eye on the boy she had left behind on the stairs. The boy looked rather confused but then he seemed to swallow the truth he now realised.

"What are you doing here? Don't you have training?" she managed to ask after a while.

"I got a day off," he explained. "I wanted to surprise you."

"You did surprise me."

Tamiko smiled brightly and hugged him again before she asked her mother and brother if they had known about this.

"Uhm, Kageyama-san," a small voice spoke from behind.

"Oh, sorry Ito-kun," Tamiko said and stepped to the side, placing a hand on Ushijima's arm. "This is my boyfriend, Ushijima Wakatoshi. Toshi-kun, this is Ito Hiroshi. We are working on a uni project together."

"Nice to meet you," Ushijima said as politely as he could manage but he was still frowning at the boy.

"N-nice to meet you, too," he stammered and then turned to Tamiko. "Well, I'll see you on Monday. Have a nice weekend."

The boy bowed to Shiyori, thanking him for her hospitality and then got dressed and escaped from the house.

"My, Wakatoshi-kun, you really scared the poor boy."

"I would be angry too if my girlfriend was with another guy," Tobio said. All looked at him and then he added with a shrug, "Just saying."

"You're not jealous are you, Toshi-kun?" Tamiko asked when her mother butted in.

"He has every right to feel jealous, Tamiko," she said. "It can give off the wrong signals."

"Well, all we did was read through books and take notes. Our professor did say it would be of an advantage if we work with someone in class who we don't know well," Tamiko explained. "The topic is 'first impression' after all."

There was a brief silence when Shiyori announced that dinner will be done in an hour. Tobio went to his room as did Tamiko. Ushijima joined her and sat down and just talked while Tamiko cuddled with him. During dinner it was mainly Tobio who asked almost too many questions about Ushijima's new life. It was mainly about the team he had joined.

"As soon as I graduate I will join the Schweiden Adlers and become their main setter," he announced.

"That's a big goal you got there," Tamiko grinned.

"But he can do it, right?" Shiyori asked.

She had watched the matches of the interhigh tournament however she didn't get to see much. Karasuno High lost against Date Tech in the qualifier finals. The Spring Tournament was coming up soon and he had promised to push his team to Tokyo again. It was no surprise that Shiyori, who was still a little new to the sport, would have a few doubts in her son's ability.

"Your son has an outstanding set of skills that has drawn a lot of attention already," Ushijima said. "If he has set his goal to join my team after he graduates then I expect it to happen."

"I will not let you down, Ushijima-san," Tobio announced.

"I know," was all he answered and he took another bite.

Tamiko and Shiyori were both close to tears after that conversation. After the meal was done Shiyori insisted that they'd all watch a movie together before going to bed. Both took a long refreshing shower before they slipped under their covers. Shiyori had prepared a spot already. Ushijima had his mattress on the floor next to Tamiko's bed. Even in the dark he could see her looking down at him over the edge.

"Can we cuddle?" she asked after she had watched him for a while.

He had been reading a book about the cherry trees in england, trying desperately to ignore her stare. Their eyes met and him placing his book next to his mattress and lifting his blanket was an unspoken answer to her question. Like a little snake she slipped from under her blanket and dropped down onto his mattress. She crawled onto him and rested her entire weight on his body, staying motionless and basking in his warmth. Since she didn't move at all he returned his attention to his book and after another page he realised that her breath had steadied. She had fallen asleep.

He continued reading until he had finished the chapter and then placed the book beside him again. This time he wrapped his arms around her, taking in a deep breath of her scent. Her steady breathing told him she had fallen asleep. He waited a few more minutes, basking in the moment until he rolled to the side and let her slide off him. And so they slept side by side until the next morning.

The weekend flew by too fast for both of their liking. Before they knew it, Ushijima was back on the shinkansen to Tokyo but there wasn't much sadness with their parting. After all, soon they would see each other again since it was Tamiko's turn next to hop on the train. For Ushijima it was more than enough to start work with full vigor. One season was over, the new world season was about to start and the first big match for the qualification was coming up. It was his first match on the all Japan team for the men, the grown ups, the elite. He felt more than privileged to play for them and he had to get his training on the road once more and this time fully recharged.

"Alright, one more and then we call it a day," Hirugami offered as the sweat ran down his nose.

Ushijima nodded, tossed the ball to the setter and tried to spike it through the block with pure strength. Instead, it knocked Hirugami's arm back and flew beyond the line. A wipe out. A point for Ushijima. But he wasn't satisfied.

"It's much more intimidating when you smash through a block and hit it into the square, right?" Hirugami said.

Ushijima nodded. The strength was there but the technique was lacking. Coach Banjo approached and offered some words of advice to try out in the following training session. The team got an extra day off for the weekend to relax the muscles and clear the mind. For Ushijima that meant hopping onto the subway and heading to Tokyo main station. In the heat of the summer Tamiko was heading down to spend the whole week with him. The coach had even given permission for her to peek into a training session for one day. The other days Ushijima was allowed to leave work early.

"Heeey," she called and jogged towards him with her backpack and small suitcase.

After a big bear hug from her tall boyfriend she handed him her suitcase and followed close next to him. Not letting go from each other's hand they went to the next subway and headed to Ushijima's apartment. Tamiko was glad to be out of the sun. She waited while he opened his letter box. He had headed to the station right after work so he hadn't checked anything yet. When they were about to reach Ushijima's door, the one nextdoor opened. Sumi emerged, with empty bags.

"Hello, neighbour," she said but then noticed Tamiko behind him. "Ah, today is the day?"

"Yes," he said and turned to Tamiko. "This is my neighbour Hamada Sumi. This is my girlfriend Kageyama Tamiko."

Sumi smiled and offered her hand. Tamiko shook it and asked where she was going.

"I need to stock up my fridge," she said. "See you later on the balcony, maybe."

And with that she was gone.

"What does she do for a living?" Tamiko asked.

"I don't know. I never asked her," he answered.

Inside he showed her around the apartment. He also told her that under no circumstances would he let her sleep on the floor so she would get his bed to sleep in. Just as promised he had bought all the things she had put on a shopping list for him. After all, she wanted to teach him a few recipes while she was here. As they both began to cook in the small kitchen there were a few things that bothered her.

"How old is Sumi?" she asked.

"I don't know," he answered.

"Do you know anything about her?"

"Other than her name, no I don't," he revealed.

"And the other neighbors," she asked. "Have you ever met them."

"No, everyone keeps to themselves here," he said.

"Wow, that's a little dull," she commented.

"This is only temporary," he said and placed all the cut vegetables into the pot. "One day I will move somewhere permanently and then I will have time to get to know everyone."

"You want to move again?" she wondered. "You only just got here."

"It does involve you but you will find out more once you meet my coach," he hinted.

Tamiko raised an eyebrow and turned on the stove. Now she was more confused than before. She knew that he wanted to move into a house of his own once she had found a place to study what she really wanted to do but no opportunity had shown itself yet. Did he have an ace up his sleeve? He must have otherwise he wouldn't have hinted it so bluntly.

"What's the secret?" she probed.

"A secret," he answered and to her surprise he actually grinned.

"You're letting me wait two days until Monday to find out?"

He nodded, still smirking.

"That's evil," she grumbled.

Ushijima chuckled and beckoned her to sit next to him on his bed. There they cuddled while he explained what he planned to do with her for the next few days. Since Tokyo was so big there was a lot to do and see. But the first thing he wanted to do tomorrow was take her to work. He had already arranged for her to watch practise and even speak with the coach. But what he wanted to talk about he still didn't reveal.

After they had enjoyed their dinner she had to make two important calls. One was with her mum and the other with Izumi. Izumi was more than eager to hear everything, especially about that neighbour. If there was anything certain about Izumi, it was the fact that she loved good gossip. But from Tamiko's reporting it was clear that there was nothing to worry about. Instead Izumi pestered her about souvenirs.

"I want some pots from the instant noodle museum," she demanded.

"Whatever you say," Tamiko sighed.

"She has strange wishes," Ushijima Nate's after the call was over.

"Izumi is my strange friend," she said. "And you have Tendou."

Ushijima chuckled and tucked himself in. It was a coincidence that there was a double bed in this apartment but it was convenient that it was. They both had enough space to lie separately but they could also lie in each other's arms. And that was the best thing they could imagine. The next morning she prepared a small breakfast and waited for him to return from his morning jog. It was a small breakfast with fish and rice.

"I'll guess we head out right now," she said and grinned.

Ushijima smiled and took her hand. Both walked hand in hand along the streets of Tokyo. When they reached the stadium Tamiko had to pause for a moment. The name of the team hung in very large letters by the side of the stadium. It made it all very real, especially when they stepped inside. She waited at the spectator seats. There she watched the training from afar. It was one thing to see high schoolers train for a few hours after school but this was the professional level. They trained all day. Apart from keeping an eye on Ushijima she also watched Hirugami Fukuro.

"The most promising captain of the nation," she quoted from a magazine. "No wonder he chose this team."

It was during break time that Ushijima came to pick her up. He led her to the coaches office where he introduced the two to each other. At first Tamiko was very confused as to why she was being introduced to the coach of the Schweiden Adler's. It didn't make sense until the conversation took a turn.

"My wife manages two nurseries for young children and also teaches at a college in the neighborhood," the coach explained. "After I told her about your dilemma she thought of offering you a visit to one of the nurseries and one of her classes, if you're interested."

Ushijima glanced over to Tamiko who sat there, frozen. With wide eyes the words repeated in her head. Then she screamed.