Where Every Scroll is a New Adventure
an angst scenario in which ushijima notices his partner is homesick.
920 words, angst scenario, gn! reader
Warnings: homesick reader
Wakatoshi knew.
He always knows.
Sometimes it’s easy for you to forget how observant Ushijima truly is because he’s always silent about it. Most of his observations go unsaid. Like how he noticed the way you always hum to yourself when you’re in a good mood or the way your hair feels the softest the day after it’s been washed. He sees and makes note of almost everything going on around him.
And most of the time he’s content with keeping his observations to himself. But not this time.
Ushijima began to worry about your wellbeing when he noticed small changes in your daily habitual actions.
It was the slightest quiver in your bottom lip and the way you leaned into him, subconsciously looking for support, as your parents spoke to you over the phone detailing upcoming house renovations and updates on the state of your favorite lilac bushes that were currently blossoming.
It was the small sigh you let out after hanging up the phone and the way your shoulders were tense as you lay your head on his shoulder and sit in comfortable silence after the interaction on the phone.
It was the way your gaze lingered on the photos your mom sent showing the hummingbird feeders, and the way you passed the phone to him to give him a chance to see.
He had taken note of all of these things, but it was today that he finally knew what was the cause of your behaviors.
It was the forced smile that didn’t quite meet your eyes when your parents asked you how you were doing during your call with them today that gave it away.
You were homesick.
But "homesick" don't seem to describe the extent of your feelings, he thought to himself.
It was when you rose from your spot next to him after the call to go sit on the balcony that he became aware of the depth of your hidden feelings.
Earlier that month, you dragged your favorite chair out onto the balcony and would spend hours on end sitting out there. It was so that you could "feel the sky" you had told him when he'd asked why you had been spending so much time out there. Sometimes, you'd be out on the balcony, sketching the cityscape, and you'd show him the work when you'd completed them. But what he didn’t know was that in addition to the drawings he'd see, you’d also spend hours sketching your homeland from memory in attempt to regain connection to your home.
But he still knew you were longing for the fresh open air and the endless sky that you had grown up with even in your attempts to hide it from him. You couldn't escape the longing you felt for the place and people you loved so much.
Ushijima knew that you weren’t truly happy with him in the city, even though you loved him and would give anything for him. He thought about everything you’d done to ensure that he was able to follow his passion, from making him special lunches that worked within his diet, to spending endless nights sleeping alone when he was away.
And, when reflecting on all he'd observed throughout the years of what you had done for him, Ushijima was overcome with an intense feeling of gratefulness. But at the same time, he felt a pull at his heart. He recognized the feeling as deep sadness. What if you had given up the life you truly wanted. For him.
He feared that the most: that he couldn’t give you the life that you truly deserved and longed for.
With him you could never be completely happy.
He knew he had to talk to you about it, so he waited for you to come back inside. It was not too long when you returned from the balcony.
“Darling,” he called out to you softly.
As he laid eyes on you, he noted that your face hid the sadness it once held. Your normal resting expression had returned. Not a trace of longing remained, he noted.
“What is it, Toshi?”
All of a sudden, all words left him, and he felt at a complete loss for expression of speech. He didn’t know how to raise the subject to you.
Should he begin to extend the immense gratitude he felt towards you? No. Surely you would suspect that he knew something was wrong. Should he just be honest and tell you that he knew you weren’t happy?
Seeing you standing there in front of him, he thought he couldn’t possibly.
And with that, he made his decision to let it go, like he had done many times before with other things.
”Oh, I was just wondering what we’re having for dinner.”
You blinked, and he held his breath. Then, to both his relief and dismay, you smiled at him in your usual manner and began to list off the options for your evening meal as you move to sit beside him.
Little did you know, your words were falling on unwilling ears as Ushijima was too distracted by the encounter to be paying attention to you.
Weighing his decision to keep quiet, he thought that maybe it was better for you if you didn’t know that he knew what you were feeling.
At least that’s what he told himself to justify keeping quiet about the fact that he was noticing the lightness leaving your eyes, slowly, slightly, one day at a time.
haha maybe college changed me because I never thought I would be capable of writing angst. Sorry, I'm a little out of practice with writing fics, but I hope you liked it, but if angst isn't your cup of tea, don't worry, more fluff will be coming soon :)
Feel free to reblog if you liked it! :)
p.s. I missed you all and writing so much! if you're reading this, thank you for sticking around, and being patient with me when I took my massive hiatus as I adjusted to college life. <3