daddy issues ; ushijima wakatoshi

thirteen

thick silence hung in the air. it's not that sumiye didn't have anything to talk about, it was just that she was reflecting on her impulsive decision. did ushijima think she was weird for asking him to hang out when they've barely talked?

"sorry, i didn't have your number to text you."

"it's fine."

small flurries of snow and dead leaves blew around the shiratorizawa entrance. the campus was deserted, most students going home for the weekend or already being back in their dorms.

sumiye leaned against her motorcycle's handles, tensing as the redhead continued to absorb the atmosphere. blankly, ushijima stared at the girl in front of him. "why'd you want me to dress warm?"

"oh," her eyes lit up as she thought of something they could do to pass time. "have you ever ridden on a motorcycle?"

"no,"

a prideful smirk formed on her visage. "i'm excited that i'll get to be your first."

since it was friday, students were allowed to leave when they pleased. sumiye was used to sneaking out during the week, so leaving over the weekend wasn't a big deal to her.

silently, she passed the ace a rouge helmet, one that usually belonged to her boyfriend. as sumiye helped ushijima adjust the protective wear to fit his head, an ounce of guilt creeped into her heart. was it wrong to give kentarō's helmet to someone else (especially since they were fighting)? what would he say?

mentally shaking off her conscience, the girl got onto the bike. ushijima stared at her with hesitance, unsure what to do. sumiye chuckled, "just throw your leg over the side and hold onto my waist to make sure you don't fall off."

the boy followed her instructions with slight caution. his movement was languid and awkward, similar to a baby dear. when he wrapped his arms around her, the redhead felt her face get warm. she could feel how buff his arms were through the layers he was wearing– not that she was complaining.

"ready?"

"yes,"

once she started speeding down the road, she felt the ace tighten his grip around her. sumiye couldn't shake the feeling of security when in his arms. "scared?" the girl teased over the wind.

"i feel like i'm going to fall off." ushijima responded honestly, true to his nature. the wind fighting with his clothes wasn't a feeling he was familiar with, and going at such a high speed made the ace slightly uneasy.

"don't worry, it's a short ride."

eventually, the redhead pulled up to a twenty-four hour movie theatre. ushijima's hands were shaking as he quickly hopped off. the irony of this giant boy being scared of riding a motorcycle didn't escape sumiye, who mentally noted to tease him about it more later.

✿

"what do you want to see?" the redhead asked as they stared at the ticket machine. the interior of the theatre was outdated, and it probably hadn't been updated since the eighties. muddy footprints and stains littered the carpet, covering its outlandish pattern.

"i don't care."

"okay, well i've heard this one is good!" ushijima simply nodded in response. inside her jean jacket, the girl's phone ferociously buzzed. sumiye had an idea of who was blowing up her phone, but she chose to ignore it. "lets go get snacks."

the ace watched as her pockets vibrated continuously. with genuine concern he asked, "shouldn't you answer that?"

the corner of her lips tugged downward into a frown. mentally, she cursed ushijima's observant yet oblivious nature. could he tell she didn't want to answer? pulling out her phone, she clicked her tongue at the twenty-three missed calls notification. "it's probably better if i don't."

"what if it's important?"

looking up from her device, the redhead was met with his expecting stare– it was obvious he wasn't letting it go. unlocking the phone, sumiye went to the voicemail tab.

not wanting to eavesdrop, ushijima started to turn away from sumiye. as his gaze left her face, the boy spotted a flash a nervousness in her steely eyes. he paused, continuing to stare at the redhead. that was ushijima's first time seeing her cool exterior break.

"sumiye, where the fuck are you? you can't just say shit and disappear. it's not like you have anywhere to go, anyways. what, are you going to go complain to your daddy in tokyo? or maybe that otaku and yankee? i'm the only one that's truly here for you. goddammit!"

the voice playing was yelling into the receiver, making sumiye flinch and pull the speaker away from her ear. the volume was so loud, ushijima could hear everything crystal clear. at the end of the voicemail, a crash and a string of curses could be heard.

running a hand through her hair, sumiye clicked on another one.

"sweetheart, please answer. i'm so worried– your bike is missing and you aren't picking up. come back so we can talk this out. i'll even make you some pancakes and we'll watch your favorite, the perks of being a wallflower. i'll even not make comments when you talk about how hot logan lerman is. you and i both know this is a stupid thing to get into an argument over. let's just end this quickly so i can be at peace of mind. please, sweetheart i just want to see you and make sure you're safe."

kentarō's begging made sumiye's heart climb into her throat. although she was still mad, the tone of his voice made her want to call him back instantly. the girl knew the longer she ignored him, the worse it would get. but, ushijima was still here and she couldn't just ditch him. with an anxious glance, sumiye met his olive eye's and realized he heard everything. ignoring the guilt flooding her system, the redhead swallowed her heart back into her chest.

a tip lipped smile spread across sumiye's features. "let's go get some popcorn." she mumbled, speed walking towards the snack bar before the ace could respond.

✿

the dark enveloped everything in the theatre, the only source of light being the giant movie screen. sumiye was appreciative that this activity allowed for little communication between her and the ace. a mindless horror film allowed her to focus on her own thoughts.

"once i drop ushijima off i should call and apologize. kentarō was right, this was a stupid thing to get mad over. he sounded so worried too– maybe i should do something to make it up to him. what if i–"

her thoughts were interrupted as ushijima flinched next to her. turning her head to get a better look at him, sumiye noticed his eyes wide and lips pursed.

leaning into his ear she whispered, "are you okay?" he jumped at the feeling of her hot breath on his skin– spilling some popcorn on the floor.

the girl's eyes widened as she suppressed a laugh. "is he scared?" turning back to the screen, she saw an invisible ghost throw shit at the main character.

"i– i don't like ghost." ushijima spoke in a hushed tone, a little too loud to be a whisper; someone in front of them shushed him. sumiye was in complete awe. this was the first time she heard him show emotion besides confusion– he even stuttered.

"here," she stuck her palm out, to which ushijima just gave her a confused look. silently, the redhead sighed. "there's that look we all know and love."

motioning to her hand once more, sumiye lips curled upwards mischievously. "hold my hand if you're that scared."