Paces [Sugawara x Injured!Reader]

(www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqrEox… Please listen while you read!)

It was the perfect time of day; a gentle, warm summer brace, birds twittering as they nestled in their nests for the evening, the sun painting the evening sky with a myriad of purples, reds and  oranges, petals from blossoming flowers and green leaves floated by you, the streets emptying as  kids and grown ups alike return to the safety of their home after a day of work and play.

Leaning back in your wheelchair, you inhaled the scent of fresh grass, flowers, occasionally dinner for a nearby house. Ever since your car accident, you remained indoors, watching those of the outside world pass you by. Neither possessed you the strength nor the energy to do much else. Occasionally, you would read, play games, any gentle task that suited your fancy.

Days like this were more precious than gold.

As you waited in the front of your yard, a tall and lean figure approaching you entered your peripheral vision.

Immediately, your heart began to tremble with joy.

“Suga!” you swallowed a girlish giggle threatening to escape you throat as you waved with excitement.

His eyes, soft and brown, widened just a hind, and a delicate smile curved across his mouth. When he approached you, cupping your cheeks and greeting you with a light kiss, that smile still remained. Before you could savor the tingling sensation of his butter lips, he pulled away with glittering eyes.

“Shall we get started?” he said, a voice softer than velvet.

“But, I-”

He placed a finger over your lips as you attempted to lean in for another kiss. “Nah ah, that can be for later. Right now, we have work to do.”

With a huff and an eye roll, you nodded and gripped his shoulder. He slid his arm around the small of your back. Butterflies filled your chest. The last few times you attempted to stand and walk, you nearly keeled over. If he had not been there to hold you, you most certainly would have collapsed.

But, this beautiful angel from above, this talented player on the volleyball court, remained at your side. You two had been dating for a glorious year and a half now, and you never remembered a time when your joy overwhelmed you like this. Despite his shyness and soft demeanor, he still loved to hold hands with you or link arms with you in public. He pulled our your chair for you, opened the doors for you, kissed your cheek as he left. Of course, he would be blushing furiously in the process, and you told him plainly that if it bothered him, you would not mind him taking it down a notch. Still, he kept up these quiet actions that expressed his love for you.

And just when you were so convinced that things couldn’t possibly get any better, that he reached his limit, you were pinned beneath your parents’ car in possibly one of the worst accident in a few years. You legs were crushed beneath the weight of the car. The fact that you even made it out alive proved that miracles occurred.

Immediately, he dropped the ball in the middle of practice and hurried to the hospital. That was it. He had to see you.

He fidgeted outside the waiting room. He slept in your room, brought you food, held your hand in between those horrible hours of waiting for pain medication.

He made those nightmares a little easier.

But, even after those long months, those dragging months, the depth of his devotion continued to grow.

Everyday, he showed up on your lawn. He checked on you, cooked meals for you or helped you with chores around the house. When you started your physical therapy, he arrived on day one just to hold your hand as you stood up for the first time in what seemed like forever. No matter a redundant the therapy seemed, he clasped you tightly, encouraging you the entire way.

The paces were slow, but his patience outlasted the mundane.

And your teenage infatuation turned into a love that dove deeper than the ocean.

“Ah-!” you winced a bit as the sharp pangs shot up your legs as the weight of your body settled on your feet.

“I got you,” he whispered, his grip tightening.

Biting your peeling bottom lip, you nodded, and holding your breath, you took one step.

Oh, it hurt. Every tread came weak and staggered. Your aching legs wobbled. You practically clawed at his jacket in fear of falling. With a delicate voice, a breath against your cheek, he would smile and say,

“You’re doing great.”

And that was all you needed.

You took a small loop around the yard before you were plastered against him, too tired to continue. He patted your shoulder with bright eyes.

“That was the best you’ve ever done!” he cheered. “You’re moving along so well!”

You giggled just a little as he lead you back to your wheelchair. “I always feel more determined when you’re around,” you admit with a shrug of your shoulders.

“Hey, I’m honored to be a part of that.”

A hint of pink tinted your cheeks. Then, a soft warmth tingled them as his hands encircled your face. His lips lightly brushed over yours, lighter than a breath, soft than the caress of a feather.

But, it was all you needed to nearly stop your heart midway.

Before he could pull away, you took his wrists and melted into him, pressing a little harder, sucking his mouth in earnest. He blinked in surprise at first, but once he noted the serenity in your face, he couldn’t say no. Instead, he held you against him, moving his mouth rhythmically against yours.

Any kind of recovery required set paces. They never happen by magic.

But, with him at your side, you knew everything was going to be okay, no matter what.