Thinking about knight!Ushijima and princess!reader falling into a forbidden romance without even realizing it...
He is the most competent knight you have ever seen, his speed and skill unmatched by anyone as you watch him training with the other knights in the courtyard. When he became a part of the royal guard he started being assigned to guard and protect you, as every one of the royal knights has been from time to time, but when he is with you you can feel his presence looming behind you, always keeping a respectful but safe distance. He mirrors virtually every one of your steps, moving forward when you do, taking a step sideways when you so much as lean to the side. It's as if he is a puppet on a string and you are his master. His presence might be intimidating to others but even when you feel him looming over your shoulder all that you feel is calmness, a security that only washes over you when you are with him. You know that he would gladly lay down his life for you without question.
So of course you ask your father if he would be willing to let him be permanently assigned to you, and why would he deny you this wish? Ushijima is an excellent knight and if you feel safe with him, he should be guarding you.
It feels only natural for him to kneel down in front of you, observed by the whole gathered court, to swear his undying loyalty to you. It is only normal that he looks up at you like you are his whole world, his entire life’s purpose, right? He is yours now, after all. Yours to command, yours to lead, yours to reward for a job well done, yours to punish if he should ever fail to fulfill his duties to your satisfaction. He is laying his whole existence in your hands while his heart beats faster than ever before - but that is completely normal, is it not? A knight is supposed to be devoted to his king, his family, his princess. It is nothing he should not be feeling. Right?
And for you, it is just what you were always promised: A knight so unwaveringly devoted to you he practically worships the ground you walk on. That is what all the knights in the tales and stories do, is it not? So it is only to be expected that he becomes the man you trust the most, that he is the one you go to whenever something troubles you.
It is completely normal that you ask him to come into your chambers so that you can show him your newest dress, twirling in front of him, asking him sweetly if he thinks it suits you while he tries to keep up the unmoving, strong face you have come to admire so much. For every other man it might be inappropriate to see you with your hair down, your body wrapped in a soft robe after your bath, but he is not any other man - he is your knight. Of course you can call him into your room in this state, dismissing him of his duties for the night and wishing him a good rest. It is not inappropriate at all. Is it?
Neither is it that when something scares you, your hand immediately reaches for his arm as he steps in front of you, shielding you from whoever might harm you. Or that when he has to rescue you from an attacker, he slips his big, strong arm around your waist, clad in the softest silk, to pull you to safety. He has a duty to fulfill, after all. And of course his arm lingers around your body for a few moments afterward, his thumb rubbing gentle circles through the layers of your royal dress. He has to make sure you are alright, it is only his duty. And who can think anything unpure of you when your hand grips his arm in return, pushing your body closer to his armor-covered one? After all, you are only doing all of this because he keeps you safe. All of this is just how a knight and princess are supposed to act, after all.
