#the second is less saturated; the scan's red was so bright it was hurting my eyes

[random-mha-thoughts]

Smile (Shinsou x Reader)

Pairing: Shinsou x Reader

For anon (request)

Genre: Slight angst to fluff

Summary: Shinsou has a crush on someone in 1-B and works up the courage to ask them on a date.

Tags: @wwwwyamd​ @yuki-osaki​ @liviitehe​ @iamsoftsodonttoucheume-blog​ @bunnythepipsqueak​

Word count: 1,680

a/n: Ah, I missed writing for my tired purple boy. I just miss him in general, when I was searching for fanarts to post, I really was like “Damn I really miss Shinsou.”  How many of you agree?

So this is a request that some of you have seen already, but I don’t quite want to spoil anything for anyone who’s new, so I’ll post it at the end.  I'm glad I was able to extend this longer than I was planning, because I really only had just the one scene from the request in mind vividly and the rest I wrote as I went along.

I have 3 more requests, but I'm gonna take a break from them so I can write some of my own original ideas before starting those up again, so look forward to that!  Enjoy this one!

(Also gender neutral pronouns they/them coming through!)

Buy me a coffee?

Shinsou first saw his crush at the beginning of the first semester.  He was taken by their quirk, a pretty flashy light quirk.  From what he overheard while they were telling their 1-B friend - he was totally not stalking, Shinsou doesn't stalk people - they can control the color of the light to do different things.

"Red light is a heat laser, green light heals, yellow warms things, blue cools things," they explained, the proudest smile on their face.  "I'd say it's pretty versatile.  And the more saturated the colors are, the more powerful they work!"

Shinsou was already intrigued by their quirk, but seeing their face light up was like icing on an already delicious cake.  The sparkle in their hazel eyes, adorably smaller form that's the right right height for him to kiss their head, a smile he already decided he wanted to protect.  If only he could go over there and ask them to tell him more about their quirk, but he was afraid that his intimidating figure would scare them away.  Discouraged, he walked back to his own class to mope.  Crushes and him never worked out in the past anyway; once they found out about his quirk, they would either run for the hills or try to abuse him.

However, he still longed to be with them.  He found himself naturally searching through a crowd to find them.  Each time, they would have the most brilliant smile on their face as they chatted with their friends.  It always put a smile on Shinsou's face that they were happy being in the company of good friends.  More and more, he found himself craving them to smile at something he said, to pat their head to greet them, just to hold them in his arms for a warm hug.  It became less of a want and more of a need, but he held himself back for his heart's sake.

After the Sports Festival came and went, Shinsou had a change of heart.  He's not a villain, he will only appear that way if he comes off like that.  He won't let his quirk define him, and he'll make a much more pleasant impression so they wouldn't think of him as dark.  He took the opportunity to work on himself as a person, gain more confidence in himself so he can put his best foot forward.  He's won't let himself lack in any department, he'll only show the best parts of himself and present himself to them in a new-and-improved form.

After training with Aizawa for a while - not to mention bulking up quite a bit to improve his chances - Shinsou decides on the right time to face them.  The purple haired boy practically shakes with anticipation the entire day.  During his last class, he rehearses the words he's wanted to say since he first saw them.

"You're such a bright, shining person.  To me, you stand out among everyone else.  I'd like to get to know you better, would you mind going out with me?"

He second guesses every word and intonation, convinced that even the slightest error would throw the entire mood off and send the whole thing crashing down.  He won't let that happen.

The final bell rings and Shinsou's practically the first person to jump from him seat, throw his belongings haphazardly into his bag, and rush out the door of the school building.  Stationing himself at a nearby bench, he waits for them to come out, tapping his foot impatiently while still trying to look casual shoving his hands in his pockets.

Scanning the crowd of exiting students like a human radar, he searches for that smile he adores.  His heart practically beats out of his chest when he locks onto them, homing in on them without paying any mind to the surrounding students.  He collects himself and breathes, keeping in step behind them.  They're talking to a friend of their's, going on about hero training and homework.  He could listen to them talk indefinitely if he wanted, but then he wouldn't have the chance to confess his feelings.

Just you practiced big guy, go on.  Do it for that precious smile.  Shinsou gathers his wits and approaches just a bit closer.  Do I say "hey?'" "Hi?"  "Yo?"  Damn it, just do what's natural!  Calm down!  He bites the bullet.  "Hey."  He's proud that it sounds casual enough.

The apple of his eye turns around curiously, their smile just faltering slightly from their conversation with their friend.

Take it away big guy.  "Hey, I noticed you around.  I think you're-"

It's then he notices.  The way their eyes widen, the smile drops completely from their face, their skin turns pale, and Shinsou isn't sure why.  He's sure he didn't say anything wrong, he's barely said anything.  "Is-"

They let out a yelp and hide behind their friend, squeezing their eyes shut and quivering.  Beyond bewilderment, Shinsou's chest hurts as his world darkens.  The one person he wanted to smile at him and lighten his life plunged him into despairing blackness.  All his fear of people hating him for his quirk and being frightened of him resurfaced.  He feels naked, vulnerable, and ashamed all at once standing there frozen.

"You have to forgive them, it's not your fault."  The friend offers a sympathetic smile.

"Did I do something wrong?"  The entire ego he's spent the last few months popped in two seconds flat.

"No, it's not you, trust me."  The girl pats the frightened soul behind her on the had to comfort them.  "You see, they have a deathly fear of purple."

It almost sounds like some twisted joke, a prank the universe was playing on him for some unknown reason.  "Oh.  I see."  That's all Shinsou manages to say in response.  At least he's doing his best not to show how heartbroken he is.

"Sorry about that," the girl flashes another sheepish smile in half-comfort while his crush drags her away by the arm to escape  what anyone from the outside would think is a monster.

And the monster is him.

Shinsou is way past disgruntled once he gets home.  He doesn't know what to do now, what can he do now.  Giving up would be the easiest thing to do, especially with how dejected he feels.  The thing that hurts him the most is his sunshine who he never saw without their smile didn't smile when they were around him, all because of something else about him that he can't change.

He swiftly sits up from his laying position as an idea strikes him.  Or can he?

Two weeks later, Shinsou shows up to school so people barely recognize him.  He'd bought one of those hair coloring conditioners in black and washed his hair with it last night, and the brown colored contacts arrived shortly after he placed his order online.  Shinsou isn't the type of guy to give up that easily, and for someone he really wants to get to know, he'll make it work.  If he can temporarily change his appearance just to get to know them first, maybe he can be the one to help them get over their fear little by little.

Shinsou brushes away all the comments about his drastic appearance change; he's doing it for them and that's all that matters.  He decides this time to just approach them at lunchtime, no dramatic openers or well-timed moments; a friendly conversation is just as good an introduction as he can get now.

He approaches them while throwing away their lunch alone, tapping their shoulder.  "Hey."  He holds his breath when they turn around again, eyes scanning his figure for recognition.  "You don't know me, I'm in 1-C, we haven't spoken before."

A friendly grin spreads on their face.  "Oh, it's good to meet you!"

The boy inwardly cheers in victory.  "I'm Shinsou, your name is?"

"(Y/n)."

He rubs the back of his neck.  He wants to be honest, but doesn't know how they'll take it.  "I tried to talk to you a few weeks ago, but you were startled and ran off before I could say anything."

Their hazel eyes widen slightly before guilt morphs into their features.  "Oh, you're that guy.  I'm really sorry I did that to you, I must've made you feel awful."  They groan, a sound Shinsou admittedly finds cute, red color rushing to their cheeks, "And you even changed your hair color and everything, I'm really sorry!"

"Hey, it's okay."  Shinsou offers empathetically, "You shouldn't feel bad about things that you have no control over."  He knows that feeling all too well.  "I put the effort in because I want to get to know you better, it's not something you should feel bad about.  I think you're cool, from what I've seen.  We should hang out."

The boy can tell how taken back but grateful they are, a deep rooted appreciation shines from their eyes and more color saturating their cheeks.  "I'm not that special, but I think you're a cool guy for doing this for me."

Shinsou's heart can't help but feel captured once again by their vulnerability.  "It's what's on the inside that matters, I guess.  Can I join you for the rest of lunch?"

And finally, he's rewarded with what he's wanted to see:  His bright light shows him a beaming, toothy grin that crinkles up their eyes and puffs out their cheeks; it's a smile that's directed straight at him.  As his heart thumps wildly in his chest, the boy thinks he can die happily in this very moment.  "Of course!  Let's go sit."

It takes him a moment and a cough to clear his throat before he's back on Earth, nodding and following them back to their table.  As they walk next to him, he steals a few glances down, hoping that nothing else goes wrong.  Even if they do, he knows he'll have to find a way to work around them.  With that battery-charging smile, he knows he can figure out the solution to any problem.

So the full request from Anon was: “Hey you could take ALL the time at this but it wouldn't be sad if Shinsou's crush, the reader, is porphyrophobic. That means the reader is scared of the color purple. Have a good day!"

I hope I did it justice, it was originally gonna be just full angst, but it would only be drabble length, so I took it a step further.  I hope it made you guys feel all warm inside :3

#Shinsou x reader #shinsou angst #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #shinsou hitoshi #angst to fluff #gender neutral reader #request #shinsou imagine #shinsou scenario #mha shinsou #bnha shinsou #mha x reader #bnha x reader #mha fanfiction #bnha fanfiction

[scribbling-stiks]

Retrievers - XXXVI - Spray Paint

Russia wakes up slowly the next morning to an empty bed and shadows behind the half-closed bedroom curtains. He sleepily turns over and reaches to the rumpled sheets.

He finds that they're cold.

The alarm clock offers a time of 4:37 AM. Russia stumbles up, throws on a shirt over the painful to rub against burn scars, and sleepily goes downstairs.

He looks around through squinted eyes and spots America sitting on the couch, watching TV. Russia couldn't hear the audio. Russia grumbles. He wanders over and America jumps when they make eye contact.

"Oh. Sorry if I woke you up," America stammers, "I'm just too fidgety to sleep long."

Russia shrugs and crawls onto the couch.

"Can I sit with you?" Russia asks, not bothering to adjust his accent.

"Sure," America replies.

Russia reaches too far forward, and he recoils as he feels the scar tissue across his chest throb as it's stretched.

"Are you okay?" America asks, panicked.

"Yeah," Russia hisses, "the burn is just tighter than normal."

America nods before standing up. Russia grunts in frustration and pain. He resists the urge to scratch at it, knowing it would only damage the area more. America disappears into the kitchen. If there is any rustling in the other room, Russia doesn't notice most of it. He does jump when something is dropped onto the counter.

America reappears soon after, holding a tub of something. America sits down in the corner of the couch and opens the package. It doesn't smell like much, but it does raise Russia's curiosity.

"What is that?" Russia asks, curled into a ball on the cushions.

"Some petroleum jelly. It'll help with some of the pain. Come here, I'll help you."

Russia relents, and sleep clouds his thoughts. He shuffles forward and lies across America's lap. America pulls up his shirt and rubs the stuff onto his chest. Russia shivers and closes his eyes. The irritation begins to fade, and the itchiness vanishes. Russia's shoulders relax and he sighs with relief.

Russia squirms a little when America prods under his arms with the cold gel. America laughs at the reaction, and Russia playfully scowls. America sticks his tongue out. America tugs the fabric of the shirt back over Russia, and Russia relaxes easily.

Russia sits up a little when America begins shaking a little. He looks up to see America staring into the distance, wringing and scratching his hands.

"Meri?" Russia asks.

"I need to go wash my hands, okay?" America blurts out.

Russia pulls away, and America rushes off.

'Huh.'

Russia waits, almost falling over. His eyes close, and he feels the warmth of sleep fill his limbs. Then, two calloused hands guild his head down. He lays back and smells the air. It smells like America, so he doesn't bother opening his eyes.

He turns over and curls around America as much as the back cushions would allow, and he smiles when he hears America laugh. The vibrations of it feel nice on his face.

"You really are a cat," America teases.

Russia begins purring to prove the point and America coos. The purring only speeds along his drifting off.

'It's soothing. I might start doing it more often.'

He drifts in and out of sleep as motion fills the home. He catches snippets of conversations. Eventually, it gets loud enough for him to wake up. He sits up a little and looks around. America is sleeping under him, and Russia smiles.

Russia gets up and stretches a little, trying not to hurt his chest. He yawns. Then, Ohio walks up to him. Russia watches curiously.

"Hey Russ," Ohio says, looking at the ground and rubbing his arm.

"Hello. Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no. I -uh. I wanted to apologize."

"For what?"

Ohio looks up, startled.

"For making you feel bad over something you couldn't control, what else?" Ohio snarks back.

Then Ohio sighs.

"Anyway, sorry for making you feel bad about the hearing thing," Ohio finished, staring at the floor and his face growing pink.

"Apology accepted," Russia asserts with a smile.

Ohio smiles gratefully before walking off. Russia watches him go with a small smile. Then the clock on the wall catches his attention.

'It's almost time to go,' Russia realizes.

He stares at America for a moment.

'Aww, but he's so cute when he's sleeping. I don't want to wake him up.'

'But I have to,' he knew.

Russia shakes America's shoulder, and America shoots up. Russia falls back to avoid being headbutted. Russia and America make eye contact and Russia begins laughing to himself. America begins laughing too, and Russia leans against America.

"Hey! Get off," America declares playfully, shoving at Russia.

"Oh, but I don't want to," Russia teases.

"Then why did you wake me up?" America whines, laying down under Russia.

Russia looks up with a laugh at the now upsidedown room. Then he sees a pair of feet walk in front of him. Russia looks up to see Georgia looking down at them with a smile briefly hidden by a scolding look.

"Well, y'all need to get ready to go," Georgia reprimes, trying to hide the amusement in her voice.

Russia rolls to the ground with a laugh, ignoring the sting in his chest, and America shouts. Russia stands up and helps America to his feet.

Russia drags America upstairs, and America laughs behind him.

"Hey! This is supposed to be my job!" America exclaims.

Russia smirks.

They burst into the bedroom, and Russia jumps onto the bed, pulling America behind him. America tumbles over onto Russia's back, snorting. Russia turns over and grabs America and begins tickling his ribs. America shrieks and squirms, cackling and wheezing. Russia scoffs mockingly as America starts swatting at him.

"Sto-o-opp!"

Russia laughs and pulls back. America curls up giggling. Russia leans in to hear it with a huge grin at scratches at his cheek scar. America swats Russia's face. Russia laughs loudly and leans back onto his hands. America scowls pleasantly.

"Come on, we have to get packed," America scolds, waving his finger.

Russia grumbles, but he can't manage to completely erase the smile adorning his face.

They pack quickly, and they go downstairs. Russia grabs some snacks and starts munching on them, waiting for Kansas and Alberta to finish packing. Ohio stands nearby, teasing South Dakota. South Dakota just rolls her eyes. North Dakota stands just behind South Dakota, looking around cautiously. The twins look almost identical, both with pear-shaped frames.

Florida bounces around, flapping his hands and squealing excitedly. And Russia knows that though the teen looks thin, he's still able to wrestle alligators.

Finland walks out with a large gun in hand and a bag on her back. Russia laughs.

"You're bringing that?" Russia mocks.

"Of course!" Finland chirps, "I've got extra clips too."

Russia laughs.

Soon, they load into the car, and Russia tries his best to ignore his nerves. America sits in Russia's lap, and Ohio whines about sharing a seat with Kansas, though Kansas himself doesn't appear too bothered. Delaware drives them out and drops them off at the edge of the town at 11:56 AM.

"Good luck. I'll leave a phone here in case you need us," Delaware says, hoping out briefly to tuck a disposable phone in a plastic bag underneath some tree roots.

Russia watches the location as Delaware covers it with leaves and other debris. By the time Delaware gets back into his car, the hiding spot is invisible. Kansas climbs out with a multitool in hand. Russia watches him pull out the knife and carve a small 'X' on the tree.

Russia hugs America and then lets him out. They shuffle out of the cars and Russia gathers his backpack from the trunk. The rest do the same, and Ohio slams it shut. Delaware starts driving away as soon as the trunk closes.

'Good. I don't want him getting caught here.'

Russia watches the trees, static filling the air. He spots sets of yellow-orange eyes watching them. Russia looks away and slowly skulks forward. America's head perks up and he points forward, whispering something.

Russia watches confused. America catches his eye and just shakes his head and waves them forward, a finger to his lips. Russia walks behind him, scanning the trees and glaring at any creatures he sees. The eyes slink away further into the tree cover.

Russia looks up just in time to stumble into America, who seems to shush him. Russia crouches and waves the states behind him. He watches two agents unloading large tubes from the back of a truck, each hosting a blinking red light.  The agents wore matching black slicks and bright red dress shirts.

The uniformed workers open the tubes, and Russia can almost see the grey magic rushing out. It makes the air heavier and more saturated with electrical static The red lights flicker off, and the tubes are put back into the truck.

'Those look like batteries.'

Finland points to the corner of the truck that the workers had started stacking them.

"We should destroy some of this shit while we're here," one of the workers jokes.

Finland waves everyone down, and only she remains able to watch. Her head just above the foliage.

"It is kinda weird how there aren't any people here anymore," the other comments.

"Who cares? We can spray paint some of the buildings, and now there are just less people to get us in trouble."

The second worker laughs.

"We need to finish emptying this shit first."

"That's true."

The workers finish emptying the tubs and replace them in the truck. They count them and close the back of the truck, leaving it unlocked. When Russia pokes his head into the bushes, he notes the door holds the same symbol as the knife and cameras had.

'The Revolution.'

America steps forward once the workers walk off with shaking paint cans. Finland hops over the underbrush and pulls at the back of the truck. She holds it halfway up and waves them forward.

Russia tries his best to keep quiet, even without the scale of his own hearing. He helps North Dakota and South Dakota up, and America keeps Florida from touching anything. Kansas and Ohio hop on and Finland shuffled them forward.

Alberta shifts some of the tubs in the back right corner to give them a space to sit during the ride. Finland slowly closes the door and shuffles back. Russia sits with his back in the corner and America joins him, leaning against him.

Florida shakes his hands, sitting in the furthest hidden spot from the group, a large grin on his face.

'Well, at least one of us is excited.'

The truck's engine roars to life, and they jerk back as the vehicle lurches forward.

'We're in.'

'Now to infiltrate a probably military level base.'

Russia swallows nervously.

'Should be easy enough. Besides, I got this far, I can do this.'

South Dakota smacks Ohio for a remark he'd made, and Ohio laughs. America shushes them with a glare.

'We can do this. We have to. It's too late to turn back.'

~

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