#ao3 shinsou

[fandomofhappiness]

Aizawa Shouta & Shinsou Hitoshi Father-Son Dynamic Big Recomendation Fic List for starters and not

Hi everyone! After quite a long time, I finally post my Recommendation Fic List (the crowning glory of my stay in the MHA fandom) of Aizawa and Shinsou Father-Son Dynamic.

I always start reading fanfiction before I even finished read the original, what does that says about me?

I became familiar with a fairly common theory that Shinsou Hitoshi is an orphan with a rather dread past, which, of course, activated a huge curiosity in me. I tried to analyze the trend, and I will say that it's quite clear: People were infected with the idea, where abused Hitoshi was somehow saved by Aizawa. And so was I. I've read for almost hundread of any combinations of this trend and NOW I finally ready to present my Fic List.

Attention. I will attach UNFINISHED fanfics, but which actively (or not so) updated, because they are masterpieces.

WARNING! I do not attach stories which contain:

ships (except Erasermic and 2-3 ShinKami but they are not MAIN)

alpha/beta/omega thing

too fluffy and too family-oriented fics (there will be ones, but I don't want to make them a centre of my list

I cut Rec List on different genre sections (read: dynamics) and add fanfics from the most angst ones to fluffy ones so you can easily pick what you like most ;)

So, let's start!

fandomofhappiness's personal top

You Want It Darker by Ms_Chunks Genres: Shinsou Has Family, Gore and Murder, Detective, Mentor and Parental Aizawa Status: FINISHED (533,808 words) foh's comment: Highly interesting! Shinsou here is not represented as perfect kid or downtrodden teenager, he is the way I liked him in anime and manga: he bites, hisses, snaps, makes sarcastic jokes and does not allow anyone hurt him. Aizawa and Shinsou very slowly gain trust from each other, but that makes their relationship seem sincere, and not caricatured. Read for the detective, the non-orthodox view of the Hitoshi family and Erasermic. READ THE TAGS and be aware!

Fundamental Theorem of Heroics by NightowlRobin Genres: Foster Kid Shinsou, Vigilante Shinsou, Heavy Angst, Parental Aizawa Status: UNFINISHED but updates weekly (more 700k words) foh's comment: Truly FUNDAMENTAL work of all Shinsou Hitoshi stories on ao3. I'd so like to confess my true respect and love to the NightowlRobin for their most mind-blowing plot and detailising. (You will probably meet Aizawa only after 10 chapters. And it will take even longer until Hitoshi and him properly meet.) This is an epochal work that will make you believe in Hitoshi's true character and make you cry of his story because it's really brutal. I think this is the favourite work of everyone who liked Shinsou with all their hearts.

To Turn A Man Into A Stone by tanli Genres: Foster Kid Shinsou, Angst, Mentor Aizawa Status: FINISHED (15,128 words) foh's: comment: Even months after I read this work, I look back on it and think: the author did an 11/10 job. Just so you understand: this is the best example of how I see the relationship between Aizawa and Shinsou. It is the apotheosis of sincerity and affection. It is a test of will, deep introspection and acceptance. It performed so well that it seemed to me that the author wrote a chapter for the manga. Damn, the author did a lot better than the mangaka. If the previous two works were not so high-quality and grandiose, I would've put this one at the very top of my list.

If Lies Had A Flavor by scooter3scooter Genres: Foster Kid Shinsou, Erasermic Adopt Shinsou, Heavy Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Eating Disorders Status: FINISHED (10,003 words) foh's comment: Perhaps one of the many angst works written by scooter3scooter, which I have reread more than once or even twice. This work is special to me, because I have never seen such an interesting look at the consequences of Shinsou's stay in an orphanage. Complex and emotional work. It is truly an honour to get acquainted with such a vast problem of humanity as eating disorder through this fanfic.

crybaby by Brachydios Genres: Foster Kid Shinsou, Erasermic Help Shinsou, Heavy Angst & Eventual Comfort, Canon Divergence Status: FINISHED (51,219 words) foh's comment: I've read this work more times than I can remember. Brachydios came into my life with this incredible work and tore me apart from the inside. I believe in every detail they describe, every character move is justified. I want to sympathize with Shinsou over and over again. One of the best Quirk-Shenanigans trope that has brought 1017 people to tears - be the next one. The performance is 100 of 10.

How It Goes by Ibelieveinahappilyeverafter Genres: Foster Kid Shinsou, Erasermic Adopt Shinsou, Heavy Angst & Eventual Comfort Status: FINISHED (20,021 words) foh's comment: This is one of the best written Foster Kid Shinsou stories ever. Hitoshi's adaptation, his thoughts and feelings, his panic, his fear of going back to the orphanage are described in a deep sincere way here. It's a heartbreaking story about the fear of punishment, taking consenquences and family. It was very personal for me and I hope you get a lot emotions after reading it.

Faith by slightlycrunchy Genres: Mentor and Parental Aizawa, Anxious Shinsou, Hurt/Comfort, School Situation Status: FINISHED (2,651 words) foh's comment: This work is also quite personal choice of mine. I wouldn't say it's grandiose, but it's very emotional for me. For the kid who worries about grades all their life, who is afraid to make a mistake, who is afraid to lose everything because of one mistake and who doesn't know how to accept their failures. I ask you to read this if my words resonate in your soul. This is the truth that we all need to hear.

Absolute Tops

Point Blank by Cobbiest foh's rec: an interesting, intriguing and beautifully written Shinsou's journey to become a part of Erasermic Family (and hero)

Deathworlders to the extreme! by AquaStarDark foh's rec: that's the funniest, most captivating and rocking people-are-space-orcs thing that I've read, really worths reading

I Would Understand by deafmic foh's rec: that is the first things first to read if you're new here, but tnh I wasn't ready for this work and dropped it once or twice before I finally made it and read it, it's really really good, but I wouldn't recommended as first-to-read.

Back to the Nest by Mags_Pie foh's rec: such a sweet thing about children and their parents. I was smiling so much.

Everything is different (since you've been around) by Plasmapause foh's rec: and THIS is how I see the best written relationship between Shinsou & Aizawa AND Shinsou & Yamada, they're building trust and becoming family very slowly BUT you really believe in these life situations that happen to Hitoshi, it is very sincere and touchy work.

It's not always easy. by ethgri foh's rec: and THIS is the HEAVIEST work I've read and really recommend it. The emotions are real and naked, I practically felt the same pain. Please be ready for heart journey, this is a brutal masterpiece.

Herding Cats by Robbirdthe8th (FictionalFeather) foh's rec: the COOLEST detective wotk, have nothing to say - just read it.

Margay by Oceanbreeze7 foh's rec: one of best ever written Shinsou.

QueNouilleCroustillante (the author of AUs that you won't forget: you may know theirs Bright Stars, but I beg you to read all of their works)

deafmic (you guys do know deafmic, that's deafmic's section for Aizawa and Shinsou, it's all too fucking good)

Mentorship Dynamics

More than a cry by Assassin Bug

Stubborn choices by Madaver

Not In The Job Description by ididntneedanewfandom (prettyvk)

Voices by SquirrelWriter

mind break by baggytshirtsandtiredeyes

The Lilac Garden by Mars_is_Gone

the night was a gelid, bitter, and biting thing by sonrissa

Countdown by Mags_Pie

polished doubt, fake sentiment by s_beth

Consequences by 22FluffyTheSpider123

Legacy by the_crownless_queen

Aizawa's Warmth by LoveableMink

Hitoshi Shinsou's Not-So-Smart Training Method by maarvehl

Keep Him Safe by Mags_Pie

stealing is bad? by borlios

Learning Curve by Cyborg_Franky

Play Along by eillo

from one foot to the other by ohwickedsoul

Family Dynamics

So this section I prefer to divide in two subsections:

fanfics where Shinsou is heavely traumatised and learns how to handle it with Eraser(-mic) help (Section A)

fanfics where Shinsou traumatises world around him and still learns how to handle it (Section B)

P.S.: section B comes first, because I love how authors perform Shinsou. They captured his audacity, intelligence and rebelliousness, he's learning from his traumas but does it shitty, and that is really interesting.

Family Dynamics Section B:

When the Darkness Fades by BlueCats

Growing Up (is harder than it looks) by BlueCats

Concerning (Some-)Things by Tododorkey (ApolloBlackwood)

The Beginning of Always by meow_z_z_z

First Day of School by Jyxnie

Split Lip; Silver Tongue by CreamcheeseBagel

Unforgettable by deafmic

A Lesson in Vengeance by Smurfee

somewhere in my heart of hearts (i knew it all along) by bototyelenol

Call to Eraserhead by sukeruton

surviving on elevated cortisol and spilt coffee by Crykea

How to Win the Sports Festival: A Step by Step Guide by mhwright

Hitoshi Shinsou's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Days by Princeliest

Tight-Lipped Belief by Robbirdthe8th (FictionalFeather)

House of the Rising Sun by caprisunontherocks

Family Dynamics Section A:

Just A Phone Call Away by odymcbea

Twist My Words by CreamcheeseBagel

Take Care (of me) by scooter3scooter

it’s in the way he- by scooter3scooter

masterpiece of nature by Brachydios

spare the rod by Brachydios

Not Today (Tomorrow it May Change) by deafmic

You're an Alien? by Badum_tsh

Pardon My Presence by ShiDreamin

Everything Will Be A-Okay by nikouji

Lucky Cat by deafmic

The Misadventures of the Yamazawa Family by ComplicatedSquishy101

Home Alone by fecklessphilanderer

a voice your body jumps to callin' out your name by sparrowsAce, wander_wren

Last (First) Adventure by deafmic

You've Got A Heart As Loud As Lions by Robbirdthe8th (FictionalFeather) (warning! this work contains sexual abuse. I felt it was a difficult decision to include this here, as it is an incredibly complex topic and also incredibly important. This work is written with such respect and love, with such sensitivity, I cannot even begin to express it in words. Please, if this topic is disturbing and triggering to you, please be careful to read it.)

This concludes my top list. I finished reading about two months ago and plan to return soon and see what new and good is being written along this Father-Son trope. If you have any other cool works that are not presented here and you want to share them, send them into comments. I would be very glad! Thank you for attention!

[thehouseofurmotha]

Shinsou dating Aizawa's daughter head cannons :)

Pairing: Shinsou x Aizawa!Reader

I'm also working on a soulmate au with Shinsou 🤭 I fear he may be my favorite

• You and him meet when Aizawa asks you to spar with him, as you both have quirks that are less equipped for close range combat. You're in class 1-A too which is the class Shinsou would most likely join when he ends up in the hero course so it just made sense.

• You whoop his ass, he's immediately in love. He thinks you're extremely skilled and talented and pretty much begs you to help train him with your dad.

• Maybe it's because he wants to see you more often, but you don't need to know that.

• You ultimately agree and you and Shinsou pretty muuuuch become besties.

• But this is not enough for this man because he is absolutely enamored with you.

• One day while the two of you are sparing, your father leaves to go get another cup of coffee. And at this point he finally manages to pin you to the ground.

• For whatever reason he decides this is the best time to shoot his shot and is like, "Go on a date with me?" While he's just casually got you pinned to the ground.

• You don't manage to give him an answer before your dad gets back, but after you get up and brush yourself off you look at him and mouth a simple 'yes'.

• He smiles like a madman at this and your father looks at him and asks him what he's smiling about. He quickly goes back to his normal tired resting face with a quick nothing.

• Aizawa def thinks this is weird but he decides not to press any father. He feels bad pressing kids to tell him something they don't really have to.

• You guys go on a few dates before you officially start dating. Your father definitely notices that something about the two of you has changed but he doesn't realize that it has to do with the two of you being together.

• He finds out when he walks into your room while you and Shinsou were supposed to be just hanging out and watching a movie. Which he didn't find odd because the two of you had become fast friends with the friendly competition of sparring. But as he walks into your room to ask the two of you want for dinner he finds the two of you making out.

• He IMMEDIATELY kicks Shinsou out of your guys apartment. He isn't really mad that you guys are together he's just mad that you hid it from him and he had to find out like this.

• You guys have a very long conversation about being safe, and he definitely calls Midnight to handle most of it because he thinks he might just simply pass out from embarrassment. (You as well)

• He tells you he doesn't really care as long as you're happy. But this man does not let Shinsou live it down.

• Bro is fighting for his life during training the next day being worked so hard.

• Shinsou eventually gets back on your dad's good side and he comes over for weekly dinners.

I fear I may have an obsession with dadzawa.. and Shinsou.. I'm simply js a girl though. Anyways I hope you enjoyed :) <3 happy reading!

[lizzy06]

Shinsou Hitoshi x Reader Fics Recs!! (Tumblr/Ao3/Wattpad)

My Hero Academia Fic Rec Masterlist

ab intra ✨✨💖💖by andypantsx3 (humor, eventual smut, brainwashing)when a wave of disturbing crimes sweep the city, pro hero Hitoshi Shinsou is assigned to work the case with you. What's even more frustrating than his obnoxious personality is the fact no one will tell you why he’s involved. Things only get more suspicious from there.[COMPLETED]

no grave to hold my body down✨ by Hawnks (supermintfluff) (oneshot, hurt/comfort) Kindness is its own superpower. Love is, too.[COMPLETED]

Jealousy✨ by @alienaiver (oneshot, fluffy banter)Shinsou wants your attention after coming home, but you are preoccupied.[COMPLETED]

 The Sports Festival✨ by @writing-freak(oneshot, fluff) reader with a weather quirk faces off against shinsou in the sports festival[COMPLETED] pt 2: Parties for No One ✨by @writing-freak (oneshot, fluff)you consider approaching shinsou after the sports festival. an unlikely friendship commences. [COMPLETED]

Why aren't you scared of me? by @bakugohoex (oneshot, slight angst, fluff)in which shinso joins class 1a and whilst everybody seems to be scared of him out of fear he’ll use his quirk, you try to befriend the boy and he develops feelings as soon as you talk to him.[COMPLETED]

Diary by @onyxiana-is-obsessed (oneshot, fluff)Shinsou finds your diary where you’ve written way too much about him. Good thing he feels the same way.[COMPLETED]

Speechless by @alaskamonsters (oneshot, first meetings)[COMPLETED]

18 by @songbirdsingingthings (oneshot, jealousy, fluff) .[COMPLETED]

how to start an office romance✨ by animepseud (multipurposeroom) (fluff, humor, angst, slowburn)When a serial killer shows up to terrorise the neighbourhood, who do you call? According to the neighbourhood, not Shinsou.is there a better time to pursue romance than in the midst of a serial killing investigation?[COMPLETED]

Friendly Reminders & Math Equations✨ by kingyohno (oneshot, soulmate au, fluff)What one person writes on their skin also appears on the skin of their soulmate. Reader is forgetful and Shinsou is bored. Awkwardness ensues.[COMPLETED]

lilac eyes | shinsou x reader✨ by personb (strangers to lovers, fluff, angst)You just wanted to live for one night at a party with Jirou, though it seemed your night was going to be far more eventful than you anticipated. And you welcomed it, well him at least, with open arms. And to be fair he was very, very hot.[COMPLETED]

Your name on my skin✨  by  @dira333 / Fogfire (oneshot, soulmate au, )What your soulmate writes appears on your skin.[COMPLETED]

Two mind related quirk users walk into a train  ✨ ✨ by  wotefokizbrunch (oneshot, mindreader! reader, humor)When Shinso is sleep deprived his inner monologue just rambles non-stop and you, being a mindreader, find it hilarious.[COMPLETED]

Heart & Mind ✨ by orphan_account (oneshot, strangers to friends to lovers, fluff, angst, hurt/comfort)You have trouble finding a sparring partner because of your Quirk. Few are willing to have their emotions manipulated, after all.[COMPLETED]

Love at First Sight by ScatteredScribbles (oneshot, fluff, coffee shop au, love at first sight) Even though Shinso knows better, some part of him still wants to believe it’s possible–that there’s a single person in the world made for him, and they’re lounging about in the coffee shop he works at.[COMPLETED]

Just Say It by @sunnieskies02 (oneshot, soulmate au, hanahaki disease, slight angst with happy ending) [COMPLETED]

Show Me by hunnybby(oneshot, crush, fluff, humor) Shinsou Hitoshi's classmate just won't leave him alone. If she wanted to know his quirk so bad then she should have paid attention.[COMPLETED]

We Really Need To Stop Meeting Like This by spicyNess (oneshot, tooth rooting fluff, crush)The more you bumped into him, the more you wanted to.[COMPLETED]

Late Night Visits by candlelight27 (oneshot, college au, fluff, smut, idiots in love)A not-so-innocent game of truth and dare and all your conspiring friends might give you an opportunity to sort out the feelings you have for your best friend, Hitoshi Shinsou.[COMPLETED]

 Heroes Together by @writing-freak(oneshot, fluff)after growing up close friends with shinsou, you are forced to move away and leave your home behind. years later, you return, reunited with the best friend who doesn’t seem to remember you. [COMPLETED]

In All Honesty by Avistella (oneshot, fluff)People have always been wary of talking with Shinsou, but not you. When you start distancing yourself from him, Shinsou becomes worried.[COMPLETED]

Chocolate kisses and Catpuccinos by HydrangeaPartridge (coffee shop au, strangers to friends to lovers, fluff, smut)In which you are an accident prone-waitress in a cat café where Pro Hero MindJack (aka Shinso Hitoshi) likes to spend time. How will your relationship evolve through the four seasons of one year?[COMPLETED]

[minnixiii]

— PUMP, GLOWING, HYDRATION, BOOST !

a/n: first drabble for mha and ofc it’s my our fav boy shinso! (lowercase intended!)

prompt : rumors are spreading about a purple haired boy in school.. who knew he was so hot ?!

chara: shinso x fem! coquette! reader

now playing: STRATEGY ∙ TWICE

after the sports festival, things went pretty much back to normal. class work, exams, training, study… repeat. you and the rest of your class were standing by the lockers— clearly blocking the way but no one really caring too much about it.

“hey, we’re tryna get through back here…” a deep voice called out. iida took the initiative to alert the class, “come on everyone, save your chit chat for later! we’re clogging up the hallways.” you turn your head to see where the voice came from. you drop your bow on the floor and pick it up to peek out.

purple hair, around maybe 5’10 and tired eyes…

“it’s the guy from the sports festival…” you whisper to mina, putting your bow back in your hair. “that shinso guy, right? he’s kinda cute.” mina responds smirking at you. you rolled your eyes as you watch him walk back.

“he seem pretty hardcore… he’s in the general studies program right?” you asked her. momo heard the conversation and answered. “yes, but only cause his quirk isn’t suitable for hand to hand combat.” she answers and you nod.

you sit in class as mr. aizawa continues his lecture— paying little to no attention at all.

‘he’s just another student so why can’t i stop thinking about him? it doesn’t make sense… he is super cute though.’ you thought and smiled to yourself.

part 2?

written by minnixii 🎀 2024 <3

[whenanafallsinlove]

SHINSO HITOSHI; - rain comes after a long day of training fluff﹗

﹗warnings: none :D

a/n: I couldn't take this thought out of my head, so I wrote it down. Comment your thoughts and remember my asks and dm's are open!

Imagine training all day under the summer sun. Eventually, the afternoon comes, and with it, a group of clouds that forecast a storm. You start to feel a cooler breeze in your hair, but you and Shinso decide to stay a little longer, just for the sake of being together.

When you least expect it, the rain drops start to fall, their intensity escalating rapidly. That's when Shinso and you decide to return to the dorms.

The heavy rain and the strong wind make both of you start to run; the emotion of the moment makes you start to laugh, and Shinso suddenly takes your hand in his.

You feel like you could cross through a whole huricane this way, laughing with your favourite person holding you.

You keep laughing once you make it to the entrance of the dorms, both of you gasping for air after the high-speed run. Unaware that you're still holding hands, you can feel the intense eye contact along with the sentiment that lingers.

Suddenly, Shinso crashes his lips against yours. It's passionate and sweet, just like the rain that is still soaking you wet. You embrace his neck, bringing him closer. He grabs your waist for stability, and when you break the kiss in order to breathe, he lays his forehead on yours.

The sounds of the storm make his words sound like a whisper, but you are still able to hear,

"I love you."

[wildechildwrites]

Relax

Shinsou Hitoshi/Reader

Word Count: 3.2k

Warnings: Depression, self-esteem issues, mind control (not in a bad way but it's in there)

No use of Y/N, gender neutral reader

Summary: You haven't left your bed in days, too depressed to get anything done. Shinsou stops by your apartment to check on you and helps in his own way.

A/N: Wrote this because I've been too depressed to get out of bed, forgive any mistakes or ooc I didn't even really want to post it in the first place.

AO3 Link: Relax

You think you’ve hit a record for continuous hours spent in bed, and probably permanently fucked your kidneys because you don’t even have the energy to get up to use the bathroom. The floor of your room is disgusting, and dishes are piled up in the kitchen. You know you smell, and that there’s so much work for you to do, deadlines you’ve barely managed to avoid by calling in sick to the hero agency you do secretarial work at, but you can’t bring yourself to care. 

There’s a knock on your door, but you just ignore it, scrolling mindlessly through your phone. You don’t want to see anyone, and you’re not expecting to anyway. 

Whoever is at your door doesn’t stop, knocking harder and more insistently. You even hear your door knob jiggle, which spurs your anxiety on enough to get you to drag yourself out of bed. Your legs feel slightly wobbly, the inactivity of the last few days catching up to you as blood flows through your limbs. Catching your own reflection in the mirror makes you wince, but it’s a lost cause you’d rather not address. Whoever is knocking hasn’t stopped, and you yank open your front door irritably. If it’s some stupid solicitor–

Your jaw drops at the sight of one of the heroes from your agency, Shinso Hitoshi, standing outside your door. He’s dressed for patrol in all black, wrapped in his scarf, his voice modulator hanging loosely around his neck. His hair is wild as always, purple locks sticking in all directions, and he scans your form quickly, as if checking you for visible injuries. You remember how disheveled you look and your face heats up. 

“What are you doing here?” your voice is hoarse from disuse and your most recent crying jag, and you immediately wince at the way you sound, but Shinsou’s expression doesn’t change.

“I’ve come to check on you. I heard you were ill.” His tone is blandly neutral, as though it’s something that he does all the time, like you’re not just some stupid underling he’s contractually obligated to tolerate. His violet eyes narrow. “You’re not sick though.” 

You shrug self-consciously. You don’t understand why he’s here. You’re friendly at work, going out of your way to make conversation with the normally reserved hero, but you’ve never spent any real time together. You’re not sure what made him decide a house visit was in order. He definitely has more important things to do than checking up on you, and now you’re just wasting his time. You wrap your arms around yourself.

 “I just needed a day off.” You step backwards, going to shut the door. “Thanks for checking on me.” Shinsou’s foot shoots out, wedging the door open. There’s a beat as you two stare at each other, your mouth open in surprise.

“You’re not doing well,” Shinsou says, a frown on his face. He pushes your door open, and before you can protest, pro-hero MindJack has crowded into your disgusting apartment. You’re pretty sure it’s only because his poker face is so good that he doesn’t grimace at the mess, just stares at you, a crease in between his eyebrows. Humiliation burns in your chest. Now he knows you’re a gross waste of space, and he’ll probably tell everyone at work that you can’t even manage to keep your apartment clean. 

“Oh, little one,” he sighs. You pray for a black hole to spontaneously appear and swallow you up, but don’t get any such mercy. “You need tea,” he says firmly. “Tea, and then you’re going to tell me what’s making you depressed.”

Shinsou heads towards your kitchen with a strange amount of confidence for someone who’s never been in your apartment before, ignoring the dirty dishes piled in the sink in favor of the kettle.

Part of you knows you should protest, but you can't bring yourself to care, scraping the bottom of the well and coming up empty. You shove the pile of clothes strewn on your couch to the floor and sink into the cushions, your eyes on the hero in your kitchen. Maybe you’re just having a really weird dream.

All of your mugs are dirty, so Shinsou washes your favorite, plucking it out of the stack. You wonder if it's a part of his quirk to pick up on things like that. He even remembers how you take your tea, cradling the mug gently in both hands and plopping down beside you, sinking into your couch, his long legs sprawling out in front of him. Your fingers brush against his own, thin and unnaturally warm from the heat of the drink as he hands it to you. You're reminded of the last time you saw him. 

You've got two full trays of coffee balanced precariously in both hands, fighting a losing battle against flimsy cardboard and gravity. Your face is furrowed in concentration, your eyes fixed on your full hands when someone plucks the trays out of your grasp with nimble fingers. Your head shoots up, and you're about to protest when you see a pair of familiar purple eyes on yours. They’re beautiful up close, blue flecks making them seem almost periwinkle in the fluorescent office lights. Bashfulness hits you like a tsunami, and you try to tamp it down.

“Seems you've got your hands full,” Shinsou comments dryly. You smile and shrug, flustered by his proximity. 

“All in a day's work.” You bite your lip, feeling awkward. “I um, I got you one too, even though I wasn't sure if you'd be in today. You drink it black right? Dark roast?” Deftly, you pluck his out of one of the trays, then hold your other hand out expectantly. “Trade you?”

Shinsou stares at you intently, his expression unreadable. An odd shiver runs down your spine, like cold water dripping through your veins, and there’s a beat of silence before he finally responds, like he had to reboot. 

“Thank you,” he murmurs softly. He hands you one of the trays and accepts the warm cup from your hands, fingers brushing against yours. Despite your protests, Shinsou insists on helping you with your errand, trailing behind you to the meeting room you’re headed to. 

You pass out the drinks quickly, ignoring the odd stares that come with having a purple haired shadow lingering behind you, obediently holding the tray as though it’s the most important part of his day. 

Shinsou doesn’t speak until you're both out in the hallway. 

“You didn't get yourself anything.” There's a slight crease in between his eyes. It's adorable, the singular sign of concern in his placid expression. You’d like to reach out and smooth it out with your thumb. 

“They ran out of the tea I like,” you say, trying and failing to not sound like you’re pouting. Shinsou hums in acknowledgement. He’s suddenly distracted, his mind obviously elsewhere as he shoots you a vague goodbye before abruptly turning on his heel and heading in the opposite direction. You smile to yourself. Sometimes the heroes were so odd.

After your lunch break, a cup of tea appears on your desk. You don’t see Shinsou again, but you can’t keep the smile off your face for the rest of the day.  

You’ve sat in silence for at least twenty minutes, unsure of what to say. You wish Shinsou would just leave, but you’re not brave enough to say so. You just want to be left alone. The idea of talking about your pathetic problems with someone who has real responsibilities is mortifying. Shinsou seems content to remain unnervingly quiet beside you, relaxing on your secondhand couch.

“I’m not even sad, really. I’m just bad at being a person,” you finally say. “I fuck up everything and I'm going nowhere.” Your head thunks back against the couch cushions. Shinsou is staring at you, and you wish you could just disappear, but the floodgates have been opened, everything that’s been weighing you down spilling out.

 “It’s so exhausting to even just be alive. I feel so overwhelmed and stressed constantly about the most miniscule things. I wish someone would tell me what to do because I seem to be incapable of making decisions, even with little things like what to eat and how to organize my closet. Every choice I make is the wrong one.”  You sniffle, desperately fighting back the threat of tears. 

There’s a quick change in the placid expression on Shinsou’s face, a ripple in the still waters of a pond. 

“I could help.” His voice is hesitant but his gaze is sharp, lilac eyes pinning you down. You run a hand through your greasy hair absentmindedly, confused.

 “How?”

He stares at you with a deadpan expression until you realize what he’s implying. Duh. 

“I could… make some decisions for you. Help you be productive.”

You've never seen a mind altering quirk in action. Your curiosity sparks, and you push yourself to sit up.

“Can you just tell me to… not? Be depressed?” you ask.

Shinsou tilts his head, a small frown on his face. “It doesn’t work like that, unfortunately. But I might be able to make you feel better. At least temporarily.”

The silence while you mull over his offer is tense. You don't want him to use his powers superfluously. You're not sure if his quirk has limitations, but you don't want to exhaust it for a stupid reason like this. 

“I can't ask you to do that.” You say.

“You're not asking,” he replies firmly. “I'm offering because I want to help. It'll–” he hesitates, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “I've heard that it's not bad, the sensation of it.”

You stare at him, absentmindedly chewing on your lip. Nothing can make you feel worse than you do right now, you reason. Maybe you can get him to make you clean. Or fill out bills. 

“How do we start?”

Shinsou looks surprised, then pleased, his eyes warm. He shifts closer to you, and you catch the scent of cologne, light and clean. Your heart gives an odd stutter.

“Are you going to be good for me?” His voice is barely a whisper. Heat rises to your face at the question, warmth kindling low in your stomach. You ignore your own reaction, focusing on his question.

“Yes Shinsou,” you reply. His mouth curves up, his demeanor changing instantly, slipping on intensity like a glove. A long arm drapes across the back of your sofa, boxing you in, closing the gap between you. He's bigger than you realized, so close like this, wiry muscle covering his slim form. His eyes are dark and deeper than you've ever seen them, like a twilight sky. You can't look away, a rabbit caught in the hypnotic gaze of a snake.

“Relax,” he orders, his voice silky smooth but impossibly firm. The words have an immediate effect, melting into you, tugging at your brainstem. A shiver runs down your spine, and you feel the tension in your body unfurl, like you’re slipping into a warm bath.

There’s a part of you that’s panicking, a jerk of animal instinct that fights against the downy sensation that’s settling into your mind. You try to quiet the protest. You want to be good for Shinsou, want him to think that you're good. He sees the conflict in your expression and leans impossibly closer, a gentle hand reaching up to tip your chin towards him. Your eyes drop down to his mouth, and his breath catches.

“You’re doing so well,” he says quietly. “I know it’s uncomfortable, but I’d never hurt you.” He cocks his head, voice slipping back into a more authoritarian tone. “Now, go take a shower and brush your teeth.” 

The words have an instant effect on you, pulling an invisible string. You jerk to your feet, unsteadily beelining towards the bathroom, his little marionette doll. Shinsou rises as well, heading towards your bedroom. 

The first time you meet Shinsou is in one of the many break rooms of the agency you work at. He strolls in, and you have to make a concentrated effort from keeping your jaw from dropping. He's tall and handsome, his surprisingly delicate features thrown off by the dark circles under his eyes. The coffee you're pouring overflows onto your hand in your distraction, and you curse quietly under your breath, spinning around to grab some paper towel to clean your mess. 

“Careful, the coffee's hot,” a dry voice speaks from behind you. It's low in an unexpected way, appealing despite his lack of inflection. You let out a scoff at his comment. You go over a mental list of the heroes at your agency, trying to pinpoint who he is.

“You're MindJack, right?” you finally ask, turning back to face him, your curiosity getting the best of you. He looks surprised. 

“You know who I am?” 

“Yeah, I guess. I’ve seen what you can do, read your file and stuff.” You're desperately trying to come off as nonchalant, throwing your shoulders up in an exaggerated shrug. Hopefully he doesn’t think you’re a stalker or anything. You clear your throat. “You’ve got a pretty interesting quirk.” 

“Interesting is a kind way to put it, I believe.” His tone is light, but there’s an edge to it. You read the sudden tension in his shoulders, the way his lips thin. “Most people think it’s a villainous quirk to have.” 

You roll your eyes. Morons. 

“People are just shitty about it because they’d probably be evil if they had your power,” You say, trying to sound matter of fact. “If anything, it just proves you’re a better hero, you resisted the pull because you’ve got strong morals.”

 You smile at him, and he returns it, a quick crescent moon flash of teeth that has you ducking your head.

“I guess I’ve never thought of it that way,” he murmurs thoughtfully.

Shinsou found your stash of clean sheets and is making your bed when you walk into your bedroom after your shower, squeaky clean and wrapped in a towel. He turns to you, and you see his cheeks go pink, his eyes trailing down your form before shooting back up to your face with a guilty expression. Shame rushes through you, disturbing the detached serenity you feel. You should've told him you needed to change, instead of barging in practically naked. He's being so nice, and you’re ruining things like always. You can feel the corners of your mouth turning down, anxiety fighting against the artificial calm Shinsou has coached your mind into.

He clicks his tongue, matching your frown with one of his own. “I’m sorry, I lost focus. You’re alright, relax for me.”

It’s an odd sensation, a roller coaster drop and then you’re back to tranquility. He smiles at you with that half crescent flash of teeth. Your knees feel weak. 

“I’ll go start the dishes while you put on some fresh clothes and start some laundry. Sounds good?”

The sun's dipping low in the sky, the shadows growing long as you and Shinsou fold the mounds of laundry you've finished. Time feels strange, chores that normally take hours slipping by in moments, the sound of Shinsou's voice filling the silence and echoing in your head. He tells you about becoming a hero, about training and about work. You like the way his voice sounds, the lack of inflection giving way to little tells, peaks and valleys in his speech pattern that you’ve never picked up on before.

He's propped himself against your bed, making quick work of the pile of socks he’s folding, a crease appearing between his eyebrows as he concentrates. You're struck with the soft domesticity of it all, the compassion of Shinsou taking so much time to help try to pull you out of the hole you’ve found yourself in. Gratitude overwhelms you, your chest tight with it. 

You don't realize there are tears running down your cheeks until Shinsou looks up at you, and lets out a soft gasp, abandoning the pile of socks.

“Are you alright?” he asks, concern lacing his tone. “Did I push you too much today? Did we do anything you didn’t want?” He’s so close to you, hands hovering hesitant around your face, desperate to comfort but afraid to close the gap. You shoot him a watery smile, wiping your eyes before you pull him into a tight hug. He freezes at the contact, a heartbeat of surprise before melting against you, long arms wrapping around your body.

“You're just so nice,” you say, voice muffled against his chest. You feel his lips brush against the top of your head softly. You don't feel better, necessarily, the empty hole in your chest still present, but you feel less heavy. Your apartment looks great, and your to do list is down to an almost manageable level. He’s done so much more for you than you can express, so you just hug him tighter, burying your face into his neck. 

You want to stay like this forever, huddled on your bedroom floor, cradled in each other’s arms. The warmth of the moment is shattered by the ring of his phone. 

Being a hero is a ceaseless calling. He answers, and you try to convince yourself that the curt note in his voice is disappointment at the interruption. You pull back and pretend not to eavesdrop, schooling your face into a neutral expression for when he hangs up, regret coloring his features.

“I have to go,” he says, and you muster a smile.

“I’ll walk you out.” 

MindJack stands in your doorway for the second time tonight, lingering in the warmth of your apartment. You’re back to feeling stressed, hyper aware of the vulnerability he’s seen today. You hope he doesn’t say anything to anyone. You hope he still likes you after all of this. His next sentence catches you completely off guard, your own self doubt totally off base. 

“I'll stop by to pick you up for work tomorrow morning,” he says, his voice almost casual. There's a soft pink to his cheeks, and you feel an answering heat rise to your own. “Unless you’re planning on calling in sick again.” 

“You really don’t have to do that.” You feel like you’ve put him out enough tonight already.

“I’d like to.” Those purple eyes have you pinned again, and you feel yourself nodding without thinking. Before you can blink, he leans into your space, wrapping a long arm around your waist, pulling you flush against him and pressing his lips to yours in a fierce kiss. His mouth is warm and soft. He nips at your bottom lip and you quietly gasp. He takes advantage, deepening the kiss, pulling you impossibly closer, his tongue sweeping against yours. You reach your hands up, weaving your fingers through his hair, and he lets out an appreciative groan when you tug him closer. His phone buzzes again and he pulls away.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” he says breathlessly. You don’t know how to tell him what a difference he’s made for you. You’ve got so much you’d like to say to him, but you know he has to go. He’s stayed longer than he should already.

“Thank you,” you say simply. You hope he understands the true weight of your appreciation. You gaze tenderly at each other for a moment before he reaches a hand out, fingers ghosting against your cheek, then slips out of your apartment.

[carefreecoffee]

✧༺♥༻∞Fluffmas Day 2: Decorations w/ Shinsou Hitoshi✧༺♥༻∞

Word count: 947, Gender- Neutral reader {Intended with short!Reader in mind :)}

Chatter was spread amongst the UA dorms as the christmas season finally set in. Lights strewn about the dormitory and so on, illuminating the room beautifully. The smell of baked goods flowed through the air from the common room kitchen thanks to Sato while Momo helped create the decorations for the area's surroundings. 

Everyone seemed to be doing something as were you, setting up the tree and making sure every light, tinsel and ornament was placed perfectly. You furrowed your brows, staring at your work proudly, hands on hips as it came down to the last decoration. The star.

You gradually pick up the large star from its holder, staring back and forth from the tree to the shape. The tree may be big but your determination was bigger and with a couple steps, you brought over the stepstool, standing on it star in hand and stretching. You could do this. It's a measly star that holds nothing against you. 

Or so you thought. “Do you need any help there?” You glance down to see your boyfriend Shinsou with his head tilted slightly at the determined look on your face. You shake your head, looking back up to the tree. “I've got this handled!” 

He shrugged at your comment, glancing around the tree, “Alright then, suit yourself.” He glances at the slightly swaying stool, a hint of concern on his face yet letting you go on, seeing how long it’ll take before you cave in. 

You swear that you can feel the sweat form on your forehead as you extend your arm as far as possible, the top of the tree just out of reach. With a huff, you pull back, star in hand. Shinsou thinks you’ve finally caved in, finally given up and accepted the fact that you can’t in fact reach the-

Oh no there you go again, reaching for the top of the tree. It takes everything in Shinsou not to burst out laughing at your determined face, eyes focused on your goal, hands steadying as much as possible. 

"Having trouble there?" he teases gently. You shake your head, balancing on the tips of your toes. “Nope!” However your voice betrayed you, the slight aggravation within your tone, evident to him. 

He chuckles softly as he walks closer to you, his hands on his hips and a playful smile on his face. "Really? Because it looks like you're struggling to reach the top."

He then comes closer, standing behind you. One hand rests gently on your waist, while the other gently takes the star from your hand. "How about you let me help?" he asks, his voice warm and teasing.

You glance down from the step stool, lowering the star and quirking a brow at your purple haired boyfriend.

Shinsou smirks back at you, obviously enjoying the fact that he has the upper hand at the moment. He then takes full advantage of this and grabs your waist gently, lifting you up without any effort. You yelp, grabbing onto his other shoulder for support as he sets you on his broad shoulder. He's glad to say that all that training with Aizawa-sensei had finally caught up to him.

"There we go." he says, a hint of playfulness in his voice as he effortlessly holds you up, his arms strong and sturdy.

He chuckles softly as you grip onto his shoulder, amused by your surprised reaction. He holds you firmly in his hands, the strength of his body evident in his grip. "Comfortable up there?" he teases.

You feel your face heat up slightly yet the annoyance of his cockiness overcomes you first. “S-shut up Toshi. Just, gimme the star!” 

"As you wish." Shinsou smirks, his grip on your legs tightening just a bit as he passes you the star, enjoying the way you're clinging to him. He can't help but chuckle at your slightly flustered reaction. He seems to be having a lot of fun with this situation. "Be careful not to slip or anything," he teases.

You flick his forehead before reaching up, star in hand, finally being able to place it on top of the heavily decorated tree. He lets out a soft "Ouch" as you flick his forehead, feigning hurt for a moment before going back to a smirk.

He can't help but admire your determination to get the star on the tree, even if it means being a bit stubborn. As you successfully place the star, he hums and speaks up. "Well, look at you, you got it." he says, the smirk still on his face.

He then shifts his grip on you, his hands moving to your waist and easily hoisting you off his shoulder and setting you down. "Now that we've conquered the Christmas tree, we should move on to other decorations, hmm?" he says, still keeping a firm hold on your waist.

You look up at the star as it sits there in all its shiny glory. “Yeah, but you didn't have to help me, you know, I would've gotten it eventually.” You cross your arms defiantly, looking up at him. Shinsou lets out a soft chuckle, amused by your insistence on doing everything yourself.

"I know you would've, but where's the fun in that? Besides, I can't help but enjoy the way you get all determined like that. It's kind of cute." He says, a smirk still on his face as he looks down at you.

He gently pokes your nose, his touch a bit playful and teasing. He then wraps a firm arm around your waist, keeping you close as he turns you towards the boxes of decorations.

"Now, what should we hang up next?"

{Taglist: @staygoldsquatchling02}

[seraphicloves]

Fingers grazed the screen, caressing his face gently. He was talking to the news about a recent save, the bright colors of the tv lighting up the otherwise darkened room.

"Oh, my love." She cooed, kissing his lips when they do a close up towards him, "Soon you will be mine."

The video shut off, leaving her in complete darkness. She sighed quietly, dropping her phone down on her bed. Then she stood, tracing her lips as though she could pretend they were his.

There in front of her was a beautiful shrine for her darling. She knelt in front of it, admiring the pictures that were there of him. Her eyes fell forward to the single strand of purple hair she had been able to snatch, one night while he eas sleeping soundly. (One of the few times she has noticed him sleeping.)

"I love you, Shinsou." She breathed, her heart already starting to race and heat begin to pool between her legs. He would be hers, to touch and to hold. To kiss and to love. He would be hers.

lori © 2024. please don't copy, modify, or do anything weird with my writing! i like reblogs and comments but please be kind as this was my writing.

[kacievvbbbb]

So the thing is with Shinsou and his place in the ErasMic family he is so middle child coded to me. Like he just has so much middle child energy it’s insane.

Like my two most favorite ErasMic fics; Wards of AU by FeckedSpectrum (one of the all time pieces of literature I have read truly) and A Heart Grows Fonder by Laroyena both have Shinsou playing the youger sibling to Mirio and Shigaraki respectively and that’s when it clicked for me. It just felt so natural so easy for him to slip into this middle child role.

And it’s because he has all the bitchy confrontational energy of a younger sibling but with enough of the care and consideration of an Older sibling and so putting him against this older figure he doesn’t have to be as soft with as he is with Eri and he can really develop other aspects of his personality is so natural. H is such a bitchy constantly rolling their eyes sarcastic little brother I love it so much.

And this isn’t me saying I have anything against the Eri Shinsou dynamic ofcourse not I love them as siblings but I don’t know the dynamic just feels powered up when Shinsou’s a middle child there’s a more grown child figure kind of buffering a lot of Shinsou’s more abrasive tendencies so we still get to see that familial bitchy banter. A Heart Grows Fond described it perfectly with his relationship with Shigaraki. Shinsou gets a support system but he also gets someone he can practice his responsibility on without the fear that he might fuck it all up irredeemably because Eri is 6 and can’t pick herself up the way a 21 year old Shigaraki can of Shinsou miscalculates (it was explained so much better) but yeah that’s like the crux of it.

An older siblings is a much less pressured relationship that Shinsou really needs and god I just fucking love it. Middle child Shinsou you will always be famous to me.

[ohagi-bites]

(This is y’all’s warning that I will start to drift into the territory of some of my favorite mha ships and some jjk, but I will remain a largely kny-centered blog. Luvs y’all!)

Can we talk about Kaminari Denki and Shinso Hitoshi? As in ShinKami? As in, one of my ultimate comfort ships?

There are two things I’ve been thinking of in regards to these two.

1. Denki’s waist. Okay, so it might not be itty bitty, but it’s definitely smaller than average, and it belongs to Shinso. I firmly believe that Hitoshi does the pregnant wife hold on Denki, or holds his waist when he passes behind him or reaches above Denki’s head to get something. There is rarely a time they’re cuddling and Toshi doesn’t have a hand on Denki’s waist, or his arms around it

2. Handprints. Okay, I don’t know about y’all, but I like to think that when Denki gets overwhelmed— in any way— his quirk is activated, but it just heats his body up and little sparks jump around his hair, which might start to glow (like static electricity type shocks). So at times, when Toshi is teasing Denki, he might end up sparking. I have this image of Shinso pouring coffee, shirtless, and Denki walks in to see red patches on Shinso’s back in vague shapes, and then two perfectly clear in the shape of handprints. And Shinso just turns around, leans against the counts and sips his coffee with a “morning, beautiful.”

Someone please tell me I’m not the only one thinking this.

[aikrus]

a haunted house (with a picket fence)

He knew it was going to be an adjustment. In the foster home, it always had been, and being a new addition to someone's family was something he was quite used to.

He knew there would be growing pains, but nothing warned him to be worried about sitting cross-legged on the last bar-stool table eating cereal out of his ramen bowl.

Shinso honestly wasn't sure what did it, but in an instant, Aizawa-san's face turned cold and tired, and he walked away.

Yamada-san was similar in a way. He would awkwardly chuckle and walk backward until he could escape sometimes, but mostly, he tried his best.

Still, it was almost as if they were playing a game with him. They'd lightly suggest an activity for them to do with bated breath, like he was crossing a land mine.

Shinso wasn't sure what caused them so much stress and yet knew to abstain any burden of guilt from falling upon himself.

Later that evening, Shinso sat in his new room. It was bigger than any space he'd ever had to himself before, with clean walls painted a soft gray and furniture that looked sturdy and functional. The bed was already made—something Yamada-san had insisted on doing before Shinso arrived—and there was a desk by the window with a view of the street below.

He didn’t hate it here. It was just… different.

The door creaked open, and Aizawa stepped in, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. Shinso tensed reflexively. He wasn’t sure if this was about the cereal incident or something else entirely.

“You settling in okay?” Aizawa’s voice was low but not unkind. He lingered by the doorway, clearly uncomfortable.

Shinso shrugged. “Yeah, it’s fine.”

Aizawa nodded, looking down at his feet for a moment. Then, as if gathering courage, he spoke again. “If you need anything, you should… tell us. We’re not used to this either, but we’re trying.”

“I know,” Shinso replied, his voice steady but distant. “Thanks.”

There was an awkward silence before Aizawa nodded again and left the room. The door clicked shut, and Shinso exhaled slowly, slumping against the headboard of his bed.

Yamada’s approach was entirely different.

The next morning, Shinso came down to find Yamada dancing—yes, dancing—in the kitchen, flipping pancakes and singing along to some ancient rock song.

“Good morning, Shin-man!” Yamada greeted him with a wide grin. “Hope you’re hungry! I make a mean pancake.”

Shinso hesitated in the doorway, unsure how to respond. He’d never met anyone so… exuberant.

“Uh, morning,” he mumbled, moving to sit at the counter.

Yamada slid a plate of pancakes in front of him and beamed. “There you go! Syrup’s right there. Oh, and Aizawa’s probably going to grumble about the mess later, but don’t worry about it. I’ll clean up.”

Shinso nodded and started eating, the awkwardness palpable. Yamada didn’t seem to notice, though, continuing to hum and talk about random things: a new album he’d found, a stray cat he’d seen outside, plans for dinner.

It was overwhelming, but… not bad. Different.

The days blurred together after that, filled with small, strange moments that slowly chipped away at the walls Shinso had built around himself. Aizawa’s quiet attempts to connect, Yamada’s boundless energy and enthusiasm—it was all so unfamiliar.

One evening, Shinso found himself in the living room, sitting on the couch with Aizawa and Yamada. They’d invited him to watch a movie, and though he’d initially planned to decline, something in Aizawa’s expression had stopped him.

Halfway through the movie, Yamada’s loud commentary had Shinso stifling laughter, and Aizawa’s dry retorts only made it worse. For the first time in a long time, Shinso felt… something warm. Something close to belonging.

It wasn’t perfect, and it wasn’t easy, but maybe—just maybe—this could work.

But cracks began to show.

One evening, Aizawa came home late, exhaustion etched into his face. Shinso had left his training gear scattered in the hallway—a mistake born of distraction rather than defiance. Still, Aizawa’s patience snapped.

“Is it that hard to clean up after yourself?” he snapped, his voice sharper than usual. “We’re not here to babysit you.”

Shinso froze, his throat tightening. “I didn’t mean to,” he muttered, his voice barely audible.

Yamada stepped in quickly, trying to diffuse the tension. “Hey, hey, it’s not a big deal! I’ll help clean it up—”

“That’s not the point,” Aizawa interrupted, pinching the bridge of his nose. “He needs to take responsibility.”

Shinso didn’t argue. He didn’t apologize either. He simply picked up his gear and retreated to his room, the familiar weight of isolation settling over him.

Yamada, too, struggled in his own way. His attempts to connect with Shinso sometimes came off as overbearing, and when Shinso withdrew, Yamada couldn’t hide his hurt.

“Do you even like it here?” Yamada asked one day, his voice uncharacteristically quiet.

Shinso hesitated, unsure how to respond. He didn’t hate it. But he didn’t feel like he belonged, either.

“It’s fine,” he said finally, the words hollow.

Yamada’s smile faltered, and he nodded. “Okay. Cool.”

The tension between the three of them grew, each misunderstanding compounding the next. Aizawa’s guarded nature made him come off as cold; Yamada’s enthusiasm felt suffocating at times. And Shinso… Shinso was caught in the middle, unsure of how to bridge the gap.

One night, the breaking point came.

“You don’t trust me,” Shinso said quietly, his voice trembling with restrained emotion. “You say you want me here, but it feels like you’re waiting for me to mess up.”

Aizawa looked taken aback, but his face quickly hardened. “That’s not fair.”

“Isn’t it?” Shinso shot back, his frustration spilling over. “You get mad when I make a mistake, but you never tell me what you actually want from me. How am I supposed to…” His voice cracked, and he looked away.

Yamada reached out, but Shinso pulled back, retreating to his room. The sound of the door slamming echoed through the apartment, leaving Aizawa and Yamada standing in stunned silence.

The spiral had begun, and despite their best intentions, the fractures in their newfound family seemed to widen with every passing day. Yet, beneath the tension, the desire for resolution remained—a fragile thread that might still hold them together if only they could find a way to reach it.

The first small step came from Yamada. Late one night, when the house was quiet and Shinso’s door was firmly shut, Yamada knocked softly. There was no response, but he spoke anyway, his voice low and steady.

“Hey, Shinso. I just… I wanted to say I’m sorry. If I’ve been too much or made you feel uncomfortable, that’s on me. I just want you to feel at home here, and I know it hasn’t been easy. I’ll try to do better. That’s all I wanted to say. Good night.”

He didn’t wait for an answer, just walked away. Inside the room, Shinso sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the door. The words lingered, settling into a place he didn’t realize was waiting for them.

The next day, Shinso left his training gear in the hallway again. But this time, before Aizawa could say anything, Shinso quickly picked it up and muttered, “Sorry about that.”

Aizawa paused, caught off guard. His sharp response died on his tongue, replaced by a simple, “Thanks.” It was a small exchange, barely significant, but it felt like a turning point.

Yamada suggested a game night that weekend. Shinso hesitated but agreed reluctantly when Aizawa gave him a rare, encouraging nod. The evening was awkward at first, the silence punctuated by Yamada’s forced enthusiasm. But as the games went on, something shifted. Shinso found himself laughing—really laughing—at one of Yamada’s ridiculous antics. Aizawa even smirked, though he tried to hide it behind his drink.

By the end of the night, the tension in the room had lessened, replaced by something softer. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start.

Over the following weeks, the bonds between them began to solidify.

One afternoon, Aizawa invited Shinso to join him in fixing some of the apartment’s small maintenance issues. At first, Shinso was reluctant, unsure if this was some kind of test. But Aizawa handed him a screwdriver and began explaining how to tighten a loose cabinet hinge.

“You’re pretty handy,” Shinso said after a while, surprising himself with the casual compliment.

Aizawa glanced at him, a faint smirk on his face. “Comes with living alone for so long. You’ll pick it up.”

“Maybe,” Shinso said, focusing on the task. It wasn’t much, but the quiet teamwork felt… good.

Yamada, as always, leaned into his exuberant personality to create moments of connection. One evening, he dragged Shinso into the living room, holding a box of old photos.

“Check this out! Baby Eraserhead,” Yamada said, holding up a photo of a younger Aizawa scowling at the camera, wrapped in a gaudy scarf.

Shinso snorted. “How did you even get this?”

“I have my ways,” Yamada said with a wink.

Aizawa walked in, saw the photo, and sighed. “I knew this was a mistake.”

“Come on, it’s a classic!” Yamada teased, nudging Shinso. “Admit it, this is the best thing you’ve seen all week.”

“It’s up there,” Shinso said, smirking. For once, the banter felt natural.

The most surprising moment came during a training session. Aizawa had set up a small obstacle course in the nearby gym to help Shinso practice both his physical skills and quirk usage. After several attempts, Shinso finally nailed a particularly tricky maneuver.

“Nice work,” Aizawa said, his tone genuinely approving. “You’re getting better.”

Shinso’s chest swelled with pride. “Thanks,” he said, the word feeling more meaningful than it usually did.

Later, Yamada insisted on celebrating with takeout, and the three of them sat around the table, joking and sharing stories. Shinso found himself laughing until his sides hurt, the awkwardness of those early days now a distant memory.

But as they started to settle into their new normal, Shinso couldn't shake the feeling that it was all too fragile.

One evening, when Aizawa and Yamada were both out, Shinso wandered the apartment. He found himself staring at the family photos Yamada had insisted on putting up in the hallway. Most of them were older pictures of Aizawa and Yamada—snapshots of a life Shinso hadn’t been part of. There was one newer photo, though: a candid shot Yamada had taken during game night. Shinso was mid-laugh, Aizawa smirking in the background, Yamada grinning like a kid who’d won a prize.

He reached out to touch the frame but stopped himself. It didn’t feel like his place. Not yet.

The next day, during breakfast, Shinso finally broke the silence that had been gnawing at him.

“Why me?” he asked abruptly, his voice low. “Why did you take me in?”

Aizawa looked up from his coffee, his expression unreadable. Yamada froze mid-bite, his pancake halfway to his mouth.

“What do you mean?” Yamada asked, trying to keep his tone light.

“You could’ve picked anyone,” Shinso said, his gaze fixed on the table. “So why me?”

Their was silence before he asked the question that broke Yamada'sheart, "it wasn't just because you saved me, was it?"

Aizawa set his mug down with a sigh. “We didn’t ‘pick’ you like we were shopping for groceries, Shinso. And this certainly wasn't a decision we made on the job.”

Yamada nodded, his smile soft. “When we decided we were ready we knew we'd want to look at every age range from all the non-international agencies. When we saw your file, we… well, we recognized you. We saw potential. Not just in your quirk, but in you. You reminded us of someone.”

“Who?” Shinso pressed, his voice sharper than he intended.

“Me,” Aizawa said simply.

Shinso blinked, startled. “What?”

“I was a lot like you when I was younger,” Aizawa continued, his tone matter-of-fact. “Quiet, reserved, didn’t think I fit anywhere. But I had people who gave me a chance. They didn’t make it easy, but they didn’t give up on me, either. And I thought… maybe we could do that for you.”

Shinso didn’t know what to say. He stared at Aizawa, then at Yamada, who nodded enthusiastically.

“Yeah, what he said! And, I mean, come on, Shin-man, you’re awesome. We’re just lucky to have you around.”

Shinso’s chest felt tight, a mix of emotions he couldn’t quite untangle. “I don’t… I don’t know if I’m worth all this effort.”

“You are,” Aizawa said firmly, his gaze steady. “And if it takes you a while to believe that, fine. We’ll wait.”

Yamada grinned. “Yeah! Besides, we’re stubborn. You’re stuck with us.”

For the first time, Shinso allowed himself to smile—a small, tentative thing, but real.

“Okay,” he said quietly. “I’ll try.”

And for the first time, it felt like they were all on the same page. They weren’t perfect, and they weren’t always going to get it right. But they were trying. And maybe, just maybe, that was enough.

One evening, as they were cleaning up after dinner, Shinso surprised himself by speaking up. “I… I’m glad I ended up here,” he said quietly, looking down at the dish in his hands.

Aizawa paused, his expression softening. “We’re glad too.”

Yamada grinned, throwing an arm around Shinso’s shoulders. “You’re stuck with us now, kid.”

Shinso rolled his eyes but didn’t pull away. For the first time, he felt like he truly belonged.

[fandomofhappiness]

While preparing new Shinsou content, I started thinking about some common thing within Shinsou’s fanfiction.

I've read a fair amount of Hitoshi fanfics, especially the ones where he ends up with Aizawa or both Aizawa and Mic in some way, either as a ward or an adopted child.

There were at least three tropes for these stories to go down:

1. The parents died (and since grandparents apparently don't exist in MHA, there certainly aren't any).

2. The story doesn't tell us the parents' story (which is mehhh, but it might not matter for the plot).

3. The parents were a bunch of complete assholes who abandoned their child or went unimaginable violence, and it all revolved around his Quirk.

And I can't help but think, why did the third option gain popularity?

Let's first remember how Quirks are inherited.

Children either inherit one parent's quirk, or a new quirk that is a fusion of their parents' quirks. It's very rare, like Eri's, for a quirk to occur that isn't linked to either parent - it's a mutation, and again, it's super rare.

So, knowing this, I wonder why the hell the parents in these stories take negative positions? Because one of them either has the same Quirk as Hitoshi, or a slightly modified one.

I rule out the possibility of a mutation - it would have been emphasized in the manga plot, or indicated somewhere, but there is no mention of it at all.

Then there is the moral dilemma: how could people who were potentially expecting a child abandon them because of a Quirk. I'm not talking now about other reasons. I'm specifically saying that the abandonment or rejection or violence was caused by the Quirk. I would understand if one of the parents left (again, it's weird - they chose a partner with such a creepy Quirk).

People just overdo it in trying to describe everything too dramatically. Horikoshi didn't write anything about Hitoshi's family and for us this is a great chance to create literally anything: dead parents, loving parents, single parent, grandparents, even Erasermic Family. I just want to say that this third factor always pissed me off, and there were rare works where at least Hitoshi's mother was ok. Don't get me wrong, I adore the stories of the Erasermic family, but I would like to see other interpretations of Hitoshi's orphanhood if it’s in the storyline.

[thehouseofurmotha]

Shinsou head cannons!!!

Pairing: Hitoshi Shinsou x Reader (duuuuuh)

Summary: Hitoshi as a bf!!! Very cute and fluffy :)

What it's like dating Hitoshi <3

• Lots of kisses all the time, and I mean alllll the time. He loves to spoil you with his affection. He probably wouldn't kiss you on the lips in public, but would rather opt for small kisses on the hand, or the forehead.

• Speaking about hand kisses, he loves to kiss your hand all the time. It's absolutely his favorite part of your body to kiss.

• He tells aizawa about you while they're training one time. He notices that Hitoshi is happier, and he questions the boy about it. Aizawa tells him that he's proud of him, even if you're in his class or not. (Idk guys I js really love dadzawa (I fear I have daddy issues))

•ANYWAYS! He spoils the shit out of you, he spends as much money as he can on you. And even if he doesn't have much he'll make you things instead. His love language is vry much gift, he loves giving you things. Even if he finds just finds a small rock or something that he thinks you'd like he gives it to you.

•If you're not in the hero course with him he will absolutely sneak you into his dorm to have sleep overs. Aizawa has a soft spot for him and he absolutely abuses this to get out of trouble if you ever get caught.

• He has an emotional support cat! He got her registered so he could keep her in the dorms with him. He would be very upset if anything ever happened to his cat, she's his best friend. She's def a lil chonky cause he can't deny her food, he feels so bad. Her name is probably like Luna, or Smokey, definitely something basic. Or on the other hand it could be something completely different and odd like megatron or some shit.

• I fear I may be projecting, but I feel like he has daddy issues. Maybe an absent father, or just a shitty one. So it takes him a while to come around to the idea of you meeting his parents.

• Your parents absolutely love him, they think that he's absolutely perfect for you and your personalities compliment each other so well. (Grumpy x sunshine)

• He always wants to be touching you in some way, either it's just your pinkies wrapped around each others.

[egggrin]

How would you guys feel if I wrote a Shinso x reader ??

[minnixiii]

haha me tf

[hydrangeapartridge]

Title: Mind Body and Soul - Chapter 9 - The Body

Pairing: Mage!Shinsou x reader

Link to AO3 here

Summary: Once upon a time there was you: a nobody, a refugee from a country devastated by Dabi’s undead army, serving as a maid in king Todoroki’s castle. There, fate decided you would cross path with the mysterious and dreaded court mage Hitoshi Shinsou. Little did you know that particular encounter would change your life forever.

Rating: M

Tagged people <3 (tell me if you want to be added): @maple-syrup-with-strawbewwies @moonlitmoonpie @obeythehuman

Link to a wonderful fanart of mage Shinsou made by @bythevay

Chapter 9: The Body (under the cut!) - (link to chapter 1, 2 , 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)

After sleeping on the events that led you to find out Shinsou’s spirit of affinity, your mind and heart had cooled down, and you realized the situation was not as dire and dramatic as you initially thought.

You had been very scared upon discovering what Shinsou could do, and what it implied, and maybe you overreacted a little. What he did to the King was a crime, and an abuse of his powers, but maybe he was sincere and it truly was the first time he did it.

Only to protect you.

But still, your teacher had always been very mysterious, bordering shady, especially with his researches, and there was a possibility that his intentions were not to serve the country. With Shinsou gone, you could now rummage through his belongings as you pleased and try and uncover his other secrets. You would make light of his motives and plans, and if he was a traitor, you would report him as you should, using the evidence you would find.

Some too lenient part of you still hoped he wasn’t ill-intended. That everything he did wasn’t too harmful and had a rational explanation that meant he could be forgiven. Magic was the best thing that happened to you and it was thanks to him that you discovered your talent for it. You could always study it elsewhere but you grew found of your private teacher. You were heartbroken to think the man you admired so much could be bad.

In the following days you tried to stay discreet and unseen, for fear the King would suddenly realize that there was one mage left hiding in the castle instead of fighting the undead as he ordered. Everyday you searched through Shinsou’s belongings, opening every book, reading through the scrolls he deemed too advanced in hopes to find something incriminating.

Unsurprisingly, nothing interesting came out of your search of the office where you both worked in, but when inspecting one of Shinsou’s forgotten travel capes, you found a key that you soon realized was that of his bedroom. You immediately used it to slip into said room, remembering only after fully stepping inside that a mage as powerful as Shinsou could have laid traps inside it.

Luckily for you, there were none. You didn’t really know what you expected to find inside, but the bedroom was actually quite plain. Almost common. There were no deformed experiments in jars, no echos of the voices of tortured spirits. Nothing your wild imagination had expected. Except for how messy it was.

The bed was undone and there were books everywhere: on overloaded shelves, on chairs and night-stands, and even on the floor.

You rolled up your sleeves and searched everywhere. Every nook and cranny: under the bed, behind the bookcases… You weren’t sure what type of evidence you were looking for, but you searched for anything weird looking with all your might.

And sadly, you found nothing odd looking. Well, there were weird plants and stones in jars, but nothing a mage shouldn’t own. Or at least you couldn’t tell if those were forbidden objects. You would need a book to identify them. What you wanted was to find a book that screamed dark magic, or a letter where Shinsou wrote his evil masterplan. But there was nothing of the sort in this mess of a bedroom.

You sat on the bed, exhausted and dejected. There was a strand of dried lavender under Shinsou’s pillow when you lifted it to check underneath it. The sheets had a flowery scent that reminded you of him. It was nice. You repressed the bizarre urge to roll into them, and to nuzzle into said pillow.

You would look again another day, with a fresh eye.

- - -

For a few days your researches were fruitless. And you grew tired. Especially with how inexplicably restless your nights were since your teacher’s departure.

You were used to falling asleep as soon as your head hit the pillow, but these days you couldn’t seem to find sleep. You tossed and turned in your bed, half dreaming half awake, looking for Shinsou’s voice. You kept hearing it; an illusion that your mind plagued you with since his departure. Your heart ached and grew anxious at night, and you inexplicably felt like you forgot something. And mostly, like you were missing something important.

You dreamt about your teacher every single night. He was there everytime you closed your eyes, haunting you. Sometimes he was in danger, and you woke up in cold sweat screaming his name with tears down your face, and other times, he touched you so intimately that you woke up feeling both mortified and unsatisfied.

The only rational explanation you found for these dreams was that it could be some sort of withdrawal syndrome from the spell and influence he had you under before he left. You hoped it would pass with time. You couldn’t go on like this, working on so little sleep. The bags under your eyes rivalled those of your absent master.

Maybe it was because that influence you were sure he had on you was starting to fade, but before the end of the week, your eyes fell on a book you hadn’t noticed before in Shinsou’s room. The front page was covered in runes, and inside, a few parchments were scribbled with Shinsou’s neat hand writing. You couldn’t understand the language in which the book was written, but from Shinsou’s notes, you could decipher that he was working on blood rituals. You had a hunch that he was of course, but this was proof. This book was clearly forbidden, and could be used as solid evidence of illegal researches. Your fingers idly traced a particular set of runes that Shinsou copied from the book, and a weird sense of déjà-vu filled you. You were sure you saw the symbol somewhere, but impossible to remember where.

Content with your finding, you went back to the main room. Upon stepping out of Shinsou’s bedroom, your eyes were drawn to your left. There, you saw the wooden door with the odd runes. The runes that sang when you were doing the cleaning months ago. It felt like you truly saw it for the first time. Like you conveniently forgot about it despite it being in front of you this whole time. How could you have forgotten such an impressive and unusual ouvrage when it had always been just under your nose?

You had your guess of course.

You stepped towards the door. There was no lock on it, no handle. Just runes running all over the wood, carved into it. Many of them were undoubtedly forbidden from use and tied to dark magic. Only after you placed your hand on the wood did it occur to you that it could be a dangerous move.

But no harm came to you, and under your palm, the runes lit up in a silvery glow. You pressed your hand more firmly on them, and the door simply opened.

Your eyes widened and your breath caught in your throat at the sight before you.

Your next shaky breath fogged before your face from the low temperature in the room. Imprisoned in ice, you recognized her from the paintings depicting the royal family. In the middle of the small empty room, there was the Queen in a coffin of ice.

Runes covered the floor, the walls, the ceiling, and even the ice, and this time, you didn’t risk touching them.

Your trembling hand left the wood of the door and you turned back. With the book of blood magic in your arms, you ran out of the tower, racing towards the throne room.

- - -

You rushed down the stairs like you were running from death itself. The corridors were busy with servants, but they all stepped away to let you pass, whispering amongst themselves about mages and their antics. But you paid them no mind.

You passed a grinning Monoma, who tried to grab your attention with a teasing remark about seeing a ghost. You didn’t intend to look back at him. Until seconds later, the busy corridor turned into hell itself.

It started with the deafening booming sound of an explosion. The sturdy stone wall all but shattered under an otherworldly power that sent everyone in the corridor flying across. The blast made you fall flat to the ground, but you were amongst the luckier ones. Looking back, you could see the bodies of numerous servants crushed under the rubbles that once made the wall. You ears were ringing and blood pounded in your temples as your tried to understand what happened. From the gapping hole in the wall, you watched horrified as a decrepit person dressed in rags slowly stepped inside. Their eyes were hollow and empty, their bones covered only by a greyish layer of rotting skin. A second one followed and then a third. You would recognize that gait anywhere.

It was the undead. The castle was under attack from the undead.

Despite the pain in your legs and arms, you bolted up. Outside, a purple glow drew your attention. You saw something similar only a few days prior. It was a magical portal. Shinsou was gone to fight the undead army and now the undead army was sent here by magic. Your stomach dropped at what it meant. Either the mages failed and your teacher was probably dead, either Shinsou betrayed the crown and led the undead here.

You had to get to the King, quickly.

You looked left and right, trying to focus on which way to go. The scene was already chaos. Screams could be heard from everywhere, and the temperature in the corridor was rapidly rising, the reddish light coming from outside a window telling you a large fire had started in the building. Soon the castle would be swarmed by undead and flames. And there were no mages but you to defend it.

“Are you alright?”

Monoma’s voice startled you. You didn’t hear him approaching. You stepped back, wary, and he only smiled, cocky.

“I’m not the one you should be afraid of right now…” He commented dryly.

You noticed he was clutching at his stomach, where red stained his normally pristine white shirt.

“Where’s Shinsou?” He asked, too calm for the dire situation. “We could use his assistance right now”

“I don’t know” You said, unable to do better.

Monoma sighed, then coughed in a sickly way. “Never here when he’s needed” He rasped, his voice sounding odd and wheezy.

One of his assistants arrived at his side and held out a rapier that the tailor seized immediately. He turned back to the mob of undead slowly but surely invading the corridor.

“I’ll handle things here. You must get to the King” He told you, like you didn’t plan on it already.

In a quick move he charged, blocking the path of an undead that tried to attack one of the survivors still trapped under a fallen wood plank.

You watched horrified as a group of undead turned around and started circling the tailor. More and more came through the hole in the wall, and though they were slow and clumsy, they would quickly outnumber the living.

You took a breath in, then a breath out. You couldn’t leave Monoma like this. Your fingers tingled with the will to use magic, so you surrendered to it. You planted your feet in the ground to be stable. You were firm and unmoving; like a rock. You assessed where the larger debris from the wall were scattered and repeated the incantation several times under your breath, trying hard to focus on your spell, and not the growing number of enemies.

“Rodus” You repeated again and again, calling out to the very spirit of the stone.

You concentrated; you could do it. You could move water, or fire, surely you could move even those stubborn stones.

Sweat pearled at your forehead from the effort and the heat growing around you, but slowly, the large stones started to lift up, freeing the survivors trapped underneath, and revealing the inert bodies of the less lucky servants. You stayed focused on your spell and pushed the flying stones in a swift motion to stuff the hole in the wall, pushing a few undead out in the movement. The puzzle didn’t fit perfectly, a few pieces missing, but for now the breach in the wall was blocked.

You exhaled deeply, recovering the feeling in the tips of your fingers as magic left you. You were out of breath and sweaty. That spell was very costly in mana that you didn’t have much of.

Before your eyes, Monoma pierced through the undead with renewed force.

“Thanks little mage! Now go, I’ll handle the rest!” He shouted, and his words made your feet move again.

You turned your back to the clicking sound of his rapier and started running to the throne room.

- - -

The throne room was another kind of hell. You entered through the half burnt wooden doors, navigating between cooling embers and broken wood planks.

Smoke filled the air, making your throat burn and forcing you to cover your nose with your sleeve. The room was strangely silent. You understood why when you stepped further and the smoke lifted. The battle there was already lost.

Under your terrified gaze, a scene of horror unfolded.

The floor was covered with the bodies of the King’s guards. Your stomach twisted as you recognized the mop of blond hair of the Chief of the guards, lying face first in a pool of blood. Beside him, Prince Shouto was kneeling, his sword broken, bloody and out of breath, but still alive. You followed his two toned gaze to the overturned massive throne under which you recognized the unconscious bodies of princess Fuyumi and prince Natsuo, trapped but still breathing. And beside the throne, a vision of nightmare proudly stood. A man that didn’t look like one anymore; a walking corpse with charred skin, burnt flesh and fiery blue eyes. He smiled a wicked and mad grin as he pressed his booted foot harder against the King’s head.

Dabi had won, and was proudly claiming it by stepping onto a barely conscious King. The massive and strong sovereign’s eyes had lost their sharpness and resolve, only showing despair as he cough out blood. Beside him, the Todoroki family’s banner was burning in otherworldly blue flames.

Dabi’s mad laugh broke the silence and your breath caught in your throat and you froze on the spot. Even with magic, how could you face this monster when all these competent warriors couldn’t?

“So, how does it feel Todoroki Enji?” He cackled. “To have your past come back to destroy you the way you destroyed me? You should have known you couldn’t escape your sins”

King Torodoki greeted his teeth and shifted, trying to push Dabi away. You noticed then that he was missing an arm.

Too absorbed in his victory, it seemed the leader of the undead army hadn’t noticed you yet, so you crouched down and hid behind a pile of rubble. Maybe if you could get to the prince, you could at least help him escape.

“Get away from him!” Prince Shouto spat, holding his injured side as he tried to get up.

Dabi’s cold gaze fell onto him and he grinned manically. “So brave little Shouto. Daddy must be so proud”

Prince Shouto frowned, straightening as best he could to face the undead leader. “You will address me with respect!”

Dabi’s smile widened even more, impossibly stretching the scarred tissue of his jaw. “Oh come on, you could be nicer to your own kin” He purred. “To think I was excited to see you again. You have grown so much”

Prince Shouto’s usually cool expression morphed into pure shock. “What are you saying you maniac ?!”

King Todoroki coughed, trying to speak. “No.. don’t..” He rasped in a barely audible plea.

Dabi’s gaze was wild and mad as he stepped harder on the King’s face to shut him up. “Of course he didn’t tell you, that coward! It’s sad to see you wouldn’t even recognize your own brother!”

Prince Shouto swayed on his weak limbs upon that revelation. “No, this can’t be… you’re lying!” He accused, and it only fuelled Dabi’s manic laughter.

“Oh I am telling the truth, contrary to that sad excuse of a man you call your father!” He spat before placing a burnt hand over his heart. “Todoroki Touya once was my name, but I know that man told all of you that I was dead because he couldn’t shoulder the weight of what he did to me!”

An icy shudder ran through you upon hearing this revelation. The man who decimated your homeland once was the son of the neighbouring country’s King?! It sounded impossible.

Under Prince Shouto’s mortified gaze, Dabi continued his monologue, spitting all the venom he had against the King in one go.

“He didn’t tell you how he asked his most trusted mage to save me when I came back from his war on the brink of death, letting him to use his experimental dark magic on me. Instead of allowing my suffering to end, that mage forcefully linked back my vanishing soul to my already rotting body, forcing me back together until I was nor truly alive, nor dead, lost in between, in a never-ending place of suffering”

Upon hearing his words, you focused on Dabi’s being, and on the spirits around him. You closed your eyes reflexively when you saw it: the disruptive vision of a frail soul linked to an ugly and maimed body and mind. Your stomach churned and a wave of nausea hit you at the horror of it. You never expected an assemblage of spirits to feel so wrong and unnatural.

“It hurt so badly I became insane! All I wanted was to die but they wouldn’t let me!” Dabi continued under Prince Shouto’s bewildered gaze, his voice shaky, fuelled with rage and sorrow. “So I killed the mage to make it stop” He paused, gripping his contorted face with his hand. “But it never stopped...” Under his foot, King Todoroki was crying. “I killed the mage and then tried to kill the father who allowed his son to become a test subject; a mere puppet of suffering! That’s when I discovered what I could do” Dabi continued, lighting up his hand in blue flames as to show off his power.

Prince Shouto fell to his knees again a few meters from you, unable to handle the shock of the truth.

Dabi gripped at the root of his dark grime hair, pulling on it as he lost himself in his horrible memories. “I tried to kill him but mom…. Mom…”

He didn’t finish his sentence, and you took advantage of his folly to rush to Prince Shouto’s side. His two toned eyes fell on you as you came close, the spark of hope lighting up in them again. But just before you could reach him, a wall of hellish blue flames rose between the two of you.

You stepped back at the scorching heat of Dabi’s magic, raising an arm before your face to protect it.

“Well well, seems like there is an intruder to our little family gathering” Dabi clicked his tongue before he stepped towards you, kicking the beaten up King’s head for good measure as he passed. His burning blue eyes assessed you for a second, and it felt like he could see through your very soul. “And one with a soul maimed just like mine” He commented, and you realized maybe he could see the spirits that made you whole, though you didn’t get what he meant by ‘maimed’.

You didn’t want to let him approach too closely. His aura of mana alone told you how dangerous he was. He could probably see on your soul how intimidated you were, but you still had to try something.

“My prince, I’ll cover your retreat. Please get to safety” You told Prince Shouto before you started casting another stone spell.

The memory of how the contact with the spirit of the stone felt on your fingers was still fresh so you were quicker to raise a pile of rubble as you called out to the stone. You gave the rubbles power and sent them flying as fast as possible towards the king of the undead in a great effort and surge of mana.

But your opponent’s magical abilities greatly outmatched yours, and he stopped your attack with a mere flick of his wrist, summoning a wall of flames that turned even the sturdiest stone to ashes.

“Cute” Dabi commented. “So there is one mage left in this sad excuse of a castle… sadly you are no match for me sweetheart”

Prince Shouto hadn’t moved, so you urged him to flee. But he didn’t listen to you. He stood up, picking up his broken sword and raising it until it pointed towards his own brother.

“I will not run. I will protect my subjects” He declared, determination burning hot in his eyes.

Dabi’s laugh iced the blood in your veins. “Shouto the knight in shinning armour! I hope Dad is still conscious enough to see me reduce you to ashes”

He was only a few meters away from you two now. Your mind was racing, trying to find something to do, a way to escape this situation. You stubbornly placed yourself between Dabi and the prince.

If only Shinsou was there, your mind treacherously supplied; with how powerful he was, he would be able to do something.

How ironic that mere seconds away from an imminent death, your thoughts drifted to him.

Dabi’s gaze fell on you and he smirked. “If you’ll excuse us little mage, this is a family business so we’ll settle it between brothers” He raised his hand towards you and you closed your eyes, ready to be burnt. But his hand wasn’t hot when it grabbed you by the hair, making you wince. “I should know better than to hurt you. I wouldn’t want to upset that troublesome mage”

With the force of a brute, he sent you to the floor, freeing the way to his little brother.

The troublesome mage he was talking about; it had to be Shinsou. Of course he was with him all along. Your ‘master’ knew the castle was defenceless and he told Dabi he could attack. It was a trap from the beginning. Shinsou wanted to be sent to the West front by the King to rejoin with Dabi; and he simply didn’t want you to follow him because you could have discovered that he was a traitor.

You body fell to the floor and despair filled you. Tears of sorrow and frustration filled your eyes. Was this how it ended? This time you wouldn’t survive the undead.

Again, your thoughts drifted to Shinsou. How he promised to protect you. How he lied.

As Dabi came closer to the prince, you had no force left to fight, no will to survive. You were heartbroken. You gripped your chest where your heart was, where a throbbing pain coursed and travelled through your whole body, making it hard to breathe. It felt like your very soul was hurting. It felt like dying.

You closed your eyes.

The last thing you heard was his voice. Booming, echoing like that first day with the Djinn.

“STEP BACK UNDEAD RULER”

Your heart skipped a beat in your chest and your eyes opened wide. It felt like your pulse was back in your veins, furious and angry, lifting the lethargic fog that fell onto you.

You didn’t dream it; stepping on the rubbles where the throne’s room wall had been blasted open, you saw that familiar mess of purple hair.

Clad all in black and panting, Shinsou was there, and for a split second it felt like everything in the world was right again.

Until Dabi turned around to face him.

“Well, well, it seems the troublesome one has arrived” The undead grinned, unbothered. He raised his hand in mock defeat. “You weren’t so discreet on tracking me and I did my very best to avoid you…” He glanced at you and you shivered. “Guess I shouldn’t have touched what’s yours…” He mumbled before he sighed exaggeratedly. “I suppose I’ll just have to kill you like I killed your wretched master”

Hope grew inside you. If Shinsou and Dabi were planning to fight, it meant your teacher wasn’t on the undead’s side. A huge wave of relief filled you and you gathered your strength to sit up.

“You will retreat with your army” Shinsou commanded, his deep voice ringing in your ears, the air cracking with a surge of magic.

Dabi cackled, clutching his stomach. “Nice try! But I know your tricks, and my mind is sooo damaged even your magic can’t alter it further”

“Mage Shinsou! We must defeat the enemy and save the king” Prince Shouto ordered, and Shinsou nodded.

The prince’s words were the signal that started the fight.

Dabi’s palms lit up in large blue flames and he turned to lunge at the Prince. The prince stepped in front of you, holding onto his broken sword to protect you. You felt the prickly sensation of a spell being cast and before your eyes, the prince’s sword reforged while he held it, shiny and new, and glowing with a supernatural hue. Shinsou lowered his hand and the prince wasted no time and rushed to attack Dabi.

You didn’t know what charm your teacher had bestowed upon the prince’s weapon, but the previously simple steel sword cut through and dissipated a huge wall of scorching blue flames as simply as if the prince had cut through butter.

Staying out of reach, Shinsou kept his focus on the king of the undead, extinguishing his fire spell after spell to protect the prince from harm. His amethyst gaze was sharp and focused, and his hands kept moving around as he muttered his incantations.

The three men were busy and you chose this opportunity to try and get to the King’s side. But after a few steps, a wall of flame blocked your path again. You tried to extinguish the flames with a spell of your own, but Dabi’s magic was too strong.

“Don’t you dare!” Dabi spat as he went back to evading the Prince’s attacks. “The King is mine!”

Dabi’s anger made him more dangerous but also sloppier. With his flames diminished, he had trouble keeping the prince at a distance and avoiding his attacks.

Taking advantage of the smoke fogging the room, you skirted the wall of flames. Crouching down to avoid inhaling too much smoke and to go unnoticed, you finally arrived near the throne, a few meters away from the breached wall where Shinsou still stood, and behind Dabi’s back.

You checked for any signs that prince Natsuo and princess Fuyumi were still alive. You were relieved to find them breathing. With your bare hands and a spell when needed, you managed to get them out of the rubbles. They were unconscious, but bore no severe injuries. They would live. You then moved closer to the King, who was still lying on the floor, breathing ragged, his severed arm bleeding, but his paling hazy blue gaze locked on the fight. You knelt at his side, and did your best to stop the bleeding on his arm with torn clothes. You didn’t trust your healing magic to work properly and didn’t want to harm someone as important as the king. The sovereign didn’t pay you any attention. It was as if he was lost in his own mind.

“I won’t let you hurt dad!” Prince Shouto’s determined voice echoed in the room, his usually cool exterior melting to reveal the fire burning in his heart. “I won’t let you hurt anyone in this country!”

Dabi laughed mockingly. But he soon clicked his tongue in frustration as Shinsou stopped another of his fire magic attacks.

“Damn mage!” He cursed and turned to cast a spell on Shinsou. It would be a big one given how the air charged heavy with mana. But prince Shouto took it as an opportunity to hit him, cutting through his side in a swift move before Dabi could cast anything.

The undead stepped back, hissing and cursing in anger. He was out-powered.

But he didn���t let that deter him and tried to regain the upper-hand psychologically. “Dear Shouto, since you’re my brother you should know everything that this sad excuse of a King hid from you” He started while his fire attacks grew more and more desperate and reckless. “His mage wasn’t the only one he forced me to kill”

Prince Shouto didn’t answer, ignoring the taunt as best as he could.

“Mom died because of me Shouto!” Dabi screamed, sending the strongest heat wave yet at the prince, who barely blocked it thanks to Shinsou’s help.

“Prince, do not listen to him!” Shinsou shouted but didn’t magically order, too focused on stopping the fire attacks.

“I was aiming to kill the one I once called father; the one who was the cause of all my suffering, but she just had to step in front of him! I didn’t mean to hurt her!” Dabi howled, voice cracking like the fire in his palms.

Your breath caught in your throat. So the evil mage who cursed the queen wasn’t Shinsou’s master. It was Dabi. But then why was her body kept in Shinsou’s tower? It made no sense.

You saw the prince’s eyes widen before they narrowed, full of pity. “She’s not dead Touya” He declared.

Dabi recoiled as if burnt, landing a couple meters away from you. You could see his back; his shoulders rising and falling with his ragged breath. He was getting tired.

“What?” You heard him whisper, incredulous.

His slender form started shaking and from where you knelt, you felt the air’s temperature rise up drastically. It was suffocating, and becoming hard to breathe. You vision started to blur, Dabi’s form undulating before your blurry eyes from the heat of the massive flames emanating from his whole body.

The disgusting smell of burnt flesh filled your nostrils. How could his decaying body handle such heat?

Shinsou stepped forward, cursing as he struggled to control the growing flames around the undead king. The prince couldn’t come closer and had to stop his attacks, stepping back to protect himself from the heat.

There was a wheezing sound, like a kettle boiling and ready to explode.

“Stop hindering me” Dabi growled, his gaze accusingly focused on Shinsou.

But the mage’s focus didn’t falter. “Not a chance. Surrender ! " He commanded, standing tall and confident, despite the sweat pearling down his face.

“Burn in hell!” Dabi screamed, fire escaping from his mouth too.

The heat kept growing, but the flames visibly fought to rise further and engulf the whole room. The air was dry and heavy with so much magic that it gave you a headache. A few months earlier, you would have fainted from such a raw display of power.

It was a battle of two monsters; of two daunting magicians, and you prayed Shinsou would be victorious.

As if on cue when your thoughts drifted to him, Shinsou’s gaze flickered to find yours for a split second. He looked away just as quickly, however, his gesture didn’t go unnoticed, and Dabi suddenly turned, his burning demonic blue eyes falling on you. He smiled with a maimed and burnt gory maw as he remembered you. He raised his hand in your direction, and all the fire around him followed, concentrating into a scorching hellish blue flame spear that he armed your way.

You heard Shinsou’s scream before you closed your eyes from the heat of the blow that would kill you.

But that blow never came.

You opened your eyes to see Dabi grinning manically despite his lack of fire power. Only smoke surrounded him still as he bent close to you and grabbed the King’s sword in his blackened hand, still hot with the embers of his previous attack. He pulled away from you just when you moved to get away from him, and your eyes followed his to where Shinsou was falling to his knees, panting from exhaustion after the last magic stopping spell he cast.

It all happened in a few seconds that felt like an eternity. Time was slowed by the adrenaline rushing through your veins, forcing you to watch powerless as Dabi dashed at impossible speed to the mage. Your ears were ringing but you still heard Prince Shouto shout a desperate but useless warning before Dabi pierced right through Shinsou’s chest with the king’s sword.

Shinsou coughed blood that trickled down his lips and chin when Dabi pulled out the sword, making sure to twist it viciously as he drew back with a sadistic laughter.

You wanted to scream with all your lungs, with all your rage, but in that moment you could only gasp as an impossible pain ran through you, cutting your breathing short. You felt like your ribs had been ripped open, and like your heart had been pierced. You clutched at your chest, unable to draw a breath. Black spots filled your vision and you stopped hearing. You felt the metallic taste of blood in your mouth and everything went black.

This was the end. You were dying.