#maybe a little smooch that he tries to wipe away but is unaware there is a little left. sorry im forcing this i miss him todya.

[6okuto]

i'm sure we've all seen cillian murphy accepting an award covered in lipstick from his wife kissing him. the real discussion that must occur is about which fictional characters would do this with their partner.

my instinctive answers are gojo (so annoying about it), atsumu (so annoying about it), oikawa (so annoying about it), sage lesath (so annoying about it), mammon (so annoying about it), yuuji (cute about it), luke pearce (cute about it),

[strangelysamantha]

small details ❀

pope heyward x plus!reader

warnings: slight mentions of an insecure reader, but otherwise really cute fluff :)

words: 1,174.

summary: “i never thought you’d pay attention to me in that way.” when pope accidentally reveals to you, that he does indeed, pay attention to the little things you do.

request: nope :)

a/n: pope is so underrated. i love him so much, so expect me to write a lot of fics about him <3

my masterlist

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pope was always watching you. not in a creepy way, more of, a protective way. he wanted to make sure you were always safe. obviously he would be secretive about it. he didn’t actually want you to know that he was paying attention to everything you did. you, still very unaware of his protectiveness, still managed to worry him often. 

you sat on john b’s boat as he sailed you and your friends out into the middle of nowhere. you were sitting on the floor, kiara by your side as you two discussed various political topics. “the ocean is littered with trash. the sea animals have to live in a disgusting environment, that they had no part in destroying.” you nodded as she continued rambling on about her passion for the state of our earth. “i agree kie. it's so unfair to the animals.” you continue in on your conversation.

pope sat behind you listening, sharing his input every once in a while when he deemed necessary. john b was focused on steering the boat while jj was focused on the blunt he was perfectly rolling between his fingers. the boat came to a halt, now still in the ocean’s salty water. “the ship has arrived.” john b laughed before stepping away from the ship's wheel. you laughed at john b, “thanks captain.” he smiles lightly at the name, “anytime.”

“well, who wants to swim?” jj asked, after exhaling the smoke from his blunt from earlier. your breathing quickened but you hid it by applying a fake smile to your lips. “i’m always down.” kie stands up immediately, already undressing to reveal a yellow bikini that was hidden under her clothes. “well, alrighty.” john b glances at you smiling, before he dove into the deep water, kiara and jj following after him. you glance at the three of them as they splash each other with the water.

despite you knowing the pogues for a long while, you still felt nervous every time they invited you out on the boat. your anxiety always spiking when you realized they wanted to swim. you glanced to see pope was already staring at you. “pope? why are you staring at me?” you laugh as a smile appears on his lips as well. “just because. are you going to swim with us?” he doesn't look away from you, waiting patiently for your answer.

you hesitate, looking up at the blue sky. “maybe, i’m still deciding if getting soaking wet is worth it.” he nodded softly, moving beside you. “well i'll stay up here with you.” you frown, not wanting to take away his fun. “no you really don't have to. i don't want to make you miss out.” you look over at him, making eye contact. he takes this time to examine you. your breathing is slightly heavy as your hands fidget together. “are you okay?” he suddenly asks you, catching you off guard. “of course i am pope, why do you ask?” he stays silent, finally looking away from you.

“i know you aren't okay, you don't have to lie to me.” pope placed a hand on your knee, sighing. “i’m fine. you are reading this situation wrong, you don't know me at all.” you huff rolling your eyes. he scoffs. “i don’t know you at all? do you really think that?” he asks, and you shrug slightly. “it appears that way.” pope tries to contain his annoyance but it's inevitable as it all comes rushing out without him really meaning it.

“you really think i don't know you?” you roll your eyes at his repetitiveness, “what do you know about me then?” you ask him. “i know that you light up so easily, so excited by the small things in life, that you smile without even realizing it. how you put others before yourself, to the point you don't even question it, it just comes natural to you. how you are so loyal, and your laugh and smile is capable of lighting up a whole room. the way your hands fidget together when you're nervous, and how you speak so heavily with your eyes. how your leg starts bouncing when the room gets too quiet, and that you mess with the jewelry around your neck when you are in a popular public place. i know you, okay? i know you because i pay attention. whether you think that or not, i know myself, and i know that i do know you.” 

your eyes go wide at his words. your mouth openly slightly in shock. pope's eyes going wide as he realizes what he has done. a tear slips down your face. "i'm- i'm sorry i didn't mean to blow up on you like that." you smile softly as you reach in to hug him, he eagerly hugs you back, his arms slipping around your waist. “i never thought you’d pay attention to me in that way.” you say softly. your heart flutters in your chest, "of course i pay attention to you, why wouldn't i?" you smile softly, "pope, i-," your moment is suddenly interrupted by your friends.

in the water you hear john b and jj calling for both you and pope. “are y'all coming out to the water or not?” jj asks and john b follows up, “you guys better join us.” john b stays afloat over the water, as kie slowly climbs onto the boat, she smiles at us. “what are you guys even doing? are y’all kissin’?” jj makes a smooching noise before silencing. you roll your eyes as you imagine the smirk evident on jj’s face as he says his sly comment. "no, jj. and even if we were, i wouldn't tell you." pope looked over the boat at jj swimming, and jj scoffs in shock. "okay, i'll remember that pope." everyone has climbed back into the boat.

“yes, yes. okay, pope and i were just about to join you.” you roll your eyes, pulling off the oversized shirt that once hid your figure. pope copying your actions, ripping his own shirt off. his eyes scan you up and down, admiring your bathing suit before kiara calls him out. “pope, we all see you obsessing, take a photo or move on.” you laugh slightly, before throwing your legs over the boat and dipping your foot into the water, the water being quite warm.

suddenly, someone's hands push you off the boat, submerging you completely under the water. you float above, wiping your eyes. “sorry, i just had too.” pope was smiling down at you, still sitting on the boat. you huff pretending to be mad before rolling your eyes and showcasing a smile on your face. you get payback, splashing water at him, hitting him in the face. ‘HEY!” he jumped in, splashing you. jj soon joined in, as well as kiara and john b. the five of you splashing and playing in the water together. you laughed as you enjoyed a fun time with the people you love most.

<33 here's a quick story as i finish writing some requests to post tmw!!

[one-boring-person]

Ooh okay i might have figured something out!(this is kind of related to that ask before! So it’s the reader but before the first kiss and everything. )

How about Since Rambo has to fix everything back up in his home and ranch, what about the reader showing up and helping him do so- and asking the man on a date at their own Home? How do you think(headcanon or story wise either way) that date and day would go down?

I feel he’d be very kind of, nervous. But the reader would be very excited and adore him, and i think if would be very cute to see rambo flustered because the reader keeps reminding them how cool they think he is, and how excited they are to see him around more. (Basically just the first date AT the readers ranch home. You decorate or design it to look however you want!!)

Thank you!! And if not, thats fine. (I just crave a good cozy date with old rambo that preferably ends in smooches and him staying over)

Dude, your asks are giving me life at this point! I hope you like this as much as I enjoyed writing it!😊💛❤

I Admire You More.

John Rambo (Rambo IV/V) x reader

Warnings: swearing, mention of death

Masterlist

The sun already feels harsh as it beats down on John's back, his body drenched in sweat from the nearly unbearable heat of it, allowing dust and dirt to stick to him in some places as he hauls timber around the place. Doggedly, he ignores the discomfort of his shirt sticking to his back, focusing instead on getting the heavy materials to the place where he needs them, his muscles straining from the exertion. His hands are somewhat grazed from the rough wood, calluses lining his palms from his years and years of work, each one telling a different story of how they came to be. 

Emerging around the front of the house, John drops his load, grunting with relief as the planks clatter against each other, his arms glad to be free of their burden. Stretching out his back, the veteran glances over at the veranda, where the floor has completely rotted away - he'd been meaning to fix that for a few days now, but necessities like water, electricity and gas had to come first, even if he didn't actually have a bedroom or anywhere totally safe to sleep yet. Having now found time between laying tiles on the roof, which he had tried and found incredibly difficult, John intends to address the problem, so he no longer has to worry about breaking his ankles every time he tries to get in the house.

Sighing, he moves to the frame of the veranda, taking up a hammer and crowbar as he gets to work pulling up the rotted planks already there, grimacing at the sight of the foundations underneath. Even in the slight shade provided by the roof over him, he finds himself heated far too much, beads of sweat rolling down his back with each movement, though he doesn't pay them any mind until a familiar shout pulls him from his thoughts. 

Looking up, he has to bite back a smile as he sees his new friend, (Y/n), riding up the driveway towards him, a broad grin on their face as usual, a hand raised in greeting. Acknowledging them, John lifts his own hand, flicking dark hair from his eyes as he watches the young rancher pull their horse to a halt, the animal instantly responding to their instruction. Once stopped, (Y/n) climbs down, leading the horse behind them as they come nearer to John, still smiling at him as he puts on the most approachable expression he can, still a little uncomfortable about smiling freely at people.

"Mornin' John! How're you doing?" They call out, flicking their Stetson back from over their eyes, a habit he's noticed they do frequently.

"Not bad." He responds, knowing his gruff voice doesn't sound too friendly, though he does try. He likes (Y/n), a lot, and wants the friendship to work out properly, despite the fact he's already managed to develop feelings he thought he'd lost the ability to have for them.

As they grin back at him, he feels a small flare of fondness go through him as he recognises the youthfulness in the expression, a need to protect that near-innocence accompanying it.

"Good, good! What're you up to today? I see you managed to fix the wall up." They remark, gesturing to the patched panelling to his left, where a large hole had appeared in the wall.

"Just fixing the veranda here." He explains, using the hammer to show them what he means, "Yeah, I managed to finish the wall up at some point yesterday."

"Looks good. The wall and the veranda, that is. Is it gonna be a tough job?" They question, head tilting to the side curiously.

"Shouldn't be, but this heat ain't gonna help." John replies, rubbing a hand over his forehead.

They're quiet for a moment, seemingly considering something. Coming to a conclusion, they open their mouth to speak.

"Do you want any help? I'm quite handy with a hammer and nail." They offer, looking somewhat tentative.

Now it's John's turn to stay quiet, his dark eyes fixing the younger person in place as he regards them, thinking it over. 

"Some help would be nice, thanks." He finally concedes, going over to them to help with the horse, which he lets loose into the nearby field with his other.

The smile returns to its place on their face as they follow him back to the veranda, taking up the hammer he offers them, waiting for his instruction as they approach. 

"Just pull up the old boards for now and leave them over there." John instructs them, an odd sensation he hasn't felt in years swelling in his throat as they attentively watch him, following his every move with a look of pure admiration.

"Got it." They nod, moving to a corner to do as they're told, instantly crouching down by a loose plank. With a sharp movement, they jam the hook of the hammer underneath a loose edge, the wood creaking quietly as it is forced out of its original position, nails pulling from rotted beams with some ease. Under their T-shirt, John can see (Y/n)'s arms tensing with each jerk of the hammer, his throat feeling tight as he swallows, mentally reprimanding himself for the unbidden longing that springs to his mind.

Shaking his head, he gets down to work, the two now lapsing into a comfortable silence as they tear up the boards together. The going is faster than he thought it would be, both he and (Y/n) meeting somewhere in the middle of the frame after only an hour of working tirelessly, their brow now coated in a sheen of sweat, just as his is. Their arms are doused in a layer of dust and dirt, smears of grime adorning their forehead from where they've wiped their hand over the damp skin. John once again has to bite back his smile at the sight of the young rancher looking somewhat dishevelled after only an hour of work, the corners of his lips quirking up slightly.

"What? What is it?" (Y/n) interrupts his thoughts, their expression mildly concerned.

"Oh, err, you have a little dirt on your forehead." He clarifies, gesturing to the correlating spot on his own head.

"Oh, whoops." They laugh, lifting a hand to rub at the marks, only making them worse.

"You've made 'em bigger, now." John chuckles, unable to stop himself as he feels a smile cross his face at his friend's antics.

Noticing the change in mood for him, (Y/n) makes a point of wiping their hand more deliberately over the dirt, leaving long striping marks over their skin.

"Maybe that was the point." They grin back, striking a brief pose.

Laughing softly again, John rolls his eyes and shakes his head, the veteran starting to feel a lot more relaxed as (Y/n)'s cheerful demeanour rubs off on him.

"If you say so, Tiger." He comments, briefly moving to grab a nearby cloth that he had placed out exactly for the reason that it is now needed, "C'mere."

Ignoring the butterflies in their stomach from John's clearly more laid-back mood, (Y/n) steps closer to their friend, taking the proffered cloth from him. Wiping it over their forehead, they pull it away again after a moment, looking up to him for reassurance that they got it all.

"You missed a spot." He points out, amused.

Repeating their actions, they once again return their gaze to his, curious. He only shakes his head, taking the cloth from them. Without thinking about what he's doing, John leans in and presses it to their brow, gently rubbing away the stubborn mark, somehow managing to miss the way their eyes widen in surprise. They have to consciously hold themselves back as they go to follow his hand as it withdraws, having enjoyed the older man's touch much more than they should've.

"There, now you're all clean again." John murmurs, eyes flicking back down to theirs.

With a small smile, (Y/n) thanks him, ducking their head down to avoid letting him see the blush dusting their cheeks.

"How'd you wanna do this decking, then?" They ask him after a moment, looking to the pile of timber nearby.

"I'll show you what I had in mind." He says, leading them over to the wood, mentally cursing himself now for being so personal with them, unaware of their true reaction to his actions.

The day passes somewhat quickly, the two working tirelessly to get the veranda as complete as possible. As the time goes on, the sun only gets hotter, leaving them both drenched in sweat and dirt until around five, when the temperature finally starts to drop a little. Having only stopped briefly to eat some cookies that (Y/n) brought with them, the two find themselves incredibly hungry as they finally come to a halt, muscles aching under sun-warmed skin, in dire need of something to drink and a shower. Taking note of his friend's somewhat worse state, John finally stops, putting down his hammer as he pushes his slick hair from his face.

"We should call it a day, we've done enough for now." He says, watching as (Y/n) straightens and stretches before turning to face him, briefly revealing a strip of skin on their abdomen to him as their shirt rides up.

"Sounds good to me." They respond, sounding a little breathless as they crack their knuckles, flexing their wrists.

They seem to consider something, head tilting to the side as they pick their Stetson up from the step they left it on, having taken it off when it got too hot for them. A conflicted look crosses their face, before they seem to shake it off, as if steeling themself.

"Would you, err, would you like to come to mine for drinks?" They ask him, rubbing the back of their neck sheepishly, "You don't have to, I just think it might be, err, nice, seeing as I like your company, and we're both on our own. I have food, too, but you don't have to eat or anything…"

(Y/n)'s voice trails off at John's expression, the veteran somewhat surprised by the offer. 

"You like my company?" Is all he manages, eyebrows lifting.

"Yeah, I do!"

"But...why?" He asks, confused.

"Because you're always friendly, you don't mind listening to me, I hope, anyway. You're kind, caring, funny when you want to be, you're cool as hell and you're really smart, too! I feel safe when I'm around you." (Y/n) gushes, only to slow towards the end when they realise they've gone on a bit, face turning red, "Sorry."

"No, no, don't be." John says, stunned by the compliments, unused to receiving friendly comments like that.

"But yeah, I like your company, and I'd like if we could talk a bit more over drinks or something." His friend explains, looking hopeful.

The veteran finds himself rendered speechless for a long moment, his heart screaming at him to go to (Y/n)'s, to further their relationship, but his brain is telling him no, so he doesn't mess up what they've already got. Internally, he weighs up the options, regarding the younger rancher as they wait patiently for his response. Eventually, it's that that makes his decision for him, the older man knowing that his friend will always be patient with him.

"I'll take you up on the offer." He finally says, unable to help the small smile that creeps onto his face as a wide grin splits (Y/n)'s, their gaze lighting up in happiness. 

"You will? That's great! I'll go get stuff ready." They reply, body practically buzzing with excitement, only for them to glance back after a second, "Do you have a working shower, or do you wanna use mine? I don't mind if you do, I've got plenty of hot water."

"I don't wanna intrude that much…" 

"You're not, don't worry." They reassure him, smiling.

"Ok, then I'll take the shower, too. Mine isn't working so well yet." He agrees, glad that he can finally have a good clean in a working shower.

"Ok, that's fine. Let me just catch Leo, then we can go." They say, heading off to the field, where their horse is grazing idly, having spent the entire day alone as John's other horse was taken inside the stable due to the heat being bad for its underweight body.

"Alright, let me just get some clean clothes." John nods.

Ten minutes later, the two reconvene, starting off on the walk over to (Y/n)'s ranch, the horse trotting quietly beside them as they talk amongst themselves, discussing the animal in question. It doesn't take long for them to reach the main house, (Y/n) briefly tying Leo up outside, saying something about putting him away again in a moment.

"Welcome to my home. Sorry it's a bit messy." They chuckle, opening the door for the veteran, allowing him inside.

It is messy, but the small room looks cosy, the somewhat cramped space giving him a familiar sense of comfort.

"I like it." He compliments, gruff voice soft.

"Thanks." (Y/n) smiles fondly as they look over the area, "The shower's just through here. Take as long as you need, I'm just gonna put Leo away. Oh, and get yourself a glass of water or something if you want it."

"I will do, thanks." The veteran watches as his friend leaves the house again, before he moves off into the shower, choosing to clean himself first, so he can get his racing thoughts in order. 

It's been a long time since anyone showed him the kindness (Y/n) is now showing him, and it's started rubbing off on him, his feeling towards the young rancher steadily getting more and more affectionate. He admired them, their youthful vigour mixed with some past difficulties having combined to create a mature yet fun person, something that reminded him a little of himself when he first joined the Special Forces, all those years ago. They don't quite have the same innocence, but the optimistic view of the world and the people living in it have definitely started to chip away at the barriers around his heart, a defence he built up some time ago to prevent unnecessary pain, but he's not unhappy about it. He hopes they won't escalate, but he knows the friendship is helping him recover from decades of trauma.

Showering quickly but thoroughly, he changes into his clean clothes, before he goes back into the main room, where (Y/n) is waiting for him. Swapping with him, they smile as they go past, disappearing as he takes a seat on the sofa, enjoying the warmth of the room. It smells distinctly of his friend, and reassures him, settling the nerves racing through him. They only spike again when he hears (Y/n) come back into the room, his body tensing as he stands, unsure of what to do.

"You don't have to stand on my account." They chuckle, waving him back to the sofa as they go to the fridge and grab a couple of beers and some food, joining him and handing him a bottle.

Taking it, he waits for them to crack the cap off, taking a deep drink of it as he reaches for some food, the two of them simply eating at first, too hungry to talk much. The food doesn't last long, but it leaves them satiated, the beers soon replaced by more as they start to talk again, both much more relaxed now.

"Did your family always have the ranch?" He asks them, regarding his friend from his comfortable position on the sofa across from them, lidded eyes fixed on them.

"Yeah, it's been in the family as long as I can remember." (Y/n) replies, glancing around the lounge with a proud smile, "I've never left it."

"Really? Didn't you go to university?" John inquires, lifting an eyebrow in surprise.

"No, no. Never had time for it." They explain, biting their lip, "Always had the ranch to run."

John doesn't say anything, watching them closely as they seem to fade into their thoughts, clearly reliving a memory.

"My parents died the year before I was supposed to go. Left the ranch to me because my siblings left for New Orleans and some place in Kansas, so I had to forget about going to university." They reveal sadly, sipping their beer with a grim smile.

"I'm sorry." John says, frowning at the change in mood, having never really seen (Y/n) appear as dejected as they do now.

"Don't be, there was nothing anyone could've done. Besides, this has been the best thing that ever happened to me." They cast John a sideways glance, "I met you, after all."

Cocking his head to the side, John smiles gently, battling with the urges in his head.

"I'm sure your parents would be really proud of you." He murmurs, leaning over to clasp their shoulder lightly.

"Thank you, John." They smile back, their bottle forgotten now as they find their eyes fixed on his, getting themselves lost in their dark depths.

Somehow unable to pull back, John finds himself staring at (Y/n), his body sending him all kinds of urges, his hands practically itching to just wrap around their smaller body and-

Suddenly, a pair of lips are on his, tentatively pressing against them. What feels like electric shocks go through him at the unfamiliar touch, his eyes widening as he instinctively draws back, his body running on instinct, even as he instantly misses the sensation. Terrified eyes find his, horror etched into a face he's come to love and admire.

"Oh shit, I'm so sorry! I don't know what I was doing, I fucked up, I'm so sorry!" (Y/n) instantly apologises, scrambling to pull out of his space, convinced they made things awkward, when John knows full well it was his own fault, "Please forgive me, John, please! I'm so sorry-"

"Don't apologise, (Y/n). You didn't do anything wrong. You just caught me by surprise, is all." John tries to reassure them, but they don't seem to hear it, only panicking more as they try to get up.

Knowing they won't listen to him now, John swallows, before he swiftly leans out, wrapping his hands around (Y/n)'s waist. They have split second to look surprised, until they find themselves being pulled onto the veteran's lap, lips connecting again.

This time, the touch is much more desperate, John pressing as close as he can, relishing in the contact as he feels his friend relax into his touch, melting against him as their hands slide round his neck into his hair, pulling his head closer. Groaning lowly, he uses his grip on their hips to press them flush together, kisses becoming more insistent as pleasure, relief and love fill him, his body feeling like it hasn't done in decades. He can feel them everywhere: their hands in his hair, their lips smoothing against his, their legs wrapping around his waist, their scent enveloping him as he kisses them. Under his palms, he can feel their muscles tensing and relaxing, the veteran hesitantly pushing his hands past the hem of their shirt to feel bare skin against bare skin, keeping them at their hips as they moan quietly. As the sound escapes them, their mouth opens slightly, allowing him to slip his tongue in, sliding in alongside theirs.

John presses closer, eventually pushing them back onto the sofa, (Y/n)'s body cradled underneath him as he continues to explore their mouth with his tongue. Breaking apart for air, they stare at each other, a familiar smile creeping onto their lips as they look up at him, love and adoration flooding their gaze. Gently, they card their fingers through his hair, taking one hand to trail their index finger along his cheek, tracing over the scar on his cheek, a fond look on their face.

"God, you have no idea how much I've dreamed about kissing you." They confess, voice quiet.

"You have?" He questions, his rough voice resonating through (Y/n) where their chests are touching.

"Yeah. I admire you so much, your bravery, your courage, your strength, both mentally and physically. You're too good to have been treated as poorly as you have been, and I've always wanted to show you that, but I never knew how." They murmur, cupping his face as he goes to look away, blushing, "It's true. You're a better person than I'll ever be, and you must've proved that hundreds of times. There's no one else I'd rather have as a friend, or even more than that if you'll have me."

Eyes wide, John doesn't know how to reply initially, his head spinning at what he's hearing, every fantasy he's ever had since he met his new friend suddenly flashing past his eyes in much higher clarity as he realises that they like him as much as he likes them - loves him as much as he loves them. 

Unsure of how else to respond, John dips his head back down and connects their lips again, pouring all of his unspoken words across connection, feeling euphoric as he once again relishes in the knowledge that they are actually there, and it's not his imagination. Kissing back, (Y/n) smiles into his lips, pressing closer.

After a moment, John pulls away again, looking over (Y/n)'s face one last time before he drops down beside them, pulling their smaller body into his. Instinctively, they curl into him, hand resting on his chest as their face presses into his neck, smiling contentedly. Wrapping his arm around their waist, John holds them close to him, burying his face in their hair as they both feel fatigue starting to envelope them, pulling them both into a comfortable sleep. Just as they go to drift off, John whispers to (Y/n).

"You don't admire me nearly as much as I admire you. I love you. So much." His voice is husky, lulling them sleep.

For the first time in years, John does not jolt awake halfway through the night, his sleep undisturbed by nightmares.

[shadow-is-upon-us]

Whatever it takes

This is kinda the last one before the whole competition event (I think) so it's more toned down and... relaxing? I don't know.

Also, for those unaware or who don't read the By your side story, I am not a fan of Mineta and it shows. Sorry to any fans, but just... no. Read, review and enjoy~

Find links to FanFic and Ao3 on my master post! (As well as other stories) [Ch1] [Ch2] [Ch3]

Chapter 4 Helping

He was exhausted that day, but the smell of pancakes as he entered the house seemed to revive him instantly.

“Welcome home!” Hizashi called, stepping into the hall wearing his yellow apron with headphones painted on them. Shinso bought him that a few years ago as a birthday present and Mic has had it since then. His hair was tied in a long ponytail and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up. Despite clearly cooking, he looked cleaner than either of the insomniacs.

“Congratulations on finishing your combat training!” the two high-fived and bumped fists as Shota rolled his eyes with a smile and made his way into the kitchen.

“Dad says it’s not really finished, but good enough. Thanks for the tips though!” Hitoshi said with a grin as he sat down in his usual spot. He had tried ignoring the pancakes but his eyes kept slipping to the counter.

“Haha, well, that’s cause for celebration anyway! And I made your favorite!” Yamada proudly spun around, holding a plate of pancakes.

“Honestly, you have too much time on your hands sometimes,” Aizawa sighed but smile none the less as Shinso seemed to want to devour the food.

“Someone has to, right? You’re usually busy with work,” Yamada shrugged and took a seat, but not before grabbing a serving of food for himself and Shota.

“Well, we can finally put that time to good use – he needs a costume,” Eraserhead said with a grin as the kid was almost choking on a bite too big.

“Ah, a hero costume! I remember when we were young and we had to pick our own ones! I recall you just wanted to be in your pajamas.”

The snort from Shinso and the choking sound from Aizawa sent Yamada into a laughing fit as the two tried to catch their breaths and not fall off their chairs.

Quirk training was different from combat, and Shinso wasn’t sure which one was worse. He only had one person to practice on and that was his own father. They had to first test the upper limits of Hitoshi’s Quirk; how strong the impact has to be to break it, is there was a distance limit, how much focus Hitoshi himself needs to maintain…

During those times, especially when he was using his Quirk, Shinso felt sick. He didn’t like it the first time he willingly used his Quirk on his father, and he hated it now. It was the reason this training was working so badly – he wasn’t able to properly focus and concentrate. But he never said that he felt something whispering in his ear as he used his power, that it told him to be stronger and better and telling him he’s in control now.

Today was the start of the last week of training they had and Hitoshi aimed to make the most of it. He’s made a lot of progress, but with only one person to train with, it was hard to tell just how much. He’ll just have trust his father.

He just released his Quirk as he started panting and doubled over on his knees, head low. His body felt a bit numb, but nothing he couldn’t deal with. The headache was pounding in his head, and while it wasn’t unusual, it was worse than normal.

“We’re done for today,” Shota said and Hitoshi looked up in surprise.

“But I can still do more!” he insisted, swallowing to catch his breath.

Aizawa simply walked over and wiped his finger under his nose and across his lips. As he brought the fingers up, the kid saw blood trailing off them. He instinctively reached up himself and felt the warm liquid drip down and could teste it in his mouth.

“You’re at your limit – don’t push it too hard.” He never knew he could actually bleed from overuse, but his father explained it that, much like his Erasure Quirk, Brainwashing can leave physical effects on the user. He’s only bled twice in all the time of training before; the first was an accident because he was pushing himself too much and the second was a test to see his limits. This time, he wasn’t even really aware of it.

“We still have a week… I guess it’s about time we really see what you’re capable of right now,” Shota gave a small grin as he handed his son a towel. “Be ready for company tomorrow.”

He was walking today, unfortunately. His father was called away on hero duty and his uncle was at his podcast, doing a special for his fans- listeners as he insisted. He wasn’t going to complain – it gave him some time and fresh air to cool off. As he was getting his things and getting ready to leave, he heard some shouting to the left of the school. He tried to ignore it, his headache still beating around, but he forced himself to check it out. There shouldn’t even be that many people at school anymore.

“Stay away you creep!” he recognized the voice – it was Yukino Kair. She must have stayed at the library, studying for the English test tomorrow.

“C’mon, just a little smooch!” that voice was familiar, but not one he’s heard much of.

“Damn you, you little shit! Let me out of these sticky balls and I’ll make you regret asking us for help!” and that was Zoey Zedd, sounding as angry as ever. But if she was trapped somehow… That made Shinso quicken his pace as he almost ran to the scene.

“I thought we were friends!” Hitoshi turned the corner and saw his classmates stuck to the wall with purple balls, as a short boy stood in front of them.

“Hey!” Shinso yelled and got the trio’s attention. As soon as the other boy turned around, he recognized him – Minoru Mineta from the Hero Course.

“Shinso!” Yukino smiled with relief, but there was worry in her eyes as well.

“The hell are you doing here this late?” Zoey of course couldn’t care less.

“…” Mineta stayed silent, but his eyes were wide.

“What are you doing?” Hitoshi asked, narrowing his eyes. His fists were already clenched and he was ready for a surprise attack.

“This pervert wanted to have some fun!” Zedd hissed and he could see her skin turning purple in her poison. But it’d only work if she had physically contact with another person.

“We agreed to help him since he asked nice enough…” Kair sounded guilty, but angry none the less.

“H-Hey now-!” Minoru started, but was cut off by the other boy.

“Stop,” at his order, the Hero Course student froze. Shinso looked tense and focused as he bit his lip. It was a bit too fast for him to be using an advance version of his Quirk so soon, but he’d manage.

“Release my friends.” The pervert moved automatically and picked off his sticky balls from the walls and even the girls. All the while, Hitoshi chewed on his lip as the pain in his head increased. For a second there, the world even blurred a bit.

“Now,” he grunted and put a hand under his nose, feeling the blood slowly dripping. “Go home and never bother these girls again.”

As Mineta wordlessly left, Shinso leaned on a wall to catch himself and released his control. He was panting and the world was spinning, but before he lost his balance and fell down, he felt strong pairs of arms hold him up.

“That was so cool Shinso!” Zoey smiled, but the relief in her eyes couldn’t be missed.

“Thanks a lot!” Yukino smiled and gave him a thumbs up.

“Anytime,” he managed weakly, giving his own small smile.

“We should get you to Recovery Girl – I’m sure she’s still working.

“Oh, um, no, you don’t have to-,”

“You can’t walk, you’re bleeding and you looked more exhausted than usual. You’re going to her.”

Hitoshi didn’t have the energy to fight them, so he settled for letting out a humorless chuckle. He hasn’t been at Recovery Girl’s place since his father was in there after the USJ attack. This time, seems like their roles were reversed though.

Chiyo wasn’t happen when they brought in Shinso, and she actually shooed out the girls after assuring he’s going to be fine. Still, she was as kind as always as she checked him over.

“Quirk overuse…” she muttered shaking her head. “Like father like son I guess…”

“He… doesn’t know yet, does he?” Hitoshi asked, a bit fearfully even. He really didn’t want to get his ear chewed off by his father. Maybe his uncle, since Mic usually brought some sweets or something along.

“No, he’s working, so I didn’t call him. Called your homeroom teacher though – she’s still at school and should arrive soon,” Shuzenji said casually as the kid let out a breath of relief.

“I should ask what happened, given the situation and the hour, but…” she turned her back to him, a kind smile on her face. “Heroes will be heroes.”

“Shinso?” Lyla Zin called as she almost ran into the infirmary room, a look of worry and panic on her face.

“Hey,” he said causally, the exhaustion clinging to him. Recovery Girl gave him something for the headache, but it made him all the more tired. Maybe a bit dizzy even.

“Thank goodness, I was worried!” she said, letting out a breath of relief. “What were you doing?” her tone changed quickly though, as she put her hands on her hips.

“…Helping?” he tired, wincing under her tone. She was hardly, if ever, really mad, but seems like this was one of those times.

“Helping? Who? With what? And why did it include your Quirk?” Lyla clearly wasn’t going to let it pass. But her worry was clear and understandable.

“Umm… It’s… a long story,” he settled on and heard the teacher sigh. He really wasn’t sure what to say, if anything at all.

“Honestly…” Zin shook her head and took a seat on a nearby chair. Recovery Girl was back in her own place, working on some paperwork it seems.

“Um, Miss Zin?” Shinso said a bit awkwardly, mentally smacking himself for starting off like that. But he need to tell her, assuming she didn’t know already.

“I don’t know if Aizawa had said anything, but I’m going to try for transfer and-,” before he could fumble over his own words, Lyla put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“I already know, Hitoshi. He told me, we discussed it all… And we promised we’d wait until you were ready to talk about it,” she was completely calm and her voice calmed him as well.

“…I just don’t know how to tell the others. We all feel the same, but I’m the only one getting this chance? It… doesn’t feel that fair…”

“Hitoshi,” she said and he looked up at her as she smiled. “You are getting this opportunity because you showed promise. And while yes, all of you wish to be in the Hero Course, it’s simply not how it works. But,” she paused and patted his head gently. “I’m sure the whole class is going to support you in this. After all, you’re the star of the General Studies and if you can make it, so can they. You’ll be the Hero for all General Studies students now and to come, I’m sure of it,” she said and leaned closer, giving a small kiss to his forehead as the kid tried to suppress the incoming sobs. Damn, the medicine made him weaker than he thought.

He’s had very few people outside his family stay things like that to him, and after years of being treated as a villain, it always made him so happy. Especially given what his teacher said he might become – a Hero to the General Studies. It sounded so ridiculous, but he couldn’t ask for a better legacy.

Later that day, when it was already dark, Hizashi came to pick him up since he wasn’t allowed to leave on his own. Worried, surprised and slightly impressed, Yamada only lightly probed the boy as to what happened. Hitoshi said what he did before – he was helping. Mic clearly didn’t buy it, but he respected the boy’s insistence on not saying.

“Please, don’t tell dad okay?” Shinso asked, almost begged as they stepped inside the house.

“Tell me what?” Shota stepped into the hall, a frown on his face and arms folded across his chest. His hair was tied in a bun and wore a simple black shirt with pants. Must have been home for a while now.

“Busted,” the two thought, but Yamada casually managed to laugh a moment later.

“Well, I was taking Toshi here out since he’s been doing so well,” Mic shrugged, not even flinching at the narrowed eyes his friend was giving.

“And you didn’t tell me anything?” Aizawa kept looking from one person to the other and kid was nearly cracking.

“Well, you were off and we didn’t feel like bothering you,” Hizashi treaded dangerous waters but he still slung an arm around Eraserhead. “Sorry ‘bout that!”

Shota didn’t look too convinced, but he sighed and closed his eyes none the less. He put his hand on Hizashi’s face and pushed the man off his shoulder before heading into the kitchen and muttered something under his breath, but neither of them heard him. Instead, they let out silent breathes of relief with Hitoshi giving a grateful nod of thanks and Mic simply winking back.

When he finally made it to his room, Shinso plopped down on his bed and let out a satisfied sigh. He was exhausted, but it felt good. This kind of exhaustion showed him he was doing his best and giving his all and that it will work out in the end. But he thought back to what his father said a while ago, about this whole ‘transfer’ thing.

“Depending on how you do in this event, you’ll either replace or simply transfer to a class. Right now you’re set up to get into A-1 but that can still change, so do your best, okay?”

Before today, he was aiming at the simple transfer, but since he’s met Mineta, he wondered what he could to do about him. Could he really risk the replacement option though? What if it’s not Mineta he’d replace, but someone else entirely?

He pondered on that for a while, even changing into his sleeping clothes, when he decided to wait and see what happens. He won’t settle on either just yet, but will keep them in mind for when the competition starts.

And cut! Yeah, this is kinda the last of the 'days of training' thing, so the story will probably pick up now. Also, if anyone is curios about that something Shinso keeps feeling when he uses his Quirk, I made a short post/idea/story o titled Hitoshi vs Shinso  and you can check it out if you fancy. Might kinda spoil something that comes later and that I'm using in the story but well, it's there if anyone's curios =P ANYWAY! Thanks a lot for reading and I do hope you enjoyed! Do review and tell me what you thought! I love hearing from my readers! Till next time~