• Sunflower • Hinata Shoyo x Reader

5 • Smile

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❝ If you only have one smile in you, give it to the people you love.❞

-Maya Angelou

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It's like the sun knows you feel down. 

It's shining brighter than ever today, like it's trying to distract you from your guilt and regret. Swirling thoughts of emotion like a tornado in your head, destroying everything in its path in reckless abandon.

Your life is so simple, so why does it feel so complicated?

You go out into the garden. Your happy place. Your refuge. It's beautiful, ever changing. You wish you were like a garden, but all you can do is marvel in the miracle of nature. The tomatoes are getting ripe; you'll probably pick them soon. 

"I can't eat them all by myself," you say to yourself, testing your voice on the wind.

"You could sell them!" 

You gasp, jumping backwards at the voice that came out of nowhere. "Sh-Shoyo?"

The shorter boy smiles. "You could sell them! The tomatoes, I mean."

"W-well," you stutter, "where'd you come from? Why are you here?"

"Yesterday you said I could come over tomorrow," he explains, "and today is tomorrow, because you said it yesterday so that makes today--"

You laugh. 

Why did he come back? Even after you yelled at him?

"I get it," you say, pointing to the path that leads to the flowers, "You wanted to see the sunflowers, right? They're over here."

You both walk along the dirt path, your heart beating faster than normal for some reason, when Shoyo stops.

"Woooaaahh!"

He runs up to the tallest sunflower, your prize winner, and stares up at it. He looks even shorter compared to the giant flower.

"If only I was that tall!" He grumbles.

You giggle. "No crows by the sunflowers, Shoyo." He seems to not have heard you.

"Maybe I can. . . " 

He mumbles to himself then jumps, raising his hand, and grazing the top of the sunflower, his eyes alight in wonder.

Amazing.

You're not sure which seems more unreal; the boy who's clinging to you or the fact that he hasn't left you yet. It makes him all the more mysterious.

It's like he hovers in the air, then he falls to the ground, landing on his behind.

"Are you okay?" You ask him, offering your hand to help him up.

He takes it, blushing. "Yeah."

"Oh!" He exclaims, "That reminds me! Do you want to come to my volleyball game tomorrow?"

"Volleyball game?" 

"Yeah! We're playing Nekoma!"

You smile. "I'll have to think about it."

You haven't heard of Nekoma, but they must be good if Shoyo is so excited. Honestly, it seems like he'd be excited for any volleyball game, good opponent or not. 

He smiles, but you can sense his disappointment. You want to console him, to hug  him. Maybe you will go, although you know nothing about volleyball or sports whatsoever. 

Wait, hug?

You notice your heart, beating erratically again. But it's different this time, like . . . like you--

You hear a sigh and look up, noticing that the wild boy is staring at you, the smile a ghost on his face. He turns his head sideways, like a confused puppy. You get the feeling like he can see the deepest parts of you. Like he's staring through the walls you've built. You smile, hoping to distract him from what he might see. 

What he sees anyways.

"You always smile like you're going to cry,"  Shoyo mumbles, no longer smiling himself.

"Wh-what?"

"It makes me sad," he explains, his fists clenched at his sides, "to see you sad. So I hope that you'll come and watch . . . "

You act on your former urge to hug him, your arms wrapping around his warm body. He stiffens up but doesn't push you away.

You do it instead, letting go of him but not taking a step back. 

"Why do you smell like bubblegum?" You tease.

He's already blushing, but his face seems to grow hotter. "I-I was out of shampoo and had to use Natsu's--!"

"Who's Natsu?"

"She's my little sister," he grumbles.

You giggle, instinctively bringing your hand to your mouth. You notice Shoyo isn't laughing. Instead he has that puppy dog look in his eyes. 

"Don't hide it," he whispers, placing a hand on your wrist, "don't hide your smile."

You bring your hand down, blushing. He let's go of you, blushing himself.

"Ah! Sorry!" He apologizes, "I don't know what came over me I just--"

"It's fine." You say. 

And then you smile.

And he smiles. 

And you feel like nothing else in the world matters but putting a smile on that boy's face.

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