Sorry guys, I forgot to post this awesome one-shot by ShippingLikeAPackage!
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You stared out on the river that surrounded the college you attended, in the heart of the city. Pausing to look over, you raised an eyebrow. “You remember how it happened, right?”
~ ~ ~
You flipped through your new wad of cash, smirking mischievously. You’d just annihilated the kid who always felt the need to bug you in Chemistry I. And boy, it felt so good to watch him spiral into disappointment from his precious creation being destroyed by your hand.
It wasn’t odd to see other SFIT students here. They involved science, which the college’s pupils excelled at. They also involved gaining money, and with SFIT’s tuition, you knew that was a main factor the fellow students came. After all, it was the factor that first tempted you into the bot fighting. And it’s not like college kids doing illegal things is a new idea: kids drink underage all the time. Frowned upon, yes, but not seen as that big of an issue.
Plus, you were starting to make your way up the underground ranks now. The first few times, you lost by landslides. It was like learning how to ski or snowboard, you start with the bunny hills, aka the $5 fights, and start conquering your way upward from there. At the level of rigor you were currently at, bets between competitors ranged from around $50-$80, and you hardly batted an eyelash at putting a wad of your money into the beat up, aluminum tray that the ringleader accepted submissions in. Partially because you had lots of cash to spare now, partially because you had lost once in the past month.
And you’d been out bot fighting around three times a week.
Sure, you’d heard stories of things going sour before; the stories that circulated of sore losers brutally abusing the victor as revenge from their loss. But you’d never seen that actually happen before. It wouldn’t happen to you. They were just stories to keep timid people away from the tough atmosphere the fights presented. And you were not one to shy away from a challenge.
You snickered, glancing around at the small group of people. Apparently, the big bot fights in town drew large crowds of people screaming and betting on other fights; a truly hardcore event to attend. Even though you had originally joined to pay off student loans, you wouldn’t deny the feeling of satisfaction from feeling your creation being better than someone else’s. Maybe one day, you’d be the best in the whole city. A champ, posted about on the bot fighter’s website. Before then, though, you’d have to make some serious upgrades to your weapon of choice. It usually won these lower-intensity fights, but against fighters like the Fujita crew… That you weren’t so sure.
Another body stepped into the harsh lighting you sat under, meaning you had a new challenger. It was a girl, an incredibly trying-to-be-cool looking girl. Part of you wondered if she was lost. Part of you wondered how the heck she got out of the house. She looked 15 or so. And she had the type of look that made you question if anyone actually liked her- if she was doing this for attention. You rolled your eyes, remembering just how much you hated girls like her in high school.
“I’m here to fight.” She spoke in a stone-cold voice, and you sighed.
“I’d try a lower level.” You suggested, in all honestly wanting to give her a shot. It wasn’t uncommon for your temper to flare up.
The kid sneered at you. “Surrendering already? I’ll take that.” She swiped at your wad, which you retreated and scowled at.
“Go back to middle school, or something. Do you even know what $50 looks like? Or are you still running your life on a weekly allowance?” Sure, you were rude. Sure, you were cocky. But she earned it. You snapped your fingers, calling the ringleader over. “Put it in the tray.” You demanded, to which the younger girl followed by throwing her money without a care in the world. You placed a single bill in, placing your battle robot on the ground. It was pretty simple, actually; it administered electric shocks to short circuit the connection between your opposing bot and the other player’s controller. Therefore leaving their bot motionless for you to destroy.
The other girl placed her robot down as well, and you noted the stereotypical black skulls painted on. You scoffed, pulling the remote control from your pocket. Shredding this one would be fun.
Sure enough, the girl’s bot didn’t last more than a minute. After the bot couldn’t move, you relentlessly struck and beat it over and over until it was an unrecognizable heap of metal. “Thanks for playing.” You spat, quick to take her money from the bin and wave your hand dismissively.
“What the hell?!” The other girl scoffed, standing up. You raised an eyebrow, crossing your arms across your chest.
“Go back to the smaller fights. Stop wasting your money, kid. You aren’t all that. You’re not special. Do the world a favor and shut your mouth.” You scowled at the girl again, practically hissing the words between your teeth. She actually trembled, taking a step back in fear you’d hit her, or something.
“Hey!” A male’s voice cut in, and he stepped into the light. You couldn’t see his eyes due to the sloppy mess of hair shadowing them, but his figure overall looked thin and weak. “Nobody talks to her like that.” He reached over and grabbed your arm roughly, and you screeched, punching him square in the nose. You’d jumped to conclusions and thought he was going to fight you, and wanted to make sure you had a lead. Rather, the tall guy stumbled back a few feet, releasing his grip on you. “What the hell?!” He spat, clenching his fists at his sides. “I was going to challenge you to a bot fight, idiot!”
The condescending tone he used made you sick, crossing your arms in disgust. “Don’t touch me. You could’ve just said so, dumbass.” The older guy pulled down his hood, pushing his hair up with one hand in disbelief. You could see it was some dude around 3 years older than you, and he had small black gauges in his ears.
“H-Hiro, y-you’re bleeding…” The little rat spoke again, and this other guy turned to her.
“Nezumi, go home. Don’t tell your Aunt Gogo where we came, okay? She’ll have my head.” The girl scampered off, looking terrified. This older boy wiped his nose, and sure enough, a trickle of blood was coming from it. “You listen to me.” He spoke, venom in his voice. “Nobody likes a cocky attitude. You had no right to say what you did. Keep it up, and enjoy a life where you’re secluded, where nobody really wants to be around you.”
You cowered a bit again, this stranger poking his finger at your chest. “Think I’m lying? I lived it. Get a grip, and look at your life from a whole new angle. ‘Cause you’re sure as hell seeing it the wrong way now.” He growled at you, and you gritted your teeth together. He was close enough to where his breath hit your face when he spoke.
The older male abruptly turned and began walking away, but you grabbed his shoulder and spun him back. “Wait!” You began to speak, before biting down on your lip in thought. He raised an eye at you, huffing out slightly. “Here.” You opened his hand, pressing in two $50 bills. “Give this to her. It’s what she would’ve got if she won the fight.”
Hiro stopped, retreating his hand and depositing one of the bills in his pocket. “She doesn’t need your money. You do.” He offered one of the bills back, a small victorious smile on his face. “SFIT has a haughty tuition. When I went, I had to bot fight too.”
You tucked a small strand behind your ear, nodding sheepishly. It was then you realized you were wearing your school sweatshirt, and that’s how he knew. “Thanks…” You murmured, shyly accepting your money back.
His hand remained outstretched, only not offering you cash any longer. He was looking to shake your hand in greeting. “My name’s Hiro. Hiro Hamada.”
~ ~ ~
“Yes, (Y/N).” Hiro half chuckled out his answer, wrapping his arms around your waist from behind and smiling over your shoulder. “I remember meeting you like it was yesterday.”
“Hey, I’m a real memorable person.” You grinned, turning your head so you could look at him.
Your boyfriend just rolled his eyes, before grinning mischievously back at you. “Oh yeah.” The boy snickered mid-thought, pressing his nose to your cheek. “Best punch in the face of my life.”
You gasped at the fact he brought it up again, and quickly elbowed him in the stomach. “Hey! I told you I thought you were gonna attack me!” Hiro chuckled, before planting a small kiss on your cheek as you pretended to be mad.
“Weird how a few months can change your life completely, eh?” He mumbled, smiling into your hair.
“Yeah…” You breathed, leaning on the rail again. “Hiro?”
The boy perked up, letting go and sliding over to stand next to you. “Yeah?” Even though he wasn’t looking at you, but at the water, you could tell he was listening intently.
It was your turn to show affection, by grabbing his slender hand and slipping your fingers between his. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”************
Author: ShippingLikeAPackage
I might expand upon this Bot Fight tier system in later one-shots. Thank you for reading!
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Hiro x Reader One Shots
FanfictionThis is now going to be a book of one shots! But! I won't be working on this alone... I am now collaborating with the amazing ShippingLikeAPackage, so look out for a bunch of new one shots by us! Check out her awesome HiroxReader fic on Quotev here...