My Hero Academia- One Shots

Abstract -Shouto Todoroki

//Request by @TChiaki who wanted a Shouto x Artist reader! Thank you so much for your kind words and all your support, I really hope you enjoy it!

"Can you believe they signed me up for a contest without my permission?" You fumed, kicking a stray pebble down the street. 

"Y/N, it just means they have faith in your talent. You should, too." Shouto Todoroki's gentle voice sought to calm you from your rage, but he would never admit that he admired this side of you. Dealing with his emotions was still a difficult task, so he was in awe every time you expressed yours so freely.

You whirled to face him. "Shou, my paintings are lifelike. It's literally called photorealism. This," you glared at the contest admission form, "nuisance is for abstract art. I can't do abstract! The last time I tried to abstract something I sat in a puddle of paint and tears for, like, hours!"

You loved making artwork, and your Quirk made it easier. While photographic memories weren't unheard of before Quirks, being able to perfectly depict the memory through art was what made your Quirk special. Architectural sculptures and portraits covered your room. There was nothing like being able to show others exactly what you had in mind. 

"Could you make a sculpture, then?" Shouto was still trying to be gentle and supportive. His eyes peered out from a layer of mixed white and red hair, desperate to console you.

You offered a dramatic sigh. "I guess I could drop it before I put it in the kiln. That's abstract, right?"

As much as you adored the arts, abstract was the most frustrating thing you could think of. You just couldn't do it. You envied your friends in the arts who made their whimsical pieces look like second nature while they applauded you for reproducing minuscule details. 

"Maybe I'll just drop out," you murmured miserably and plopped yourself on the curb. You rested your chin in your hands and gazed up at Shouto.

He gave you a small reassuring smile that reached his mismatched eyes. "You can't do that, Y/N, and you won't. They chose you for this contest because of their belief in you, and we both know you won't let them down. You'll make something stunning like you always do."

Still slightly unconvinced, you rustled through your bag to grab your sketchbook. Maybe there was something in there. You flipped through pages, eyeing each of them for a few seconds, and Shouto sat beside you. He didn't know what you were looking for, but he really liked looking at your work, no matter how many times he had seen it before.

Pages of buildings, dancers, animals, and countless objects were deemed useless. Finally, you hesitated a little longer on one page. An archaic kaleidoscope , which had been gilded in gold and decorated with filigree, stood out in stunning detail. You had spotted it weeks ago while exploring an antique store with Shouto.

"Shou! This is it! I think I can do this!" You leapt to your feet, grabbing your bag. "I gotta go paint this, I'll text you later!"

Shouto was surprised, but pleased. He knew once you had the urge to paint there was absolutely nothing stopping you, and he really didn't mind. He was just glad to be able to support you.

Weeks passed, and you and Shouto were attending the exhibition where the contest was to be judged. He was dressed in a nice blue button down shirt and you matched in a flattering dress. You anxiously sipped some punch while Shouto held your other hand and rubbed little circles with his thumb. He kept making bewildered glances over at your painting. He had reasoned it was something you had seen through the kaleidoscope but couldn't figure out what, exactly.

"And now, we're proud to announce this year's winners! Congratulations to our third place winner, Sunflower! Would the artist please come up and receive their award!" 

The artist, a scrawny boy with scraggly hair, offered an awkward smile and bowed upon receiving his award. Shouto squeezed your hand in response, offering a little bit of reassurance. 

"Congratulations to the second place winner, Kaleidoscope!" You jumped, startled at hearing your painting's name over the microphone. "Would the artist please come up and receive their award!" 

Shouto smiled at you from the crowd as you gratefully took your award. It shone in beautiful tones of silver and you thanked the announcer and the judges quickly. As you squeezed your way through the crowd, you threw yourself at Shouto, who wrapped you in a hug. "I'm so proud of you, Y/N," he whispered into your hair. "I knew you could do it."

After first place and the honorable mentions were awarded, you and Shouto stood in front of your painting. Beautiful shards of scattered colors graced the canvas, shattering some image you had saved to your memory. "Y/N, I have to know what this is." Shouto finally said.

"It's the kaleidoscope, silly, I thought you figured that out," you smiled widely at him.

He gave a little grunt. "I knew that much. I meant what you were looking at through it."

You raised your hand to point at a large patch of white that was muted by the other colors. "I was looking at you, Shou. When I picked this up to show you and I looked through the end, you were smiling so widely and it made me so happy."

As you spoke, he started to recognize patterns he had missed earlier. Blocks of red and white, small specks of blue and brown, and a familiar shade of pink suddenly stood out in alarming detail among the brightly colored shards that had hidden inside the glass. He was taken aback that he had missed so many hints of himself before now.

Shouto gave you a sideways glance. "So, you cheated."

Your eyes grew wide and your mouth fell open. "I did what?!"

"This isn't really abstract, Y/N, you cheated." You would have hit him if you hadn't noticed the wry smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"Oh, ha ha, mister. I'm not good at abstract, okay? Give me a break, I was trying to be cute and use you as inspiration."

"You're good enough for that," he said, gesturing towards your award. "And it's adorable, Y/N, thank you for letting me be your inspiration," he added quietly, pressing his lips to your forehead in a gentle kiss.