Emote: Shinso x OC Reader

Chapter 7

Author's note: Sorry for the wait - I usually try to post at least one chapter a week but I just realized I've been neglecting Shinso! Hope you enjoy the chapter!

"What is there to talk about?" I asked, turning away from him for fear that my face would show nothing but the pain of having to relive that moment that their lips touched. Why was it so painful? Why had it felt like such a betrayal? I sighed in frustration, putting my head in my hands before running my fingers through my hair and sitting up straighter.

"Why did you leave?"

There was something off about his voice, but I couldn't quite place what it was. I could feel his eyes boring into me but I kept my gaze upwards towards the crescent moon.

"Needed some air."

"You left a while ago, don't you think you've had enough air?"

"Whatever, I think I'm just going to go to bed," I said, slapping my hands down on my knees harder than intended as I pushed myself up to standing.

What was this feeling, like an irritably slow burn moving throughout my insides that I couldn't stop from growing? I avoided his eyes as I turned towards the door, but his hand quickly circled around my wrist. I wondered if it was the same hand he had laid on Mina's knee, the one that had made direct contact with her skin, and before I could stop myself I was whipping around.

"What? What do you want, Shinso? Why don't you go back to playing the game? You're obviously enjoying yourself!" I sounded like a child having a temper tantrum and I hated it but I couldn't seem to stop myself.

"You think I enjoy having to watch you go make out with Bakugo in a closet for seven minutes?!" He said angrily as his grip on my wrist tightened.

"You didn't see anything! I was in a dark ass closet! And even if you had, nothing happened! But I literally had to watch you play tonsil hockey with Mina IN FRONT OF EVERYONE!"

My voice at the end came out much louder than anticipated and the silence that followed was deafening. I watched the anger drain from his eyes as his face twisted in confusion. He abruptly let go of my wrist as he backed up a few steps, holding a hand out as though to look for something to steady himself until it landed on a nearby pillar, where he leaned for a moment, appearing to re-evaluate the situation. He surprised me when he sunk down and sat cross legged, leaning forward to put his chin in his hand.

"Nothing happened..." He murmured. After a moment of staring at the ground, he looked up at me, the deep purple of his eyes making them appear almost black. "Why?"

"Wh-why not?" I sputtered. "What do you mean why? He was being an asshole! But why does it even matter, you're obviously interested in Mina anyways, so -"

"Wait, wait, wait." He fluttered his hand about before using the pillar to help himself get back up. "Why are you so upset about that anyways?"

Did he just slur his words a bit or am I imagining that? I thought, taking a step back.

"I'm not, I'm just saying that -"

"You are!" He said triumphantly, sticking a finger accusingly towards me as he took a step forward. "Tell me why."

I continued to move back as he approached me, my mind frantically racing as I tried to figure it out myself. Why was I so upset about it? It didn't make sense. And yet, this was the same twisting feeling I'd had in my gut every time I'd heard Mina talk about him since I'd given her his number, but intensified.

"Really, it's not that big of a deal, I just think -" 

Suddenly my back came against the cool wall, startling me into silence as Shinso took another step forward. His hand pulled back before slamming into the wall right beside my head and I jumped at the unexpected movement. I was feeling light headed all of a sudden as he leaned in closer. Heart pounding, I couldn't stop staring at his lips as he moved forward slowly. Squeezing my eyes shut, I was convinced that he was about to kiss me when his breath tickled my ear as he whispered, "I think you're jealous."

"What?!" I burst out, my hands flying up to rest on his chest as I pushed him back. "No, no, no, no, that's not it."

I was vigorously shaking my head, but Shinso just grinned at me, the white of his teeth shining in the moonlight. "Oh, yes, yes, yes. That's what that feeling is, darlin. Trust me, I know it well."

His breath hit me then and there was a harsh bite to it that reminded me of hand sanitizer. "What the hell is that?" Using a hand to cover my nose and mouth, my voice sounded garbled as I spoke. "Oh God, have you been drinking?"

"Oh, don't be like that, baby," He said, bending over to wrap his arms around my waist and lifting me up. I squealed at the unexpectedness of it. "I'm just having a little fun, that's all!"

He spun me around a few times and I let out a cry as my hands gripped at his lavender hair, which was much softer than I had anticipated. He stopped abruptly before setting me down and when he stood up he looked a bit pale.

"I think it just hit me," He said, suddenly clamping a hand over his mouth as he rushed away.

"Wait, where are you -?" I shouted out, but he quickly disappeared around the side of the building.

I should probably go after him to make sure he's okay. I thought, but the beating of my heart still hadn't calmed down from it's earlier rampage. He thinks I'm jealous. That can't be right. I've never seen Shinso as more than a friend, so why would that just come up out of no where? And yet, when he leaned in to me just now...

"Ahhhhh!" I cried out, shaking my head again forcefully as though to try to rid myself of the memory. "Focus!"

My first task was to make sure that he was okay. I turned in the direction he had run off in and had only made it a few steps before he appeared, both hands held up in victory.

"Good news!" He shouted. "I didn't puke!"

He stumbled and I reached out as though I would have been able to catch him, but he quickly caught himself before he face planted. I sighed in relief as he began ambling towards me. When he was within a few feet he came to a halt and grinned at me again. "Awww, you were worried about me, huh, darlin?"

The first time I had been distracted by my realization that he had been drinking, but this time the word hit me with full force. An eruption of butterflies in my stomach caused me to lose my breath for a moment as I took him in, my best friend that was usually so stoic, full on grinning at me, a hand coming up to lazily rub the back of his neck.

"O-of course I was worried about you!" I said, trying to mask the fact that I was feeling so flustered. "Running off like that when you're drunk! Let's just get you home, okay? Did you leave anything inside?"

"Oh, my drink!" He started towards the door, but I quickly grabbed him and started steering him away, being particularly cautious with him as we made our way down the steps towards the front sidewalk.

"Nope, you've had enough of that," I said and released him after we'd passed the obstacle of the stairs.

"Booo!" He called, but when I went to glare at him he had a mischievous twinkle in his eye and his lips were quirked up into a smirk.

Why? I thought as we began making our way in the direction of his dorm. Why, even now, after having had more than enough time to calm down, won't my heart stop beating like this?