Work Text:
Another day, another flower arrangement.
Hitoshi Shinsou has worked as a florist at BK Flowers since the shop opened four years back. Bakugou hired him alongside Kaminari, because Shinsou’s ability to pull together a beautifully balanced and well meaning arrangement was rival only to Bakugou himself. They provided flowers for hundreds of weddings and funerals, dozens of opening ceremonies, and a handful of galas. It was a job that kept him busy and allowed him insight on many different kinds of people and lifestyles.
He loved the work of it but lately something other than the gardenias have been keeping his attention.
When at the counter at the shop, a look across the street had him peering into the window of Frostbitten Ink, the tattoo parlor owned by the youngest Todoroki son. It’s speculated that Shouto was intended to take over Endeavor Industries but refused to do so in favor of opening up the shop in question. No matter how interesting the owner's back story is, that's not what prompted the longing gaze of Shinsou to find purchase in such a shop.
A petite girl with her back to the window as she worked with the tattoo gun over her patron's skin. Her chestnut bobbed hair was pulled up into a quickly fastened bun on the back of her head, even from a back view he could see two locks hanging in front of her face on either side. She wasn't as decorated with tattoos as her co-workers but she still had many tattoos, some of which were littered across her back and shoulders. There’s a flash of the reflection of the silver jewelry in her ears that grabs his attention every time his eyes meander that way. Uraraka was her name and she just started at Frostbitten Ink four months ago. She was a friend of Todoroki's from back in college and was the one that introduced him to tattooing in the first place. Or at least that's what Bakugou said to Kaminari about her when asked, because Bakugou had also attended the same college as the artists.
Shinsou’s train of thought is broken by Bakugou hitting on the head with a roll of decorative tissue paper.
"Save the drooling for your piercing appointment after work." Bakugou growled. "We need to plan some sample arrangements for the Yaoyorozu’s art show for next month. They are considering booking us because apparently we came highly recommended."
Shinsou nodded at him, "I'll start planning now and assemble some samples tomorrow for you to look over."
He pulled out a notebook to begin planning out the assortments trying to drag his attention away from the tattoo artist across the way, who seemed to just finished the appointment with her client. A smile plastered on her face so wide as she scheduled their follow up, it could be seen all the way across the street. The locks of hair that frame her face sway as she turned and locked eyes with him. Wait. Shit. She’s staring back at him.
He nervously raised his hand to grant a gentle wave in her direction. She responded by sending back the warmest smile Shinsou had ever seen, he felt his heart catch in his throat at the sight while a warm heat spread across his face. He had to tear his eyes away from her and force himself back to work. These arrangements had to be spectacular or else Bakugou would have him stay late arranging flowers till they were undoubtedly the best, with that Shinsou sighed and returned to his work.
By the time it was time to close up shop, Shinsou had masterfully assembled three worthy arrangements. Kirishima dared to call them beautiful but Shinsou felt that the term ‘pretty’ was sufficient enough. Bakugou had left earlier in the day to meet up with Kirishima and left Shinsou to close up shop with Kaminari.
“Bro,” Kaminari called to Shinsou to break him out of his thoughts and follow his gaze to the parlor. “Why don’t you just ask her out already?”
Shinsou gave him a strange look. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You have five piercings in your ears.” Kaminari stated matter of factly as he rested his chin on the end of a broom stick.
“And your point?” Shinsou tried to focus on making sure the orders to be picked up are put away in the cooler.
“You had two before Todoroki hired Uraraka.”
“Maybe, I just like the way they look.” Shinsou calmly stated and finished cleaning up the station where he prepped the flowers.
“Yeah, maybe,” Kaminari sing-songed, as he put the broom back in the closet, “or maybe you like having a certain tattooed princess super close to you. I mean, not that I blame you or anything, all the artists in that parlor are hot as hell.”
Shinsou opted to ignore the blonde as they moved to lock the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Kaminari.”
Kaminari gave Shinsou one last smug smirk. “Have fun with your appointment. ”
Shinsou rolled his eyes and crossed the street to the parlor. The chime on the door signaled his entrance and prompted a head of brown hair to come out from the back.
“Welcome to Frostbitten Ink. What can I do for you- Oh Shinsou! Hey! You're early. Your appointment isn’t for another twenty minutes.”
“Yeah, we just closed up shop. I figured I’d wait here until time.”
Shinsou tried to sound nonchalant and it seemed to work.
She just smiled sweetly. “Well you’re my last appointment of the day, so just let me get ready and I can get you out of here!”
He nods softly trying not to focus the faint blush dusting his cheek as he sits down in a chair in the waiting room. He lets his eyes wander across the walls that have tattoo design samples sectioned by the tattooist who drew them up. He scans the photos of tattoos and sketches under Uraraka’s name. She had delicate flower designs which were a contrast to the gothic style of Jirou’s designs and the traditional japanese style that Todoroki specialized in. He didn’t have that long to ponder on the artists’ style differences because she was already calling him back.
He collected himself and made his way to the room they reserve for piercings. She was wearing gloves and was opening up the package that housed the needle. She waved him over to the bench he’s sat during his last appointments. Her voice chimed up and drew his attention back to her, but the memory of what she just said fled his mind as he took in their proximity. She was close, really close. Her full lips resting in a kind smile just below the piercing in her upper lip. She still had her hair pulled back in the bun from earlier though now how could see everything much closer. She had a minimalistic tattoo of a planet with some stars surrounding it on her collarbone.
“Shinsou?” She asked breaking out of his daze.
“Hm?” Shinsou met her eyes and hoped she didn’t have mind-reading superpowers. “Sorry, I didn't hear you. Guess I’m a little tired from work.” He reached a hand up to nervously scratch at the back of his head.
Uraraka’s smile softened.
“It’s alright. I asked if you were getting your daith this time?” Her head tilts subtly to the side, which gave her the appearance of an innocent puppy. His heart nearly stopped at the sight.
“Oh, yes, I am.” He felt his face heat up again when she stepped closer to begin disinfecting the strip of cartilage.
“You know some people believe this piercing helps with migraines.” She casually conversed as if he were a friend of hers. “I personally haven’t noticed any difference, but then again I’m not prone to them myself.”
Shinsou sighed gently, “I’ll have to let you know how well it works.”
He made sure he kept his head still so she wouldn’t have to readjust him when it was time for her to pierce.
She chuckled lightly at his response. It was a nice sound and though it wasn't very loud, it reverberated through his mind like a shout in a canyon.
“You will when you come back.” She picked up the needle and moved to get right up close to his ear. “Maybe for a tattoo next?”
Shinsou had to resist the chill it sent down his spine. Her tone had a teasing edge to it. Wait, was she flirting with him?
“Well, you ready?” She lined up the needle to the inner piece of cartilage on his ear. He nodded in response prompting her countdown and right on ‘one’ he feels the sharp stab of the needle piercing his cartilage. She swaps the needle for the jewelry and cleans the blood from the area. “There you go!”
Uraraka tossed the needles in a hazardous waste box. She hands him a pamphlet on care instructions for the piercing.
Shinsou takes the offered pamphlet, which he is slowly growing a collection of in his apartment and pats it against the palm of his hand as if to jolt himself to act.
“Could I walk you home?” He blurts without much thought, his outburst catching himself off guard his heart racing at the anxiety of her coming answer.
Uraraka looked at him surprised for a second, her naturally pink cheeks seemed to darken slightly before she responded.
“Oh, um, Yes. I- I still have to close up the rest of the shop so, I’ll meet you in the cafe next to the flower shop.”
Shinsou nodded, “Would you want anything?” He offers.
“Oh! No,” Uraraka shook her head and waved her hands nervously, “You don’t have to get me anything.”
Shinsou smiled softly and nodded once more before exiting the shop so she could close up.
By the time she was finished he was standing outside the cafe with two to go cups in a carrier. He waved to her with his free hand, as she locked the door. When she was closer, he took out one of the cups and held it out to her.
“I told you not to get me anything.” she scolded softly. She took the cup gently into her hands as if it were made of glass.
“I know, but it was cold and when it's cold I get a hot chocolate for Eri and I. So I guess you could say it's subconscious now.” Shinsou said as an excuse, though it wasn’t that cold outside it was only late fall. He really just wanted to get her something and he wasn’t sure what kind of pastry she’d like.
“Thank you, Shinsou,” She said softly, before she turned and began their walk.
They walked in silence for a while before Uraraka broke it.
“Eri is your sister, right? You talk about your sister during the appointment sometimes, but I haven’t heard you say her name until now.”
Shinsou looked up at one of the taller buildings in town, as his thoughts wandered to his younger sister. “Yeah, we were both adopted by our dads. I was an infant when I was adopted but Eri was adopted when she was four. He was her social worker and took her in as a foster child. Then she developed an attachment to us by the time she was able to be adopted and we couldn’t imagine life without her in it. So, Dad and Pa put in paperwork to adopt her.”
Shinsou thought back to the first time his dad brought Eri home, he was dealing with his own bouts of depression and puberty hormones. Though, the moment he saw Eri looking so frail in his Dad’s arms, he felt something pull in his heart. To this day he would do anything that little girl wanted, she had him tightly wound around his finger and she knew it too.
Uraraka gave him a soft look and placed a hand on his bicep, “It sounds like you two are really close.”
Shinsou snorted at the statement, really close was an understatement.
“I dressed as a prince for Halloween three years in a row because she wanted to be a princess.”
Uraraka choked to hold back the laughter that bubbled up in her throat. Shinsou looked at her amused with a smile plastered on his face.
“Go ahead, you can laugh. I was and still am a sucker for her. The worst part was all she had to say was ‘Pwease, ‘Toshi’ to have me putty in her hands again.”
“Man, you really are a sucker,” Ochako teased while she took a sip of her drink.
“Hey, you will be too when you meet her,” Shinsou defended, not really thinking of the implication of the when.
“When? Does she want to get her ears pierced too?” Uraraka questioned her pink cheeks slightly darkened in shade.
Shinso shook his head and began trying to figure out how to proceed with this. “She’s already got her ears pierced. I got my first set of lobes with her.”
Uraraka gave him a look like he said something strange. “Then, why would you say-”
Shinsou stopped walking and turned his head to meet her eyes.
“Would you like to go to dinner with me sometime?”
Uraraka’s face darkened its pink tint significantly. “...I’m free tonight.”
Shinsou can’t help the smile that spread across his face so wide his face felt like it would split. “How’s ramen sound? My treat.”
Uraraka’s smile mirrored his own.
“That sounds perfect.”