Work Text:
Spinner had never had many friends. Hell, he’d never had any friends really.
Society had rejected him simply because of how he looked, and no one around him looked the same. He had never met another mutant quirk user outside of the internet and had never really bonded with anyone over text. They had all tried bonding over being mutant quirk users, but Spinner didn’t want that. He didn’t want to be defined by something he hated.
Except for one person. One person who hadn’t cared about his quirk at all when they met. Who didn’t bother asking him about it.
A single person who didn’t make his quirk a big deal.
HandsforOnE68, or Hands, as he dubbed him, was someone he’d met over discord, being on the same server for an indie game they both liked and they had bonded fast, having similar tastes in other games and such.
They had kept it on discord for a few months before their schedules lined up and they were able to play together. Hands was constantly busy, training and studying with his sensei as he called him.
He was too nervous to tell him about his quirk, ignoring the topic, it’s not like Hands had cared anyways, until a particularly dark night.
He remembered it all too well.
Spinner had had the audacity of going out of his house to get food. A new chain restaurant had opened nearby and he was craving fast food, but the delivery was too expensive so he’d gone out. Hoping his hood, his mask and his gloves would spare him from being seen, but when was he ever that lucky?
He had gotten his food without much fanfare, but had knocked into someone coming out of the restaurant, dropping his food all over himself when he fell back. His hood also falling backwards and revealing his skin to the outside world.
The other had bent down to help him, offering a hand, only to recoil in disgust when they had seen his face.
The face that had been friendly a second ago was now twisted in anger and fear.
“Don’t touch me, scaley! What if I catch whatever illness you have!” They screeched at him, grabbing the attention of the restaurant’s other occupants. “Just go crawl in a hole and stay there, disgusting mutant freak!”
Spinner wasn’t carrying any illnesses. He got checked at the hospital regularly to make sure he wasn’t a threat to other people as was requested by the government.
But he knew protesting would be useless.
So he sat, frozen on the ground, shirt dripping in soda and food grease, just waiting for the other party to get bored throwing insults at him so he could leave.
He ended up getting permanently banned from the restaurant for causing a commotion.
He got back home, shirt still uncomfortably damp and sticky. He didn’t even bother taking a shower, instead curling up in his bed feeling empty.
He didn’t know how long he stayed there until he heard the all too familiar ping of his phone.
HandsforOnE68: hey, wanna play some SoT?
He stared at the notification, debating whether he should or not. On one hand, he really wanted to play and it would take his mind off things, but on the other, he felt like he didn’t deserve to have a good time with his friend. Especially when the other didn’t even know what he was talking to. A disgusting, terrifying monster that shouldn’t even exist.
Scalingwallstoyourmom: idk Hands,, kinda tired tonight
He closed his phone, not thinking he’d get an answer. Or maybe a simple acknowledgement and message that Hands would go play with someone else instead.
HandsforOnE68: is everything ok?
The message was so simple. So so so simple.
Yet, it reached Spinner.
No one had ever asked him if he was okay. No one cared.
He almost lied. He almost said that everything was fine. Almost.
Scalingwallstoyourmom: I’m just tired of being a monster.
He regretted sending it as soon as he hit the button. What if Hands left him? What if he also thought Spinner was a monster? Would he be able to deal with it?
He heard a ping before his thoughts spiraled any further.
HandsforOnE68: Have you ever killed anyone?
Spinner blanked.
Scalingwallstoyourmom: What?
HandsforOnE68: Have you ever killed anyone, scales?
Spinner’s breath hitched at the nickname. So close to the insult he was spat at earlier that day and yet, yet so warm.
Scalingwallstoyourmom: No
HandsforOnE68: Then you’re less of a monster than I am
Spinner blanked again.
Had…. Had Hands committed murder?!?! He stared at his phone, not knowing what to say.
Strangely, he found he didn’t really care that Hands had killed someone before.
It didn’t change the fact that he had cared.
Spinner looked back down at his phone, about to answer that murder didn’t make his friend a monster, but the only thing that came out was this:
Scalingwallstoyourmom: Well at least you’re human.
Spinner held his breath as he stared at the screen, watching Hands type and stop and type and stop and type before he couldn’t take it anymore.
Scalingwallstoyourmom: I’m an abomination.
HandsforOnE68: Well then you’re an abomination and I literally turn people to dust.
HandsforOnE68: Wanna play SoT?
Spinner had almost cried. Almost.
Scalingwallstoyourmom: Sure.
They had continued being friends, Spinner ignoring how his heart fluttered whenever he thought of his friend.
It was a year or so later that Spinner had been unable to contain himself and had confessed to his friend. He was worried the other would be disgusted by his feelings and would shun him, but he had replied positively and the two had started dating. As unlikely as a relationship between them would be, especially since they had never even seen each other.
Spinner was happy.
There were definitely things he was still unhappy about, but at least he had someone on his side.
He hadn’t really thought back to the conversation they’d had about his quirk. Well, he thought about how Hands didn’t care he was a monster, but casually forgot that Hands had admitted to being a criminal.
Until he joined the League of Villains.
Stain’s video had ignited a passion in him to change society for the better and he had researched different forums online and found out the hero killer had been part of a group.
He had dug around some more and found Giran who could act as a link between him and that group and immediately reached out to him to set up a meeting.
He hadn’t told his boyfriend about becoming a villain, only that he may not be able to go online for a while because of a new project.
He met up with Giran who brought him to a shady bar with a Misty barman at the counter, an emo looking guy drinking in one of a stool next to a schoolgirl who seemed to try her best to piss him off and a guy with a hand on his face sat over a console on a worn out couch.
Giran cleared his throat and suddenly everyone’s eyes were on him.
“Shigaraki,” The Broker said, addressing the man on the couch, “This is Spinner, he’s here to join the League.”
Spinner waved awkwardly at the group of people staring at him, becoming very very aware of his mutant body. He resisted the urge to hunch over on himself, not wanting to appear weak in front of people who would definitely end him if he showed any sign of hesitation.
Shigaraki stood up and walked towards him, extending a hand towards Spinner.
“Nice to meet you.” He cracked a smile under the hand on his face and his eyes had a slightly deranged look in them.
Spinner wondered why he found it attractive but decided not to dwell on it.
Spinner was about to reach out and shake his hand when a voice stopped him.
“Tomura Shigaraki.” The mist man said from his place behind the bar. “I don’t think Master would appreciate you turning one of your allies to dust.” He said, making Spinner take back his hand fast.
“Awwwwwwwwn” The schoolgirl whined, “But I wanted to see his blood” She complained, and he felt a shiver run down his spine.
“Shigaraki here disintegrates anything he touches with five fingers.” Giran supplied, not helping Spinner feel reassured at all.
Shigaraki tsked at the mist villain. “Kurogiri!” He complained, “You never let me have fun.”
Spinner hated how he still thought the man was cute.
“Sensei wouldn’t care if I dusted one or two of them.” He stated, matter of factly, before his hand started creeping closer to Spinner again.
Spinner’s mind was spinning. Was this really how he would die? Turned to dust by a villain without ever even making a single change in society? He felt frustrated, tears building slightly behind his eyes. He didn’t want to turn to dust. Not before doing anything.
Wait….. Dust? Sensei?
A man who was definitely a murderer, who literally turned people to dust and had an authority figure he called Sensei? And wore a hand on his face?
It couldn’t be.
Spinner wanted to laugh.
Shigaraki’s hand was inches away from his face now.
“Hands?” He said. Making Shigaraki freeze.
“You guys know each other?” Giran asked, looking between them confusedly.
Shigaraki retracted his hand fast, as if he’d been burned, surprising everyone around.
Red eyes squinted from behind the hand on his face.
“Scales?” He asked back, and Spinner could hear a hint of bewilderment and amazement in his voice.
He didn’t have time to say anything before Shigaraki’s hand grabbed his wrist, pinky finger carefully elevated so he wouldn’t turn to dust.
He was pulled through a hallway and dragged into a dark room, lit only by the faint glow of a computer screen.
The room was bare, but definitely not clean. It contained only a mattress that sat on the floor with a pillow and some covers thrown haphazardly over it, and a desk with a computer on it.
Spinner was shoved in and turned around to face Shigaraki.
“What the fuck are you doing here, Scales?” The man asked, something in his voice Spinner couldn’t quite place.
Spinner found himself unable to speak. He wanted to join the League. Even more now that he knew that Hands was part of it. But maybe Hands didn’t want him here. Maybe he was disgusted. Maybe he wanted to break up now that he had actually seen what kind of monster he was.
He felt his thoughts starting to spiral and his eyes started prickling dangerously.
He couldn’t cry. He wouldn’t let himself cry.
“Scales.” Hands growled, the sound low in his throat.
Spinner found himself freezing up even more, his breathing started to quicken and he hated himself for it.
Why did he come here? Why did he think he could change anything when he was just a freak.
“Scales!” Hands repeated again and Spinner’s attention was back on him in an instant.
“I just… I don’t know.” Spinner sighed defeatedly.
He looked back up at his boyfriend. His boyfriend he was meeting for the first time and had already disappointed.
Spinner stared into his face. Taking in every detail he could see behind the hand that was still placed in the middle of his face.
Hands’ eyes were fixed on him and Spinner could feel his gaze on his face. Looking at him. Seeing him.
He knew how to take a hint.
“I’ll… I’ll leave.” He said. Lowering his gaze to the floor. “And I understand if you don’t want to speak to me anymore.” He stubbornly blinked his tears away. He didn’t want to cry until he was alone.
He didn’t know where he would go, didn’t know what he would do. He was going to be alone now. With no one by his side.
“What?” He heard the other’s scratchy voice. “Why wouldn’t I want to talk to you anymore?” He asked, his voice taking an angry note at the accusation.
Spinner couldn’t bring himself to look at him. How could he not see? So Spinner repeated echoes of a past discussion.
“I’m a monster.” He stated. A fact. A simple fact he had heard from everyone who had seen his face.
A hand reached his face and Spinner closed his eyes. Now accepting his fate of becoming dust at his boyfriend’s hand.
Four fingers forced his face to look up. Into Hands’ eyes. The hand that had been on his face was now nowhere to be seen. He took in every new detail of the face he saw before him. From the scars to the beauty mark and admired every single part of it.
His eyes widened as dry lips touched his. Spinner’s arms flailed around in shock before clutching the black shirt Hands was wearing and he leaned into the kiss.
It wasn’t perfect or soft. Dried skin and scales didn’t make for soft kisses, but it was everything Spinner wanted and more. His eyes fluttered close and he pressed further into the kiss. It was clumsy and rough and Spinner wished it would go on forever.
Shigaraki pulled back and Spinner opened his eyes to gaze into red ones.
“You’re a monster and I literally turn people into dust.” He said. “I think we match rather well together.”