atrament. (mha x reader)

1: Prelude

It was a perfect summer day when you had first gotten your quirk. The cool breeze and warm sun kissed your face as you lay at the bottom of a steep hill, your best friend Kaori laying beside you. Earthly scents of the grass and the nearby river drifted sleepily into the air, and although you were barely 4 years old, you couldn't be happier.

The girl beside you rolled onto her side, now facing you, grinning widely and gazing into your eyes with childish wonder. Your cheeks heated up a bit and you smiled back, shyly averting your eyes and holding her hand. For an instant, although it seemed like an eternity, you were suspended in bliss. There was nothing but you, and her, and the fresh scents and sights around you.

And then, the hand you were holding started to fade away. 

Kaori looked at her handless arm with shock and fear, and there was a tense silence. She finally snapped out of her frigid state and let out a bloodcurdling scream, standing up. Your eyes widened and you trembled, your stomach wrenching and lungs contracting as you bolted up. 

"K-Kaori?!"

You reached out to her arm desperately with your other hand, this time covering it in a murky, almost ink-like liquid. It splattered onto her clothes and face, making her scream once again, drawing back from you. 

"G-GET AWAY FROM ME, Y/N! YOU'RE A VILLAIN!"

Your breathing quickened and your vision swam, blurred shapes and colors dancing around you. "I-I'm not a villain, I swear! Kao-"

"MAMA!! MAMA!!" Kaori wailed and started to sprint away from you, her pink clogs catching onto the grass and causing her to fall. You dashed over to her, tears dripping out of your eyes, and reached a hand out to help her up. The little girl turned her head and screamed again, scrambling away.

"GET AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!!" 

A shriek resonated from above you, causing you to flinch. You turned your head slowly to be met with the sight of Kaori's mother and the townspeople gathered on the top of the hill. Mortified expressions painted their faces, their eyes filled with outrage and fear. 

"I-I didn't mean to-!" Tears spilled down your already messy face, your breathing on the verge of hyperventilation. A couple of older men charged down the hill towards you, tackling and pinning you to the ground. As your face was planted in the dirt and the grass, which now felt razor sharp and uninviting, a series of muffled voices greeted your ears, all distorted with panic and hysteria. Stares of hatred pierced into you. Everyone's voices threw out the same accusations: "You...you...you..." 

Yes, it was you. You, a toddler, who could barely understand or cope with the situation presented at hand. But none of the adults, teenagers, or children gathered in the convicting circle around you cared.

It was almost like...

...They saw you as nothing more than a villain.

✧ ▬▭▬ ▬▭▬ ✦✧✦ ▬▭▬ ▬▭▬ ✧

You woke up to a hand gently caressing your forehead. The cool touch of a wedding ring tapped against you as the hand moved, and you looked up to see the face of your stepmother, Sakura. She beamed down at you, patting the top of your head, and hopped up from the side of your bed. 

"Good morning, Y/N. Time for your first day of school!"

You sighed groggily and sat up, pinching and rubbing the bridge of your nose. "I don't wanna go..."

Sakura puffed her cheeks out and huffed, grabbing your arm and dragging you out of bed. "You're going whether you like it or not, kiddo. You gotta have an education. Plus, you still want to be a hero, right?"

You looked up at her and nodded slowly, letting out a snort. Sakura was always extremely diligent about your studies and school, considering she was a pro hero herself. And now that you had gotten into U.A., she was going to be even more of a pain in your ass about it. You didn't hate her for it, though. It was just how she was.

And you secretly hoped that one day, you would be a hero like her.

Sakura's smile returned to her face and she ruffled your hair, letting go of your arm and bouncing over to the kitchen. "I made breakfast! Get dressed and don't forget your gloves, 'kay?" 

You nodded and sighed heavily, rolling out of bed and grabbing the carbon fiber gloves resting on your nightstand. You threw on your new uniform soon afterwards, smiling a bit as you buttoned up the jacket. You liked the way it looked: gray with teal details, not too flashy, but not too plain. However, the worst part of dressing was yet to come. You fumbled with your tie, groaning with frustration. Those goddamn gloves made it too hard to move your hands in.

"Dumbass tie..."

Sakura popped her head around the corner, then walked in, snickering. "C'mere, you dope."

Your face flushed with embarrassment as she tied your tie for you, her voice lilting softly as she hummed. You pouted teasingly as she straightened the annoying piece of fabric, watching as she stepped back and admired her handiwork. 

"Could've done it myself, y'know."

"Ohhhh sure, you shithead, now shut up and get into the kitchen." Sakura joked lightheartedly, laughing and shoving you into the hallway. You laughed along with her, the scent of fresh pancakes gently taking hold of your senses. You really had nothing to complain about. Nothing at all. At this moment, you felt like you were glowing.

You wished that every day could be this carefree.