﹙ 💭 ﹚reno ichikawa x f!reader ⸝⸝ yearning, flirting and puppy love?? reno is a dedicated man 🤷♀️ (potentially ooc, not proofread)
forewarning ─── reader is lowkey cold bcs she has problems w showing emotions, and she's also a little in denial of someone actually falling for her. mentions towards the death of a family member. be warned, reckless and suicidal tendencies in the reader’s behavior. for the sake of the story, reader is described as athletic/built. btw im lowk inexperienced when writing yearning ;( also i was listening to “my way of life” by frank sinatra while writing this, highly recommend u do that too (honestly this is so old, i finished it months ago and just found it again, thinking of a part 2 tho)
disclaimer ─── this fanfic is for entertainment purposes only. the use of this text for ai model training, data mining, commercial purposes or any automated reproduction is strictly prohibited without my (the author's) explicit consent. translating or reposting to other platforms is also strictly forbidden without my permission.
How could you be, when Kaijus have become a common sight for you? Not because you were a JAKDF officer, not yet, but because you learned to analyze and move instead of staying stuck with one problem.
Many people thought that ignoring a botheration would make it disappear. That the less you acknowledged it, the more it would cower into nothingness.
You learned very early on that it was never that easy. So, you trained. Because lying in wait wouldn’t bring back your sister from her grave. But neither would fighting, you knew.
The closer you got to death, the closer you got to her.
That’s why you threw yourself into battle, eyes focused front with your heart pounding in your chest.
The suit fit like a second skin, your finger resting on the trigger of the gun. It was an unfamiliar weight that you welcomed, even if this was just an exam and your acceptance into the force wasn’t confirmed. You would keep trying until you couldn’t.
Couldn’t stand, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t live.
Reno Ichikawa, on the other hand, was dumbfounded. He couldn’t understand your disregard for your own safety. That confusion sprouted from you jumping into the mouth of Kaiju after pushing him out of the way.
He stood to close, still nervous in the first moments of the exam, eyes darting left and right with hand shaking.
A shadow threw over his figure, the sunlight outlining a Yoju. Then, a push. A call. “Move!”
His back met the floor, and the last thing he saw was you, one of your feet slotted between the teeth and muscle of the creature as you pushed yourself forward.
Its mouth closed around you. A deafening silence surrounded the area, the smell of fresh blood and steel still occupying every corner you walked. All of a sudden, a voice. Muffled, but loud enough to be heard from inside the Yoju. Unleashed power: 40%
A ringing filled the quiet, organs flying like a wave. It rained purple, the iron smell of the flesh becoming clear and nauseating.
You stood, unbound and unaffected by what you had just done, weapon strapped to you and the thin pin of a grenade stuck between two of your fingers.
In that moment, he had believed you were born to fight. Born to protect. And so much further than him.
Your head turned to the side, eyes not betraying your appearance. Sharp and calculating. “Keep moving, Ichikawa. There’s no use for people who freeze.”
It was harsh, but true. He couldn’t afford to fail this and lose his opportunity.
When he found out you were accepted, something in him was proud.
It didn’t surprise him that you were, with the stunt that you pulled off and survived. But what he did notice was you pulling away.
Straying away from crowds, avoiding conversations and training alone. You were closed off, never entering the space of another and never letting someone do the same to you.
He took it as his chance to approach you.
Your chest heaved, sweat dripping down the side of your face as you stopped in your tracks, taking the moment to breathe.
Your palms settled on your knees, spine arched in as your sight began to blur. From exhaustion or the sweat dropping into your eyes, you couldn’t tell. You always pushed too far when your head was too loud.
“Here,” a shadow fell over you from your left, a water bottle entering your vision as you felt your throat dry.
Your hands clenched, eyebrows furrowing as you tilted your head up, (e/c) hues meeting a soft purple-lavender wrapped in sunlight. The boy you pushed, you remember. “No offense, but you look like you could use it.”
Pushing yourself to stand straight again you accepted the bottle, twisting the cap open and taking multiple gulps. He took the soundless space as his shot to speak. “I wanted to thank you for saving me back then.”
You only hummed in response, glancing at him as you drank. Wiping the dampness from your forehead you scanned him from head to toe, studying him. Awkward silence wove between you, your heavy breaths becoming a quieting sensation.
“Um,” he sweat-dropped, “I know it’s not my place to ask, but why do you never hang out with the other girls or generally anyone?”
You paused at his question. If I get close again, they’ll die, you wanted to say. I carry so much bad luck with me. But you couldn’t bring yourself to. “It’s not your place to ask.” Had you always been so mean?
Of course not. When Emiko was alive, you made sure to share whatever you had with her. A flower crown, your lunch, a camera. She tethered you to this world until fate decided you’ve become too dependent.
He gulped, nodding hastily. “Of course. I just think none of us are necessarily bad, if that’s what you’re scared of. I’m sure Kafka and and Kikoru wouldn’t mind if you joined us for dinner at a ramen shop tonight? Only if you want to though!”
Your eyes didn’t stray from his own, the water he offered now resting lazily in your hold, reminding you of the situation. He was trying. Out of all the other in-training-officers, he was the only one to attempt and become closer with you.
What if you hadn’t saved him? He would’ve failed the exam. He could’ve died. But you didn’t let that happen. Even if you hadn’t, would he still have approached you like he did now?
Emiko would’ve liked him.
“Fine,” you broke your thoughts with verbal response, screwing the drink shut and brushing past him. “But I don’t plan to stay for long.”
You didn’t linger long enough to hear his answer, continuing your jog.
Showering beforehand, you threw on casual clothes, baggy jeans and a shirt, before stepping out of your dorm, coming face-to-face with Kikoru Shinomiya.
Awkward silence followed. Again.
You were well aware of her heritage and skill, far above any trainee. By calculation, you’re certain she would leave her mark on the world. You didn’t bother to understand what you appeared like in the eyes of others, but you knew too you weren’t far behind her.
“You finally look normal for once,” you tilted your head at her words, pocketing your phone and wallet. “Normal?”
“Yeah,” she hummed, beginning to walk after you closed your door. “You always just look tense in that suit. If you weren’t as talented as you are, I would’ve told you straight up that it isn’t made for you.”
The rumors do her justice then. Bold and straightforward, confident in her skill, but even she sometimes pushes her limits too far.
“So, was that an insult or?” Your words trailed off, walking side by side with her. “Back-handed compliment.”
You recognized it. The layer of protection that she coated over herself like a silk cloak that bore her name, the refusal to let others see that she cares deeply. It felt like looking in a mirror.
Dinner felt loose with the three of them. Not the kind that had you hanging on for more, but the kind that had you realize the moment you’re in. Sitting bathed in the gentle orange hue of the ceiling lamps, laughter soft with the air light, yet full of conversations that seemed endless.
You found yourself smiling again, glancing down at your bowl of ramen with something akin to reminiscence. This is what authors wrote about when hearing friendship, the moment people thought about when meeting their friends, the memories elders look back at when storytelling.
There was a nudge at your right side, soft and reminding, but not with force. Reno’s eyes met your own before they fell onto your lips, “Are you alright?”
Your ears drowned out Kafka and Kikoru as they argued, may that have been about battle strategy or personal vendettas they had grown for another, your focus shifted.
It was a simple question, not intruding or trying to make sense of your emotion with knowledge. Simply asking. And your eyes softened. “Never better.”
From then on, Reno’s presence seemed to haunt your own, a quiet shadow that became light in your routines. You would encounter him in the halls, training area and outside the building. Though your meetings were always inevitable.
He never intruded, never came to close and never forced words out of you, he simply stayed in the silence you excused as acquaintance.
You learned his shape and he learned your silence. You read his body language, calculating his thoughts while he waited for your words, observing you. He became a constant.
You shared hollow pants in a room full of gear, you advising and guiding him to find his own fighting style. When you suggested he changed his bullets to a different material, a crystal blue of ice, he mocked you with a grin. “I thought there was no use for people who freeze.”
“Dangerous game you’re playing.” You retorted.
You stood up from where you sat on the floor, feet padding lightly as you made your way to stand and stop in front of him, your breath mixing with his. His eyes were still annoyingly beautiful, unwavering. “I don’t lose.”
He smiled, the corners of his mouth crinkling slightly, “I know.”
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