I just started Housamo recently and I've fallen in love with the characters! So you can imagine how thrilled I am to see someone is writing phenomenal headcanons and scenarios for them~. To that end, I'd like to request a scenario: Shiro and Toji (sperately) where they hear a loud CRACK, and when they turn around, they see a dent in the wall and the MC shaking out their hand. And the MC just blankly stares down at their hand and says "Oh, sorry, I just wanted to make sure I was still...here"
Heyya glad to hear that you're having fun with the game!! And dfghjhgf thank you so much I'm honestly chuffed to think that anyone considers them phenomenal dfgfd
some good ol comfort is certainly needed and I am happy to provide~!
Staying behind to clean up classrooms wasn’t your idea of an exciting evening, and really, if you could have, you probably wouldn’t even be here in the first place. Had anyone other than Shiro asked you to stay behind and help you might have said no, but when the bespeckled right-hand man of your guild had asked you for your help cleaning things up you were embarrassed at how fast you’d jumped to agree.
It had taken longer than either of you had anticipated; the sun is starting to wane on the horizon by the time the last of the cleanup is finished, casting the classroom in a deep orange tinge that sweeps across the room with its dull glow. You’d taken the initiative to help him carry the supplies back to the storage room, though you find yourself distracted as you trail just behind him, only half listening to his muted chatter till you reach your destination. Shiro doesn’t notice that your thoughts are elsewhere as he disappears into the storeroom, unaware that your footsteps have slowed down to a crawl, eventually coming to a half and falling behind entirely.
Shiro lets out a relieved sigh as he finishes stashing away the last of the cleaning equipment, tucking a few remaining cloths into their respective places as he turns around to address you.
“There we go. Thanks again for staying behind to help me out with…huh?” He’s greeted by an empty doorway and quickly grows confused when he doesn’t spot you in the immediate vicinity. He swears you were just behind him a second ago…
The sudden noise is sharp, making Shiro jump clearly startled by the thud, and he darts out of the storeroom looking around for the source of the noise. He doesn’t need to go far, and looking to his right Shiro finds you static to the side of the hallway a few paces away from where you’d stopped. You’re shaking out your hand, though you don’t even spare it a glance as you stare off to the side, clearly lost in your thoughts.
“H-Hey, is everything okay!?” The question comes out on instinct, but it gains your attention.
At that, your eyes flicker to face Shiro, and for the first time he notices that they’re unfocused as though you’re physically present but somewhere else mentally. For a split second it’s as though you’re looking straight through him, and there’s an unconscious chill that shoots down his spine as how distant your expression is, a far cry from the usual vibrancy that you exude.
Then just like that you’re back, blinking as though you’re seeing your companion for the first time before a smile crosses your face. “Oh. Sorry, Shiro, just wanted to make sure I was…” you trail off, smile faltering in the wake of weighing the thoughts in your head for the right word, finishing with a quiet “here…I guess.”
There’s no hiding his concern. Shiro’s never been one who’s been able to mask how he worries over you and your safety; yet there’s something about this compared to the other times that’s different. Before, he was just worried about you running off into danger, about your physical wellbeing; this time the issue is something below the surface, something you haven’t opened up about before.
That concern only deepens when he catches something dripping from your fingers.
Shiro quickly closes the space, taking hold of your hand and pulling it up so that he can get a better look. Sure enough, the impact of the punch had split the skin of a few of your knuckles, and blood smears along the back of your hand, thankfully not enough to be serious; and yet Shiro still panics, brows furrowing upon taking in the sight of what you’ve done to yourself. For a beat you watch him, only half registering the pain that blossoms across your knuckles before you shrug.
“Oh. Whoops.” The response is despondent, and at the tone of your voice he visibly bristles, frustration finally bubbling to the surface as he blurts out.
“You’re bleeding. What the hell were you thinking?!” there’s a harsh edge to his voice as he scolds you, turning your hand this way and that to assess the extent of the damage. By the time he’s reassured himself that the injury is minimal his head snaps up to give you a glare, though it simmers away the moment he spots the genuinely guilty look in your eyes.
“I’m sorry.” The apology comes out as a low mutter, and Shiro’s taken aback by just how quiet you are as you cast your eyes down to your hand, giving your fingers an experimental flicker “I just needed to do something to prove I was still…me, you know? That I had some sort of control over what I do, even if it’s to myself.”
Your words give Shiro pause, your name slipping from his lips as he stares up into your face trying to gauge the emotion that he finds there. There’s a solemnness in your expression, but there’s also frustration - towards yourself or something else he has no idea, but it’s clearly weighing heavy on your mind even if you won’t open up about it. He has to admit that there’s a part of him that’s hurt you won’t tell him what’s troubling you, though he can take a few guesses over what it could be given everything the pair of you have been through together. But he’s not going to force the topic, instead taking a slow, steady breath to level his head before speaking.
“Let’s just get you cleaned up.”
Glancing away from your hand you visibly perk up, head cocking to the side confused at the reassuring smile that he’s now giving you. “What? But I’m fine, it’s not even that bad!”
“Oh, really?” as if to prove a point he presses ever so slightly on your knuckles, giving you an ‘I told you so’ look at the sour twist in your expression from the dull throb of pain.
“Ow, okay, okay, fine - maybe it’s a little bad. But really you don’t need to worry so much Shiro.”
“I’m your friend, it's my job to worry about you.” he shoots back, though there’s a now joking tone to his voice when he adds “And you sure love giving me things to worry about.”
For the moment you find yourself smiling at that, giving him a chuckle of your own. “Guess I can’t deny that - guess that’s why I’m so lucky to have you looking out for me!”
Shiro fumbles at such simple praise, and that only makes you laugh even more, slipping your hand out of his grasp to give him a clap on the back. The tension from earlier is far from gone, and there’s a part of you that knows that this particular discussion is far from over; however you allow yourself to enjoy it for now, if only to help further reaffirm that you’re here to experience this moment.
Your mind is your worst enemy. Every doubt, negative thought, and burning question blooms and festers there; and when left unchecked and unresolved it inevitably comes back to haunt you. You’ve always dealt with it the same way, knowing no other way to handle the uncertain feelings rearing their ugly heads. Sure, it isn’t the healthiest of coping mechanisms, but it gets the job done, even if it is at the cost of some broken drywall and occasional dented furniture.
The resounding CRACK reverberates around the quiet of the room, and no sooner has your fist slammed against the wall you’re retracting your hand, shaking off the blossoming pain with a hiss. It hurts, but it’s reaffirming - it helps you feel like you’re still present, still here enough to feel the pain. And that’s what you were looking for - that reminder.
You’re still shaking off the pain as you turn away, giving your hand a blank stare before you move to keep going. Only to leap back with a shout once you come face to face to Toji, who’s stood in the doorway with a flabbergasted look with shopping bags still looped along his arms from where he’d been carrying them in.
“Oh shi- dammit Toji you scared the hell out of me-”
“What kind of foolishness are you getting involved in now?” He doesn’t hesitate in cutting you off, looking visibly confused and exasperated as he glances between you and the impressive scuff that you’ve left on the wall. You can already feel the incoming lecture coming in over damaging guild property and how Shiro will have your head for cracking the plaster, so you’re quick to dismiss his concerns.
“Oh, that? Nothing, really.” you shrug off his worries with a nonchalant wave of your hand. “You know how it is - just making sure that I’m still here and all-”
This time you’re the one to cut yourself off, slapping a hand across your mouth when you realize the words that have just come out of your mouth. But it’s a second too late, and you just know that you’ve put your foot in it when Toji parrots your last few words back to you, the frustration making way for an emotion that’s both perplexed and something else as the swordsman regards you. He’s trying to glean what you mean from a glance, and you’re uncomfortable under the sudden attention, shoving your hands into your pockets as you backtrack. “I-I mean, well, doesn’t everyone worry about that from time to time? Sure maybe I was a little extreme about it, but it’s fine. I can just fix the wall and we can forget this ever happened!”
Toji gives you a hard stare for a few moments longer, and you fidget even further. Was it always this hot in here? You feel like you’re about to start sweating when he finally breaks away, shaking his head in a disapproving gesture as he steps off to the side.
“And here I’d assumed your recklessness had its limits. It seems I was wrong”
“Ouch, thanks for the kind words as usual, Toji.” The witty retort comes naturally, though you do admit that it hurts a little to hear the dismissal in his tone.
Wordlessly he shrugs off the bags that he’s carrying, depositing them in a neat pile to the side for the moment before he turns back to face you. And then, just like that, he’s crossing the room not once stopping until you’re face to face, and you let out a sharp “Hey!” when he reaches down to tug your hand out of your pocket, fingers closing around your wrist as he holds up the fist that you’d used to punch the wall just minutes before. Toji’s gaze slides over the limb, clicking his tongue at the red hue to your knuckles and the back of your fingers. They’re no doubt going to bruise, but thankfully you’re none the worse for wear - though from the look on your face it's clear that you don’t even care that it could have been worse, and that lights up a fire behind his next words.
“Good. You were lucky not to break the skin.” Toji grumbles this mostly to himself, and you have to fight not to wrench your hand from his grip not used to the sudden contact.
“Oi, what do you think you’re-”
“You shouldn’t be hurting yourself for the sake of feeling present.” he snaps, and just like that any angry remark you were going to make dies on your tongue. When he senses that you aren’t going to butt in again, Toji continues, angling your hand so that you can see the angry red marks scuffing the back of it.
“There are better ways to prove your existence; and despite what you may believe, tearing yourself apart isn’t going to give you the relief that you’re looking for for long.”
These should have been obvious, and a part of you knows that what he’s saying is true. But it still strikes something in your chest, something that feels almost uncomfortable to even think about. The serious tone in his voice only makes it hit harder, and your mouth suddenly feels dry as you tear your eyes away from your hand to look at him, not knowing what to say. Usually you’re the one with plenty to say, but this time it looks as though your companion’s the one to give you some words, no matter how blunt his manner may be.
“Should you ever need another reminder, then come to me; I’ll be happy to show you that you’re here as many times as it takes for that fact to take root.”
“Toji…” there’s an odd twist in your chest as you mull his words over in your head, batting them against the negative thoughts that have been taking root there as of late. You weren’t expecting that to come from him of all people, and honestly you aren’t sure how to process what he’s telling you just yet. So you respond the only way you know how, flashing him a somewhat nervous grin.
“That’s so sweet. But your grip’s getting a bit tight there buddy.”
And like you’ve flipped a switch the moment’s broken, and Toji immediately drops your hand. Stepping back he puts some distance between you and grumbling to himself about not wanting to repeat himself again and how he hopes you’ve taken heed of his advice. What makes him stop is the smile you give him, flashing a thumbs up.
“Seriously though, thank you, Toji; I’ll have to take you up on it next time.”
That seems to placate him, and he gives you a curt nod satisfied with your response before returning back to his task before he’d walked in. This time you’re the one to help him, trailing behind to take some of the bags off of his hands as you aid him in carrying them further inside.