#shoji

"a different attitude with him..." 👀

(he's calling you gay, katsuki)

Tokoyamis feathers 🪶

ugh this boy has a soft spot in my heart now after that first fic. He does not get the love he deserves.

Synopsis: When your boyfriend seems stressed and overwhelmed, you are there to take care of him.

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Shoji had been quiet lately, quieter than usual, which was saying something. You’d gotten used to the calm that came with dating him, the steady presence, the gentle voice, the way he always made space for you in his life without ever needing to announce it. But the past week had been different. He’d returned from training each day with his shoulders tense, his jaw tight, and his extra arms pulled in close against him like he was trying to make himself smaller. Even his hugs had felt different; still warm, still sincere, but weighed down by something heavy.

Tonight was no different. He came through the dorm doors just after sunset, uniform damp with sweat, mask slightly untucked, his breathing still uneven like he had pushed himself harder than anyone asked him to.

“Welcome back,” you called softly from the couch, closing your laptop. “Rough day?”

His eyes flicked up but didn’t quite meet yours. “A little.” That meant a lot. Shoji didn’t complain. He didn’t vent. Half the time, he didn’t even admit when he was hurt. He just carried things. Too many things. You stood, crossing the room to him in a few steps. He always relaxed, even just a little, when you were close. “Want a shower first,” you asked gently, “or a hug first?”

He hesitated, chewing the inside of his cheek. Then: “Hug.”

You opened your arms, and he stepped into them like he’d been waiting all day for this exact moment. His regular arms wrapped around your waist, holding you firm against him; one of his duplicate arms rested lightly on your back like he was afraid of overwhelming you. You tightened your hold in response and felt him melt, just a fraction.

“You’re tense,” you murmured into his chest.

“Mhm.”

“Wanna talk about it?” Another pause. Longer.

Finally, he shook his head. “Not yet.” That was okay. You didn’t need the explanation to see the exhaustion etched into him. You slipped your hand down his arm and squeezed it. “Come on,” you said softly. “Sit with me.”

He followed you to the couch obediently, the way he always did when he was too tired to maintain the walls he usually kept up around others. He slumped down beside you, shoulders sagging, head dropping forward slightly like gravity suddenly felt stronger.

You curled up next to him, resting a hand on his knee. “Do you want me to help you relax, or do you want quiet?”

“Both?”

You smiled. “Lucky for you, I’m talented.” That got the faintest exhale of a laugh. Barely there, but it counted.

You shifted so you could face him fully. “Okay. Sit still.”

He blinked. “What are you-?”

You gently took his mask and undid it, placing it neatly beside you. His cheeks tinted the slightest bit pink. You weren’t sure he’d ever get used to being cared for like this. Then you reached up and touched his jaw, your thumb brushing softly along the side. “Let me help, Shoji.” He swallowed, then leaned into your touch.

You moved behind him and placed your hands on his broad shoulders. Even through his shirt, he was tense, solid muscle tight with strain.

“Jeez,” you murmured, “did you fight a building today or something?”

“Close enough.” You dug your thumbs gently into the knots near his neck, working slow circles. He inhaled sharply, then let out a long, shaky breath that sounded like he’d been holding it for days. His shoulders dropped under your hands, just a little.

“That’s it,” you whispered. “You do so much. Let me take care of you.”

One of his extra arms reached up, fingers brushing your knee, a quiet thank-you. You continued massaging, loosening the hard knots, easing the tension you could practically feel vibrating in him. Shoji wasn’t the type to ask for comfort, but he always accepted it when it came from you.

After several minutes, he murmured, “You don’t have to do all this.”

“I know,” you said gently. “I want to.”

He turned his head slightly toward you. His voice was low, almost embarrassed. “I haven’t been the best partner lately.”

You paused your hands. “Shoji.”

“I’ve been distracted. Tired. Irritable. I don’t want to dump stress on you.”

“You’re not dumping anything,” you said immediately, sliding around to face him again. “You’re allowed to be stressed. You’re allowed to struggle. You’re allowed to let me in.” His eyes softened, only a bit, but enough.

“You carry everything alone,” you continued quietly. “Your responsibilities. Your fears. Your expectations for yourself. You never want to burden anyone.” He looked away. That meant you were right.

You reached for his hand and laced your fingers with his. “You never burden me. Ever. You being stressed isn’t a failure. It’s human.” He hesitated, then squeezed your hand, gentle but firm.

“It’s been a lot lately,” he admitted quietly. “I feel like I’m not improving fast enough. Like I need to work harder. Do more.”

Your heart tightened. “Shoji, you can’t give more when you’re already giving everything.”

When he didn’t respond, you leaned forward and pressed your forehead to his. He let out a slow breath against your lips.

“You’re enough,” you whispered. “Even when you’re tired. Even when you’re not perfect. Even when you’re stressed. You’re still enough.”

One of his dupli-arms gently cupped your cheek, thumb brushing tenderly across your skin. “You always know what to say.”

“That’s because I love you.” Your voice was soft, but steady. True.

He froze, only for a heartbeat, then his shoulders eased. “I love you too.” His words came out weighted, like he was handing them to you carefully, reverently. You smiled and leaned up to kiss him. Slow, warm, grounding. Shoji kissed back just as gently, one arm wrapping securely around your waist, another hand settling on the back of your head. He always held you like you were precious. Like he trusted you with all of him.

When you pulled away, you brushed his bangs aside. “Let me cheer you up a little more?”

“What’d you have in mind?” he murmured.

You grinned. “Tea, blankets, cuddling until neither of us can feel our legs.”

He huffed a quiet laugh. “That… actually sounds perfect. Can I shower first?” You nod your head, and he presses a kiss to your forehead, a small smile on his face as he leaves. You wait, and when he comes back about ten minutes later, you grab every blanket in reach, practically burying the two of you in a warm cocoon. Shoji stretched out on the couch, and you curled against his chest, fitting under his arm like you were made to be there. One of his extra arms tucked the blanket around you more securely.

“Thank you,” he whispered into your hair.

“For what?”

“For staying. For seeing me. For this.”

You snuggled closer. “Always. You don’t have to go through things alone, Shoji. I’m right here.” His chest rose and fell slowly beneath you, each breath calmer than the last, and for the first time in days, his body fully relaxed.

You kissed his collarbone softly. “Rest. I’ve got you.”

This is for me and the five other shoji fans

This unironically got me to learn A LOT about arm anatomy

♡

Please 🥹💕

I loved the ones you wrote for him the first time

my ideas are flowingggg <3