Sixfold Adventures (Osomatsu-san One-Shot Collection)

Outcast!Ichimatsu and Reader

The annoying chirp sounded once more in his back pocket as Ichimatsu staggered down the alleyway, his head pounding like a wardrum as the wellspring of fire threatened to explode from his skin. The curse of pyrokinesis was something he wasn't wanting but had to embrace when his five other brothers gladly accepted the weird kinetic powers they had developed, leading to all sextuplets splitting apart as a family and forming their own gangs.

His left hand lifted to his head and tugged at the purple headband clinging close to his dark hair, gripping it tightly as another surge of heat raged through his nerves.

It had been days since he last used his power, growing more terrified to even dip into the wellspring even a little. The ability was growing; Ichimatsu didn't need to fight his brothers to feel it.

The problem was--

Another chirp from his back pocket, drawing his attention only for a moment before he allowed himself a small respite and leaned against a discarded billboard near the end of the alley. He withdrew his phone from underneath the tattered purple flannel shirt tied around his waist, flipping the small device open to see three messages from (y/n).

'Stopped by your place with the cat food you needed. I'll leave it here.'

'I miss the times that we hung out like old times, skipping stones along the river from the broken bridge and feeding the local strays. Don't stay out too long, okay?'

'Text me back if you feel like it. I don't want to overwhelm you.'

Ichimatsu's eyes narrowed in disappointment at himself, closing the phone without responding. (Y/n) would understand, right?

She had dated his oldest brother, Osomatsu, just before the brothers developed these powers, so she knew of Ichimatsu's struggle.

The crackling of fire grabbed his attention as he stepped away from the billboard, gritting his teeth in frustration as purple flames licked at the dried wood and paper. Ichimatsu splayed his left hand wide towards the flames before clenching it shut in a fist, sweat beading on his forehead as the flames slowly died out.

This was bad. He needed to get to the old abandoned warehouse to let this power loose in a safe place. The crumbling concrete walls were more than enough to withstand his fire when he initially practiced there, hoping that they would be enough for his flames' new heat.

Another turn from the alleyway spat Ichimatsu out into the outskirts of the city, buildings left to rot and wither under the summer sun while the impoverished roamed the cracked streets. It was under the city's blind eye, the community agreeing to let it decay while they kept their newer construction close to the city center.

It was also where (y/n) chose to live.

Ichimatsu stumbled down to his knees as another wave of smoldering pressure crushed his ribcage, knowing he was so close to losing complete control over the wildfire running in his veins. Sweat dripped down his face as his trembling arms pushed him back up, taking his intended path one step at a time.

His destination peeked into view as he used a boarded fence for support, his free hand clutching his jacket and shirt over his heart.

Only a few more meters before the fence ended, then he could stagger into the warehouse and unleash the hellfire within him.

"I said 'stop', Osomatsu!"

Ichimatsu's feet stilled at the cry, the woman's voice soothingly familiar. The man's laugh that followed was also recognizable.

It was definitely Osomatsu.

Ichimatsu had to make sure that the oldest wasn't doing anything stupid while near (y/n)'s home. With a soft grunt of exertion, the purple-clad brother dragged himself back to the corner he had just passed seconds ago, peering around the wooden planks as stealthily as he could.