There was a car parked in front of her house. She didn't know the make or model because she never bothered. All cars in this world were the same to her. Something she couldn't use so why bother learning about it?
"Who the hell is here?" Sakura and Shouta stepped out.
Sakura groaned, there was one person who had access to a house key beside her. Stepping passed Shouta, she entered the house and wasn't surprised to see the now number two hero in her kitchen bustling about with plates, empty food containers that looked like he was trying to disguise them as homemade, a few of his feathers flying around picking up salt and pepper she didn't even know she had in her pantry.
She looked back at Shouta, "Should we leave before he notices us?"
"Too late," Keigo said, turning around. His wings bristled slightly. "I thought you would be coming back a little later, but looks like I miscalculated,"
"What the hell is this?" Sakura blurted, stomping through the house.
"Food?"
"Why are you here!?"
Keigo explained that due to recent events, it was decided that Sakura shouldn't be left unsupervised for the weekend before she went back to school. "So for the time being-
"No," Sakura interjected, "You are not staying here with me!"
Shouta sighed, "I don't approve of this either, but as he is your assigned guard for the time being. I didn't think you would be here so soon though,"
Keigo grinned, "I wanted to surprise her,"
"This is a nightmare, I want to go back to the hospital,"
Keigo came around the counter over to Sakura, patting her on her head, "It's only two days, this is to make sure nothing happens to you, since you're the only one of your classmates that lives on their own…"
"Ridiculous," What hero could hope to protect her as well as she could protect herself? She could see more to this than what he was claiming, but since this was direct instruction of the Hero Public Safety Commission, Keigo was not going anywhere she wasn't.
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'Why did he have to be here now?' Keigo's presence provoked her more than before with his routine visits and teasing and take-out meals of his favorite foods. Sakura would always know she didn't have to get anything for herself on the days he would appear, always without warning but it was routine. Until now.
She wanted to stare into her thoughts for hours, that was like endless white puzzle pieces she needed to put together in hopes of seeing a picture. But Keigo was the type who could easily pull her away from that plan. He really did have the eyes of a hawk. But he wouldn't release the facade he wore, no matter how many times she attempted to confront him on it. If Sakura wasn't trained in the arts herself, she wouldn't have noticed it. But Keigo never truly revealed his intentions. He could hold a smile with charm, but his eyes were guarded.
If Sakura hadn't been so cautious of him, she wouldn't have noticed. He wasn't bad company for her either. Despite his behavior. He was the only one who could give her the morals lecture without caring if she took it to heart. Sakura saw him as just doing what needed to be done, regardless of his own feelings.
Her finger's traced over the misshapen scar and tissue. It was smoother than it appeared. The texture was similar to that of a white Zetsu. She couldn't help but draw that correlation.
Now some days were lonelier than others, and on those days, Sakura's memories would replay on a loop of the best of times and the worst of times, back in Konoha, out on the battlefield, at the academy, on a mission with her teammates, training, walking through the village, arguing with Ino, scolding Naruto, missing Sasuke, everything would blur together and her heart would physically feel that weight. Which was more than her strength could hold at times.
And recently there had been another thought weighing on her mind, a crucial point, one that could either give her a sliver of hope or be the destruction of it all.
'That power was hers' Sakura grunted, her face contorting in pain as a sharp throb with spreading pain began.
Perhaps she shouldn't have touched it. Because then she would've noticed the signs, realizing that her heart rate was picking up, beating against her ribcage and that sweat was forming, disguised under the shower spray. Her vision blurs and her legs become unable to support her weight.
The water was starting to run cold, pelting against the top of her head and back as she lost track of time. Her legs curled so her knees touched her forehead. Her eyes squeezed tightly shut. Her shoulders shaking, and her breath was staggering, becoming slower.
Knowing that she had lost her heart and what stood in it now was nothing more than the creation of something that had tried to destroy her everything.
She didn't hear the door opening but could make out a voice, muffled in her ears that felt stuffed with cotton. She didn't even have to strength to fight as a towel was draped over her shoulders and she was pulled from the water.
A warm pressure ran along her arm, and warmth pressed against her now shivering form. She hadn't even realized Keigo had pulled her to him.
But eventually, through a mist, she began to make out his voice. His tone almost sounded concerned.
"That's it, come on back now,"
Sakura lifted her chin to see Keigo staring at her with his sharp eyes. She slumped against him.
"Let go,"
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"Not to make any demands, but are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?"
Keigo watched Sakura stomp around the bedroom, she hadn't been able to look him in the eye for the past two hours and he wasn't willing to leave even after her demands. She stopped only when he threatened to update her teachers on her panic attack.
Sakura assured him that she was fine, enough to smack him when it dawned on her the position they were in.
It was fortunate that Sakura wasn't in her best state to use her chakra, or the punch would've been hard enough to knock him unconscious.
"Stay the hell away from me,"
Keigo groaned, rubbing his bruised cheek, "I only came in when I felt a rapid change in your heart rate and breathing,"
"That sounds violating,"
"I was concerned," Keigo argued back, huffing with his arms crossed. He sat on her bed, watching her pace around. Tried to help her with drying her hair and she threw the drying back at him, effectively smashing it to pieces against the wall.
Although they had spent time together, Keigo hadn't learned about her hot-headed nature. She could match him in conversation and was a typical snarky teenager but Sakura always maintained a controlled demeanor around everyone. So clearly she had been holding back a big part of her personality.
"Will you just leave?"
She wanted him out, but he wasn't willing to oblige. The commission and the school were in agreement that she shouldn't be left alone.
"Already told you, got orders. Besides, I don't think you should be left alone knowing you have episodes now,"
"I do not have episodes," Sakura hissed.
Keigo held his chin, "It's not unusual. Given everything you've gone through you've held on stronger than most pros,"
Sakura clicked her tongue, holding her hands over her eyes, "Get out,"
She did not take it as a compliment. However Keigo was not willing to let up, and that incident was draining so she just sent him out of her room.
The minute her head hit the pillow, Sakura was lost to sleep. Whatever she needed to deal with would be dealt with tomorrow.
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"Stop walking around, your wings are tracking water all over the place!"
The morning was off to a terrible start for Sakura. When she got out of bed, to quiet she assumed the best and thought Keigo had left but he had just been in the bathroom, preparing for the day. Which he told her she needed to get ready for as well.
"I don't want to go anywhere with you. I have no intention of entertaining a vulture,"
"Ouch, I'm a hawk,"
"Pain in the ass is more like it," She hissed under her breath. Then he did something unusual, plopping down on the side of her bed, on the floor legs crossed, and staring at her intently she became disturbed.
"What?"
He pointed to his wet hair and wings, "You said I was tracking water,"
She glared at him, "Do it yourself!"
"Come on, I did it for you," On some of his visits, when Keigo would visit for most of the night Sakura didn't care for manners and would go about her nightly routine to the point where she would take a shower and emerge with wet hair, ready to have dinner. Sometimes Keigo would come up with a towel and ruffle her hair.
"Oh and you also missed some more calls," He pointed to her phone on the bed. She came to stand in front of him instead of walking behind to sit on the bed as he thought and she started to roughly dry his hair with the towel. Her fingers tried to tug at his strands through the fabric.
"Little rough there,"
"Do it yourself or shut up,"
"Okay fine, but if you do that to my wings you might break them,"
She didn't say anything in response, but when she got to his wings she had lessened the pressure so Keigo could read that she held a sliver of consideration for him.
'Not like she's a bad kid,'
"Let's go shopping,"
"Huh?"
"You'll need to get some things before you go to the dorms right?"
Sakura's fingers pressed harder into his wings, and Keigo saw the distant look in her eyes. "You're going aren't you?"
"Yeah…" She murmured. Keigo was asking likely to reiterate his offer to let her leave school and stay with him for the time being but Sakura wouldn't even entertain the idea. She didn't know what Keigo's motives were, or if he even had any specifically for asking her if she wanted to leave school. Where exactly was she supposed to go?
There was more to this than he was letting on. Then anyone wanted to let her know, but it was futile and irrelevant to her.
Because none of it would matter.
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On weekends shopping centers were always too crowded and Sakura tended to avoid the bigger ones with multiple store branches. The building extended too far, the parking was full despite being the size of fields, and it was full of bodies despite having different entrances.
She lived as a minimalist for the most part since arriving in this world. Decluttering her space to have as little to leave behind.
It took Keigo a bit of convincing for them to go out in public together. When she realized that he was intent on tagging along, she tried to reason that having the now number two hero around here might attract the media.
"You're not exactly an average citizen anymore either," Keigo said, adjusting his cap on his head.
He was wearing a stupidly large coat that would cover his wings and a mask over his face but was standing out under the summer day. Sakura tucked her hair under a baseball cap and that was it. Her most defining feature was out of sight and in a superhuman society it was easy to blend in with the unnatural. "You're still all over the news these days,"
"Let's just get this over with,"
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Keigo was surprised at how complacent Sakura had been while they were shopping. He dragged her to almost every store he could find, commenting to her how sad her wardrobe was. Considering she had about a total of six outfits and her uniform.
She emphasized that there was no point in owning anymore. Especially since she would be going to the dorms. Of course, she had chewed him out for going through her closet. He had taken quite the house tour.
'Probably trying to find anything that he shouldn't,' He seemed perturbed by the arsenal she had and her collection of 'medicine' and poisons. But since she stated she intended to use that as part of her hero training, he didn't have too much to say against it.
Other than she needed to reread the guidebook to weapon usage as a hero. Especially for one in training.
"I can't believe you snooped through my belongings,"
"You were in the bathroom for almost an hour and I had nothing to do,"
Sakura exhaled heavily. Normal heroes would have their plates full of work and she was surprised that Keigo would even take this time to watch over her when he was now the number two hero. He should be out there instead of aggravating her.
He would talk about hero work at times and about all the paperwork they had to file and sort through just to get the paycheck they are due. Keigo always bragged about leaving that work to his sidekicks, like cleaning up scenes after he had swooped in.
"What? Did you just tell your sidekicks you're taking a vacation? Or that you're babysitting,"
"Not too sure it counts as babysitting when the baby is only a few years younger than me,"
"That doesn't make it better for me,"
Keigo sighed, "I just said I won't be back for a few days and to take care of things while I'm gone, Gotta admit, it's funny seeing the color drain from their faces when they realize I'm saddling them with all the paperwork and clean up duty. I go too fast for them to catch up."
Keigo was one of the fastest heroes out there, he could match with some of the best. There wasn't anyone really on All Might's level that she knew of, but Keigo was fast. And he had an aerial advantage.
"So onto the next store?"
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It appeared that Keigo was looking for a dress-up doll because he was dragging Sakura to whatever store he could to make her wear the most ridiculous clothing that she wouldn't put in her style. She didn't understand it because despite appearing enthusiastic, it felt that he wasn't entirely interested. As if he intended to do it simply because it needed to be done, according to circumstance rather than actuality. Sakura wondered if he was doing this simply because he could tell she didn't want to.
Keigo appeared to be that kind of vindictive at times. Especially when it came to anything silk.
"I'm not wearing that crap," Sakura stepped away from Keigo, crossing her arms. The sales consultant who had finished stacking the shelves came up to them.
"Sir perhaps you and your girlfriend would like to look at our collection on the top floor?"
Sakura spluttered, the disguises had worked too well as the women hadn't recognized Keigo as the hero Hawks, but to mistake the situation was something she couldn't stop herself from attempting to correct.
Though Keigo flung his arm over her shoulder and began pulling her to the other side of the store, "Thanks for the suggestion, we'll do just that. Let's go, honey!"
"I'm not-
"I know you're upset but we might find something that fits you there, maybe in the kiddies section,"
The heat in her face could be felt and Sakura gave Keigo a heavy stomp on his foot before walking off.
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'What the hell is wrong with him?' Sakura's instinct told her that Keigo was off more than usual. And she didn't know the reason. Perhaps because of the incident at Kamino, maybe even Keigo wasn't made of stone. But his eyes were still as emotionless as ever regardless of his increase in affection. Offering to carry her shopping bags, offering to buy for her, wandering into store after store, specifically for her alone. He hadn't shown any interest otherwise.
The bags were more than they could carry individually without looking like they had a problem, and were fed well after finding a discrete table at a restaurant to eat.
Sakura did not hesitate to eat well and had racked up the bill herself that Keigo promised to cover. He hadn't complained and Sakura was able to have a pleasant meal since he didn't attempt to engage in conversation with her.
At least not until the waiter was out of earshot. Sakura would've enjoyed the atmosphere of the elegant setting as well.
"Now that you're fed are you still grumpy?"
His cheerful tone was unappreciated with the context making it seem as if he was talking down to a small child.
Maybe presumptuous but his behavior was off-putting and scratched into the back of her mind like a small nail she couldn't get out. He likely noticed her digging discretely around that discomfort because he up and tried to settle her.
"I'm just trying to take your minds off things before school starts again kid. I'm actually going to miss you," Keigo leaned back in his seat, pushing his food about with his chopsticks. "Offer still stands, if you don't want to head back to school, you can stay with me,"
The commission would want Sakura to continue her training as a hero, but they had also given him the assignment to deal with her as he saw fit and this was the only leeway he had. It might make her more comfortable with the situation by coaxing her. He had reasoned a few years to get closer to her, but that wouldn't do any good if she resented him for siding with the commission and sticking her in a place she didn't want to be. Though outright she didn't refuse to return.
"I'm surprised you'd miss anything," Sakura then sighed. She wasn't going to entertain him on that offer.
"I don't know what you want from me. It seems I always manage to do something to upset you,"
She raised her eyebrow in a way that made him lean back in his seat, "It's hard to have a conversation with someone who is always on high alert like you're waiting for an ambush. It puts me on edge as well, when it's mixed with that obnoxious tone and arrogant smile,"
Keigo was always able to maintain a lackluster demeanor, even though he never dropped his guard, but surely she couldn't be that observant, right? Or was he just being that obvious? With everything going on, he didn't exactly feel as comfortable around her right now either. But his preference wasn't important.
"So you like my smile?"
Keigo could see her forehead wrinkle as her cheeks puffed and her lips pursed, he chuckled "That's a cute face,"
She became flustered, "What does that mean?!"
He smirked which seemed to make Sakura lose her appetite and look at him. It wasn't that she found Keigo unappealing. He was conventionally attractive, though she would never tell him that. But her mind was often occupied with her world most of the time. She was barely able to draw back. So something like this wouldn't register in her thoughts, even after all the time they spent together.
"You know that things aren't going to be the same for you now right?" Did she understand the position she was in? It was similar to himself when he rushed out as a child to save people in an accident. It's what got him his recognition and became the turning point of his life. But most of the world would never know that truth because it was based in darkness he had to keep from as many as he could.
It was like looking at a larger mirror when he saw Sakura now. She was out in the public eye and her every move would be scrutinized. There was an unwanted expectation that had to be carried and everyone around her had to make sure that she would bare the weight without quitting. Keigo thought that this might be a problem, especially when he caught her curled up in the shower like that. But she was still intact and behaving as if the world was moving slowly allowing her to trail at her own pace.
Then she smiled, it was almost like a picture-perfect image, still and lifeless. "Don't worry, I know,"
Keigo saw that no emotion was touching her eyes at that moment and he wished he could see what was going on in Sakura's mind right now.
He might've been better prepared for what would happen next.