His cheeks darken, his eyes darting away to not meet mine.
I would tease him. If I wasn't equally flustered.
So I look away for the millionth time.
"I don't know." He utters through clenched teeth, "How does it feel for you?" "How does it feel for you?" I echo.
"I asked first."
"I asked second."
"Tch, never can win with you."
I'm too nervous to say anything else and I laugh to fill the silence dragging between us again.
He groans. "It's not funny."
"I didn't say it was."
"You're laughin'! Of course ya think it's-" I lean in on my palms, opening my eyes wider as he peers into them. "Why are ya lookin' at me like that?" He breathes, the corners of his mouth dipping lower.
But even if he's frowning- scowling- his eyes are free of any hatred. They are open and clear, bright and glowing, in the hotel room's dim bedside lighting.
"Like what?"
"Like that," He whispers. I can feel his breath on my chin. "It's trippy."
I smile and I feel my cheeks grow hot. They must be red. "Is that how she looked at Kou?"
His eyes widen, his lips part, and he exhales as though he's released something off his shoulders. His breath is minty.
"You're looking a lot like how Kou did too." I add, "When she claimed that he ruin-"
He puts a finger over my lips (as though that'd actually stop me). "Don't ya dare finish that. Their memories are messin' with our minds."
"You think we aren't meant to be?" I ask. "That our souls are not drawing nearer?" "That's just our shitty dreams talkin'."
"Is that what you believe?"
"It's not logical."
Gods, he's insufferable.
I pull him by the neckline of his black pajama shirt, stopping so his nose is just a millimeter away from mine. His breath hitches (it's cute; I never expected him to get so flustered) and he looks everywhere but at my eyes.
"Look me in the eye and tell me you don't feel the same pull." I whisper, "Look me in the eye and tell me you don't care about me."
Finally, he links his eyes with mine. They are lighter when looking at them closer. Like uncut rubies that have light shone against them.
"You're being stupid, Yumi."
I feel breathless. My heart races.
Yumi? He's called me Yumi?!
"Yumi?"
"I- Yeah." His brows slant again, this time in a softer angle I've learned to associate with determination. "Yumi's your new nickname. Got an issue with it?"
I shake my head. Who would have an issue with such a cute name? "Good." He pouts his lips childishly, "And ya can't take it ba-"
I kiss him. He freezes.
I know. Really bold Yumi (Imma call myself that now :).
But I had to. I didn't want to hear him scold me after he made the moment so sweet. Sue me for kissing him and melting against him when he brought his hand in my hair. Sue me.
The kiss is short but sweet. It has both of us red. (I can't see if I'm red but from how hot my face feels, I can assume.)
After being so bold I have to hide myself. So I tuck myself under his chin.
And well, let's just say, Katsuki ('Tsuki) is pretty happy. I can tell from how fast his heart races beneath my ear, and how I can feel his smile in my hair.
My Suisen, My 'Tsuki Kousuke
Our affair is a secret kept within the walls.
In the day, we pretend our relation has not changed in the public's eye, staying our distance and only touching when battling in the grounds as I stay with the royal guard.
There are moments when I know we both veer to each other. When our pinkies reach for each other; when our eyes linger a bit longer; the way I deliberately touch the skin of her neck in a spar, and she brushes her breath on my ear.
The longing is agonizing. The teasing has me wrapped in scalding coals. By the high goddess of dragons, I swear I might be burned by my heart alone.
However, the moment no one's eyes are there to witness our allure, I cannot resist the pull she has on me.
Instead of pinkies reaching, it's our arms embracing; instead of eyes lingering, it's our lips meeting; instead of bare touches on her neck, I can feel the dip of her waist; instead of her breath brushing my ear, I inhale her call of my name with every vow pouring from my soul.
In the cover of night, we go from King and Knight to Kou and Aya. We sneak within the walls and into the paths, with dragonfire lighting our path. And with her hand laced in mine, I learn more of her as she learns more of me.
I learn of her every tell, of her every sound's meaning, of her every look's signal. I learn her until I know her like I know my soul. And soon, I brought her to my quarters, letting her rest under my covers every night.
And it is in the morning that she tells me more of her past.
She's grown in a castle just as I have. However, instead of wood and stone holding the walls, Haniyasu's castle is made of brick and mortar. Instead of magic coloring the winds, it's the endless greens covering the valley.
And then she tells me of her purpose in these lands. The heir has sent her with a task: to seek an alliance to stand against Godai. For Godai plans to usurp Haniyasu and officiate their ambitions as an empire.
"I will not let that happen," I say, tucking a strand of her beautiful auburn hair behind her ear, as she lays beside me. "King Enjiro has disgraced the mystics with his greed. He must be stopped before it is too late."
"His son worries me more," she shudders. When I reach for her hand, I realize they've gone as cold as ice. "He's the one who pushed their ambitions to the west."
"Do not worry," I say, "The future queen need not worry. If you say she never agreed to the halting of our trade I'm willing to forgive our past and start anew."
She exhales sharply, peering through her lashes. "Even if there is truth yet to be revealed?"
"I do not care for any hidden truths. They always reveal themselves when the time is opportune. I only cannot forgive the dishonest."
"Even if it is I?"
I search her gaze. She still is hiding something grave. I know it. But I will not assume the worst. I know deep within that whatever she hides, it is for her kingdom. She means no ill will.
Still, I must tell her these supposed instances.
Therefore, with a hardened gaze I say, "Especially if it is you."
Something dims in her gaze. I cannot tell if what I said hurt her or if it solidified something in her mind. All I know is that I will not endure her fallen expression.
So I hold her cheek with the hand I tucked her hair, "Only with good reason will I not forgive, Aya."
She leans forward, kissing me with tenderness. Her lips are soft and the press is a delicate telling of her affection.
"I know, Kou." Her lips brush against mine. "I know."
I pull her in, holding her so I can feel her heartbeat against mine, so I can smell the daffodils . "I want to see your flowerbed when it blooms."
I feel the curve of her lips in my neck. Her happiness is all I need. "It's of daffodils." "The color of your hair?"
"You will see it when they bloom."
"I suppose I will, Suisen."
She freezes in hold. It makes me think I ruined the moment yet again. "If you don't-"
She tears herself from me. A part of me breaks inside. That is until I see her flushed cheeks and her bright smile that rivals the sun.
"Say it again."
I inhale sharply, smirking with a devilish tilt. It should not be possible, but her skin grows darker.
"My Suisen."
She shivers, her eyes shining like jewels from the old dragon treasure caves.
It is enough to know she favors the name. I promise to whisper it every time we hold each other, every time she holds my hand and kisses my lips, every time I .
I kiss her constellation of freckles on her forehead, remembering that I have a necklace of the same color as her eyes. Perhaps I will gift it to her the next morn.
***
Ayumi
I wake up before Katsuki ('Tsuki) does.
His face is so calm as he sleeps. His resting pretty face is nearly infuriating as it is endearing. His brows untwined, his lips are slightly downturned and parted as he exhales deeply.
I snuggle into his arm that drapes over me, pulling the blanket over our bodies further up. Sure he radiates heat like a furnace, but the draft from the air conditioning is a great excuse to move closer to him.
But as I move, he shifts to accommodate me, his bleary eyes blinking open to find mine. They don't glow as bright of a red as Kousuke's do, but they are just as soft in the twilight hue.
He stares, brows pinching together in confusion. Then he huffs through his nose, his arm wrapping tighter and bringing me closer.
"This shit is trippy," he says, "Sleepin' as that shit king with her and waking up just seconds later with ya here."
I sigh into his arm tucked beneath my pillow. "I don't mind it. Kou and you aren't all that different." He makes a face when I say Kou, scrunching his nose in disgust.
"Don't say his name like that. It pisses me off."
"Well I'm not calling him the shit king."
"Ya should. He's a shit king."
"And you'd make a better king than your past life."
"A million times better," his hand trails in between my shoulder blades and he gently plays with my hair. "He's simpin' for his Suisen too hard tah even focus on his kingdom properly."
My heart skips a beat. The way Katsuki ('Tsuki) says Suisen is identical to the way Kousuke said it. The simper of voice, the deep inflection of his tone, and the quiet rasp in his throat. I feel my face grow hot.
I'm sure my skin is red from how his eyes widen and his lips tilt into a smug smirk.
"Want me to call you, Suisen?"
I nod timidly. My knees would be jelly if I was standing right now.
He bites his lower lip, slow and seductive. And he leans in, his voice just above a whisper. "Too bad."
All the affection I have for him deflates from my chest. The bastard. I lightly punch his chest. He laughs with his quiet and boyish laugh. "Yah looked so-" he heaves a breath, "-Hell, that was priceless." "Ha ha, very funny."
He tucks a strand behind my ear, an echo of Kousuke's mannerism that has me flashing to their memory for just a second before being in our world again.
His eyes flicker, and he clenches his jaw.
"Still hate how I keep seein' the damsel when I see ya," he says with a pout, "We're not our past lives. We sure as hell don't gotta live the same life as them."
"That's why you won't call me Suisen?" I ask.
He nods, keeping his gaze steady with a heavy honesty, which I've seen in Kousuke's eyes through Ayane's memories.
"I understand," I whisper, smiling wide and true, "'Tsuki."
His reaction is priceless. The way his skin flushes three shades darker, the way his eyes widen a fraction, and then sparkle like rubies in sunlight. He swallows, licking his lips and looking down to mine.
"Your such an idiot," he whispers, "That's a sucky nickname."
If it weren't for his breath literally growing hotter as he leaned in closer, I would've believed him.
"Liar," I say, putting my hand on his heart. Gods, it's beating so fast. "You love it."
He leans in and I put a finger on his lips. "Brush your teeth first."
And like that the moment breaks. He groans, scowling, and hides his face in my neck. "Your effin' impossible, Yumi."
"Sure. Whatever."
He groans again, and this time, he pushes me off the bed.
I fall with an ungraceful thump, my pillow falling right behind me.
I should've known he'd do that. He snickers from his spot on the bed and I have to glare at him then. But it must be too mild for him, because he starts to cackle.
And in my mocking fury, I throw the pillow at him.
"Get up, Baka," I sneer, "We gotta get ready."
He flirts with his eyes, trailing down my not so flattering pair of pajamas.
"Whatever," he croons, "Tangerine."
He dodges the second pillow I throw at him from the lounge chair next to the desk. And his laugh rests in my mind.
Stupid 'Tsuki.
Chapter Notes
Flickers of Green
I'm alive! Sorry for disappearing for a month. A lot of stuff happened. I graduated (honestly it still hasn't sunk in that I can call myself a scientist), I revamped my resume, and now I'm officially on vacation for two weeks. Weekly schedule should be back by August, but until then, enjoy this tension and revealing chapter <3
Katsuki
Today couldn't get any worse.
Final exams for the first semester are battles against the teachers. And because the staff royally hates me, they put me together with my childhood lying rival and my love against my hero.
How is this even freakin' fair?
Yumi and I finally got to an understanding about Deku. I stay away from him and then I can keep the peace between us, otherwise I have to be at least civil.
I don't even want to remember that conversation.
But I can't help but recall that evening as I kept an arm around her shoulders as we walked past the park near Aldera.
I understand you don't appreciate how he hid his quirk, She said then. But don't repeat history as Kousuke did with Zuko. Try to learn from his mistakes.
Dealing with the Nerd was the one thing I thought Kousuke did right. Turns out if I don't want Yumi to look at me as disappointed as she did then, then I havta be a little considerate.
But effin' hell that idiots freckles and his green curls infuriate me more than I care to admit. And now we havta work together?!
Screw that. I'd rather fail than work with him.
And I don't care if Tangerine (Stupid Yumi) is not on my side.
But hell it stings as she glares at me as she is now.
We just came back from All Might battering us to a near loss. If it weren't for Yumi's metal wall and Deku's quick reflex to bounce away like a stupid bunny, we'd be toast.
"We have to work together," Yumi says moments later, still heaving for breaths and holding her side. All Might must've hit the wall when she was still controlling it.
I reach out to touch her and her orb of metal turns into a spike facing me.
It's a silent warning. Don't you dare even think about it. She's saying with her glare. You don't deserve
shit after the shit you pulled.
I clench my fist in anger, jerking my head away.
"We- we need to run from All Might. There is no- no way we can beat him."
Anger boils over. Who is he to say shit?! The over praising bastard!
I explode the wall so he's flushed against it in fear. I see Yumi ready to attack from the corner of my eye, but she stays back when I glance at her from the corner of my eye.
She must've seen something cause she freezes with a distant glaze covering her eyes.
I look back to Deku, who's still shivering like an idiot in winter with no proper clothing.
"Ya think All Might is gonna let us run away?!" I sneer, "Ya said it yourself, Deku. He's too good. He'll stop us before we can even run far enough. And then we're dead meat, ya hear."
Something must've clicked in the Nerd's head, because then his eyes brighten in that disgusting way whenever he sees heroes shine.
"You're right, Kacchan," He says. "But we can't beat him in a fist fight."
"We can do both," Yumi says.
"What dya mean?" I ask.
"We hit All Might with all we've got. And then we run as fast as we can. If we need to, I'll stay behind to help you both go forward."
"Like hell," I spit, "I'll stay behind."
"I can hold All Might back for more than a few seconds at full strength. I'm sure I can hold him for even longer with his restrictions."
"I'm stayin' behind. I can beat him with some of my hits for a few seconds too." "Guys." Deku interrupts but I ignore his annoyin' ass.
"I said if it gets worse, 'Tsuki." I hear Deku gasp and I wanna wring his neck. "I don't think it'll get to that."
"Fine. I'll just make sure it doesn't get to that."
"We still need a back up," She hisses, "Stop being so stubborn."
"Guys."
"What?!" We shout at him together.
The nerd shrivels and nervously chuckles. "Can we discuss this after the plan?" I huff in annoyance, "Whatever. Fine." I glance to Yumi who nods in agreement.
"Then the plan I have in mind is this. Deku, you have to..." ***
Ayumi
The plan should've been enough. I mean it was three against one for crying out loud. However, we sorely underestimated how villainous All Might can be when goes on full character.
He destroyed buildings and dodged the massive explosions Katsuki and Deku released from his gauntlets. Now Deku is on the floor just a hair away from the gate with a near broken back and Katsuki is on the floor with overworked forearms.
I am the last man standing. The last hero standing between victory and defeat.
And I know the dangers my true power may present if I go too far. I know.
But I have no choice but to proceed.
So I extend my arms, pulling the debris from the destroyed building before All Might can turn his attention to me, and encase him in a cage tighter and sturdier than the Nomu's.
He pounds against the metal, his frame bulging as he pulls and pushes the metal coiling all around him.
Gods, he's strong. I fall to my knees just seconds in as he struggles against the trap. I just need to hold him a bit longer. Just a few more seconds so it can be counted as a capture.
But my vision dapples with black spots and my focus blurs with the pain. Is this truly all I am capable of?
Then I feel it all slip away, the pain, the frustration, the urge to go forward. Just the intense sensation of sleep pulling me away from my reality.
And before I fall unconscious, I see a flicker of green lightning flash above me. ~~~
Ayane
Books have always been my best companions. The bound leather fits in my hand just as old lovers do; soft, supple, and heavy with memory. Every page is an adventure brought to life by my mind; the words paint more vivid images than my own washed out memories. And all together, they string along a story that becomes even more dear than some people around me.
However, becoming a part of one of these magnificent stories is not what brought me to the extravagant library dipped in copper and carved within onyx rock. I am here to learn of the customs of the royals in these lands. For I must understand them before telling my whole truth.
So I scale the spines written in languages I have never seen, until I find one I can recognize. "Are you looking for something particular?"
I nearly loose my footing on the climb.
That voice. The softness, the longing, the deep inflection. They are all familiar yet foreign to my ears. As though the mystics' tongue has embraced the familiar inflections of my homeland's tongue.
I peer over my shoulder to find deep irises that my father once had. Half his face is hidden behind a mask of silver and black that frames around his eyes, and the other half is covered from the silver scarf draped lazily around his shoulders.
"I wanted to learn the royal customs of these lands," I say, "I cannot seem to find anything cohesive enough."
He nods once, trailing away with his black cloak smoking behind him. I stumble down the steps, following the sounds of his light steps.
Who is this man? Why is he so familiar?
We cross through rows of books, little book fairies fluttering by with a tinkling sound trailing behind them. Whenever this esteemed man passes them, they stop their task and bow to him.
It left me both baffled and curious. Why were other mystics bowing to him when Kousuke is their king? Does he hold power in these lands? If so, why have I never seen the man before in the royal court?
Soon we reach a corner of the library where the spines start to glow in the light as the sun descends down the blue sky, their colors meshing with yellows and reds of Kousuke's power.
These books may contain mystic knowledge. Why was he bringing me here?
Suddenly the man dressed in shadow halts in front of a book case. The book case that leads into the paths.
"Where are we going?" I ask with hesitance in my voice. I would be if anyone revealed the paths no one but the king and I know of.
"You wish to learn the customs," He pulls the lilac covered book, and the gears click. "They are hidden within the walls."
The bookcase opens to reveal the lilac brick path. And the man steps inside, peering over his shoulder to meet his eyes with mine. "Follow me, princess."
My eyes widen in shock, my breath halts in my lungs. There is no choice but to follow. He knows who I am. He knows.
So I follow him inside the walls, noticing how the dragonfire flickers brighter near his presence. He must hold some power of insight to know who I am. I do not know any other way he could know.
"Were you the man that vouched for me?" I ask. "What would you do if I say I am?"
"I'd ask why you would help me." Our footsteps echo as we head to a branching of paths. "I'd ask how you knew my true identity."
The air grows cold despite the fire licking the walls. The shadows seem to stretch into images of creatures lurking in the dark.
"We share a past. One that is nearly ten winters old."
He walks down the narrower, unlit, path. The shadows extend and spread into an obsidian plain, and in a blink of an eye, he blends within them.
"Where are you?" I whisper, taking a cautious step forward.
"Touch the walls and follow." His voice seems further away despite the echo thundering to my skull. "We're almost there."
"Almost where?" I huff as I listen. His vague instructions have left me in the dark in more ways than one.
When the walls seems to come closer, converging until they barely graze my shoulders, my panic brews in my chest. My heart seems to squeeze the life out of me as I shuffle to walk sideways.
Suddenly, I see a faint glow of green further down the path, and the man's silhouette is finally in view.
"Almost here," he says.
He steps down and out of the path into a circular, dome-like, room. Emeralds are embedded into the onyx rock, and each one glows with a twinkle like the stars in the sky. At the center is a platform made of iron, and a holder rests at its crown.
"It is stunning."
He chuckles behind his scarf and the guise of mystery he has created for himself. I imagine he's pursing his lips to hold in the rancorous rumble he has.
"They did not glow before," He clears his throat and steps closer to my side. "They had not started until the morn you came to these lands."
My gaze cannot seem to leave the iron holder; it is the perfect shape to hold my family's helm. "What does it mean?"
His shoulder touches mine, as he sighs. I feel like I'm eight autumns old all over again. "I believe they are calling for their ruler. Emeralds do have the foresight for the great ones."
My heart nearly stops. How does he know of our family's maxim?
Hence, I look over and notice that he's taken off mask, his gloved hand dangling it delicately between us.
I turn to him, gasping with burning eyes, and I cup my hands over my wobbling lips. My heart is racing as the realization hits me as sudden as lightning strikes the ground, and my voice nearly quivers when I call out to him.
"Uncle Shohei?"
He smiles, his eyes glowing from the power he's held since I was a babe.
"Hello, little gem," He whispers and ruffles my hair. "You've truly grown into a fine young woman." "The king- uncle- he told me you were killed during a hunt. How-"
His expression falls and is replaced with an anger I had only seen once.
"You shouldn't trust my younger brother. He had lost his way many winters ago."
"What happened?"
"The current monarch of Haniyasu is only there because he committed the highest treason," He grimaces. "He poisoned the king in his sleep. And then took the throne for himself. I knew it would only be time
until you'd flee our home too."
"But father grew ill- he-" My memories flash before me. And with this new knowledge all the pieces start to fit together.
The days he took me out to hunt as though I were one of his own, the nights he hid from his daughters and his court to teach me of underhanded politics, and the countless twilights he reminisced with stories of the three brothers the Haniyasu kingdom once flourished under.
And then there was the hidden room no one was allowed to enter, the secret soldiers no one was allowed to make acquaintance with, and the sudden friendship with the Todokoros.
My face twists with anger and my chest boils as I realize the truth the king obscured from me.
"The king- my wretched uncle- never let me in court relations until last summer. And then he gave my hand to the Crown Prince Todokoro for an alliance. He never was going to crown me the monarch of the kingdom. He was sending me away to give the crown to his own daughter."
"Wait-" Uncle Shohei inhales sharply. "He gave your hand to the Crown Prince Todokoro?!"
"Yes, I know. It is why I fled here and why I wished to know the royal customs of the mystics. I need to know the most appropriate method to seek an alliance."
"There are no formal customs for seeking help in these lands. However, credibility is highly dependent on your transparency as an individual. Have you told his majesty of your true heritage?"
I shake my head and the hope in his eyes melts away. "You must. You should have told him much sooner." "But have you not hidden your identity?"
He sighs as the green lights cast on his wrinkled brows.
"I did not hide it from the reigning monarch when I sought refuge here. And knowing the young king's temperament, you must tell him before he learns of it from somewhere- someone else." He holds my shoulders, warning me with his eyes that glow brighter with the room. "He is not merciful when facing betrayal of trust."
"I will," I promise. "I will tell him soon." I simply hope it is not too late.
Lies
Kousuke
It quickly became apparent that war was soon coming to our lands.
The late queen, my ferocious beast of a mother, told me we Bakugans have the sense to feel battle come closer quicker than most bloodlines. The secret came from centuries of passing down instinct from reading the winds, the skies, the sun and stars.
I could not tell my people if they ever asked how I knew. I just do.
Like how anyone knows they feel hungry or tired, I feel the urge for a fight. I feel the twist of my gut warn of enemies on every turn. And they are dangerously close.
So close that I can sense they have already entered my lands.
Simply imagine the antipathy when my least liked soldier bear out my suspicions of conspiracy within my walls.
Sir Mori, the man with an ego large enough to fill Lake Ryu Zukotsu, and a battle instinct that rivals Kirigaya when he's out of his dragon skin, is the man I least expected to bring crucial information.
He barges in my throne room in this cool twilight just after sun down. The winds blow his usually ruly blond locks into haphazard waves, his violet irises framed with darkened bags and widened in shock.
"Majesty," he heaves, "I must request to grace your presence. Alone."
I eye Kirigaya on my left who has been discussing a new formation in case the Northern Kingdoms unite to face against us Mystics in the south. Kirigaya seems to acknowledge the fear in Sir Mori's rattled frame and takes his leave with a curt bow.
When the doors close with a boom, I step down and stand in front of the knight. He stands straighter, swallowing heavily as though his throat housed a heavy stone filled with burden.
"Speak."
He exhales through his nose, nostrils flaring as he glances left to the walls and then right to the balcony. "Your majesty, I sincerely do not believe Lady Ishiyama is worthy of our trust."
I clench my jaw.
Not a soul in these walls is aware of my affections for Ayane except her and I. There are suspicions and rumors of our times in the garden. Still, no one could sustain such hearsay. I made sure of it by keeping our meetings within our paths.
So I must remind myself that Sir Mori simply suspects things I know not to be true. She earned my trust when she gave me heart as I gave her mine.
"Tell me Sir Mori, are you saying I miscalculated when I enlisted her in the royal guard?"
He scowls and I narrow my eyes. "That is not why I suspect her, my liege. Even I admit her skill is above many of our men."
"Then pray tell me what makes you say as such."
"I saw Lady Ishiyama enter a hidden passage in the library with Master Shosei. It was hidden behind a bookcase far in the corner of the mystics section."
I swear on our patron goddess, my heart stops as the words settle in my ear.
She knew I never told anyone else but her of the paths. That those paths are our secret to hide our truths from the kingdom and the court until the time comes.
And she shares that with an old sap who never was acquainted with her? There was no sense in the scenario at all.
But first, I need to make one thing clear to the curious knight in front of me.
"You know nothing of the hidden passage in the library," I sneer while stepping into his space and letting my aura glow a menacing crimson, "Is that understood?"
"But- your majesty- If she knows to travel through the castle secretly, and has shared that with the other foreigner in the castle-"
I grab him by the chain mail on his collarbone and lift him so he's on his toes. He splutters and eyes widen as he quivers in my hold.
"If you so ever breathe of this again, it will be the very breath you ever expel. Is that understood?"
He seems to lose his voice after that, and nods his head so slightly, anyone could miss it. I shove him off my grip and watch as he stumbles behind me with a belated bow and runs from the doors with frantic fear on his tail.
I sigh in annoyance. His bravery is limited when against those who hold dragon blood. Especially after his father died at the hand of Kirigaya's uncle years ago.
"You musn't be so harsh on him, sire."
I turn to Zuko who enters from his hidden office with a flask of swirling gold liquid. That golden liquid is a tonic I must drink every evening in the summer to regulate the overheating of my dragon blood; only two ways to release such ruinous power is to either wield it in battle or to drink this. So I snatch the flask and gulp it in a sip.
"I know you fool," I frown at the bitter taste and shove the flask back into his frail arms. "I know. It is just... his blatant distrust to Ay- Lady Ishiyama. It infuriates me."
Zuko sighs. "You once distrusted her too."
I glance at the man I've known since I was a babe, his green eyes and curls reminding me much of his late mother who pampered me when my own mother was busy keeping the kingdom together after my father's untimely murder.
Unbiddenly, no matter how hard I try, those eyes bring me peace and calm.
"I did. And now with this- I too suspect there is more to her than she has told me," I point to Zuko's crest, the symbol of his rank and his job in this castle. "Search for any and all records of Master Shosei in my mother's journals."
Zuko's eyes widen. "But your majes- Kouchan. You said you would never have them read by me until you-"
"We do not have the time, Zu." His breath hitches. And then he is frowning with a slant in his brows. I sigh. I know I must've infuriated him in some way.
"You do not need to use that name to have me listen, Kouchan." I sincerely despise that nickname he coined when we were mere lads. "I only wish you do what you deem necessary."
I nod my head once, slumping my shoulders in defeat. "You know what to do, you simpleton."
Zuko chuckles nervously, his bravado shrinking once again with a quiver we both are more accustomed to.
"Get it done as soon as you can," I say "I will, sire."
I turn away from him as he walks back into his hidden chamber. His footsteps recede and with it the nerves that crawl up my spine in worry.
I only know of one fact that my mother told me of Master Shosei. That he hailed from the Haniyasu Kingdom. And if they both are from the same kingdom, it must mean something.
That they are our precious allies or our vile enemies.
I sigh and watch as the stars start to accompany the moon in the purple sky. Then a crow flies past the balcony, blending with the shadows of night.a
And I suddenly remember that crows are Haniyasu's messenger birds. ***
Ayumi
It was like a switch was clicked inside him and he decided we were no longer a thing?
Well, it'll be easier if I explain exactly how I came about that conclusion.
After our final, when I woke up, Katsuki was still unconscious on the cot beside me. Midoriya-kun had already left the infirmary.
The headache was one of the worst ones I've had in the longest time, so I stayed laying. And while I laid on my side, I watched Katsuki sleep peacefully. (I'm honestly both astonished and infuriated at how angelic he looks when he sleeps).
And then, as I was blinking, he woke up, scaring me shitless. He scoffed at my over the top screech. I honestly don't blame him.
"What ya starin' at?" He asked with a scowl forming. "At your natural beauty," I taunted.
'Tsuki and I are having our first (serious) fight.
I have no idea why.
He frowned despite his cheeks coloring lightly. If we weren't indoors, anyone could've mistaken it for a slight sunburn.
"You're bein' stupid," He grunted, wincing and grumbling as he sat up. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of their bed." I mumbled.
He flared his nostrils and glared daggers at my head while resting his weight on his arms. "More like I woke up to the devil's face in mine."
"You're being crueler than usual." Seriously, who does he think he is; if anything, he looks more like the devil when he's awake and scowling like that's how his face naturally rests.
"You're bein' more annoyin' than usual," He countered.
"Are you really upset at how I didn't choose your side over Midoriya-kun?" He clicked his tongue. "Not everything is about the nerd."
"Then what is it?"
He looked over his shoulder and met his eyes with mine. The way the sun's orange hue in the late afternoon provided the illusion that his eyes were glowing just like Kousuke's did when he used his magic.
"Do you have anythin' ya need to tell me?"
When he asked that, all I could think about was the fact I hadn't explicitly said that I liked him. And well
neither did he. So I assume that was not what he was referring to. "Not that I can think of." I answered genuinely.
And it turns out that was the wrong answer. (I didn't even think there would be a wrong answer to such a vague question.)
"I need space."
Space? I raised a brow and didn't hide the way my lips grimaced. "Space from what?"
"From you. From us."
I blinked hard, jerking myself up to sit and then stand. I would've regretted immediately as pain shot up my fingers and toes. But the pain in my heart couldn't compare to what I was hearing.
"Us? We never even made us official because, according to you, labels are stupid. Now you're telling me you need space?"
He continued his glare, sharpening it like the blade Kousuke gifted Ayane.
"I am. So freakin' what?"
Saying my heart didn't shatter then is an understatement. It hurts just remembering it now.
"Why?" I'd whispered, my eyes burning with unshed tears. "You owe me an explanation at the least." He tore his eyes away from me, not indulging me his reaction as he spat, "I don't owe you anything."
"Fine," I bit back. Two can play at this game. "Have your space."
I left him in the infirmary, too angry to even stay in his space.
And so here we are. In the present. 'Tsuki and I are in a fight. One I have no clue why is there.
It is even worse when he's here on the weekend when it was supposed to be a girls day at the pool.
The boys decided that a race is the best way to train their stamina. So they proceed on their race and all the girls have decided to watch on the sidelines.
And the whole time, our eyes didn't meet once.
***
Katsuki
She is waitin' outside the boy's changing room after we all finished the races.
(Still pissed I don't know who would've won between Deku and IcyHot. Oh effin' well; I'm sure I would've won anyway.)
I have to ignore her. I have to. After all the shit she's hidden from me when she's known for months about her past life. Things I never knew; things I only suspected and waited for her to tell.
But I can't when she holds my wrist as I cross her path. Her touch is warm (I hate that I still find it comforting), and she pulls my hand towards her.
"Please tell me what I did wrong," She pleads. It's kinda pathetic. (It hurts my shitty heart. Stupid Yumi, stupid touch, and stupid kaleidoscope blue-green eyes.) "What did I do that made you so angry at me?"
All I can muster through clenched teeth is, "They were all lies."
I yank my hand out of her grip and stomp away to Shitty Hair's cubby. I don't need to turn around to see her broken, teary-eyed mask. I see it in the reflection of the window I stomp past.
And for some stupid ass reason, my shitty heart painfully hurts again.
Trust is Fragile Like Glass Kousuke
The castle seems too bare for my liking. The knights are scarce in the halls as I pass them with a furious gait. I most tiresome nights, I'd sneak to my quarters from the paths. In most nights.
But tonight is not like most nights. Not with the crow flying in my lands. I have never seen one fly the skies under my protection. Never.
So I must confront the one person I know who can deliver an explanation. And yet, such a confrontation must be held with caution and preparation. I must secure my own safety, for my kingdom relies on my leading for them to survive.
I continue my journey through the fire lit stone walls, glancing through the windows with a terrible instinct clawing in my navel.
War is coming. I simply know it. I can taste it with every breath and feel it vibrate through my limbs with every strong stride. And despite my heart ripping itself from a suspicion I wish not to hold true, I know Ayane will be the cause. I simply know it.
I turn the final bend to my quarters. And as always, my quarters have no attendees nor guards. I prefer my privacy and that is what I have ordered despite the customs to keep two men near at all times. Then, I halt at the double door gates. I rest my hands on the wood, inhaling a sharp yet deep breath before shoving the doors open wide.
As I knew the war oncoming, I too knew that Ayane, my beautiful Suisen, would be waiting for me here. She is draped in pure white cotton, her locks of auburn somehow shining as though she rested the sun's power within her. She turns from the sound of the oak wood creaking, her hair and dress swaying with her.
The first thing that strikes me is the way her eyes glow before me. The second is the rouge staining her cheeks in splotches of uneven color. The third is the dismal frown she wears as she sees me.
She is about to rip my soul from me. I simply know it.
And yet, when I see her so distraught, my heart simply melts for her. I wish to rid of the reason her eyes pool tears, and desire to hold her close. Oh, how I wish I could forget my duties and run away with neither knowledge of her truths and live in blissful ignorance.
Oh what a wish that is.
"Kou," She whispers, reaching for me with her quivering hands.
By the might of Ryujin, I somehow hold myself together and reach for her too. Maybe all my instincts are faulty this one time. Maybe I am being swayed by Sir Mori's slanders too easily. Maybe all my suspicion is all a grave mistake. Maybe. Maybe.
"Aya," I say, pulling her towards me. "What troubles you?" She shudders a breath, her eyes darting away from my gaze. Please do not break my trust, I beg in my mind, please Suisen.
When she finally meets my eyes, she finally says those words I've been both waiting and dreading for. "I have something I must tell you."
I search her expression, the sincerity convincing me of every true thing in this world. Whatever she tells me at this moment, I'd believe. I'd believe her, no question.
I hold her hand to my heart, cup my other on her cheek and glide my thumb across the constellation of her freckles.
"What-"
The horns of war echo in the castle walls. Her quiver halts. And fury bursts in my chest.
Then the doors are pushed open with Zuko shuddering from out his skin and bones standing at the entrance.
"What is it?" I demand.
"Haniyasu and Godai have declared war," He announces, "They claim you've held their princess hostage. They will not rescind their declaration even if the princess is surrendered."
My heart falls through my chest. Princess?
I stare at the dame- the princess- in my arms. And it is as though I see a stranger.
Her expression has hardened, her grip and stance become as strong as the mountains that shield Haniyasu from the world.
I release my grip from her and the Aya I knew leaks through her eyes. "Kou-"
I raise my hand, glaring at her. She still stands tall but the hurt in her eyes tears me to endless shards of glass.
"What is your true identity, princess?" I demand.
She swallows and purses her lips before standing straighter and relaxing her shoulders.
"I am Ayane Yamasaki," She says proudly, her chin raised as high as mine when I wear my crown, "The heir and future queen of Haniyasu."
I glance at Zuko still standing at the door. "Leave us."
"But, my liege-" He hesitates. "We-"
"I said, leave us."
My voice reverberates against the walls, thickening the air between us.
When I hear the doors close shut, I let the blinding rage consume every fiber of my being. Rage that is resulted from the pain of deception of affection and betrayal of trust. And in that rage, I hold her by the neck, raising her just on her toes.
"You lying traitor," I snarl, "I trusted you."
Appallingly, or perhaps not, she remains undeterred against my touch.
"I told you so many times," She whispered brokenly, her eyes pooling either from pain or in guilt, I
cannot know. I do not want to. "I warned you to not hold me so highly."
"You strung me like a puppet with your affection. You had countless opportunities to confess your truth.
To warn me properly."
"I had no way of knowing whether you'd send me back," She laments, "Not with your reputation."
"Do not use my reputation as an excuse," I pull her closer to me, whispering so my breath burns her skin. "Were you ever going to confess your true title?"
Her hands fall onto my necklaces, her fingers digging into my skin at my collarbone.
"I wanted to," She says, her eyes twinkling with tears despite the crinkle of her brows. "So many times I held my tongue from the truth. And every time I regretted not telling you."
"You speak only lies. How can I trust a word you've ever said?"
"The only lie I told was of my title," She argues, nearly pleading with the way her voice stretches in despair. "Every promise, every desire, every fear, all of it is my truth."
I desperately wish to believe her, to embrace her and reassure her that everything would be okay. Still, I feel cheated even if she did it all to protect herself. To protect her own kingdom.
"Nothing you say proves your loyalty to this kingdom. To my kingdom."
Her eyes widen and her throat bobs as she gulps the air. Then she pinches her brows and relaxes her grip at my sternum. My beautiful Suisen disappears once again, and the stranger, crown princess Ayane Yamasaki, returns.
"I came to these lands for an alliance against my uncle. This war coming to your lands is only the beginning of King Enjiro's conquest south."
I recall our conversation of her fears of Haniyasu's state. More than her worry, I remember how we were entangled with one another, how her breath tickled my neck and her touch soothed my own restlessness.
Those memories become bitter in the birth of this war. And I cannot forget that she is to blame.
"Your breaching these lands only gave them the excuse to attack my borders. You facilitated this war just as much as your uncle and future father-in-law."
I spit the relation like it is poison in my mouth. I witness how the statement surprises her. Her hands ball into fists against my chest and she exhales hotly. If I wasn't as furious as I am, I would've tried to douse the ire and pain in her lagoon eyes.
"I never accepted the proposal," She spits in contempt. "The pitiful state you found me in was my desperate attempt at escape from becoming a Todokoro bride."
I scoff, "Then what of the crow sent this evening?"
The fire in her expression turns to smoke and she gasps sharply. That surprised her more.
"What crow?" She whispers while searching my expression. "Kou, what crow do you speak of?"
I can tell she is genuine in her ignorance. The way her body freezes, the way her eyes continue to search for answers as though they are written on my face, and the way she releases the fists to reach for my jaw and lightly caress with both care and restraint, all of it, is enough for me to see how true she is.
And yet, despite all of these signs, my mind refuses to believe my heart's pull towards hers. So I tighten my hand around her neck in warning, just enough that she can still breathe.
"Do you dare think me to be so naïve?" I seethe, pulling her hand on my jaw away and throwing it to the side.
My heart twists when her eyes well with tears, and my navel seems to hollow itself when she blinks them away, choking on a breath.
"I have never sent a crow from these lands. You must believe me."
"I cannot." No matter how much I want to.
And then her voice becomes soft, like a salve stroked on an open wound.
"If not my word-" She beseeches, "-believe my heart."
The terrible part is that I do believe her heart. I believe it just as much as I believe in my strength and in the power that runs through my blood. I believe her heart just as much as I believe in my own.
But the torturous betrayal does not let me forget. Even if she meant well, my mind cannot easily forgive.
After all, if she wanted me to believe in her heart, she should've believed in mine first. She should've trusted my love to overcome the centuries of dispute between our bloodlines. She should've.
Nonetheless, the past cannot be changed. What matters is how we proceed with the impending battle on the horizon.
So I ruminate her expression a few seconds longer, trailing my gaze down and up her frozen frame and returning to those pools of lagoon green.
"I am a man of my word," I taunt with a bitterness on my tongue, "So you will remain under Okununishi's protection. And I shall ally with your supporters against the kingdoms in the north. This war was bound to happen sooner or later; it is already ten winters too late."
Those sinfully stunning eyes sparkle. "Thank-"
"However," I bite, pointing out the window behind her. "You will remain in the outskirts of the kingdom on the southern border touching the mystic woods. You are not welcome in these castle walls until the war is won."
Her eyes widen and her lips part with a belated gasp. If from shock or fear, I do not know. I could not care.
"Kou-"
"I expect you to be departed by the first light of dawn," I say with finality, swallowing the sound of my name exhaling her lips one final time.
And I turn away from her, walking out the doors of my quarters and back to my throne room.
The war planning must begin now.
~~~
Katsuki
When I woke up, I wanted to punch something. Anything. Preferably Deku's stupid face.
This dream, these shitty memories, bring more pain than an escape from my current life. Why do I have to remember such a betrayal?
It's stupid. It's annoying. Above all, it pisses me off.
Now every time I see Tangerine's (Yumi's) face I'll see the princess's face. And I'll be forced to remember the conflict all over again.
Like hell I'll let that overcome my present.
My phone's ringtone had alerted me just minutes after I woke up.
I know it's from Tangerine (Yumi). When I changed her ringtone exclusively, it was out of shitty excitement every time I'd get a message from her. Now every time I hear it, it's in dread.
I'd let the phone ring until the end.
I exhaled a breath. I didn't even know why I was holding it. She really has a hold over me. Since when did I become so pathetic?
But I didn't even have enough time to think about it. Cause another ping followed.
This time, be it curiosity or be it frustration, I picked up my phone. She'd left a voicemail.
It was a hella annoying (pretty smart) way to get my attention.
Cause I had to know what she said. If it were a text I could just read it and ignore it.
But then, to know why she called, to get her message that she left, I had to hear voice.
And I did. Reluctantly.
(No, I practically opened my voicemail immediately. Not a single second thought in my head... Yes, I've become that pathetic.)
"I thought a call would be a long shot," She said; her voice was soft and ragged, as if she were crying right before this call. "But I still need to talk with you. So I'm waiting at the bench we first talked it out. I won't leave until you come."
I first thought I wouldn't go. That I'd pull off being stubborn and ignore her. But her voice kept coming back to me. And it took me only two hours to cave.
And so here I am, trudging through the summer streets, kicking a stray pebble as I head over to that bench.
I hate that I can't stand my ground when it comes to facing her. I hate it.
When I reach a patch of grass, I know full well the bench is just in view. And so I look up, finding her sitting on the bench, wearing a white dress flowing in the breeze.
My vision muddles with that of my past life (shitty past life) and I see the princess sitting in despair on the bench at foot of the shitty king's bed.
And as I blink, I'm back to my brilliant existence and Tangerine's (Yumi's) eyes are on me. "You came," She says.
I would've teased her if I weren't so upset. Probably would've asked if I should leave. Or said how I shouldn't have come here. That we should head over to the arcade like last time. Maybe I would've poked her side when she was aiming a shitty toy gun on a light up target. Maybe I would've teased her with my highest score on the pac-man machine.
But I can't do all those things. Not with the anger still brewing inside me. Even if it didn't belong to me. So I answered, "Ya called."
The breeze blows, my hands in my pockets grow warmer in the sun, and sweat beads at the back of my neck. (Training would be a blast right now. The perfect way to blow off some of the aggression.)
Yet, her eyes, cool and striking, bring a chill down my spine. I don't see any anger on her features. But she looks disappointed.
And that's worse than facing her anger. "I thought you were angry at me."
I clench my jaw. "Still am."
"I don't get it."
"What ya don't get?"
"That you're being upset over something that happened centuries ago."
I can't help but scowl. She's insufferable.
"You kept me in the dark about the shitty princess' identity. Course imma be pissed."
She narrows her eyes, standing up and walking out of the tree's shade. "That was Ayane's and Kousuke's past. Why are you intertwining it with our present?"
I look to the side, balling my fists in my pockets. "It's not that simple. Ya know that, Tangerine."
"How is it not that simple?" Her voice is too soft, too cool against the heat simmering in my chest that is expanding and sweltering in my anger. "You were the one who said we should put a line between them and us."
I glance at her from the corner of my eye, thinking that if I see her now, I'll be okay. But the shitty king's memories are burned into mine, the feelings tangled within them too strong for me to ignore.
"It's different when that shitty pain feels just as real as our present."
She frowns, "Kousuke had every right to be upset. You, however, don't. I didn't make Ayane's mistakes." Her chin is held high, much like how the princess's was when facing the shitty king's rage. It pisses me off more. "But you are making the same ones as him."
I scoff, facing her, towering over her. "The only mistake he made was trusting her." "She loved him. Wholly. She never wavered on that. Never lied about it."
"Love ain't enough without honesty and loyalty."
"Her only mistake was hiding her true identity. Other than that, she was true to herself." "Still makes her a liar."
She holds my gaze with hers, keeps me there in that moment, practically begging me to understand how genuine the shitty lying princess was. But just as Carrot-head (Yumi) feels the princess's emotions and true intentions, I feel the idiot king's. I feel his all consuming rage, his heartache, his pain.
And in that pain, I say something that I regret immediately.
"And who knows? Maybe you're a liar too." I pause, swallowing, before hammering in the nail. "She's you after all."
"I-" She exhales shakily. Her eyes search my face as if she can't believe the words that came out of my mouth. (I can't believe I said it either.) "You know what. If you can't trust me because of something my past life did centuries ago, then don't. I can't convince you otherwise cause clearly, 'you know best.'" She bites. She sounds angry now. "You can have all the space you want."
She turns and stomps away, her dress trailing behind her, her hair waving along with the breeze.
I see a flash of the princess in the king's room. And I turn back around the way I came. Taking out my fists and releasing small pops of explosions. I need to get the heat out somehow.
Deep down I know Ayumi is not to blame. Nonetheless, seeing the lying princess whenever I see her only brews more anger. Anger I don't know when it will ever go away.
Because trust is like glass. Once broken, it's impossible to put the shitty pieces back together. Not without a binding to make it into something new yet tangible.
As if there is anything that would bind me and Yumi again. As if.
Buddy's Uncle
Chapter Notes
Sorry for the delay y'all! I was having trouble with how build up the climax to get to the scene we
started with in the prologue (yes, that scene is coming up very very quickly ಥ_ಥ) As an apology, I'm publishing three chapters all at once. Hope you all enjoy the development <3
Ayumi
It's been a day since Bakago ('Tsuki) and I had our fight- separation- distance establishment- whatever you want to label it.
And it's affecting me way more than I thought it would.
Like I'm spacing out while I'm with the rest of the class at the mall, too angry at him to even bother sticking with the group.
I went as far as to make an excuse—to use the bathroom—to walk away from the group.
The only good thing about this anger is that I'm not affected by the crowd at the moment. (It's nice to not
be reminded of that day for once.)
So I walk through the various groups of people. Some families, some friends, some acquaintances meeting by chance. And I speculate hard on why Bakago ('Tsuki) became so irrational. He was the one who said to keep the two lives separate- to not let what happened in the past affect our present.
And yet when I think about it- the only reason we got together was because of the memories Ayane and Kousuke gave us. We didn't have our natural chemistry pulling our affections. Rather, it was the perfect coincidence of the past and present practically meshing into one life that brought us closer together. And now farther apart.
It truly is stupid how we went about this whole thing. And we might only see the past life when we see each other. Maybe we should've just kept these memories as our precious secret. Nothing more, nothing less. Maybe.
I couldn't dwell on the thought longer.
Because, I suddenly bumped into a wall of a muscle. I guess I was really deep in my thoughts to not notice such a burly man.
"I'm so sorry," I say immediately with a dramatic bow of courtesy. "I was in deep thought and I didn't realize that-"
The man laughs. My heart sinks to the balls of my feet. Possibly past the ground underneath them. This can't be happening. No, no, no. This is why I never went in crowds alone.
No, please. Don't be who I think it is.
"That's okay, buddy," he says. "A nice surprise to find you here."
I look up, my fear suffocating every breath.
Why is he here? Why?
His dark hair is longer than I last saw him. The double chain wrapped around his body once from shoulder to hip is still there as always. The menacing copper glowing eyes remain the same as that day.
The day my mom was killed in a crowd.
I swallow the little saliva I have down my dry throat, clenching my sweaty fists.
"Hi, Uncle," I say, trying not to delve into a panic attack. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again." He smiles a little tilted. Demented.
"What? Afraid of meeting Kaya's fate?"
My eyes well with tears. "You don't have the right say her name."
He raises a brow, his smile stretching to show his teeth. They are not as sharp as I remember them. "You've become brave. I suppose that was inevitable with how quickly you've reached our family's secret power."
"Secret power?"
He laughs again. The same laugh I last heard when I saw my mom's blood stain the concrete floor. "Shoutarou didn't tell you? Why am I not surprised?"
"Maybe because that would include conversation about you."
He reaches to put a hand on my head, ruffling my hair as he did when I was younger. The nostalgia, the anger, the sorrow, the pain, all of it merged together, twisting my emotions into a terrible mess.
"That sounds about right." His smile falls, showing a glimpse of the caring uncle my childhood had seen. The man I thought he once was. "He wouldn't want to tell you the truth of our shared past."
"I don't care about your past. Never did after that day."
He smirks, too proud with how he bends forward to taunt me in my face; a small chain emerges from his palm and starts to coil around my wrist.
(I couldn't control his metal even if I tried too. Since his chains are made of his cells, they are technically not absolutely pure metals that I can control; a similar situation I'd face if I went against Testutetsu-kun of class 1B.)
"Can't even say it, buddy? That I killed your precious Mommy?"
Why did I come today? Gods, I wish I did what Bakago ('Tsuki) did and stayed home. Or maybe even hang out with him despite his rage. Anything would be better than meeting this man again.
Anything would be better than recalling my mom's last words.
You still have to live.
It would've been better if she were here to live alongside me and my Dad.
But this man is the one responsible for all this pain. For all my fear. For all my incompetence no matter how hard I try to survive in the crowd.
So I spit my true feelings into the space between us. The space that seemingly we are only aware of despite being surrounded by countless witnesses.
"I hate you."
"You didn't always," he sighs, taking the chain back from encircling my wrist. "Next time we meet, I expect you to come with me quietly-"
"Like hell-"
"If you don't, I'll come after all those you love," he smiles a bit tilted once again, stepping to stand beside me, yet facing the opposite way, still managing a whisper in my ear. "Starting with my younger brother."
When I turn around, all traces of him are gone. As if he disappeared into thin air. Including the little metal chains he was having snake the floor.
~~~
Eleven years ago
Lots of people were running from the bad guy. Mommy was holding my hand, running with them, pulling me with her.
"Keep running, Ayumi!" she shouted, when I suddenly lost her hand.
People were still running, pushing me away from Mommy's screams.
I couldn't say anything. I couldn't find my big girl voice to call out to Mommy.
Today we were supposed to have a special day at the park. And then the bad guy came to Downtown. He started to make sparks hurt everybody. And I felt metal move everywhere. Like snakes.
When the people started leaving, I found Mommy on the floor with a big ouchie on her tummy. And red. Everything was red.
"You're going to be okay," she says, coughing out more red, "I believe you'll do amazing things, my lil' princess. But I need you- to run. You still- have to- live."
Then Mommy stopped talking and stopped seeing. I knew she was gone.
But I couldn't help but kneel into the red, shaking Mommy's shoulders. "Mommy," I cried. "Mommy!" Then the bad guy started laughing. When I looked up, I found the last person left in the abandoned street. He had short black hair, and eyes that glowed bright like Daddy's.
I blinked twice, praying that what I was seeing was a lie. When he didn't changed, I started crying harder.
Because the bad guy was Daddy's brother. My favorite uncle. My only uncle. Uncle Kentaro.
***
Katsuki
Today is equally annoying thanks to my shitty chest feeling as hollow as a dead tree.
I try to fill it with random shit throughout the day. Exercising for hours, helping my old hag in the kitchen, cleaning my room for the billionth time, and now, I'm out mountain climbing with my old man.
Now I know I can simply explode my way up the mountain range and forgo the mountain climbing equipment most people would take. But this is something I enjoy without using my quirk. Because the way the sun beats down on my skin, the gravity pulls me downward, and the heated breeze goes up my shirt, helps me ground myself.
I check the anchor of my rope, pulling on the carabiner connected to my waist, and continue my ascent up this shitty mountain. I look for cracks and divots in the rock, grabbing it with my gloved hands and gripping my entire life onto it as if my life depends on it. Not that it does. If worse comes to worse, I'll soften my landing with explosions from my hands.
Despite my old man's timid nature, he's a beast when it comes to scaling mountains. I might not respect him when it comes to his courage against my old hag, but I do respect his strength and speed against nature's buildings.
Even if I hate admitting it, he's nearly a kilometer ahead of me in elevation. And even if there is a small ledge on which I can take a break on, I hate that I'm already heaving heavy breaths from only climbing half the mountain's height.
He's already screamed down the ledge, telling me to unwrap lunch when I reach the ledge while he checks out which way to head up.
So here I am, unwrapping the sandwiches my old hag and I made together while arguing, and begrudgingly laughing through some crude jokes. And while I do that, the sun starts to descend behind the mountain, giving a momentary shadow. (A relief if I'm being honest.)
Suddenly my phone starts to buzz incessantly. (Somehow there is reception here)
The class group chat is on emergency mode, a setting Four Eyes did after he faced Stain with Deku and IcyHot, in case anyone's life got in danger.
I open the chat immediately, stuffing the chicken and cheese sandwich in my mouth.
Four Eyes
Is everyone okay? I heard two villains were spotted at the mall?
Round Face
all good
Deku-kun and Ayumi-chan are heading to the police station
Raccoon Eyes
OMG!!!
Shitty Hair
what happened?
Ponytail
are they okay?
Dunce Face
anyone know which villains?
Deku
sorry to worry you all! everything is okay
@Shitty Hair i encountered Shigaraki
don't know who Yamamoto-san encountered... she seemed shaken
The sandwich falls from my hand.
Yumi encountered a villain? Was she okay?
(Of course I'm worried, you shitheads. I can't just ignore that last detail shitty Deku mentioned.)
She was shaken? How? Who did she meet? Someone from the League of Villains? Someone else?
And sure, even though we were fighting, even if I decided to keep space between us because of our ambiguous shared past lives, I couldn't just ignore that she encountered a villain. Alone.
The chat fills with more concerns, everyone questioning whether any details of Yumi's situation came to light.
After skimming through the texts, it became painfully obvious no one knew. And that Yumi wasn't reading the chat.
So even though I want to keep my stance on our relationship—whatever we were in the first place—I call her.
I wait for the rings to hit the voicemail, and then I cut the call. I expected that she wouldn't pick up.
I mean, I did insult her the last time we talked. She wouldn't confide me even if she wanted to.
Hell, I hate myself sometimes.
I stare at my phone, glaring at her profile picture that is of her beaming while wearing a summer hat and a blue dress. The same dress she wore that first time in Aldera Park.
It isn't until after I come down the mountain that I get a pair of texts back.
Yumi
nothing happened just met an old face
👍