The scent of chamomile and something sweet hung in the air as I stepped out of Kenji's office. The weight of his words, "a coma," still pressed on my chest, a heavy stone I couldn't dislodge. I found Diamond perched at the kitchen island, her face illuminated by the soft glow of her phone screen. Probably another TikTok dance she was mastering, the thought brought a faint smile to my lips. I settled onto the stool next to her, and almost as if on cue, one of the maids, a sweet woman named Hana, placed a steaming mug of tea and a warm, chewy cookie in front of me. She gave a knowing look, a silent understanding of the turmoil within me.
Diamond finally looked up, her blue lightning streak flashing as she tilted her head, her usual cheerful energy replaced by concern. She knew. She always knew. She could read the stress etched onto my face like some kind of complex map. "Dad, again?" she asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper. I nodded, the lump in my throat making it hard to speak. I didn't need to elaborate; she knew about my dad, Hizashi, staying here while he recovered. She knew about the accident, the fall that had plunged him into unconsciousness last night. Diamond pushed her phone aside and wrapped an arm around me, pulling me into a side hug. "He'll be okay, Anos," she said, her voice a soothing balm. "He's strong." She was amazing like that. A well of seemingly endless empathy always on hand.
"Does your mom know?" she continued her gaze searching my eyes. I shook my head, biting back a wave of emotion "No," I whispered with tears brimming my eyes. "I can't tell her or Izuku. It'll just…they'll worry too much. Izuku has enough on his plate as it is." Diamond nodded in understanding. She understood a lot about me and I understood her, we have been friends since we were kids after all. We had both grown up in the chaos of our parents' youth. They had us at fifteen, figuring out parenthood on the fly, a constant exercise in trial and error. There were a lot of bumps along the way, a lot of hard lessons learned, but we had each other. We were forged in fire, tempered by those early trials. It was a whole different era back then, before 'Hero Charts' even existed. It was a mess, a win some lose some situation all around.
Our conversation drifted, as conversations often do. We talked about everything and nothing. School, training, the heroes around the world. Finally, Diamond's eyes narrowed, a playful smirk spreading across her lips. "So," she began, her voice dripping with mischief, "Momo Yayorozu, huh?" My face flushed instantly. She knew about my feelings for Momo. I told myself that I had been discreet but I guess not. I was surprised at her knowing. I mumbled about the kiss we shared at Peter Parker's wedding, and the second kiss on her balcony under the moonlight. I felt my cheeks burn as I relived those moments of intimacy.
Diamond clapped her hands, her giggle echoing through the kitchen. "When's the wedding?" she teased, her blue streak practically vibrating with excitement. My blush deepened, and I groaned, hiding my face in my hands. "Oh c'mon," she nudged me with her elbow "The dance is coming, you gotta ask her!" My heart did a little flip at the thought.
I decided to retaliate. I leaned back against the stool, my smirk mirroring hers. "What about Eliza Kirishima?" I asked, knowing that she got a full on glow up since school began. Diamond's face turned a shade of red that rivaled her hair streaking and I couldn't help but laugh. She had a massive crush on Eliza. We traded barbs and jokes, the easy camaraderie between us a constant comfort.
We were still mid conversation when Diana walked in, her yellow hair with purple streaks gleaming under the kitchen lights. She smiled at us, her blue eyes warm. "Anos, are you staying for dinner? I know you have practice later" she asked, giving me a motherly hug. I was about to decline, since it was getting late, when Diamond answered for me before I could say no. "Yes! He is staying!" she said excitedly. I chuckled shaking my head, how could I say no to her when she seemed so happy. "Yeah, sure" I said as I nodded my head.
Diamond dragged me to her room afterward. We talked for hours about training, our crushes, and just life in general. She was dancing to one of her favorite songs when a box fell off her shelf, hitting her hard on the head. I immediately got up, concern washing over me. "Are you okay?" I asked her as I reached out to help her up. She waved her hand dismissively, "Yeah, I'm fine." I sighed, shaking my head, and helped her put the box back. However my eye caught on to something. It was an old, leather-bound book that was hidden behind it, the title barely visible through the dust. "Secret Memories," it read. I raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued.
I flipped through the book, finding it was Kenji's old high school yearbook. Diamond, now completely recovered from her brief head trauma, joined me, her laughter filling the room as we discovered embarrassing photos of Kenji and all his friends during high school. The laughter died in my throat when I spotted a photo tucked towards the back. It was Diana, young and vibrant, posed with my mother in matching lace outfits. They looked radiant and then my eyes darted to the side. Endeavor stood beside them, his arm around my mother's waist, an uncomfortable familiarity in his eyes.
I cursed under my breath. What the hell was this?! My breath hitched when I saw another woman in the corner of the photo. She had white hair and grey eyes. It had to be Endeavor's wife. My eyes flew wide, a horrible realization crashing over me - the woman, the one who everyone believed to be a kind soul, was actually married to that monster? My heart dropped and I turned to Diamond. "Look at this!" I said, my voice shaking slightly.
Diamond's laughter abruptly ceased as she saw the photo. Her eyes, usually bright and playful, darkened with a cold fury. She reached under her bed, pulling out a pink diary that was hidden from sight. She quickly flipped through the pages until she found the one she was looking for. She handed the diary to me. I stared at the page, its contents a raw wound laid bare on the paper, and my heart broke.
In words that seemed to claw their way onto the page,
The weight of him, a suffocating blanket,
His hands on me, a forced melody,
My body, a vessel used, a canvas,
A masterpiece built on lies and debris.
The shame, a constant companion,
It crawls under my skin and bites,
My reflection, a stranger, one I detest,
His monster lives in my eyes and my dreams
I, a puppet, dancing on strings of manipulation,
My voice lost to his booming lies,
My spirit, broken, a shattered mirror,
Each shard reflecting his twisted eyes.
Oh, the horror of that night,
The betrayal, a poisoned arrow.
My anger fuels a fire,
That turns to ash the love that was given.
I loathe him, yet I fear him,
A never ending nightmare, a curse,
But most of all, I loathe myself,
For letting him put me in this hearse.
- Diana
The words were raw, a torrent of pain and rage that hit me like a physical blow. My throat constricted, tears threatening to spill from my eyes. What had Endeavor done to her? Why was Diana carrying this in her heart? And what about my mother? And Endeavor's wife? Diamond's eyes mirrored my pain and rage.
"That bastard," she hissed, her voice low and dangerous. I felt a surge of protectiveness. I had never seen her like this before, a fire burning in her usually cheerful eyes. We sat in silence for a long moment, our shared pain a tangible thing between us. We discussed our feelings, the betrayal and the anger, feeling lost and hurt. How the hell could someone use another person like this. Endeavor was a monster.
We tried to pretend everything was alright for dinner. We laughed and talked with Kenji, Diana, and Denki, maintaining the façade of normalcy. But beneath the surface, a storm was brewing. I glanced at Diamond across the table, her smile strained, and I knew we were both carrying this heavy secret, our hearts aching with a pain we could barely understand. We had a lot to talk about later, but for now, we had to just pretend.