The entire way to Shinsou's house, Hidemi couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. She was walking slightly behind Shinsou so he could lead the way there, but she could also just teleport away with him, in case of serious danger. However, there was something, odd, about this feeling. Something malicious. But yet, everytime she tried to find the source of this presence, everytime she looked around the forest path that was lit by the setting sun, she was met with absolutely nothing. She didn't want to bother or worry Shinsou by telling him as he seemed pretty concerned about something else at the moment. Unless he also felt this presence.
"Are you okay, Shinsou?" She questioned, noting the look on his face.
"Huh?" He looked backwards quickly, looking forwards again to make sure he wouldn't trip.
"Are you okay, Shinsou?" She repeated, slower this time. "Oh, ah, yeah, I'm good." He mumbled the words out. Hidemi wasn't satisfied with this answer.
"No, you're not. What's wrong? Is it me? I don't have to go to your place. I'll be-" She was cut off.
"No, no! It- It's not you. I'm just thinking. You wouldn't care anyway." He shook his head.
"What? Why would I not care?" She exclaimed.
"Tell me." His eyes strayed from the path in front of him, meeting her eyes. He kept walking even though he wasn't looking where he was going.
"You wouldn't care because you and I are strangers. And, truthfully, I don't think anyone cares about me anyway." He shrugged and looked forwards once more.
"Well then. I guess we'll just have to be more than strangers. My first name is Hidemi. I live to help people and hopefully I'll become a hero. I'm also a tomboy, rather shorts and a shirt and dresses and skirts," He sighed, however this sigh was the amused kind.
"What about you?" She asked. By this point, she had forgotten all about the unnerving feeling she'd been having.
"My first name is Hitoshi and you already know my last name, Shinsou, I live to become a hero and help people. Hopefully, I'll be able to inspire others in my situation," He finished, the longing showing in his voice.
"But what's your last name?" Hidemi was much happier now.
"I don't have a last name, Hito-chan! But now we aren't strangers!" She watched him visibly cringe.
"Hito-chan?" He asked grimacing. She hummed in response. He groaned.
"Now that we aren't strangers," She repeated.
"Is anything still on your mind?" She asked, more seriously.
"No, not anymore," He smiled. Hidemi had the effect to make everyone happier. Whether she did it on purpose or not, was a different question.
"We're here." She looked at the small, two-story house in front of her. She had forgot that they were walking to his house. She didn't even register that they moved out of the forest and onto a road. She had also adjusted to the temperature of the cold, damp clothes on her skin. At least, until a breeze blew through the street.
"Oh, wow, do you guys own this or is it rented?" She questioned. It really was a nice house.
"We own it." He replied, walking up the front steps. He ruffled around in his pockets before swearing. He reached for the door knob and turned it. The door didn't budge.
"I forgot my keys. I'm going to have to knock," He looked behind him and stared at Hidemi.
"I don't know how they're going to react to you." He mumbled something after that but Hidemi didn't catch it.
"It's not like I'm doing anything other than having a shower and maybe," She trailed the sentence off half way through.
"Oh." He breathed out an 'oh boy' and turned back towards the door and knocked. Three sharp knocks rang in Hidemi's ears.
"Who is it?" A cheerful voice sang out.
"It's me, you know, your son," He replied gruffly.
"I forgot my keys." Quick footsteps were heard approaching the door. Followed by the clicking of a lock. The door swung wide open. A woman with a messy purple bun was standing in the door frame. Her purple hair framed her face nicely. Her, almost identical, purple eyes immediately locked on to Hidemi, slanting, unsure if they should trust this new person. They swept up and down, as if they were mesmerizing every part of her.
"Oh? Who this?" The words were directed at Hitoshi, not her, so she kept quiet.
"This is Hidemi. We met at the park and talked for a while." He looked over at her and gulped. It was barely noticeable but Hidemi thought it would be best if she helped him out a bit.
"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Shinsou," She bowed and big smile spreading across her face.
"I'm Hidemi and Hito-chan is just the best!" Her eyebrow quirked up at her son's newfound nickname.
"He saved me. Some boys were harassing me and I tripped into a river. He got rid of them and helped me out of the river. His house was closer so he offered to let me go here to take a shower and dry off. He's really nice!" The lie slipped easily out of her mouth. She was accustomed to lying to people by now.
"Oh? Really?" The surprise in was evident in her voice. As if she didn't expect her son to be so, noble. She looked back towards Hitoshi.
"Can we come in now?" He asked, his voice monotone. She smiled and looked at Hidemi.
"Sure. But Shinsou, I'd like to talk quickly." He nodded and brought her up the stairs and to his room. She looked around. It was mostly bare, the exceptions being the rare hero posters on the wall. He grabbed a spare shirt and some shorts and handed them to her.
"I don't know if those will fit you." Was the only thing he said before handing her a towel and directing her to the bathroom.
"Thanks Hito-chan." She replied whilst he ran back down the stairs to find his mother, not wanting to keep her waiting. She took her hair out before she started to shower. As she showered, she watched the layers of dirt peel off and turn the flowing water brown. She would occasionally hear some of the conversation that was going on downstairs. Things like "Yes! I've told you before!" and "Mum!" and "Okay!" were heard at different stages of her shower. After washing her hair and giving her body a good scrub down, she stepped out of the shower and put on the clothes that Hitoshi had given her. They were a little tight as, although Hidemi did a lot of exercise and much less eating, she still managed to remain sort of chubby. Even with all the muscle she had built up over the years of training and two weeks of living in this park. She grabbed the towel and walked back to Hitoshi's room. It was closed so she presumed Hitoshi had made his way back to his room.
She knocked, just in case, and Hitoshi's gruff voice sounded out past the door.
"Come in." She opened the door and walked in. He was laying on the bed, hands rested beneath his head. She walked over and sat at his desk. Noting the unfinished homework laying there, she spun around to face him.
"What do you have against your mum? She seemed pretty nice." She questioned, curious about what made him not like her that much. Hormones? Stuck-up brat? Mum's extroverted, he's introverted? The possibilities echoed in her mind.
"She's just so judgemental. She constantly wants me to do my best, and when I do, it's never enough," He said.
"She wants me to get friends and I tried to. For her. It was hard, I struggled. And, when I finally did, she said they weren't good for me." He sat up, leaned against his headboard and looked at her.
"Oh. It that what you guys were yelling about downstairs?" Hidemi pried. He tensed up a little at the question, inadvertently causing Hidemi's face to change to a confused frown.
"I," He started.
"Uh, not really. She asked if what you said was true. Then told me I shouldn't of stuck my nose in it. Said that I shouldn't of brought you here and that you had to leave at some point tonight." He looked away from her and mumbled something she didn't hear.
"What?" She tried to get him to repeat his words.
"I said that she also told me that we couldn't do anything, weird." She barely heard it and the embarrassment in his voice didn't make it easier.
"What? What does," Realisation hit her like a freight train.
"O-Oh." Her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with hand, choosing to stop looking at Hitoshi out of embarrassment. He hummed in response.
Actually, thinking about that, Hitoshi didn't ever look at her like that. Maybe he just doesn't like me. The thought was valid. Or maybe…
"But, Hito-chan?" Her words prompted him to look at her again. When they locked eyes Hidemi spoke again.
"Are, you even into girls?" The words were strung out, open for debate. A choked noise came from Hitoshi and his face lit up red.
"Uh, what?" He asked hurriedly.
"O-Of course I'm into girls! Why wouldn't I be into girls? Their, uh, eyes! Uh. Are co-cool?" He nodded his head quickly, agreeing with what he just said. He opened his mouth again. Before he could continue his rant, however, Hidemi cut him off.
"It's okay if you aren't, Hito-chan." His mouth closed, stopping any sounds from coming out. He looked her in the eyes, a worried look was all over his face.
"Please, don't tell me parents. They don't know. They can't know. You can't tell anyone. Please. I'll do anything." He stuttered, trying to keep his emotions at bay. It was obvious at this point Hitoshi wasn't one for showing his feelings.
"What? Why would I tell anyone? That's your choice. I'm not telling anyone unless you ask me too. You don't have to do anything, either way." She replied. His eyes were wide and terrified.
"R-Really? Thanks. I," He stopped to take some deep breaths and sigh.
"Thank you." He repeated. His voice was genuinely happy. Genuinely peaceful.
"It's no problem, Hito-chan. Don't forget, it's okay to be gay!" She added the comment on to hopefully cheer him up somewhat. He chuckled a little.
"What about you? You straight? Gay?" He teased. Hidemi actually hasn't thought about things like this since, well, since before.
"I," She hummed indecisively.
"I-I'm aromantic and asexual, I think." She tried. They sounded right to her so she nodded to confirm her statement.
"Oh, okay. I wasn't expecting that." She squinted her eyes and spread her hand out in front of her.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, offended.
"Oh no!" He put his hands up in a 'Surrender' position.
"No, I mean, I just. I don't know. You seem like the type that'd be all knowledgeable about relationships and stuff." This actually made Hidemi laugh.
"I'd really doubt that," She scoffed.
"Don't get me wrong I can think people are hot and cute and stuff but I don't actively desire them, in a sexual or romantic way. I love everyone, well, almost everyone, in a platonic way." He nodded in an understanding way.
"Okay." Was the only word he said.
She noticed the clock on his bedside read 8:30pm. 'How long have I been here?' She wondered.
"Alright, well, I best be going." She stated.
"Oh, uh, okay." She got up and leaned over him on the bed, forcing him into an awkward hug. 'Too late to back out now.' When she leaned back she looked him in the eyes.
"We will meet again. I'm sure of it." He smiled at her.
"I'll make sure of it." Was his only response before she left his room. When she got to the front door she called out, quickly, before going outside.
"Thanks Mrs. Shinsou! Have a good night!"
She walked back in the same way she came. As much as she could remember, atleast. She prefered not to use her quirk too much, in case of random memories she might stir up and also cause it can get a bit confusing, teleporting everywhere. 'Heroes need to be strong, physically, too!' The extra thought was added on. She was in the woods again finally, when that weird feeling occurred again. The menacing presence was back. 'It didn't do anything last time, what would it do now?' She scoffed at the thought. Suddenly, she felt something on her back and an arm wrapped around her torso. Immediately freaking out she tried to teleport away but she couldn't. 'Crap! Crapcrapcrap! Something must being touching my hair!' She thought, cursing herself out for forgetting to put her hair back up. As she went to scream for help, her mouth was covered by a cloth. Trying to breathe through the cloth was a mistake, as it made her almost instantly pass out. The dark outlines of trees were the last thing she saw before her vision faded to black.
A/N: Hello again! Turns out the holidays have been more busy than I would've expected. Sorry about the really late upload. I'm finally free to write more again, though! Also if you're homophobic, you should probably stop here. This story will have a lot of LGBTQ themes in it so I probably should've mentioned this sooner. Also I'm going to have to up the rating to 'T' because of small sexual mentions. NOTHING IN THIS FANFIC WILL GET DESCRIPTIVELY SEXUAL. That is for certain. I have plans that might include suggestive themes but nothing will be described. Anyway, enjoy this 2227 word update. And the rest of your day!