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Chapter 2
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"Always hold hands when you walk to school, you hear?"
"Haaii~!" I drawl, grinning at Mitsuki. It's nice out today. It's spring, and the cherry blossoms will bloom soon and our families are out and walking together and all of it makes me happy.
I start waving our intertwined hands back and forth, and Bakugō lets me. He's frowning though, looking up at Mitsuki with a question on his face, "Do I have to?" His grip is loose in mine, I know he doesn't care if I let go or not. But Mitsuki can be terrifying, and that alone is what makes him listen and hold my hand.
It's our first day of kindergarten, and we're all heading there together for the entrance ceremony. Mitsuki is doing a good job telling us what to watch out for and how to get there properly. My parents and Masaru are conversing quietly a few steps behind us.
After today, Bakugō and I will be making this trip alone. It isn't scary, or even long; I just wish Midoriya could also walk with us. But he lives in the opposite direction, more to the east, but not too out of the way that we won't bump into him.
So maybe Midoriya will meet us on the way some days!
"Yes," Mitsuki says, quickly pinching Bakugō's cheek. "You have to." She's holding his other hand, and he whines at the nip. Loudly. He lets go of her hand to rub at his irritated flesh, but then he sees the school entrance.
And I do too.
"Wahh!" He rushes forward, an excited look on his face. "Look! Look! We're here!"
There are two standing banners at the entrance, and I can't read the characters yet, but the colors of them are pretty. There are lots of kids with their families, of various ages and sizes and different quirk mutations and seeing so many people...
I let go of Bakugō's hand, and while he blinks a little at the action, he pushes forward, leaving me behind. "Hurry! Hurry!" He encourages, and while his excitement is usually contagious…
I turn, and Mitsuki is closest to me. I run into her leg, clutching at her slim slacks tightly.
"Hm? Shiro-chan?" She places a hand on my back, right in between my shoulder blades, between the baby wings that have just started sprouting there.
I shake my head, burying my face deeper into the fabric of her pants, and I can hear the deep, amused chuckle of Tōsan over Kāsan's laugh. It makes me pout.
"Kids usually act like this right?" He says, and his voice is closer, I can hear the beat of his footsteps as he steps towards us. "It'll be hard to convince Shiro to let go now."
"That brat ran off so easily," Mitsuki grumbles, and I know she's talking about Bakugō. And then she's kneeling, and pulling me up until I'm in her arms. In this position it's easier to bury my face in her neck, and she smells familiar. She smells safe compared to this new unknown I know nothing about. "Masaru, catch up to Katsuki, we'll be right behind you."
"Un," He says, and as he passes by, he pats my hair briefly. His hand is large, maybe even larger than Tōsan's. But Tōsan's is firmer. More comforting.
I tighten my hold on Mitsuki's neck, not wanting to leave the security of her embrace. She's saying something, something like, "That brat didn't even think to cling to me like this—maybe I've been too lenient with him. Tenshi," I feel Mitsuki turn, and the mention of my mother's name makes me raise my head a little, "I'm adopting Shiro. This isn't a joke anymore. You can take Katsuki instead."
"Mitsuki, please," Kāsan says, and she's pressing her lips together. It looks like she wants to laugh, but is trying really hard not to—even if I can see the tremble at the corners of her mouth, "Please don't say that with such a straight face, you'll hurt Katsuki-kun's feelings."
"No," Mitsuki says, and there's a thump on my head. I can't tell if it's Mitsuki's chin, or her cheek. But she continues, "Are you seeing this? There's no way I'm letting Shiro go. No. You can pry Shiro from my cold, dead hands—"
"Mitsuki-san," Tōsan says, and there's a laugh in his voice. "We should hurry or we'll be late."
The thought of having to go to the entrance ceremony, with people I've never met, surrounded by people I don't know, and lots of them has me anxious.
"Pappa," I whine, straightening and extending my arms to him. The motion itself says everything, and Mitsuki sighs, handing me over willingly.
"Of course," She mutters, crossing her arms with a huff once Tōsan is holding me, "You are the favorite, after all."
Tōsan's grip is different. It's more steady here. It's firm everywhere that Mitsuki is soft. While Mitsuki is a majority muscle, the rigidness of Tōsan's bones makes everything about him seem unbreakable.
I'm comfortable here. And hearing what Mitsuki says, I look at her, cheek against Tōsan's chest, and mutter, "Everyone's my favorite, Bachan."
Everyone is my favorite. I love everyone very much.
She takes one look at me, and immediately turns to Kāsan behind us. "I'm serious, Tenshi, sign the papers. Give me Shiro and you can take Katsuki—"
"Mitsuki!" Kāsan laughs, and I'm hiding, not wanting the other kids to see me. Not wanting the other kids to judge me or touch my baby wings with their too tight grips or get in the way of me playing with Bakugō and Midoriya.
It's hard to leave the security of Tōsan's arms.
Thanks to:
amgs (hello! thank you so much for reading, hopefully this lives up to everyone's expectations!)
this definitely takes place before the previous chapter. the previous chapter was more like an intro...? but from now, it'll be more linear!
i don't plan to spend a lot of time on childhood.. hopefully, but we'll see!
let me now what you all think! please review!
—prince