Six Years Ago
Hikari: Age 13
One Month After The Commission Attack
Moving down the crowded streets, Hikari looked up at the setting sun before her stomach began to growl under her shirt, the noise a few octaves louder than the last time she had heard it. How long had it been since she had last eaten? The little girl didn't know. Perhaps a couple days?
Because she was so young, the girl couldn't get a job yet which meant surviving on the smallest scraps she could find or begging for money on the streets until she had enough to go to the store and get something on her own.
Although, as much as the food was better there, she always hated going into a store because everyone would always stare at her.
Her wings were always the first things they noticed and Hikari began to get used to the horrified and disgusted cries whenever she'd walk by. Along with being so young and homeless, she knew the customers were probably thinking the same thing. In fact, she even heard the people sometimes, whispering under their breath.
Poor thing, I wonder what happened? Do you think she was kicked out?
And that was the thing Hikari hated the most, knowing that even though they pitied her, no one ever made the effort to help her, to take her in. No, that was too much work for them apparently. Although, that's not like she could blame them either.
Who would want a monster anyways?
Sighing to herself, Hikari then paused when she saw the large billboard next to her change images into a familiar set of amber eyes and blonde hair, the very sight causing her to pause in her tracks immediately.
It was her brother.
The advertisement was bright and extravagant, mocking her all at once as the small tag line read. Upcoming Pro Hero Debut: The Winged Hero Hawks. In flashing red and gold letters that popped up on the screen.
His smile was so confident and smooth, causing a hard ball of emotion to creep up in her throat before looking up at the sign and praying that the still image would somehow see her, that he would save her from this hell. "Kei-chan, I'm right here. I've been here, please…see me…I miss you...I miss you so much…"
Feeling tears beginning to prick her eyes, Hikari then wiped them away before letting out a shaky breath before letting her own thoughts torment her even further. I don't know why you hated me Keigo, why you were ashamed but I'm sorry...I'm so sorry for not being what you wanted...how do I fix it? Please tell me, tell me so I can come home to you again..
The self loathing continued until it weighed her down completely, the tears completely clouding her vision before someone rammed into her a moment later, causing the girl to lose her balance and tumble to the floor.
Groaning at the hit, Hikari gritted her teeth at the pain before an older man in a suit seemingly yelled in her direction, pointing at her with so much malice that it made the small girl flitch. "Watch where you're going you brat! Go home already..!"
Then he turned around before stomping off with a huff as everyone else seemingly moved around her, causing Hikari to let her eyes fall. Seems she was a bother to everyone, huh?
Slowly standing to her feet, Hikari brushed off the large black jacket that Touya had given her a couple weeks ago before moving back down the path she was on, checking the sleeves for any rips as she moved through the crowds once more.
Lucky for her, there weren't any, causing the girl to let out a sigh of relief before pulling the jacket closer to her chest in an attempt of comfort. She hadn't seen that boy since the last time they had met but Hikari certainly wished to.
Perhaps it was the lack of recent human interaction but she really enjoyed their talk. It felt almost normal, and that was hard to come by nowadays. He didn't say any lewd comments or throw anything at her head, or yell at her like other people did.
No, he genuinely just seemed bored, and that was strange to her.
Hikari then reached into her pockets before pulling out the crinkled money that had gathered from today, happy that a couple people had managed to give her a couple yen once they saw how young and hungry she was.
It looked like she had just enough for something at the convenience store tonight.
Smiling to herself at the idea of any type of food, the girl's stomach growled once more before looking up only to find a flash to white hair in the corner of her vision for a split second before turning down the closest alleyway.
Hold on, was that? No it couldn't be…
It may have sounded crazy but that stranger almost looked like the guy that had talked to her a couple weeks ago. But that was impossible, right? What were the odds he'd even be here again. It was probably wishful thinking.
Although against her better judgement, the girl creep closer to the alleyway before hearing a low cough echo through the space, the tone sounding slightly pained as the boy wheezed out a breath.
Moving even closer, Hikari than turned the corner only for her eyes to widen, seeing the very same boy she was just thinking about a couple minutes ago on the floor of the alleyway as he leaned against the wall with his head down.
No way, it was him, it was Touya.
Although on further inspection, there seemed to be two other men surrounding them, one of them kicking his foot before leaning down and taking out a small knife. "Hey, you dead?"
Yet Touya didn't move as the other man only leaned down to check his pockets, pushing the boy's jacket open before taking out a couple cards and a couple thousand yen. "Whoa, this kid is loaded! He must be one of those rich types…"
Realizing that they were robbing the seemingly unconscious boy, Hikari felt her teeth grind together before thinking about everything Touya had done for her. He had saved her life from the commission and gave her his jacket. She couldn't just watch him be robbed like this. She had to do something.
Although the girl was still terrified after what those commission agents did to her wings, causing her hands to begin to shake as she watched the white haired boy groan under his breath.
No, she couldn't just stand around and let this happen. Touya had saved her, so she had to do the same, no matter how scared it made her. Now it was her turn to help him.
Closing her eyes in order to summon any amount of courage, Hikari then stepped out from the shadows before lifting her deformed wings up in hopes to scare them. "Hey! W-What are you doing to my friend..?!"
Her voice came out far less intimidating than she had meant it to be, although it certainly did get the attention of all involved, the thugs turning around before taking in her wings. "Whoaa, look it's another freak. What circus do you belong to?"
Lifting the knife in her direction, Hikari gulped before continuing. "J-Just..get away from him."
The two only laughed though, taking another step towards her before Hikari's feathers began to twitch. "Oh? And what are you gonna do about it ugly little birdie? You gonna stop me…?"
That's when she felt the sharp tip of his knife touch her cheek before slowly cutting a small line in order to intimate her as Hikari looked around at her surroundings. She had to do something, she couldn't just sit here.
As the blood pooled across her cheek, the girl then felt her feathers start to stand on edge as they turned sharp, knowing she'd have to fight her way out of this one. "Y-Yes, I am..?"
Her tone shook on the words though, causing the two large men to chuckle before pushing the knife towards her throat, the tip just barely breaking the skin in warning as Touya opened his half lidded gaze to the girl with confusion.
The boy was slipping in and out of consciousness but he could tell that the girl in front of him was terrified, his eyes twisting in a mix of surprise and disbelief, wondering why she was even here in the first place. "Hey...just get out of here...you idiot...It's not...worth it..."
Yet Hikari had other plans, glancing towards the knife by her neck and then to the boy in front of her as the attacker laughed at her words. "Alright then, give me a show, little bird. Show me how you're gonna stop me.."
Pushing her lips together, the girl sucked in a breath before moving her body at once.
It happened before the two thugs could even think, Hikari moving one of her feathers from her wings before the sharp end lodged itself straight into his hand with an immense force, causing him to drop the knife immediately.
Then quickly running towards the broken boy, the girl then used three more feathers to lift up his body before throwing it on her shoulder as the weight almost crushed her entirety.
She could hear the angry shouts from the men now, barreling towards her as Touya watched her eyes light up in fear. "You bitch! Get back here so I can cut your damn wings off!"
Pushing her legs forward, Hikari then raced away as fast as she could before the white haired boy watched the sweat drip from her forehead in his hazy state, knowing she wasn't used to this kind of thing.
But if that was the case, then why was she doing it?
Scraping the side of the wall as she turned Hikari hissed at the sting before reaching a dead end, causing the girl to widen her eyes as her whole body began to shake. "No no no no! What are we going to do now?!"
Yet Touya was far too concerned with the noise more than anything, grumbling against her shoulder. "Shut up...you're too loud…"
Twisting her eyes in disbelief, Hikari was about to criticize him when the two men turned around the corner to meet them, causing the girl to feel her breath catch in her throat before pushing Touya behind her. "T-That's not helping!.."
The girl then relayed her options before his jacket bummed against hers a moment later, causing her side to be hit by some sort of object. Hold on, was that what she thought it was?
Digging into his pocket, the girl then pulled out a phone before tapping the screen only to find that it had died. Stupid Touya, why didn't you charge your phone?! We are gonna die because of it..!
That's when she heard the thugs voices once more, only a couple feet away from her as all of her feathers stood on edge. "You shouldn't have stuck your nose into this little girl. Now it looks like you have to die with him. How unfortunate."
Pushing the dead phone against her chest, Hikari looked towards the fading boy before sucking in an anxious breath and trying the last option she had left. This had to work, or else they'd be screwed.
The girl then took the phone before fakely pushing a couple buttons before pressing it against her ear so they couldn't see that it wasn't lighting up. "Hello? Please, help! We're being attacked! Please, come save us.."
At the words, the two men froze before lifting the knife in her direction. "You put that down right now before you regret it!"
Although Hikari stuck to her story, looking the men dead in the eye before trying to seem as serious as possible. "Y-You better get out of here. They said they're gonna be here in two minutes."
The men then looked between the two before trying to catch any lies in her sentence, the blonde haired girl trying her hardest to look as convincing as possible so they wouldn't die.
And after a couple seconds, one of thugs cursed under their breath before turning away in order to escape the heroes that would never come to capture them. "Shit, You win this one little girl, but don't think you'll be so lucky next time!"
Not relaxing until the two were out of sight, Hikari felt her shoulders suddenly cave as she ungracefully plopped Touya on the floor before trying to stop her own shaking. "It worked, it actually worked, we aren't dead…"
Touya couldn't help but eye the crumbling girl though, watching her breath heavily through her quivering lips as he tried to move, letting out a pained groan in the process. "What are you doing?"
Yet Hikari didn't hear a thing, stuck in her own personal hell as the adrenaline in her system made her body remember that horrible torture of her wings getting ripped out by those commission soldiers. It felt like she was back, the alleyway making her entire mind spin as he brokenly muttered back.
"We aren't dead..that's right it's okay...we didn't die...they went away…"
Her deformed wings started to feel like they were on fire as invisible hands of the past felt like they were pulling them apart all over again, the girl screwing her eyes shut to will away the horrible violating feeling.
And honestly watching her break down before the white haired boy was something that surprised him, Touya wondering why in the hell she would put herself through this if she was still traumatized by the commission.
It had only been about a month since the attack after all.
Pushing her hands towards the rocky ground, Hikari felt a breath lodge in her throat before coughing in order to breathe, her panic over taking her as the boy watched in annoyance. "Hey, Stop being such a baby, it's over already. Those bastards are gone.."
That phrase began to stink in her mind before Hikari placed a hand to her chest in order to steady her own heartbeat, shaking her head and uttering out an assortment of words. "I-I know..it's just scary…"
Touya couldn't help but watch with disinterest though, obviously annoyed by her scaredy cat display. "Then why are you here in the first place Princess? I never asked you to. What do you want, some kind of thank you or blackmail or something, cause that's not really my style.."
Yet that's when Hikari forced her eyes toward him before shaking her hand and forcing herself to lean back on her legs as her breathing started to even out. "What? No, that's not why."
Turning his head, the teenager couldn't help but push further than. "Oh really? Then why? Please enlighten me why you decided to willingly have a heart attack in front of me. "
Although he never expected the girl to soften her eyes before answering back with blunt honesty, her words ringing with a sort of sweet innocence that made his teeth rot.
"Because you saved me, so I knew I had to save you…"
And after that, the area became silent as Touya stared at the girl with an unreadable expression, almost the exact same as the one back when he had given her his jacket. Hikari wished she could know what he was thinking because whatever it was, it seemed intense.
He continued to stare at her for seemingly forever, the girl glancing back at his crystal expression before turning her head. Maybe she said something wrong? Maybe she offended him? "Uhh everything okay?"
That seemed to snap the boy out of his self induced trance though, Touya lowering his head before giving out a small bitter laugh and a cynical smirk to match it.
"He was right, you really are too innocent for your own good…"
Hikari didn't understand though, twisting her eyes all together in order for him to explain. "What?"
But of course he didn't explain, only shaking his head before changing the subject completely, almost silently denying that those words had existed. "What did I tell you about that little birdie? You won't survive here with an attitude like that. The streets will eat you up."
And it was so painfully obvious to tell that Hikari didn't match this world in the slightest, her hero-like tenancies and sugar coated answers being the first thing Touya noticed about her. He was sure that would be gone in the future though, given how the world liked to break the kindest people down into nothing.
So much so that he couldn't help but see the comedy in it, giving a low laugh before Hikari pouted her lips. "You mean being nice?"
Nodding back, the boy hummed. "There's no such thing down here Princess. I'm sure you'll understand someday…"
Yet when he opened his lips to laugh again, a sharp pain coursed through his body as Hikari looked over to him in concern, reaching her hands out in slight panic. "Oh no! Are you hurt? Here, let me see…"
When her hands touched his jacket though, Touya's face immediately changed before slapping her small hands away immediately with a hiss. "Mind your own damn business, would you? Take one more step and you'll regret it.."
His tone had a low warning to it, causing the blonde haired girl to flitch before further looking at his black jacket and seeing at the sleeves with soaked in dark red blood. "B-But You're bleeding! Oh no no no we got to do something, we gotta go to the hospital or.."
Realizing this girl had totally disregarded his previous warning, the boy sighed at her unnecessary frazzled nature. "Quit it. I came out here to relax, not to get a damn lecture. If I wanted that I would've just stayed at home."
Hikari pushed her lips together in a pout though, crossing her arms over her chest. "If you won't let anyone help you then I'll just stay here and annoy you until you change your mind."
The boy couldn't help but raise an eye at that. "Oh really? And how are you gonna do that?"
It seemed like Hikari hadn't thought that far yet, turning her brow in serious thought before stuttering back. "I..uh...I don't know..But when I figure it out it's gonna be really annoying, trust me! You'll be so annoyed that you won't be able to stand it!"
Obviously seeing she had no plan though caused Touya to let out a pained chuckle at her antics before sitting in complete silence as if he was daring her to do her worst.
But the only thing that echoed out in that silence was a loud growl of Hikari's stomach, causing her cheeks to light up with embarrassment before the boy let out a loud breathy snot holding his stomach to ignore the pain. "Ah yes, good job Princess. You changed my mind already. What a miracle worker you are!"
His joy only made the girl even more self continuous though, pulling out the money she was going to use for food before frowning. "S-Stop making fun of me! I haven't eaten in a while, okay? I was going to use this to... "
Yet that's when Hikari stopped before scrambling to her feet as Touya watched her newfound determination about something. "What's up with you? Did you give up already?"
He didn't receive an answer though, the blonde haired girl muttering something under her breath before running out of the alley way a second later, confusing Touya all together. What the hell is her problem?
About ten minutes had passed before Touya assumed that she had just left him there and honestly he was glad she was gone. That girl and her blind innocence was too annoying for him. Maybe now she'd learn to think for herself.
Although that's when he saw her blonde hair pop back into vision before the girl flopped next to him as the boy raised an eye. "I thought you finally learned my little lesson and ditched me.."
Yet he quickly stopped speaking when Hikari pulled out a brand new roll of bandages from her pocket, a small bottle of hydrogen peroxide and three tiny cotton balls before placing them on the ground next to her.
"Here. If you won't let anyone help you then at least do it yourself."
Touya looked at the medical supplies with unknown surprise and disbelief before connecting the very concerning pieces in his head. Did she buy these for him just now? How was that possible, the girl was on the streets with no money..
Twisting his head towards hers, Hikari then gave him a smile small as Touya's mouth ran dry, not warning to believe she was that stupid. "Don't tell me you're that much of an idiot. You used all your money for this?"
Although the girl didn't seem bothered by it, smiling lightly. "Lucky it was just enough."
At the confirmation, he then heard Hikari's stomach growl loudly before letting his voice rise up a couple octaves without meaning to, his anger fueling his words. She used all of her money to buy medicine for him? Why the hell would she do that? He never asked her to do that.
"Are you kidding me? Didn't you just say you were gonna buy food with that money?"
Yet the girl only shrugged before unscrewing the bottle of disinfectant and lifting it out to him like nothing was wrong. "But you need it more than me. Now, take it before it gets infected. My brother told me it's important to treat wounds right away."
Staring at the bottle of disinfectant in her hand, Touya glared at the idiotic and stupid girl in disbelief, wondering what the hell was wrong with her brain. He could've just bought that stuff on the way home, there was no need for her to go hungry for this.
The boy couldn't help but groan before swiping the bottle from her hand before shoving it in his pocket a moment later in annoyed defeat. "God, you're so stupid."
Although the fact that he had accepted the supplies was a relief to her girl, her shoulders slumping in relaxation before leaning against the wall next to him as Touya eyed her from the corner of his vision. "So what, are you some kind of expert about this or something? I bet you get hurt all the time with that small little pea brain of yours."
Hikari only responded by lifting her legs to her chest before allowing her lips to curve into a sad smile as Touya pretended not to care. "Ah well, kinda. I guess it's just practice more than anything. Kei-chan and I used to fix each other up when our Dad would get angry or we'd get hurt on a mission for him. That's all."
Soaking in her words, Touya absentmindedly touched his arms before gritting his teeth in pain and muttering back with malice. "You act like that's supposed to be normal…"
This caused the girl to squeeze her arms around her legs before lowering her eyes at the onslaught of memories. "For us, I guess it was. I know you probably don't get it but.."
Although the boy cut her off immediately, his tone was short and low. "You'd be surprised Princess."
Hikari was taken back by that, turning her head to look at Touya before twisting her eyes in confusion. That right, she didn't know anything about his life. She was kind of curious now that she thought about it. If she asked, would he even tell her?
Just from his clothes she could tell that he wasn't homeless. In fact, those two thugs had said something about him being some kind of rich kid or something. But if that was the case why was he slumming it in the streets when he could be spending his nights at home in a warm comfortable bed?
It made her even more interested, wondering just who this Touya boy was.
Testing the waters, the girl let her voice echo back without actually thinking about the meaning of her question.
"Last time you said you were only here because you were bored. Are you, running away from something?"
His eyes grew dark and clouded at her words, seemingly trying to shut down whatever demons were playing in his mind before Touya let his lips curve into a smirk. "What, you wanna be all buddy buddy with me now because you spent all your money on something I never asked for? That's not how this works Princess."
From the immediate shut down it was obvious to tell that he wasn't comfortable with sharing, causing Hikari's face to fall in defeat. "That's not it. I guess I was just curious, that's all. I don't know anything about you Touya."
Then she watched as the white haired boy grew slightly uncomfortable, his eyes telling a story she couldn't even begin to understand just yet. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that curiosity killed the cat? You should be careful with that, it could get you hurt someday."
Although Hikari didn't understand his vague threat, the girl sighing out a breath of defeat before pulling the jacket he had given her into her body to avoid the chill. She guessed he wasn't ready to talk about his life yet.
In fact, it seemed like the boy was a closed book on the subject, deflecting even the mere idea of telling her anything. It seemed like some kind of coping mechanism for him in a way and as much as it was disappointing, Hikari could understand.
The two didn't even know each other so why would he just open up to her like that? Maybe he left his house for a reason, maybe he was running away from something, maybe he just didn't want to talk about it or maybe..
Maybe his life was even darker than hers?
A large silence fell into the space then, the two sitting next to each other as their backs leaned against the wall before she heard Touya speak again, except this time it sounded like he was rather disinterested in the topic.
"Your brother, do you miss him?"
Taking in his words, HIkari sharply turned to the boy who was tapping his fingers onto his knees, not even looking in her general direction. How strange, out of all the questions why would he ask that?
He had said before that he knew she was Keigo's sister but even if that was the case, out of everything, why had Touya brought up her brother? It wasn't like Kei and he knew each other. "What?"
The tapping stopped before the boy began to clarify with unsaid amusement. "I mean, it's gotta hurt, being rejected by the all mighty Hawks, am I right? From what I've been hearing you seem like you were a little crybaby for him."
Feeling an unwanted ball of anger in her throat, Hikari unknowingly balled her fists before screwing her eyes shut at the very idea. She loved her brother but she wasn't some kind of crybaby for him.
But maybe that's what Keigo had always thought of her? Maybe that's why he left her, because she wasn't strong enough to be related to a hero.
Already feeling the tears make their way into her eyes at the mere idea, Touya couldn't help but watch the glimmer before cracking a sly smirk. "Ah, I'm right, aren't I? Just mentioning your brother and you fall apart, don't you?"
And although that was true, Hikari hated the very idea, pushing her hands towards her eyes before rubbing the surface to erase her weakness. "S-Stop it.."
Shaking her head, the girl quickly continued. "I don't fall apart, and besides I don't have to tell you anything. You won't tell me about your life and that's fine but don't think that means you can just dig into mine, asshole."
It was the first time she had ever shut him down, causing Touya to raise an eye before dropping the act and actually showing that he was interested this time. "Wow, that's a pretty bad word for you to use. I guess it really does bother you, huh?"
And although it did, Hikari tried to not show it, the girl scrunching up her nose before her wings gave an aggressive tap on the wall behind her to suppress her anger. He was trying to make her mad, she just knew it.
Maybe it was some kind of revenge for trying to dig into his life or something but she wasn't about to let him win. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm fine."
Pushing her face into her knees, Touya watched carefully from the corner of his vision before smirking under his breath. "Oh? And you're a liar too. Not a very good one though.."
The boy then lowered his eyes before muttering something so low that Hikari didn't hear, his brow playing in a disgusted glare. "I guess that runs in the family as well.."
Almost immediately, Touya then perked up before pushing one of her legs closer in order to cover up his last comment. "But I gotta say, that's the angriest I've seen you yet. You'd think it would've been with those thugs but it seems the only thing that sparks anything within you is your brother..."
He read her like a book, so much that it was sickening. Hikari couldn't deny the sense of hurt and anger she felt for her older brother, far more than anything else in her life. The adults that looked her over, the orphanage kids that terrorized her for years, even the commission turning her down..
Nothing was worse than the cruel reality of Keigo not wanting her anymore.
It sparked something in her, a mix of emotions she couldn't begin to understand. She was furious, she was heartbroken and she was so angry but more than anything she just wanted him to come find her, to forgive her for whatever caused him to start hating her.
And the worst part was if Keigo had shown up right now, she would have forgiven him in an instant. Even if he threw away her letters and denied she existed for years, the girl knew that she would cave immediately if her brother wanted her again.
Maybe that was foolish, maybe it was weak minded but Hikari couldn't snap herself out of that tiny glimmer of hope, knowing that it would probably be crushed with reality.
"It's none of your business. Like you said, that's not how it works. You can't just shut me down and then the next minute expect me to pour out my life story to you. You can have your secrets but that also means I can have mine, okay? Leave it alone already."
Pushing her head into her knees, Hikari then huffed out a breath before showing him silently that she wasn't going to budge on this. It wasn't his business to know about Keigo. She didn't know why he seemed so adamant about it in the first place.
Besides, if he wanted to be all mysterious and distant then she could do the same. She didn't blame him for being so quiet but Hikari also knew that she couldn't pour her heart to this strange boy. She hardly even knew him.
And it wasn't like they were friends, the two were just strangers after all.
Another heavy silence filled the area then, the kids looking down at the floor in order to will the other one to speak first. They were both stubborn, feeling the wind blow across them as Hikari sighed under her breath.
That was probably going to be the end of their conversion.
Yet she was certainly surprised when Touya spoke first, the boy shoving his hooded jacket off of his shoulders before Hikari saw the tips of bandages across his arms as she realized where the blood was coming from.
It was from his arms, the white surface turning a dark red color before the boy forced himself to look away. "I wouldn't call it running away. Everything is just, so suffocating all the time…"
And seeing the injury, Hikari couldn't help but stare, turning her body to look at the bandages with horror. Both of his arms were covered in the red color, trailing up to his wrists. How did he get hurt this badly, what had happened?
Now that she mentioned it though, Touya had his arms wrapped up the first time they had met also, like it was a recurring thing. "W-What happened?"
Her fingers reached out but when he saw them, the boy immediately pulled his arm back before averting his eyes. "Geez Princess, you gonna cry for me or something? I didn't know you were that much of a weak little crybaby.."
Although his deflection wasn't as strong this time, causing Hikari to narrow her eyes before pushing herself closer to see the damage, her heart hamming in fear at the sight. "What? No, I'm not. I just...I guess I'm just worried that's all...did someone do this to you?"
Touya only found her words amusing though. "Oh please, like I'd let anyone push me around like that. Your puppy dog eyes really can't figure it out alone?"
She was happy to hear that he wasn't being abused but that only brought a new onslaught of worries. It seemed like he wanted her to figure it out on her own for some reason.
Maybe it was because he didn't have the heart to say it himself.
So Hikari tried, racking her brain for the solution before her eyes captured on a dark thought. If he wasn't hurt by someone then that only met one thing..
They were self inflicted.
Touya noticed her change in demeanor immediately, the realization in her eyes and the expression of pity ever telling. He couldn't help but chuckle in dark humor at it.
And that was something Hikari learned later that it was another way of copying for him.
"What, is it too much for your little innocent heart?"
The girl felt her mouth run dry at the idea, pushing down a ball of emotion for the boy in front of her before just managing out a couple words with a slight stutter. "I-I I'm sorry I…"
Laughing only once, the boy stopped before gritting his teeth at the pain coursing through his body before turning his head as if to say. Did I ask for your apology?
"I bet you're regretting it now, aren't you? Wishing you could take back."
Wait, did he think she was disgusted by his confession? Yes, it was surprising to say the least and Hikari felt bad for pushing him to tell her such personal information but it wasn't like she regretted it.
As terrible as it may be, it only made her only more curious, now seeing a tiny glimpse of what it was like to be Touya, what kind of demons hid behind that plastic and lazy smile of his all the time.
So much so that Hikari couldn't stop herself from continuing, her voice barely whispering back in fear that the boy would shut down on her if she uttered the wrong thing. "I-It's not like that. I just...I guess I just wanna know why…?"
Touya couldn't help but scoff immediately though. "Really Princess? Man, your bedside manner is horrible. Is that really the first thing you ask? You're seriously something.."
Realizing her words came off kind of insensitive, Hikari pushed her lips together before letting her eyes fall in shame. That's right, usually someone would try to comfort this kind of thing, right?
It just, she was just hungry to know more about the boy in front of her, she couldn't think of anything else.. "Ah, sorry..I…I..didn't mean to…"
Yet Touya seemingly didn't mind, shaking his head in exasperation. "Don't break a blood vessel or something. It's not that serious. It's just, usually normal people would just yell at me or get all mushy and stupid. But I guess you aren't really that normal, are you?"
She wasn't sure if he meant it as an insult, the girl standing in silence with her nose scrunched up before Touya changed the atmosphere once more, the air turning slightly solum.
"It's not what you're thinking, well not fully anyways. My quirk, it has drawbacks."
Staring at him in silence, Hikari's eyes traveled towards his arms before putting the pieces together. If those wounds were from his quirk then why was he using it so much? Anyone else would have stopped, so why hadn't he?
Although asking that seemed completely out of the question. Because just from that once glance, she could see the swirling darkness and conflict there. It seemed he tried to hide it but Hikari noticed it anyway.
He must have been doing this for something.
So, she didn't ask. Only staring at him in silence before she watched his lips curve into a sad smirk, like he was trying to cover up his pain with humor once more. "You know, now that I think about it, it would've been better if he did hit me. At least then he'd know I was there."
He stopped speaking after that, closing his eyes for a split second before turning back to the girl with a carefree tone, almost like their conversation hadn't happened. "But since we are in a sharing circle now, you should have no problem telling me about your dear brother. That's what you wanted, right? I provided, now it's your turn to speak up Princess."
The whiplash of the conversation was certainly surprising, causing Hikari to blink in surprise. Suddenly he seemed back to his old self, lazy and uninterested but the girl couldn't help but feel a sense of uncertainty in her throat.
It's almost like he opened himself up just so he could hear about Keigo and her.
But that was crazy, right? There was no way he'd do all that just to hear about her family drama. He had nothing to gain from that. "O-Oh, uh...yeah I guess you're right…"
Knowing she had to keep her half of the invisible deal, Hikari looked down at her hands before speaking with apprehension. "I-I do miss him. I keep thinking this is some bad dream, that he'll come back and keep our promise but...he doesn't even want me as his sister so...that's that I guess…"
She could already feel the tears work their way up causing Touya to shake his head at the answer. "I bet you hate him now, don't you? For abandoning you, for leaving you here.."
Yet even Hikari knew the truth, recalling her conflicting feelings all at once.. "N-No, I don't. I wish I could but I don't. I just want everything to go back to the way it was before. I don't care what he thinks of me. I just...I just want to be Kei-chan's sister again…"
Touya listened, seemingly uninterested as the girl sniffed back slightly, unable to hide the tears lining her eyes before he turned his head in question. "Wow, so loyal, even though he doesn't know you're rotting down here..."
Giving a bitter laugh, the boy continued with hidden malice. "Let me give you some advice Princess, you can whine about it all you want but people like Hawks don't look at people like us. It's best to just give up on that stupid little fantasy before it kills you."
His words were strange, Hikari catching on them before pushing further. "What do you mean people like Hawks? You don't even know him."
The boy remained silent for a moment, his expression dropping slightly before throwing it backup a moment later, something Hikari didn't notice in time. "Yeah, but one look from that hero and I can already tell what he's like. Egotistic, self centered and a certified idiot. People like him don't care about the weak, they don't even look at them."
Feeling his teeth grit just slightly, his volume rose before spitting back with a bit more malice than he had meant to. "They don't care who they step on to get on top. That's why people like us become casualties...
The words caught in her mouth as HIkari caught the horrible taste, her heart dropping in utter heartbreak. Keigo couldn't be like that, right? "C-Casualties?"
Humming in response, Touya then hobbled onto his feet before stumbling a couple steps as Hikari moved her arms to catch him. "But that's just life Princess, better get used to it and move on from your dear brother, because I can guarantee he isn't even thinking about you right now…"
Her hands hovered a couple inches away from his bloody arms before that same reality came crashing down on her. She knew he was probably speaking the truth but Hikari didn't want to believe it. "You don't know that.."
Although as she said that, her stomach growled with impatience, causing the girl to hunch over at the heavy cramps as Touya watched with a narrowed gaze. She could've used her money to buy herself food but that idiot used it on him, and now she was going to starve.
Served her right he supposed. Maybe now she'll learn what the world does to kind innocent people. He was sure with that attitude, she wouldn't last long anyways.
Brushing the thought away, Touya then moved through the alley as Hikari watched him with hooded eyes that told a story that the girl couldn't even begin to understand just yet.
"Don't I? I guess you'll just have to find that out yourself, Princess."
Moving into his house, Touya threw off his shoes before immediately groaning as he heard small footsteps behind him, his sister's voice ringing out with slight concern. "Touya, you're home..."
Yet the boy could only smirk at that, not even turning around and already heading towards his room. "Yeah, how unfortunate right? I wonder what kind of face our dear old Dad made this time?"
He waited and waited for his sister to say that his father was worried sick, that he had called out a search and rescue for the boy when he didn't find him in his room. Although what he received instead was the usual.
"H-He's not here. Dad said that you'd be back at some point and left. Natsuo and I were really worried though. Touya, you have to stop leaving like this."
Touya couldn't help but chuckle in response, hiding the cruel reality of the fact that his father didn't care that he was missing. Perhaps it would've been better if he didn't come back after all.
"Yeah, figures. I guess I'll have to stay out longer next time. Maybe if he thinks I'm actually dead then he'll finally care for once. Although then again, maybe it will just make him relieved, to not have to look at one of his rejects again."
There was malice in every word but Touya couldn't help but feel the undeniable devastation that each brought, continuing his journey back to his room before his sister called back one last time, this time far quiet then the others.
"I-I saved you some food. It's in the fridge."
Stopping in the doorway, the white haired boy looked down for a moment before turning back to Fuyumi with a narrowed gaze. "Just throw it out. I'm not hungry."
Then he shut the door behind him, flopping onto his bed before letting out a tired and exhausted sigh. Huh, so nothing has changed, has it? I would've thought Dad would've given a shit this time at least. Wishful thinking I guess.
Pushing his newly bandaged hands towards the ceiling, Touya narrowed his eyes before flopping it down on the mattress as a flash of blonde entered his vision without warning. That stupid little girl, he was sure she was probably starving and shivering to death in this cold.
And it's not like he cared. He wasn't her savior or anything, that's the last thing he had ever aimed to be. The girl was just something to pass the time, something to keep him focused on the goals ahead, to keep him focused on the plans ahead.
Although as he thought about that, the boy's eyes shifted to the newly unopened bottle of hydrogen peroxide on the table before groaning to no one in particular.
That girl, Keigo's sister, she was ridiculous.
He tried to ignore the lingering thoughts in the back of his head the ones that showed him her ridiculously stupid kindess at once, something that he had never had before today.
Her concern, Touya never asked for it, never wanted it. In fact, that girl should've just turned away when she saw him in that alleyway.
He hated it, hated the gentle look in her eyes when she saw his scars, he hated the way she utterly put him before her even though they hardly knew each other, and he hated that she called him her friend.
Because that was one thing he certainly was not.
Pushing his hands up to his face, Touya then straightened himself on the bed before looking back at the bottle of hydrogen peroxide with unsaid annoyance.
Great, now he had two shitty birds on his mind.
As her stomach began to practically eat itself, Hikari pushed her arms around her body before moaning out in pain. She was so hungry and it was obviously to hear now as she turned weaker by the second. Ah well, I hope Touya got better though.
With a slight whimper, the girl buried her head into her chest as she pulled Touya's jacket closer to her body. She wished he was still here, at least it would have given her something to ignore the pain.
Although that's when she heard a step of footsteps approach her before standing right in front of her, his voice low and mocking all at once. "Of course you're still here. What, aren't you going to give your organs away to a drug dealer next or something?"
Looking up at the tone, Hikari couldn't help but widen her eyes as she saw Touya standing over her with his arms crossed, and that lazy signature smirk on his face. "T-Touya? What are you..?"
She was stopped by another hunger pain, the girl pushing her hands over her stomach before continuing with gritted teeth. "Is everything okay? Did you treat your wounds yet?"
The boy seemed annoyed by her words though, his head shaking in exasperation before muttering. "That's what you're worried about? Seriously..? Your brain is so fucking broken.."
Then he lifted his hand up before tossing a plastic bag in her direction, the objects hitting the floor a couple inches away from her as Hikari leaned forward in question. "What?"
Yet Touya only cut her off though. "I just don't like being in someone's debt. That's all."
Before she could even question it though, Touya shoved his hands in his pockets and trudged away as Hikari pushed the plastic bag open in curiosity.
Although when she realized what it was, the girl audibly gasped.
Sitting there in the middle of the bag was a single plastic container with what looked to be a home cooked meal inside. Wait, this isn't even convenience store food or garbage. No, this was real warm food.
How did he even get this? She hadn't had a home cooked meal, well in forever.
Even as kids, Hikari's father never really cooked for Keigo and her. He would just throw some take out on the table half the time. And when they were sent to the orphanage, she usually only had simple cafeteria meals.
So this, this was something truly special, even if he didn't know it was.
Feeling her heart do an unexpected somersault without her permission, Hikari then looked in the direction he left before feeling her lips curve up into a small smile and speaking the words he'd never hear.
"Thank you."
Eyyy we have a backstory chapter. Just something to grow Hikari and Touya/Dabi's relationship. This was supposed to be short but I really loved writing it so it grew into this oop.
Hikari started out so sweet and kind, just like how she's "acting" in the present day. But oof, lots of things happened in the past to change that, and we will get to it. We will see the corruption and downfall of Hikari into Valerie first hand as well as Dabi's.
Poor girl at this time only wants her brother. She still thinks he's gonna come back. It's heartbreaking because Hikari is filled with self loathing more than anything.
Also this is important to the main story, if somethings seem weird, it's supposed to. I got biggg plans. trust the process.
Next chapter: Back to the present: Hawks screwed Hikari over. Getting closer to the season 1 finale with the big reveal.