*Door Knocking*
Nanao shot up from her bed as she heard someone pounding on her door. She turned over and looked outside. It was still dark. She reached over to look at her phone. It was only 5am. She jumped up as she heard someone knock on the door again. Who the hell was knocking on her door at 5am? She nervously got out of her bed and grabbed a bat from her closet as she remembered the last time someone knocked on her door in the middle of the night.
She slowly walked over to her door and took a deep breath as she jerked open the door and swung the bat, only for the person to simply grab it. She looked at the person and screamed angrily, throwing the bat into him.
"What the fuck, Mikey!" Nanao shouted as she hit his arm. "Why are you here? It's five in the fucking morning!" She yelled at him and then realized he wasn't alone as she saw Draken standing next to him.
"Good morning to you too, Princess," Mikey greeted with a smile ignoring her irritation.
"Do you normally greet your guests with a baseball bat?" Draken chuckled at her as he gave her back her weapon.
Nanao just glared at him before putting the bat back into her house. "Yeah, actually I do, when the person is knocking on my door at 5am," she spat sarcastically.
Mikey rolled his eyes at her. "Well, how else were we supposed to get you up?" He asked, ignoring the twitch in Nanao's eye.
"I don't know, Mikey," Nanao angrily threw her arms in the air. "You could have just called me," she told him as she shoved her phone in his face.
Mikey innocently smiled at her. "Well, I didn't. But now that I think about it, that probably would have been a better idea," he jokingly smirked at her as he saw the frustration on her face.
He then placed a finger on his chin as he looked at her sideways, "Do you always sleep in just your underwear and a big shirt?" Mikey asked, trying to be cute.
A vein popped out of her forehead as she heard him. "What?! No! I mean yes, but…," She trailed off as she was getting flustered at how much he was teasing her. The blush that had already begun to spread across her face was making it difficult for her to talk clearly to him as she quickly turned to Draken, trying to pull her shirt down.
"Is there something you two want from me?" She asked him. "Or did you just want to wake me up to make fun of my sleepwear?"
Draken laughed, "Yeah, go change into a bathing suit and meet us outside."
She stared at him, confused, but realized that the boys were also in their swim trunks with t-shirts over them. "Um, what's going on?" She questioned them.
"We're going to the beach!" Mikey chirped, sounding way too happy at 5am.
Nanao raised an eyebrow at him, "The beach?"
"Yeah," Mikey answered her like it was obvious.
She then cocked her eyebrows, looking at him like he was crazy, "But it's only 5am. Why do we need to go now?"
Draken sighed as he leaned against her door, "Yes, we know what time it is."
Nanao just looked at him, annoyed at his sass, "Then what's so special about getting up this early?"
"Because it takes 30 minutes to get there, and I want to see the sunrise!" Mikey shouted happily. "Now hurry and get changed. By the way, we'll be there all day. Hurry up. Everyone's waiting on you!" He added, smiling at her.
"Um, who's everyone?" Nanao nervously asked him.
Mikey grinned as he stepped closer to her and nudged her shoulder, "Oh! You'll find out soon enough."
Nanao shook her head at him as she tried to look over the stair railing but couldn't see anything.
"Hurry up, Nanao. Meet us downstairs," Draken commanded as he pulled Mikey by his shoulder. "And put on some pants or something and close-toe shoes," he added as he dragged Mikey downstairs.
Nanao looked confused as she walked back inside. Draken wanted her to wear pants and closed-toe shoes? That defeats the purpose of going to the beach. Well, she would soon see what all the fuss was about. She headed towards her room as she threw on a bathing suit and put on a pair of sweatpants and a baggy shirt over it before putting on sneakers. Nanao then walked around and started throwing beach wear necessities in her backpack. Sunscreen, sunglasses, flip-flops, etc. Once she put everything together, she locked her apartment, heading downstairs, where she stopped dead in her tracks.
She looked around and realized that when Mikey told her everyone was waiting for her, he truly meant everyone. The group all turned to stare at her as she made it down. Seven people were waiting outside her apartment, and she only knew four of them. Mikey, Draken, Emma, and Baji. Who the hell was everyone else?
"Um, hi," Nanao awkwardly greeted, looking at each of them.
"Hey, Nanao!" Emma smiled as she sat on the back of a motorcycle.
Mikey turned around excitedly as he heard her come down. "Well, you took your sweet time," he told her dramatically.
Draken looked away from her as he smiled at Mikey's dramatics. "Everyone, this is Nanao," he announced.
"Hey," she once again awkwardly waved at them.
Baji looked over at her and then around as he pointed to everyone, "Nanao, this is Chifuyu, Mitsuya, and Pah."
Nanao smiled as they all greeted her back. She then looked around and realized that everyone had their own motorcycle. She stared at them wide-eyed as she started to put two and two together. Was this why Draken told her to wear pants? Where they planning on riding their motorcycles there? No, they couldn't be. They couldn't be serious. It was like a 30-minute ride.
She awkwardly rubbed the back of her head and pointed in the direction of the subway. "So, um, are y'all going to park your bikes here and walk to the subway?" She asked them, trying to walk over to the station, hoping that that was the plan.
They all stared at her with a smirk and then back at their bikes before looking over at Mikey, who laughed, walking over to Nanao, passing her his helmet. "Of course not, silly!" He teased. "We're going to ride there."
The boys all smirked as they watched Nanao shake her head and pass Mikey back his helmet. "Yeah, um, about that, I'll just ride the subway and meet you guys over there," she nervously told him, not wanting to be anywhere near the motorcycle.
Mikey pouted at her as he lightly walked over to her and nudged her shoulder. "Don't be stupid," he smiled at her. "It'll be fun, Princess," he assured her.
Nanao sighed, shaking her head again. "No, really, Mikey, I can't do it," she told him honestly.
It had been about a year now since she'd last been on a motorcycle, and honestly, she could go a lot longer. It was never her favorite thing. Natsu would always go way too fast or do stupid tricks that made her feel like she would fall off. He did them on purpose. He liked scaring her. There were three incidences where Nanao actually fell off and hurt herself because of him. He enjoyed hearing her scream and holding on tighter to him. Nanao hated it. She hated everything about riding. She never associated riding on a motorcycle with having a good time.
Mikey shook his head at her. "Come on, I promise it will be fun," he pleaded.
Nanao shook her head as Baji and Draken walked over to her and pushed her closer to the bike. "C'mon, Princess, it'll be fun," Draken joked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
Baji stood on the other side of her and placed his hand on her head, gently ruffling her hair. "Oh, come on, Nanao, you know you want to," he teased her, making the others laugh.
Nanao pushed the boys off of her. "No, I don't," she flatly told them. "I really don't feel like falling off today." She announced as she looked over at Mikey, who held out the helmet for her encouragingly, giving her a slight wink and smile.
"You'll have lots of fun, Princess. And I swear you won't fall off," he promised her, "Pinky promise."
Nanao stared at him hesitantly as he held out his pinky to her. She wasn't sure if she believed him or not, but he hadn't lied to her before. Why would he start now? It took a few moments, but she eventually did stick her pinky out.
"Promise?" She questioned him, making him grin and nod enthusiastically as she wrapped her pinky around his.
"Yep, Promise!" Mikey smiled as he walked closer to her and put his helmet on her head. "C'mon, let's get going," he laughed happily, holding her hand and running toward the motorcycle.
Nanao sighed as she smiled softly and followed after him. Everyone else watched her in amusement with smiles on their faces as they all started getting on their bikes. She walked over and sat behind Mikey, gently wrapping both arms around him.
"Hold on tight, Princess," he told her, grinning widely before settling in his seat and starting up the engine.
The rest of the boys followed suit, starting up their own engines waiting for Mikey to take off.
"You ready?" Mikey asked her through clenched teeth and grinned when she nodded her head.
Nanao leaned into him, whispering in his ear. "Promise me I'll have fun?" She asked seriously.
Mikey grinned mischievously and laughed. "You betcha, Princess," he promised as he revved up his bike and took off racing through the city streets, laughing happily. Everyone else followed close behind him as they headed towards the beach.
Nanao clenched onto Mikey and rested her head against his back, watching the buildings fly past her. She closed her eyes and listened to his laughter as Mikey sped by. She soon surprisingly felt her body relax as Mikey smoothly drove them around. This was a new experience for her. He wasn't trying to do stupid tricks to scare her, and when she did get nervous or tense, he would slow down a little until she was relaxed. He was paying close attention to her body language, not breaking his promise. So for the first time, she enjoyed being on a motorcycle.
Nanao rode on the back of the bike as she smiled. She loved the new feeling racing in her body. The feeling of adrenaline and the wind blowing through her hair. She liked the feeling of having her feet lifted off the ground, of the leather helmet strap under her chin. She even liked the sound of the engine going. And if this is what being on a motorcycle is supposed to feel like, she'd ride every day.
She felt a sudden drop, the wind rushing past her face. She opened her eyes and saw they were now at the pier. She smiled as she watched the waves in the ocean, but just as she felt herself getting too relaxed, Mikey had taken some sharp turns causing Nanao to squeal slightly and grip onto him tighter.
Mikey stopped laughing and turned around, grinning widely. "Did that scare ya, Princess?" He teased her.
Nanao blushed and scowled at him. "Shut up and keep driving," she ordered him, making him chuckle softly.
"Yes, ma'am," he mocked, turning back to the road. He revved up his engine as he led the group along the pier.
Nanao giggled lightly as she hung tightly on to him. While he did scare her, she wasn't upset. It actually made her smile. For the first time, she didn't mind the cheap tricks. She truly enjoyed the thrill. She felt safe.
Mikey slowed his bike down as they reached their destination. As he parked, Nanao slowly untangled herself from him and took off her helmet. Nanao sat there and stared down at the ocean. Watching as it moved slowly, as the waves crashed. Suddenly she felt something poking her cheek snapping her out of her stupor. Looking up, she met the eyes of Baji.
He smiled down at her. "So, did you have fun?"
Nanao smiled, shyly nodding. She looked over at the boys and smiled as they started walking through the sand, getting an area set up to watch the sunrise.
Nanao quickly grabbed her things and followed the boys. She took off her shoes and walked with them through the sand. She smiled as the cold sand slipped through her toes as she walked. Nanao looked up at the sky and shivered slightly. The morning air chilled her body as she walked. She met up with the boys and helped lay the blankets out. The boys began setting up everything, laying their coolers out, setting up chairs, and arranging stuff around the blankets, so they weren't all lying on each other.
Once they were done and everything was set up, the group settled on the blankets to watch the sunrise. Nanao snuggled between Mikey and Draken, with Emma laying her head in her lap, letting Nanao playfully run her fingers through her hair. Everyone else settled down next to them. They all started chatting amongst themselves. Pah told stories while others were just enjoying themselves quietly. Nanao found herself staring out at the water as she listened to the chatter around her.
Eventually, Mitsuya looked down at his phone. "Two minutes till sunrise," he announced.
Everyone quieted down as they turned their attention to the horizon and watched as the sun slowly rose high over them as the first rays of sun hit the water. Everyone then cheered as they watched the sun color the sky.
Nanao smiled at the view of the sunrise. She had never seen the sunrise before, only setting. It was mesmerizing. Nanao couldn't take her eyes away from the beauty as the sun rose above the waves in front of her. She was captivated. She wanted to stay like that forever. After a while, the sun reached the top of the sea, leaving the reflection on the water. Everyone cheered once again, celebrating the start of another day.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Mikey mused quietly.
Nanao hummed in agreement and smiled. The others also agreed with him as they stared ahead, lightly whispering to each other. Nanao smiled and relaxed under the warm sun and the warmth of the blanket underneath her. Nanao was content for the moment. Content to watch the sunset. Happy to be surrounded by friends, glad to live another day.
"Heads up, Emma!" Nanao shouted as she watched the volleyball fly over towards Emma.
Emma turned over on the towel to see what she was supposed to be blocking but wasn't fast enough before the ball smacked her square in the face.
"What the hell, guys!" She groaned, rubbing at her nose.
"We yelled heads up," Mitsuya told Emma with a smug grin on his face.
Emma glared at Mitsuya for a moment before dusting the sand off her face and putting her sunglasses on, laying back down on the towel, "This is why your team's losing because ya'll can't hit for shit."
Mitsuya shook his head as he grabbed the ball and threw it to Draken on the other side of the net, "No, we suck because we got Mikey, and they got Draken. That should be illegal."
"Hey!" Mikey shouted as he kicked a pile of sand over at him.
Nanao smirked as she took the ball from Draken and playfully bounced it, "Haters gonna hate Mitsuya. What is it now, 9-4?" She teased as she shot up and spiked the ball over the net.
"10-4," Chifuyu corrected with a laugh as the ball fell right next to Mikey, "That's game."
"God damnit, Mikey!" Mitsuya screamed as he kicked the ball.
"Language," Pah jokingly chided as Nanao just laughed.
"Hey, it's not my fault! The sun was in my eyes," Mikey defended himself.
"Oh, sure," Baji laughed sarcastically as he walked over and ruffed up his hair.
Mikey stuck out his tongue at him before pushing him away, walking over and sitting next to Emma under the umbrella. He opened the cooler and took out a sandwich, throwing it at Mitsuya, "Here, cry baby eat something you're getting hangry."
"I'm not being a cry baby!" Mitsuya protested as he caught the sandwich and sat down next to him.
"Sure you're not," Chifuyu rolled his eyes as he picked up a sea shell and put it with the other ones he's collected.
Nanao laughed as she walked over to her beach bag and took out a water bottle and a bag of chips. A few minutes later, the rest of them gathered around the blanket under the umbrella. A breeze blew through the beach, picking up the sand that had blown up against the shoreline. The waves rolled onto the beach with the wind making small waves as the sun beat down on them.
Nanao looked up at the sky with a smile on her face and glanced over at everyone. As she looked around, everyone seemed so peaceful. She watched as the boys ran into the water and began splashing each other. She smiled as Mitsuya dove right into the waves with the others chasing after him. As she watched them all playing together like this, she couldn't help but notice how much they loved one another. It warmed her heart seeing the way they interacted with each other.
Emma sat up and nudged her shoulder, "You okay?" She asked her.
"Yeah, I am," Nanao nodded with a soft smile.
She had never seen anything like this before. Seeing these six boys who had no blood relationship with each other here together, goofing off. They seemed so carefree, happy. Like nothing mattered in the world. Just having fun and doing the things they love. They just really seemed like a family, a family who cared about each other. Just like Baji told her. Toman was a family. These boys were a family.
She watched as they all pushed each other around, laughing and shouting. She brought her knees up to her chest and smiled as she watched Draken pick up Mikey and dunk him in the water. She closed her eyes as she rocked herself back and forth, smiling as childhood memories came back to her.
The memories of playing in the ocean with her sister. Playing tag and racing down the sand, laughing while they made sandcastles and buried each other in the sand. Her heart filled with happiness. She felt content. Happy and safe. Content with her friends by her side and the world beyond their shoulders. Everything seemed perfect. Everyone was happy. She could feel everything and nothing. She was utterly relaxed. She wanted this moment forever. She needed more moments like this.
Suddenly she felt a tug on her hand. She looked up to see Mikey pulling at her. "Come on," he mumbled softly.
Nanao looked behind him and noticed the wavelets moving slowly back and forth, causing small waves to lap at the sand.
Mikey gave a small smile as she felt drops of salt water fall on top of her, "The water's nice."
The words hung heavy between them, and Nanao felt the pull again as he encouraged her.
"Alright," Nanao smiled at Mikey, then reached up and let him pull her up.
Mikey gave a shy smile as he held her hand, and the two began to walk up to the ocean.
As the water washed over her feet, she looked around, trying to take it all in. The feeling of her feet sinking into the wet sand. The light breeze brushing against her. The sound of the waves hitting the shore. The sound of a seagull cawing overhead. And the sight of the boys. All laughing and smiling, soaking wet. Their smiles were so bright it hurt her eyes looking at them. And Nanao thought it was beautiful. She'd never seen anything so alive. So full of life and energy. This is what she had been missing for so long, and she didn't even know it.
Nanao played with her hair as she walked farther into the water. The water lapping against her bare legs sending shivers up her spine, with a cool breeze hitting her skin. She closed her eyes and smiled as she let her body move without thinking. Without even thinking about it, she allowed her feet to carry her forward. She let her mind go blank and focused solely on the feeling. On the taste of the salty air in her mouth. On the sound of the waves crashing. She didn't think about anything but the sensation. It was so calming. It was relaxing.
Mikey stood behind her as he watched Nanao move in the water. She moved gracefully and effortlessly with every movement. He watched her intently. Trying to memorize every detail of how she looked. Every twitch of her fingers or foot or how she swayed when she was walking. He wanted to keep a memory of this moment forever. He wanted to be able to watch her every day with a smile. To stare at her in awe. To make her laugh.
Mikey broke contact with her as Draken and the boys sat down in the water next to him. He watched the boys watch Nanao with smiles on their faces. Soon Emma ran past them and over to Nanao, playfully splashing her with water. Mikey sighed quietly as he stared at the girls and then sat down next to his friends.
He felt Draken drape an arm around his shoulder. "Glad we convinced you to bring her along now?" Draken joked lightly as he rocked him.
Mikey looked down at his friend and chuckled as he nodded softly.
Baji laughed as he also wrapped an arm around him, "God, you really do got it bad, don't you?"
"Shut it, Baji," Mikey laughed with a small smile as he pushed Baji off him.
"It's true, though," Mitsuya added with a wide grin on his face, "I like her. She's really funny and sweet." The other boys nodded in agreement.
Mikey chuckled a bit louder as he leaned back and looked at them all. He looked at his friends and then back at Nanao and his sister. He couldn't get enough of watching them laugh and talk with each other as they played in the water. He watched Nanao laugh as Emma tickled her and chased after her with a splash. His heart swelling with happiness for them.
He watched as the sun started to set, casting a pink glow across the ocean, setting the beach on fire as it cast a beautiful red hue across the water. The colors mixed as they created a breathtaking view. Nanao turned around and waved at him, causing Mikey to laugh. He grinned back at her. The scene in front of him and his friends filling him with complete joy and satisfaction.
This was all he could ever hope to have. This happiness. This peace. His friends, here with him. In a world where no matter where he was or what he'd do, he would always have people that would accept him. Help him. Support him. Keep him grounded in reality. Keeping him from losing himself in the shadows of the dark thoughts in his own head.
Everyone looked over toward Mikey and watched as he stared off somewhere, off into nowhere. Everyone watched as Mikey's eyes glazed over. His expression was calm. He just looked content and happy. Happy just being himself. Enjoying his time here. Enjoying the moments with his friends. With his family.