-x- Izuku -x-
Shoto helped Izuku pack his things, both of them deathly silent. He felt so terrible for leaving, but his request to stay longer didn't work, he was only allowed to be there for his allotted time. They had a limit of how many people who could be there, and Izuku needed to leave to make room for another unfortunate child.
After the small amount of belongings were in his suitcase and backpack, Shoto walked him to the lobby of the building. Izuku also had a bag full of blood powder for on the go. The reason Shoto would be getting a large supply of blood powder was simply convenience. Drinking 12 bottles of blood a day was unsustainable. But Izuku only took three, so he didn't need the powder.
"I'm allowed to call him, right?" Izuku asked Tami.
"Yes," Tami nodded. Izuku was relieved about that. But Shoto had his sad face on. Sad and tired. Inko was in the lobby around the corner, and Izuku was saying goodbye now. He hugged Shoto tightly, who hugged him back.
"Remember your promise," Shoto said, voice wavering, trembling. He was near tears.
"I promise I'm gonna wait for you outta here. I'll call you every day, okay?" Shoto nodded. When Izuku turned to leave, Shoto grabbed his hand.
"Thank you. I wasn't ever happy here before, but then you were my friend. I- I'll talk to you later, okay?" he said tears finally coming out of his good eye. Izuku nodded, but couldn't speak, and left to go see his mother for the first time in six weeks. When she saw him, she ran forward and hugged him, crying.
Izuku was so happy to see her, but the sadness was there as he heard Shoto quickly walking away, the sounds of sniffles following. He hugged her tightly, relieved when the sounds of Shoto were gone. She pulled away, held his cheeks and smiled, looking over his perfectly healthy face. "Come, let's go home, Izuku," she said, taking his hand.
"Yeah," Izuku said, happy to go home, but sad he was leaving somebody behind. But it wasn't forever. Shoto would get better and leave that place. He touched his own neck, glad he never had to do that. He had graduated rehab, and was proud. But he was only not a lonely mess because of his roommate.
Izuku got in the passengers side of the car. "What's wrong, sweety?" Inko asked in worry, seeing her son not looking as excited as she must have expected. "Are you hungry? Maybe we can go get something to eat? You're out in the sun, too! You've come so far!"
"I left someone behind." she glanced at him with a questioning look. "I made a friend there. Todoroki Shoto. He's such a sweet person, but broken and traumatized from many things." Inko frowned. "He's been stuck there seven months."
"Seven months?! I thought the stay was six weeks."
"For most. It's adjusted by rate of progress and circumstances."
"So why has he been there so long?"
Izuku sighed. "He works so hard, but doesn't progress quickly at all. But I think my presence helped him a lot. And now I'm gone, and he's all alone again…"
"Oh, I'm sorry, honey. Can you perhaps call him?" Izuku nodded. "That's good! When do you think he'll be out? If you made a friend that's also like you, I'd be very happy." The kid nodded. But he didn't know when he'd be out. Would he back slide with Izuku gone, no more emotional pillar?
They went home, and Inko changed the subject a bit. "I told Katsuki-kun that you were coming home."
"Why?"
"I thought he'd be concerned over you. Ever since it happened, when you were home, he had been concerned. I was surprised, but it's better to have someone on your side when you go back to school. And with Todoroki still in the facility, he can't help you at school," she explained. The drive was a long one, and Izuku fell asleep in the car.
He woke when the car stopped, and the engine turned off. The change in sound woke him. He walked up the familiar steps, but now under the sun again. It wasn't even scary. He knew he was safe with a ton of sunblock and covering clothes. But Shoto was terrified of it. Would he be able to ever go outside when he was discharged? Or would he be a home body, a hermit?
Sighing, he walked inside when Inko unlocked the door. The familiar smell engulfed him, and he forgot hIs sadness over Shoto for a moment. He took in the scent, and headed to his room, smiling widely. Immediately, his belongings were returned to where they were before, where they were meant to be.
It felt like he hadn't left, but it also felt like years had passed, not weeks. Not even two months. He was surprised with how used to a boring room he'd gotten. What kinds of things would Shoto have in his room? He didn't seem to have any hobbies, aspirations or interests. Well, that's probably a result of his terrible life.
Slapping both cheeks, he tried not to think about it, and flopped onto his bed, sighing at the familiar smell of detergent. Everything at rehab was made to not stink. Trash was incinerated so it didn't stink up the facility for sensitive vampire noses. Inko knocked on the open door, and had tears in her eyes.
"I'm back, mom," Izuku said with a small smile. "And I'm not gonna be a mess anymore. I can go outside and everything!" Inko wiped her eyes and nodded with a bright smile. "When can I return to school? I know there's only two months left of school and all, but I still want to return." That wasn't completely true. He was scared of going back. Of being ripped to shreds about the more serious issue than just being quirkless.
At least he didn't have red eyes like Shoto did. Only the vampires that had fed for from living humans had acquired the red eyes. And Izuku had no plan on doing that, so his eyes would stay green. "You can return next week! The teacher and school know, and have made accommodations."
Izuku nodded, and smiled up at his ceiling. He was home. It felt good, and he felt hope for the future. And he couldn't wait to see Shoto out of that place. It was just a problem that he had nowhere to go.
Later, Kacchan showed up and walked inside without being welcome. He kicked his shoes off. "So, you're back. Are you fine, now?"
"Yes… but please don't play any more experiments. I could have killed you. I nearly did," Izuku said honestly. Kacchan never apologized, so he just gave a curt nod.
"Can you go outside in the sun, now?"
"Yeah. Tons of sunblock and concealing clothes make it as safe as it could ever be," Izuku replied. He got a soda out and tossed it to Kacchan, who caught it, tapped his fingernail on the top and popped it open. "So, what are you doing here?"
"I came to tell you nobody knows what happened to you. Better make up a good excuse," Bakugo said bluntly. While Izuku was surprised, he also wasn't by the way Kacchan had acted after he was turned. "Well, what's your excuse?"
Inko was in her room right now, though the door was slightly opened. "I-I can't make up one in a second…"
"You weren't thinking of any at that rehab place?!" He was growing annoyed.
"Uh, I was more focused on being able to be safely around people again than worrying about school…" he said quietly. "I could say I got sick or something. It's kind of true." Which it was. "Kacchan, why are you not bullying me anymore? I don't… really understand. What changed?"
"You don't need to know, Deku!" Bakugo shouted back. "Listen here!" he demanded, pointing a finger at him. "I'm not your ally, got it?! Human or not, I ain't your friend and never will be! I just don't like shitting on a sick person!"
Well, it was the best Izuku could hope for. Kacchan wasn't his friend, just not his bully. It didn't mean he'd protect Izuku from other bullies or anything. That just wasn't how it would work, this world was not ideal. "Okay," Izuku said.
"Have you developed any powers?" Bakugo demanded again.
"No… everyone else in the facility had super strength and speed, but I don't," Izuku said quietly, not making eye contact.
"Good! Then you're still a quirkless bitch!"
"Get out, Kacchan," Izuku said. "I just got home. I don't want to be insulted in my own house." But he had no friends again. He hoped Shoto could get out soon and come to his school, too. Kacchan huffed and left, slamming the front door behind him. Inko came out after Izuku locked the door.
She looked sad. "I had thought, maybe you two could be friends again."
"You're too positive, mom," Izuku said sadly. He went to his room, and looked at his phone, at the contact of Shoto's number. The phone they gave him. His picture, he wasn't smiling, just looked kind of startled. It looked like he only had one friend in life, and that friend was trapped in rehab for who knows how long?
-x- Shoto -x-
"What do I have to do to get discharged?" Shoto asked Admin.
"A few things. You need to be able to treat humans with the same decency as vampires. You're getting there, but you still have work to do. You're still far too frightened of the sun to be able to function outside of this place. We need to perfect your attack response. It seems that the physical punishment does stop you in the frenzied state. It works, but you can't only rely on that. The progress you're making over all, I think you could be out here in one month. But, you need a concrete goal. What is your goal?"
"I wanna be friends with Izuku again."
"Your goal is not to act like a human, anymore?"
Shoto looked down at his hands, and then his burnt arm. He sighed. "I'll never be able to act like a normal human. It's been eight months, I'm not there yet. Izuku was only here six weeks and now he's out and back at school and everything! Why? Why can't I be like that? What's wrong with me? Everyone comes after and leaves before me! I don't understand what to do!"
He finally broke down crying. Admin handed him a box of tissues. Shoto was glad he didn't attempt physical comfort. "It's okay to be upset and stressed. You try your hardest, but it's just not working for you. It's not fair for you. All you can do is your best. Shoto, I have absolute faith in you. We all do. We've gotten to know you enough to see what kind of person you are. You will leave this place. You may still be broken, yes. Years of trauma will take years of work to reduce. But you will leave this place being able to live in the outside world.
"It'll be hard, but we'll find you a suitable home. We've already gotta some responses from two foster families that foster vampires."
"They-they have those?" Shoto asked, wiping his nose with the tissue. Admin nodded. He felt hope. "What do I have to do to get them to accept me?"
"Sunlight and self control. Work on those issues. It's clear by now that you just naturally have trouble with your strength. But if you focus on it, you're good to not break things. So, only a bit more to go and then you're free."
Shoto slouched, and said, "What about my criminal record? I murdered four people." His voice was a mumble and he had a hopeless pout on. Eyes sad and disappointed in himself. But the counselor smiled.
"Once our patients are reintroduced to society, their records are wiped clean. Nobody will know about your murders unless you tell them personally." Shoto's jaw dropped. "Yeah, and it's not only done for vampires. Some people who serve prison sentences and are deemed fit to live again have their records expunged. A fresh start. That is what you will have. You probably will not get a third chance."
Shoto felt excited. His past would be wiped away! He wouldn't be known as a killer vampire by everyone! He could get into schools, into jobs and not be refused for his rabid mistakes! He had something to really look forward to. Not just Izuku, but also a vampire foster family, and a clean record. "I will do it. I won't fuck up again."
"I believe you, Shoto," Admin said firmly.
When he was heading to his room, he heard a new voice, one he hadn't heard before. A young one. He curiously followed it, and peeked around a corner to find a child who couldn't be more than four with red eyes. Shoto's already sad face grew sadder. So young. And he already fed off of somebody.
The muzzle did not go unnoticed, either. Shoto had been nine when turned. This poor kid. "Where am I?" he asked. "Mama said I'm here to help."
"You're here to get help, yes." Shoto was around the corner, no longer watching. Who the hell would turn someone this young? He saw vampires that turned humans despicable, but this was a new type of disgusting. He sighed, and went to his room, which was only his for the moment, and called Izuku to tell him the good news.
When he called, it was after school, Izuku walking home. "Hey, Shoto!" Izuku said brightly. "How are you doing?"
"I'm alive today, so that's good." He heard Izuku snicker over the phone, but Shoto got to why he really called. "I have some good news. For me, and all. It might not be that significant for you or anything. Some vampire ran foster homes had applied to take me in. And then, when I'm released, my criminal record will be erased. Nobody will know, I can go to shool and jobs and everything."
"Wow! That's great news!" Izuku exclaimed. "I'm so happy for you!"
"Yeah. I'm gonna work extra hard. I promise I'll be outta here by the start of next school year, at the latest."
"Alright, I believe you," the other said firmly. Shoto gave a small smile. He asked how his friend was doing. "Okay. No, not really. School isn't any better. It's worse in a way because there are so many people. So many scents. Nobody found out in a vampire yet, though. The bullying is back. And after coming from such a calm and tight knit place… it's like whiplash. I miss the rehab life, really.
"I know it's inconsiderate, when you want the opposite, you're trapped there and I'm saying I want to go back. But it was the only place I was ever fully accepted. I wasn't mocked or teased or bullied. I miss you, and everyone. We were all in it together. And now I'm all alone again… it just makes me sad," Izuku explained honestly. Shoto frowned, looking at his little cat ice figure on the night stand.
He said, "I'll make sure to be there for you when I'm let out."
"Thanks," Izuku said, a smile in his voice. "Anything else new?"
"Oh… yeah. Newby here. He has to be four years old at most. Red eyes, meaning he fed off a person directly." Izuku gasped over the phone. "Some people are sick. I don't understand why you'd turn a child like this. It's cruel…"
"How will they treat him? He's so young, mentally and emotionally," Izuku said. Both of them had sad voices, feeling such sympathy. Things were awful for them, but both were much more mentally mature. This kid still sucked his thumb, carried around a teddy bear. "I wonder why it happened to me…"
"I remember mine vividly. You blacked out for yours," Shoto said quietly. "It's just the next year or so was a blank. All I know and remember is pure agony and losing myself. It's only lucky I didn't die down there and all. Nobody knows how I survived that long…"
"It was better for the whole world that you didn't die down there." Shoto didn't point out the fact it would have been better for four people if he'd died down there. He didn't want to get into a funk and bum out Izuku more than he already was. Though, telling him about the boy made him sad, as well. "I'm almost home, I should go and do my homework."
"Okay. I'll talk to you later?" Izuku affirmed this, and the phone call was over. Shoto stared at his hands indecisively for a moment before he got up and hurried after the little vampire. He found him in the rec room. There was a tone of sadness and pity in the room. The vampire boy was running around the room, inspecting things. Perhaps he'd get annoying.
But Shoto knew everyone there had to feel for the kid. Shoto walked up to him, and decided to do something good. "What's your name?" he asked, crouching in front of him.
"'M Kenta. This is Floof," he said, holding up his bear proudly.
"My name is Shoto."
"Will you play with me?"
"Play what?" Shoto asked.
"Candy Land!" Shoto was sure they didn't have Candy Land there, but asked the supervisor about it. They didn't. Kenta's second choice was hide and seek. "Is not so fun anymore, because I know where everyone is! I don't like it, smells bad and sounds too noisy."
"Well, that will be helpful some day."
"But poo smells strong, too!" Most of those around that heard started laughing. A change went over Kenta's face. Hearing the laughter from all around, his face brightened and eyes widened, eager to be around happy people. It broke the ice, and the vampires started to play with him. Some of these people were fathers themselves. Seeing a kid was nice for many. They truly could help him.
Shoto ended up making him a nice, big ice slide that landed on the couch. Kenta went up and down it endlessly, his stamina much higher now that he was a vampire. Shoto had never actually been around kids. He was confined at home his whole life, even before his vampire attack. So he was surprised that he was doing alright.
Kenta didn't seem bothered that Shoto didn't smile much. The room went quiet when he was told he had to start training. The young kid was excited to do something new, and didn't notice the mood of the room plummeting. He went down that hall, where they awaited fresh blood and loss of self control. The room was silent, and they were all listening in.
Eyes closed in sadness and sympathy when the wailing and sobbing began. The older vampires all exchanged looks, all vowing in those earnest eyes that they'd help this boy through it. He needed people who understood him. Like all of them had needed. Shoto wondered what it would be like, surrounded by people he didn't know, who were humans.
What would they think of him? How would they treat him? He started to grow uneasy, but his problem was erased when Kenta came out, holding the hand of his new handler, it seemed. The nicest human woman they had there. He had tears and snot all over his face. "I'll get better, right?" he sniffled.
"With time and patience and support, you'll be okay."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
Shoto headed to his room in a bad mood. Fucking evil people.
-x- Izuku -x-
When Izuku was shoved into the wall at recess, he really wished, again, that he had the speed or strength that the other vampires had. He was still useless and weak. At least he didn't suffer through wounds that long. But he was even a slow healer compared to Shoto. He felt inferior from everyone in every way.
It was just lucky he needed so little blood so he didn't need to bring any to school. Shoto would not be able to last all day without blood. 144 ounces was a lot. Izuku hoped he'd get out soon. Most of the time on the phone lately, he talked about Kenta, the little vampire. Izuku had never heard him more heated over his hatred for the man who ruined that boy's childhood.
It sounded very personal, that he saw some of himself in the boy. Izuku wished he could be there to help.
When he was shoved into the wall again, he finally fought back. He would heal anyways. He retaliated for the first time ever. He smacked his bully across the face. The playground went silent when everyone saw this. It was routine for Izuku to be bullied and harassed, but having him fight back was a surprise. They all knew, but nobody ever helped Izuku.
Nobody was aware of him being a vampire but for Kacchan, who had kept his mouth shut about it, thankfully. He wasn't being nice to Izuku, and still called him Deku, but at least he didn't burn him anymore. But it didn't mean others were above attacking him, too. The bullies weren't happy he fought back, and he was punched in the face. His head bounced off the wall. It hurt, and his ears were ringing.
When the next punch came, he ducked, and the bully's fist collided with the wall. There was a sick crunching noise, and the screaming started. Izuku stood back up and backed away. The kid's fist was covered in blood, one of the knuckle bones clearly out of place. He used this chance to hurry inside and stay there with the safety of the teacher.
After the bell rang, everyone returned to class, and stared at Izuku like he grew a second head. Like they realized what he was. But the looks weren't because of that, they were because of what just happened. He fought back, and had, in a way, harmed his bully a lot. Broke his hand and shredded the thin skin of the fingers.
Kacchan wasn't in his class this year, but it didn't mean he hadn't still been bullying him at recess or the walk home. But Izuku hadn't actually seen him in awhile. Of course he could smell and hear him if he focused. But he didn't really have any reason to do that. They weren't friends, and he wasn't targeting him anymore. It was a better situation than before.
After school, Izuku sprinted home, not wanting to be targeted by any bullies. They must be very mad at him. But he wasn't going to lie to himself and say the crunch of his bones and cried of pain weren't satisfying. That slapping his enemy wasn't empowering. He stood up for himself for once. The first time in forever.
Though he wasn't sure if that was a one time surge of inner strength or if he'd changed. He didn't have much hope that he'd changed for the long term. When he got inside, he slid his back against the door with a tired sigh. Rubbing his hands down his face, he cursed why he was always so powerless.
He was unlucky. Always, always had been unlucky. Inko walked over, seeing him on the floor of the entry. "Are you alright?"
"I fought back against a bully… I slapped one, and the hand of the other got broken from me dodging." She looked surprised. "It will only make things worse for me."
"Izuku… I don't want you fighting and getting physical, but I also don't want you to allow others to torment and abuse you." He was kind of offended that she worded it that way.
"It's not like I put up with it by choice," he grumbled, standing and kicking his shoes off before heading to his room. He flopped onto the bed, wishing he had an ally with him. Anybody. Kacchan moved on from his sense of pity or pride issues, but that didn't mean others followed by example and left him alone.
Maybe if they were all scared of him it would be better. They'd leave him alone. But he'd rather nobody know about him being a vampire. Could he be a hero while that way? He'd looked it up, and at least in Japan, there had never been a vampire hero. Or a quirkless one. So he was way out of luck.
But, looking at his All Might merch strewn around his room, the impossible odds didn't stop his dream from still burning bright inside him. Picking up his phone, he rolled onto his stomach and texted Shoto.
How's the kid?
He attacked his handler. She was understanding. He's really weak, so tiny and all. Tiny and not the best coordinated. Nobody is seriously hurt, but he was very upset by it all.
:(
I was going to tell you later, but I'll tell you now. I'm being discharged. Izuku gasped with wide, excited eyes. He called Shoto, not wasting a second, needing to know the details now. Right now. He picked up instantly, always quick to respond in texts or call back the moment he found he'd missed one. He never, ever left Izuku hanging, which was greatly appreciated.
"You're really being let go?!"
"Yeah. I passed the tests. After eight and a half months, I get to go out into the world again. There was a test run this morning, and I didn't have the urge to attack anyone. I… still do look down on humans, but it's not severe enough that I'd hurt them, y'know? No, you never had that problem.
"But anyways, the foster family taking me in are vampires. Two vampire parents, with three vampire kids. Two older teens and a nine year old. I haven't met them yet in person, but I talked to them over the phone. It wasn't enough to learn their personalities, but I chose them over the other."
"Why?"
"The one I chose is closer to your house." Izuku choked up at hearing that. "Are you okay?"
"I just need a friend with me. I've been waiting, I missed you. Every day I'm surrounded by bullies and jerks and abusers. It really makes me miss rehab. But if you come, I'll feel better just by you being here."
"I missed you too. It's gonna be hard to leave them all. They helped me a lot. I'll be doing counseling with Admin over the computer from now on. He thinks it would be good for me. So I agreed. I'll try my best to be a good friend so you're not so lonely anymore.
"But… Midoriya, I've never been to public school before. I'll be… useless and vulnerable."
"You helped me before, I'll do the same now. Don't worry, I promise! When can I see you?" he asked excitedly. Shoto said he needed to get settled in his new home, get to know his new family. So, not immediately. But soon. "When do you think you'll go to school?"
"I don't know… soon, hopefully. Do you think they'll be mean to me, too? I've not had good training where someone is cruel to me," Shoto said nervously. "I don't want to mess things up."
"I'll be there to keep you in check, don't worry. Just make sure you have your blood powder and it'll be fine!" Shoto agreed, though he didn't sound too sincere. "You're starting a new chapter in life. Not going back to your old abusive home."
"Yeah… that's good. I know I'll end up seeing him, though. On TV." Izuku made a questioning noise. "My father is famous. So I will end up seeing him somewhere, sometime." God, now Izuku was so curious about who Shoto's dad was. So that he could end his career by speaking up about the child abuse. Though it might bother Shoto if he did that, dragged their family situation into the public eye.
Yeah, he wasn't going to do that. "Well, he doesn't have custody of you anymore, and isn't allowed to be around you."
"Yeah," Shoto agreed. "I can't wait to see you again, even if I'm scared to leave a bit. And school sounds scary, but I want to try anyways."
"I understand that. I didn't make it sound very enjoyable. But you aren't quirkless, are very smart and a nice person. I'm sure you'll do much better than me."
"I won't let other people be mean to you if I'm there."
"I will try to do the same, Shoto. Keep me updated about your new family, okay?" Shoto promised, and the call was over. Izuku ran from the room to tell his mom. "Shoto is discharged! He chose a foster home closer to here so we can be friends!" he cheered.
"That's great, honey! I can't wait to meet him," she said brightly. So happy that he was going to have a friend with him. Izuku looked forward to not being all alone anymore. But he'd be there for Shoto if anything went wrong. Hopefully it didn't. And if everyone found out about either of them, well, then maybe they could both move to a new school.
He was in a fantastic mood the rest of the day, counting down the hours to when he got to see him again. Maybe they could have sleepovers! He was nice to be around at night, they would sometimes spend hours just talking while in bed. And having a TV now in Izuku's room, they could watch movies like they all did at the rehab.
If it was hard for Izuku to leave, he expected Shoto was having it much harder. Being there so long, getting to know everyone so well. Saying goodbye must be very bittersweet. He went to do his homework, thinking today was a good day. He fought back, stood up for himself, and then found out Shoto was being released and would see him again. He couldn't wait! He'd make sure Shoto liked going to his house to hang out.
-x- Shoto -x-
Shoto sat in the back seat of his new foster mom's car. He was lathered in sunblock, concealing clothes on. The windows were tinted black, so the sun wasn't directly on him. "It's very good to have you, Shoto," Mikaela said with a smile in her voice. "It will take some adjustment to get used to the outside world after so long, but we'll help you through it."
He nodded, and she saw it through the rearview mirror. "It's normal to be apprehensive about the sun. Especially for those who have suffered its burns. There's nothing wrong with your fear, it is justified." Shoto liked her so far. She was being kind and understanding like he felt a human couldn't be. They didn't know what it was like, what any of it was like.
"Would you like to get something to eat on our way home? Something you haven't had in awhile?"
"... A Starbucks?" Shoto said quietly. She agreed easily, and Shoto got a large, salted caramel hot chocolate. He got some powder from his backpack and poured it in, mixing it with his straw and drinking the delicious drink. So yummy, both the human food flavors and blood. He was in a good mood, and when they got to the house, Shoto was happy to see it was quite large. All the curtains that could be seen were closed fully. He got his backpack and suitcase and followed his new foster mother inside.
It was dark inside, but not so much it interfered with anything. He could see just fine, it was only not blinding. It was furnished with truly comfortable looking furniture. The couch was a long sectional. "Let me show you around," Mikaela said, and both took off their shoes. The floor was carpet, which Shoto had never felt before. It was nice on his bare feet, though.
He was given a tour, his room on the second floor. His own room. There were three other kids there, all in their rooms. He could tell the walls were insulated and thick. So they wouldn't listen in on each other so easily. It was a good touch. His window was blacked out. The glass was tinted black. Still see through, but the sun didn't get through enough to burn.
It was great. His room was already nicely furnished, and he put his belongings away. Mikaela looked at the twelve year old with a real smile. He was surprised by the fond look. "Welcome to your new home, Shoto. If there's anything you need, ask, please. I'll give you some time to destress before we go over some rules. Nothing big, but still."
Shoto nodded, and she left, closing the door. He tried listening to those in the other rooms. He could hear them if they focused, but if he didn't, it was quiet in his room. He was happy with the set up. Looking out the curtains, he saw the big back yard, a volleyball court, some basket ball hoops and a lot of grass.
It was someplace he'd go to hang out. Now, he could go outside. He would be fine. Looking at his burnt arm, he pulled the sleeve up higher. He had a black sleeve around it, underneath his shirt. It was so he wouldn't see it so easily and have it freak him out about the sun again. He didn't want to be scared of it anymore.
After a bit, he went to one of the two bathrooms for the children. Two teens older than him and one younger. When he went downstairs after using the toilet, he found all of them on the couch. Looking up, one of the teens was a girl and the other two were boys. She stood up with a smile, and welcomed him. The others did not have red eyes. They hadn't fed from humans.
"Welcome, Shoto!" the teen girl said. "I'm Maya, and this is Haru." Shoto gave a weak wave. Maya did all the talking, and reminded Shoto of Fuyumi. He had no attachment to her anymore. She abandoned him. Had to have heard his screaming and crying yet did nothing. She explained about the food rules: if anything in the fridge had a name on it, he couldn't eat it. But he was allowed to eat anything else whenever he wanted.
There was a massive blood fridge in the basement. It was fully furnished, unlike the one he'd been trapped in. It felt like another big family room, and the blood freezer was by the laundry room. It didn't feel like a prison, which was good.
Shoto's massive collection of bins of blood powder were beside the fridge. They were for him. He just would take up too many blood bottles. It was the only sustainable solution to his ridiculously large amount of required blood a day. The bins looked like protein powder tubs, with a cup inside to scoop and everything. All of this blood was paid for from vampire insurance. There was a curfew for them all.
They were to go to bed by 11 PM on school nights. It wasn't that bad, Shoto could work with that. "Now, you want to go to Suzumi elementary?" Shoto nodded, and said he had a friend there. "That's cool, Asahi can drive you there!" Asahi was the foster father. Shoto hoped it was a good father… not an abusive one.
But the kids here didn't look unhappy. Even the younger vampire than him looked happy and content. Shoto wondered about his story. He wouldn't ask, not wanting to pry or be nosy. He went to his room, glad to have a TV and a new laptop. These people were very well off, even just based on the interior of the house. All new electronics. Some things he didn't even recognize.
When dinner time came, Shoto smelled blood being cooked with meat. He headed down the stairs quietly, not wanting to make too much noise. When he got to the kitchen, the others were at the table already. The father, Asahi, was still at work. He provided the money mostly, but came over for dinner and hung out with them all.
Shoto sat down in the empty seat. The other three were talking while he stayed sient, not wanting to butt in. He was also just naturally quiet, it wasn't that he was always never interested in talking to others. "Hey, Shoto, have you gone clothes shopping yet?" Maya asked nicely.
"No," Shoto replied simply. Then he wanted to add more to the conversation, and awkwardly said, "Do I… I need more clothes for school and all…"
"Yeah! That rehab place had comfy clothes, but not very varied," Haru said when the food was starting to be served. It smelled fantastic. But he was surprised that the others had been there, too. "We all went. Mine took two months, but theirs were both much faster." Shoto waited for the comment on his long stay, but it never came.
It was a relief he didn't bring it up. At least, not now. The food was chicken and rice with honeyed blood drizzled over it as a thick sauce. They had milk or juice for drinks. Shoto had good manners and ate properly, though he started to eat faster once he tasted it. It was so good. "Nobody cooks better blood food than adult vampires," Mikaela said.
All of them turned towards the door when they sensed the foster father coming in, unlocking the door, taking his shoes off at the entryway. "I'm back!"
"Hey, Asahi! Shoto came!" Maya said. She was 16 and Haru was 15.
"Ah, it's great to meet you, Shoto. I'm sorry I wasn't here to properly greet you and introduce myself. Work required me to stay late." Shoto looked curious but said nothing. Though his look was conveyed easily. "I work at a hospital for children."
"Around blood?"
"Of course. I'm 43, I was turned at 16. I'm fine around fresh blood, it doesn't pain me at all anymore." Shoto nodded, and hoped he wouldn't need to wait that long to be fine around them. Asahi washed his hands before coming to the dining table to eat with them. Haru asked what the choker around Shoto's neck was for, though his tone showed it was okay if Shoto didn't answer.
Mikaela replied for him so he didn't need to think on the spot. "It helps with self-control."
Haru said, "I wish I had something to help me out like that. Though I'm much better at it than I was." He was being nice, and Shoto had no idea if he was faking. He just nodded and looked down as he ate. When he was done, getting a small serving of seconds, he didn't now whether he was allowed to leave the table or not.
But Asahi told him he could leave the table if he wanted to. "You don't need to even eat with us at meals if you're uncomfortable," he added. "We're not a strict household. As long as you do what you need and are responsible and respectful, there's very little things we force or regulate."
Shoto nodded silently, muttered a thank you for the food, and put his dishes into the dishwasher. He walked up the stairs, a small smile on his face. These people seemed like good, kind and understanding vampires. They knew what it felt like to be him. Maybe not in the same intensity or severity he had, but still. They knew a lot.
He was happy with how things were so far.
The next day, Mikaela sat Shoto down on the couch. He wondered what they were going to talk about. The other kids were in various rooms doing various things. There was loft upstairs to hang out in, and Shoto thought he heard the sounds of video game shooting. They played lots of FPS games at the facility. It wasn't like the violent games encouraged real life violence.
"There's something that you were all taught at rehab that I want to correct." Shoto's brows raised slightly. "It is not wrong or evil to drink directly from humans." He was confused. "What is wrong, is when you do it without consent and self-control. It is natural for vampires to want to feed off of humans, even though it is not necessary. Your urges to do such a thing are natural and should not be seen as wrong or evil.
"This is not me encouraging you to drink from the source. I just want you to know you aren't a monster for wanting. It is wrong only if there is no mutual consent, and if you know you can't safely handle it and not hurt the human." Her words filled Shoto with warmth. He wasn't evil for wanting to? It felt nice. But he knew he'd already done terrible with it. Killed people. He didn't know if she knew about that, but no way was he going to talk about it. "I don't mean to confuse you, but that's just ours and most adult vampire's view on the subject."
Shoto nodded, understanding. He was glad he wasn't being encouraged to act on it, only told he wasn't bad for wanting it. "Now, why don't we go get you some new clothes? For school, you'll need some." Shoto nodded. But he was nervous. Nervous to go out into the real world. "Don't worry. I have strength, too. I can restrain you if necessary. I promise." Shoto nodded again, and put his shoes on, already dressed and covered in sunblock.
It still took him a few moments and deep breaths to walk outside, but he was fine, and they both got into the car and drove to an outdoor mall. It was embarrassing a bit, but he felt safe holding onto her arm. She didn't complain, and held his hand tightly, securely. It was comfortable, he had someone to stop him if it went wrong.
When he stepped inside, he smelled so many humans. It was very, very strong. He took breaths through his mouth. "You're okay, you'll get used to it in a few minutes." He waited for that, and it was true. He got used to it, even if it made his throat burn a bit despite having a lot of blood powder for breakfast.
Mikaela had a canteen in her purse in case he needed it. But he'd try to do it without resorting to that for help. They went into a smaller store with few people inside. It was the most expensive store, but had much less people and the smells of them. He tried on one shirt and some pants, and just got other colors of those.
Nothing with graphics on it, just long sleeved, plain colored shirts and jeans. He got some pajama pants and shirts. A new jacket, new shoes, socks and underwear. It was nice. He didn't show her the clothes after trying them on, which the foster mother wasn't upset about. He had a large bag by the end.
When they were heading back to the car, Shoto saw someone fall from the escalator, tumbling down. When she landed at the bottom, one of her legs was clearly badly broken. He was very upset with the response in his head. Stupid weak humans. Her skin was not punctured somehow, but Mikaela looked at him with a reassuring smile, and they left.
He moped when he got into the car. "Did you look down on her for falling?" Shoto nodded honestly, not making eye contact. "You will only get over that thought process by getting to know more humans you care about."
"...Okay…" he mumbled. They didn't speak again, but she got him a hot chocolate again. When he got home, he was exhausted and took a long nap on the couch. He hoped he wouldn't look down on all his classmates. At least his face rarely showed emotion, even negative ones. Besides sad or content, his face was a blank mask. It was a wonder he made a friend like that.
