The short walk to my house was quiet and Shinsou was very thoughtful. He gave me enough space that I didn't feel crowded but stood close enough that it still felt different than walking with a friend. He understands a lot more than he lets on. I wonder just how intuitive he is.
"Hey, Shinsou. What's the drawback to your quirk? I think I have an idea but I could be wrong."
Humming, he nudged me with his elbow, keeping the contact just long enough for me to feel that strange electricity again. I pouted when he pulled away and he chuckled.
"Since my quirk has everything to do with my mental capacity, it really affects my sleeping habits. If I use it even once, then there is no way I'm getting more than four hours of sleep."
My house came into view and I pointed it out, grabbing his hand and all but dragging him to the front door.
"Hana, Sora! I have someone I want you to meet." I stared at our intertwined hands for a moment before giving him a questioning look. Rolling his eyes, he tightened his grip imperceptibly.
Hana and Sora entered the kitchen the same time as us and Hana immediately squealed.
"Oh, you must be one of Ren's soulmates! I'm Hana and this is Sora. We are Ren's guardians and we're super excited to meet you."
Shinsou rubbed the back of his neck nervously and shifted closer to me.
"My name is Shinsou Hitoshi, it's very nice to meet both of you. My quirk is brainwashing." I stiffened and shot him a look, realizing he was testing them. He doesn't trust adults.
"That is an amazing quirk, Shinsou," Sora stated, like the boss he is. "Would you like to join us for a late lunch? I'm sure the both of you are hungry."
Hana ushered us both to the table and started heating up some leftovers. "So, how awkward was our Ren when she straight ran away from you?" Shinsou snorted and shot me a look.
"SORA! You can't just ask him that!" I shouted. Laughing boisterously, he reached over and ruffled my hair. I smacked at his hands and tried to dodge but he was very persistent.
"I mean, it wasn't the worst reaction I've gotten. The look on her face was quite comical." Sora's eyes narrowed and it was obvious that he was reading between the lines.
We talked as we ate lunch and I could see Shinsou relaxing, realizing that these two were different than most adults. Standing, I helped Hana clean up and tried to eavesdrop on the boys' conversation but was immediately distracted by Hana.
"He seems really sweet. I think you will both be good for each other. Bonding over shared experiences, good or bad, will definitely help you both heal and grow."
I gave her a knowing look and glanced over as Shinsou's phone chimed. He pulled it out and excused himself, coming to stand next to me.
"Hey, my dads texted me and said they wanted to meet you. Would you be alright doing dinner tonight or would you want to meet them tomorrow?"
"Um, I mean, I would love to meet them and all but I don't think I would be comfortable going to your house just yet. If you haven't noticed, I'm kind of an anxious person…" He stared at me for a moment before looking and starting to type again. Peeking over his shoulder, I realized he was asking them if they would want to have dinner at our house.
"Hey! The parental figures meeting this early just seems like a bit of a rush!"
He laughed and slowly took my hand in his, "Chill, short stack. It's not like I'm proposing or something. It's literally a meet and greet." I flushed scarlet and shot Sora a pleading look.
"Don't look at me, kiddo. I'm all for meeting Shinsou's dads. Plus, it would be a great way for you to get comfortable with them so that you won't feel nervous going over to his place. Though, now is a great time for me to segue this, we expect you both to be respectful towards one another. Hormones are a tricky thing and I don't want either of you making a decision you will regret later in life."
My embarrassed spluttering was cut off by Shinsou politely responding. "Of course. It's very clear that Ren's trust is hard to earn and I don't plan on making the mistake of breaking that trust once I do earn it." He glanced down at me and smirked at my impression of a tomato.
"Do you have no shame?! Just discussing… THIS with him?"
He just shrugged and bumped into me, pulling out his phone as it went off again. "Alright, the dads said they would love to come over and they want to know what they could possibly bring."
Hana hummed and thought for a moment before asking if they would prefer to bring a salad or bread. Shinsou smiled and said they would bring both and that telling them to bring only one thing wouldn't cut it.
"So… I guess that means you'll be here basically all day." I looked up and suddenly realized how close we were. When the heck did he lean up against me? Ooohhh, this kid is smooth. I gotta watch him. He one hundred percent knows what he's doing, using the perks of the bond to get me to relax. He quirked a brow at my sudden silence and I pursed my lips in contemplation.
"Do you want to play a game or something? I have an Xbox in my room."
Sora literally popped up in front of us and gave us a creepy stare. "No closing the door." I aggressively smacked my forehead while Shinsou agreed to his terms. Going upstairs to my room, I stood awkwardly as he took it all in.
"I'm so relieved to see that your room isn't obnoxious," he stated blandly before pulling me over to the small couch in front of the Xbox.
I leaned forward and grabbed the controllers, hitting the power button for the console and TV. I squirmed a bit at our proximity and he huffed.
"Are you uncomfortable?" He questioned quietly. Looking over, I saw him focusing on the screen, deciding on what game he wanted to play. Taking a deep breath, I forced my muscles to relax.
"No, it's just taking a little getting used to. But don't think that I don't know what you're doing, with the physical contact." I gave him some major side eye as he chuckled. Without turning my way he elbowed my ribs.
"Oh, no. I've been caught." I couldn't help but cackle at his monotone voice. "I mean, you're not an idiot and I wasn't exactly being subtle. I don't want my soulmate nervous around me so, yeah, I'm going to use the physical perks to get you attached to me."
It was a struggle for me to keep up with what he was saying while I tried not to totally fail at the game he chose.
Frowning at his choice of words, the distraction costing me a life. "That's a strange choice of wording. Attached. Do you have abandonment issues?" I mashed buttons vigorously, smiling when I managed to get the upper hand. I glanced over and was caught by surprise. He was watching me intently, clearly thinking about what to say.
"You could say that. I've been in and out of foster homes for the majority of my life. That is until my dads got me and decided I was worth keeping. I just know how easy it is for someone to give up, to decide that the fight isn't worth it. But… I want you to know that I won't do that to you. I can tell you have your own demons and I know how hard it is to fight them alone."
Taking a deep breath, I placed my hand on his knee. "I know I'm a nervous person but I'm not a flake. I'm very grateful that you're trying to make me comfortable, it's quite sweet actually." I stopped, trying to find the right words to say.
He placed his hand on mine and waited, making me blush. "Stop distracting me, dangit! I'm trying to say something profound!"
He threw his head back and started laughing, making me smile. "No need for anything profound, Ren. You've already given me ample opportunity to see that this is worth fighting for."
Before I could become a blubbering mess, we heard his dads being greeted by my guardians. "Well, short stuff, it's do or die." He joked and I glared.
"Stop playing around, eyebags." He spluttered behind me as I ran down the stairs cackling. Abruptly, I came to a stop but almost face planted on the floor when Shinsou ran into my back. He quickly grabbed me and yanked me against his chest, apologizing quietly in my ear.
However, I barely registered his hold as I stared at the two men in front of me. "WHY THE HECK DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT YOUR DADS WERE ERASERHEAD AND PRESENT MIC?!" I yelled, making him yank away from me.
"Geez, pipe down, short stack. I would like to keep my eardrums. Plus, I can't just go around telling people that my parents are heroes."
Nodding, I tried to keep my cool but I ended up throwing myself at Eraserhead and hugging him. He hugged me back, making everyone very confused.
"Hey, kiddo. I'm glad to see you've found a happy home," he whispers quietly. I couldn't stop the tears that came. I melted into him, crying on his chest and blubbering nonsense.
"Sooooo, I take it you two have already met," Sora stated, looking at the two of us.
Disentangling myself, I turned around and shot him a huge grin. "Eraserhead is the hero who saved me. He was the first person to ever fight for me."
I almost broke down again but instead, I turned and held my hand out to Present Mic. "Hello, I'm Ren. It's nice to meet you."
We all ended up having a nice dinner and I knew that there was no way I wasn't visiting Shinsou's house as often as possible. I think I may have freaked him out a little though because I had no qualms about letting loose with my personal savior in the room.
Too soon it was dark outside and it was time for them all to leave. We walked them out and then, surprisingly, the four adults gave us a little alone time to say our goodbyes.
"Well, that was unexpected," Shinsou muttered, leaning against the doorframe.
I gave him a sheepish smile and slowly pulled him in for a hug. "Today was a lot of fun, Shinsou. Not to be weird but, you're kind of perfect." He rolled his eyes and hugged me back. "Yeah, same, short stack."
That night I couldn't help but contemplate my past and why I was so lucky to have the life I do now.
FLASHBACK
The dark room I sat in was cold. I couldn't remember how long I'd been in there.
Then, I heard noises, loud noises from the floor above me.
It was clearly an act of violence. Yelling, cursing, and bodies hitting the floor could be heard.
I flinched as the noise grew louder and jumped when the door to my room was slammed open.
"Come on, Ren. We have to get out of here," my father yelled. Grabbing me, he yanked me forward, his grip far too tight for comfort. We proceeded down a few dark hallways before he halted, panting from the run. My knees were scraped from not being able to keep up properly.
I looked around him to see someone blocking our way.
"Let the girl go, Kai." I stared at the man, hoping he wouldn't get hurt. Father roughly through me to the side and lunged.
A fight ensued and I was saved. The man said his name was Eraserhead and he held me so gently as he took me to the paramedics for evaluation. He said nice things as he patted my hair. It was the first time in a long time that someone touched me without hurting me.
Every time I flinched, he made them back off and told me that I was okay. That I was safe.
I felt like a traitor to my father, but I couldn't help the hope I felt being comforted by this kind man.
He visited me almost every day for a month before I was placed with my new family.