Christmas Eve.
Shouto looks up to the sky; today is one of the rare days where he didn't have to go to school and had no training at all. He kicks the snow beneath his feet and looks down at the ground. He wasn't dressed warmly but with his quirk automatically regulating the temperature around him he doesn't feel very cold at all.
It's snowing slightly. He should be heading home soon but Fuyumi isn't back yet, and Natsu's out. The house is a cold empty space and he'd rather wander the neighbourhood than stay in it.
He brushes his fingers over his scar briefly and sighs, the Hōhana Ward isn't exactly bad, the part he lived in wasn't particularly welcoming but the environment is pleasant. He can actually see the ocean from where he is now.
It's a beautiful view, too bad he wasn't in the mood to admire it.
He was walking towards the southern area of the ward when he felt a small body barrel into him, and he stumbles back with a grunt.
The figures trips and falls into the snow, a whimper escaping them as they lands roughly. Shouto was about to glare at them before he saw who it was.
It was a girl. Probably about his age dressed in what looks like pyjamas and a thick hoodie. But what caused him to stop wasn't the tear tracks on her face not her striking golden eyes, or the fact that it's so off to be out in the middle of the snow in socks and slippers and pyjamas. No.
It was the bruises, angry, deep, red and purple bruises that circled her neck and cheeks in the shape of large hands that showed as her fluffy hood slipped off.
The girl hiccups and attempts to get to her feet, only to slip back onto the ground with a sharp hiss, sobbing slightly. Shouto's eyes were wide. There's no mistaking those marks, those bruises. They aren't as bad as some of his but he'd recognise them anywhere.
The hand wasn't as big as Endeavour's, not do they seem as bad but his stomach did an ugly little twist as he realised that he couldn't be the only abused child out there. He offers the girl a hand; she looks up, features twisted with pain and hurt and a little relief, a distance reminder of his younger self when he wept into his mother's arms. The girl chocked out a thanks, took his hand, got up and began limping away.
He watched her retreating figure, feeling as if he should say something, but ultimately turns on his heels, and leaves.
Akemi stumbled her way down the road. She'd twisted her ankle when he'd thrown her down the stairs, if not for that boy back there she probably wouldn't 've been able to stand up.
Luckily the Hōhana ward isn't very far away from Midoriya's apartment complex. Unfortunately the Hōhana ward is an upper-class Residential area located on a hill by the sea so she had to limp down a ton of stairs to get there.
She really shouldn't be intruding on their family dinner, but Kai-chan's (her childhood friend) family is on holiday and Hibiki lives in the Hosu District. Her phone is smashed to pieces on the floor back home and although she has all the data in her USB she is not interested in repurchasing a phone right away. So stumbling down a now familiar street Akemi limps up about three flights of stairs, shivering in the cold, and gently knocks on the door.
She waited for several seconds, there was a quick call of 'I'll get the door mum!' And some rapid footsteps, and it was Izuku who pulled open the door.
Her bruises are mostly faded now, mostly because of the energy she is charging there to get the blood to flow, but you can still see the large splots of purple and blue, striking against her pale skin. At least they aren't in hand-shapes anymore, so they probably won't suspect anything.
When Izuku opened the door, he looked confused. The look morphed into worry and horror as his eyes landed on her, or rather, the bruises and the swelling ankle. She opened her mouth to speak, but whatever noise came out cracked and broke like fragile glass.
"I-" her words were cut off by a fresh wave of tears and the lump in her throat suffocates her, "Izu, I- I-!" The tears overflow and spills. And she stumbles, falling to the ground.
In his shock, Izuku barely caught her in time. He turned back and yelled out something into the house, and a moment later rapid footsteps sounded and a sharp gasp- Inko-san's gasp, rung in her ears.
Akemi felt gentle hands help her into the apartment and onto the couch, as she stares blankly at the two worried faces staring back at her, her voice brock once more, and Akemi let go.
Tonight she shattered into splinters inside the Midoriya household, crying into two sets of shoulders as they comforted her with warm, welcoming hugs. But compared to those many other Christmas Eves, where she had quietly sobbed herself to sleep,
It was her best Christmas Eve ever.
Please RnR for her to tell Midori-mama and little Midori!
