S E C L U S I O N S

A N D

P R O M I S E S

Kaya's early morning dawns were always spent alone.

And somehow, this time, it wasn't.

At the company of the soon-rising-sun and nearby birds, there she sat with a certain blond who didn't have an intention of going home. He had taken several spicy foods from Yoake's shelves, which kept him from leaving.

She never expected him to stay until the sun was slowly creeping up the horizon.

Things were nice. Quite nice, indeed.

Even though they spent hours bickering, giving snarky remarks here and there, Kaya felt his presence assuring. Maybe it was because all this time she's been staring at the sky hoping for a shooting star to come by as she sat alone that she forgot what it was like to have someone beside her. Maybe it was because she was so used to talking and being with herself once the moon slowly drops to give entrance for the sun that she forgot how it was like to be complete.

"You're staring at the sky like some kind of emo shit again," Katsuki commented, taking a bite of his jalapeno.

She chuckled, "Honestly that shouldn't be any of your concern," she pointed at his jalapeno, "You're eating hot red pepper for Christ's sake. Where'd that come from?"

He shrugged.

"Brought the damn thing with me. Just in case the food's not spicy enough." Kaya quirked a brow at this. She didn't know he loved spicy food that much.

"You brought a jalapeno in case the extra hot ramen's not spicy enough?" She said, her voice dripping with incredulity as she emphasized the flavor.

"Hm, yeah? Somethin' like that."

"And you told me hours ago I was deranged. I beg to differ, please."

"This is fucking normal. You're not." He replied with a small growl, still munching a jalapeno.

"I'm not too normal but I'm not on your crazy level, that's so rude. I'm offended being par to your insanity."

"So you have a quirk? The hell is it?"

At his sudden question — which, not to mention, was so out of topic — she really thought he had a world of his own revolving around him.

"What? Where'd 'ya pick that up from? We're talking about your state of mind here, not quirks."

"You said you're not too normal, woman."

She cackled.

"You're insane. That wasn't what I implied," She hummed, "You said you're gonna be the top hero once, didn't you?"

"Yeah, yeah." Katsuki drawled boredly, the words coming out of his mouth ever-so-slothfully.

"My parents were killed by a villain."

The air around them abruptly thinned.

"They were just innocently treading through the city, but they got caught up in everything that day," She chuckled lowly, tapping the table harmoniously with two fingers.

"So, promise me you're gonna her rid of all those villains someday?"

Katsuki no longered savored his jalapeno.

"Of course I fucking will. I'll surpass them after all."

A huge burden suddenly felt lifted off Kaya's shoulders. For a while, she felt like she was pulled out of water, still gasping, still dampened, still out of breath — but she could finally breathe — little by little.

"You promise?"

"The hell are you, kindergarten?"

"Just say it."

Katsuki clicked his tongue.

"Yeah.. I promise."

Steam rose in Kaya's vision.

"I'll be counting on that, Katsuki-chan."

- - -

"Kaya-chan? You're still here?" Katou asked at the sight of a rather tangled, messy violet hair sitting on a table.

Recognizing the voice, Kaya's head shot up from the table, as she wasn't really sleeping, just resting her eyes. She quickly combed her hair with her fingers, sliding through it rather roughly at the ends.

"Hm? Yeah. I chatted with someone earlier."

"The blond guy?"

She nodded.

Only then has Katou noticed her bloodshot eyes. Red and swollen; it was certain that she cried at the remainder of her time outside. But for what?

"You were crying." He pointed out, crossing his arms. Kaya only laughed lightly, turning her gaze to the soft-hued sky.

"I guess my eyes haven't died down in color yet."

"No, it didn't," Katou sighed and sat down across her, "Why?"

"It's nothing you should really bother yourself with, Katou-san." Kaya commented, looking him in the eyes before closing them just to shift into another direction.

"I should be asking you how you felt in there. Seeing Po-san and Ami together."

Katou chuckled, "It's painfully obvious that you're changing the topic. But," He blinked away the expression of his eyes, "I pulled a nice act."

"You're still so set on waiting for Po-san?"

"It's for Pogako. So yes, I guess I am."

Kaya noted how Katou's eyes twinkled, how his usually devoid eyes flickered an emotion and how his tired reconnaissance faded away just at the mention of his name.

"Even if it's very likely they'll have reciprocated feelings?"

He nodded, "Even if Amira wins once, I'll still be here. Do tell me though, Kaya-chan,"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think he'll accept me once he knows?"

Kaya blinked twice at his question.

"Are you kidding me, Katou-san? I'm sure he will. There's nothing wrong with loving the same sex."

Katou laughed. Though it was not a hearty laugh, it was empty. It was dripping in false-heartedness, it almost made Kaya flinch.

"For you, there isn't. Others think otherwise," Katou smiled, "Kaya-chan, not everybody's breathing sunshine like you do."

Kaya's eyes dulled and shadowed, her eyes shifting back to the sky which was now slowly regaining color. Her life didn't even feel like breathing sunshine. It didn't even look like there was something like a 'sunshine'. She breathed underwater, where for her, it was much, much easier to breathe.

"I look like I'm breathing a lot of sunshine, don't I," She chuckled — akin to Katou's earlier devoid laugh, "Honestly, Katou-san, we're all suffocating inside. All wounded."

"Probably," He muttered, "Perhaps there's something under your snarky grins."

"Oh yeah?" She asked with a light snicker.

He nodded, "There's always something under everybody's happy facades."

"Was that for me?"

"Were you affected?"

"Maybe."

And Kaya grinned.

"There it is." Katou exclaimed, pointing at her face, beaming like he found a discovery.

"What?"

"That snarky grin."

And they both filled the air with trifling laughter.

"Hey, Katou-san."

"What is it?"

"Is it painful? What you're feeling right now? Love, was it?"

Katou was surprised that this question came from Kaya. The person that deemed love insignificant in conversations, the person that thought love could last for so many years, but never a lifetime.

"You're fifteen, you shouldn't be asking that already."

She smacked him playfully.

"You're old enough to tell me," She inhaled, "Is love that hard?"

And along with the sun that slowly crept up the horizon, Katou's lips tilted upwards.

"Yeah. It always is."

- - -

a/n ; a light and soft chapter for the fluffy and angsty souls everywhere.

and if someone's gonna ask, yes. katou is gay. pogako is a man and amira is a woman (katou likes pogako, pogako likely has feelings for amira and so does she).