Okay... that was a really long break from writing. School requirements just really stack up sometimes. I was almost awake for a whole week. Also I ran into fanfiction error number 2. whatever that is...
Anyway, this is chapter II, 2.0. Yes, that's right, 2.0 since... I actually finished the first chapter 2 shortly after the first, but decided it was crap since I forced myself to finish it during my exam week. Put too much of everything happening at the same time. Anyway, this one's not so forced, but it is short. So read and review. THANKS in advance, regardless of what you say. If you were expecting lots of funny stuff... well sorry, but I'll try next chapter.
Some notes:
Thoughts are Italicized; actual speech is "within quotation marks"; HAVE A NICE DAY!
A Certain Pair of Goggles – Borrowed Security
His mind was obviously set on getting as far as way from trouble as possible. That was a given. Since misfortune followed him around like a plague anyway, if he didn't make the effort to avoid some situations, his life would be a whole lot worse right now. Though, it did make Mikoto think, if he hates trouble so much, why in the world would he go and meddle in other people's problems so often?
It made no sense to her. Much like how much sense there was in the fact that they were still running even if no one had bothered to chase them. Her chestnut colored hair flew about in the wind that pushed against their faces.
"H-hey, are you listening to me?" Mikoto inquired as she was dragged along in his marathon run. He didn't seem to hear a single word as he persisted on pulling her hand and running as much as his legs would let him. Being more petite, she was having a hard time keeping up. Maybe he had forgotten that she was there altogether. The mere thought made her blood boil.
"I said… HEY!" She shouted as she anchored her heels to the ground in an attempt to stop his mad run.
"Uaaaah!" Touma exclaimed as he was forced to stop by some force yanking on his arm. It took him off balance and had made him fall backwards miserably, while hitting his head on the unforgiving pavement. Maybe he got knocked out temporarily, he wasn't sure, but the next thing he knew, he was lying down on the hot street, staring up the sister's skirt and seeing something beige.
"Shorts?" He uttered in disappointment before comprehending the situation he was in.
Mikoto blushed madly and immediately blocked his view with her free hand. She was tempted to stomp on his face.
"W-what's wrong with shorts you damn pervert!" She stated as half a question, one fourth an insult and the rest in confused embarrassment. She never had problems about people staring at what was under her skirt before. After all, that's exactly why she wore shorts.
"Shorts?" He repeated again, though this time in puzzlement. It was as if he hadn't listened to a thing she said, again.
Mikoto's blush reddened further as Touma continued to lie down between her legs, gawk at the spectacle under her skirt and hold the hand that wasn't blocking his view. If only she wasn't so flustered about showing her undergarments, she would've stepped on his stupid little face by now.
"S-stand up already!" She shouted as she yanked on the hand that wrapped around hers. This finally seemed to elicit a reaction from the young man as his eyes widened in realization. He just comprehended the danger he was in.
With that, Touma finally snapped back to reality, briskly springing up into a sitting position to escape from his awkward and potentially dangerous situation. Unfortunately, this ended with him sitting up so quickly that his signature spiky hair caught and lifted Misaka Mikoto's skirt into the air. The lower part of Tokiwadai's prestigious winter uniform fluttered in the wind for a few moments for everyone to see.
Shorts? were probably the disappointed collective thoughts of all the men in the area.
Mikoto's face flushed devil red and her jaw slacked. First she was unbelievably embarrassed, then she was stunned, then mortified and finally, her teeth were gnashing against each other in depthless rage. Kamijou Touma was a dead man. The next thing Touma knew, something, hard, brown and connected to a foot was being swung at his face at mach three.
"Ooooffff…" was the only thing that escaped his mouth as Mikoto's shoe mercilessly dug into his face. He began to feel sorry for that broken down vending machine in the park. He would've rolled along the streets, getting his clothes and his face dirty if it wasn't for the sister holding his right hand so tightly.
He thought he saw Gekota on something pink beneath her shorts, just as the shoe retracted from his face.
Mikoto panted as she tried to regain her composure.
"What the hell was that for?" Touma asked after recovering from the shock of the deathblow and rubbing his swollen cheek. If all Misaka Mikoto's clones could kick like that, then vending machines had better grow a brain and run away for dear life. Now, if only he could do the same.
"Don't play dumb!" She screamed angrily. "You're just a pervert! I keep trying to think that you're such an amazing person, but you're nothing but a disgusting pervert with a sister fetish after all!" She exclaimed while pointing an accusing finger at him.
He merely sighed at her accusation. How many times had he been called a pervert this week alone? Bordering on a hundred, probably. He thought as he placed his hands on his hips from habit.
"Fine, fine… I, Kamijou Touma am deeply sorry for falling down on my back and staring up at your shorts. Kamijou Touma is sincerely regretful of his perverted actions!" Touma shouted loudly while bowing profusely like a fool.
She heard laughter.
Mikoto's face turned crimson again as she felt people begin to stare at them. She should've known he'd be a smartass like last time and make a scene to try and get out of the situation. She was pissed, but at the same time, she was too self-conscious to move. She was too preoccupied with picking between the emotions of embarrassment and wrath, when Touma asked her an incriminating question.
"Wait, I thought all sisters wore blue and white striped panties?" He asked as if it wasn't the least bit questionable that he knew this fact.
Mikoto froze and so did her emotions. Never mind that he had seen her sisters' underwear. She could punish him for that later or anytime at all. For now, she'd have to think quickly and come up with an excuse for her shorts. She squeezed his hand due to the sheer stress of the moment.
"Uh-ummm… I… you see…" She blubbered about incoherently. Her mind was a mess and she knew it. She couldn't think straight at all with what just happened. First my shorts, then my skirt and now this? She complained in her head as she blamed him for her loss of concentration.
"Aren't those shorts just like Biri-biri's?" He fired off another dangerous question. Mikoto's mind was now a muddled mess with random trains of thought tangling up with each other and leading nowhere. She looked at her feet, with her hair veiling her eyes. Fear had gripped her.
Am I going to be revealed here? Like this? When I haven't even done anything yet? She thought to herself as sunburned strands of her hair danced before her eyes. Her teeth pressed heavily against each other. She was afraid of being revealed like this, but even more than that, she didn't want it to end, not yet. Not when she hadn't even had the chance to do anything. Her body shook and her hands trembled. Surely, he felt it.
Touma sighed quietly to himself so she wouldn't hear. This was without doubt an especially troublesome day, even for him. Still, everyday, despite the misfortune, he chose to do what was right. Little by little, his coarse fingers found themselves falling neatly into place between her slender ones, as he pulled her into a walk. They seemed to fit perfectly well.
"?"
Mikoto raised her head to look at him, but he wasn't looking at her at all. He kept on walking onward with Mikoto a step or two behind, holding his hand securely. His hands, they were rough, obviously worked, bruised all over and people would probably say that this was a worthless man's hand… but they were also warm, caring, gentle, but strong; things that she liked about him, but would never say. Mikoto fixed her fingers securely around his, basking in this comfort while it lasted.
As they walked wordlessly through the streets, her thoughts had finally calmed down.
Does he know? He does, doesn't he... He's probably figured it out already. She thought as she reasoned with herself. Her insecure reaction would've been more than enough for anyone to doubt her already. It would've been easy to guess who she was after. She shuddered again. She was genuinely afraid of what he would do if he knew.
He tightened his grip.
"Those shorts…" He started monotonously after a long silence.
"You... you must've stolen them from Mikoto right? That's why you looked so anxious back there, isn't it" He looked back at her with that cheeky smile as he said those words. The grin itself was ambiguous. Mikoto couldn't tell what he was thinking, if he knew, or if he didn't. These things weren't written on his face at all. The only thing she could read was…
"Well, let's go have fun then!" He shouted while forcefully thrusting his arm in the air.
She just gazed at him in admiration. She didn't know. She didn't know if he had figured it out and was just being kind or honestly believed that she was a sister, despite the doubts. Either way, he had saved her again.
"..."
"…Touma." Meekly, she called him by his name for the first time ever. A warm feeling started to set itself into her heart, melting into every space inside. She didn't know what it was, but she welcomed it.
"Yeah?" He stopped and asked while looking back at her from the corner of his eye. He was still grinning.
"Thank you." She smiled back. It was the kind of smile that made you close your eyes, just from how content you felt; a quiet happiness. Like a kind spring day, she shined.
Touma blushed and squeezed her hand on impulse. He had never seen her with that face before. It moved something in him. He blushed, but she'd never know.
"W-well, let's go get you that accessory then." He said while turning back to the road and walking again, slightly shaking his head to clear it.
Mikoto opened her eyes and stepped up beside him, matching his pace. The goggles on her head slid down slightly, bringing some hair in front of her eyes. She decided to borrow their courage again as she stepped closer to him. She rested her head on his arm.
"Eh?" Touma exclaimed in surprise at the familiar sensation on his arm.
"What is it?" Mikoto asked playfully as if annoyed. Her cheeks were still light pink though.
"Y-your che-…" Touma started, but changed his mind half way through. "My arm…" He said rather timidly.
"We were already holding hands, so holding your arm shouldn't be too different right? Explains Misaka, while using her assets" She reasoned slyly. If he planned to resist, she'd just have to bring up the that he let 10032 and several other sisters do the same. Besides, this was fun.
"Riii-ght? Teases Misaka, as she plays with your emotions" She insisted while clinging further, making Touma squeamish and then finally sigh in defeat. He dropped his head. That was her signal. She grinned in victory.
"Then, let's go eat! Declares Misaka, while mimicking your fist from earlier" Mikoto announced with that familiar speech pattern as she pumped her fist into the air.
"We're eating again?" Touma complained to no one in particular.
It had only been an hour since they first met, but Touma had already been accused of picking up a girl, being a pervert, ran through the streets as if the world was ending, had a shoe flung at his face, promised to spend his very limited money for someone else and gotten himself involved in another person's emotional dilemma.
"Fukuo da." He whispered to himself with a smile as he glanced at the girl clinging to his arm.
Today was going to be a very, very long day.
Next chapter: They're probably going to meet some people they know :D people who will complicate things for Biri-biri... maybe I'm not sure ^_^
(Biri-biri... meet Orsola, the oblivious, nonsensical, awkward statement making and onee-san bodied nun of the English Anglican Church; who is unfortunately not interested in Touma)