Taishiro
"Thalia?" She spun around.
It was clear she had been thinking about something.
"Sorry. I got lost in thought. I should probably get going. See you later?" She asked.
She smiled at me and I wanted to smile back. However her one sided conversation was still on my mind. Why wasn't she asking me if I was Taishiro. She slipped past me and then abruptly stopped. I felt a warm feeling consume me like a blanket. Her head snapped up and she looked at me. I could see the gears working in her bright blue eyes with those unique flecks of pink in them. She snapped out of whatever trance my touch had put her into.
"See you later, Tanjiro." She quickly rushed down the front steps.
Once she had the gate closed her phone rang again. I saw the troubled look on her face. When she answered the phone all the color left her face. The call was short and sweet. She looked at me and smiled. She turned towards the direction my apartment was in. The smile was gone and she looked scared just before she left my sight.
_
I didn't get home till 11 o' clock once my patrol was done. When I opened the door I could see the light from my television screen, but it wasn't a movie that was on it was a music channel. I heard her soft snores coming from the couch. I made my way over and saw that she was completely uncovered. I felt my face heat up. She was in yoga shorts and a light blue tank top. Her abdomen was completely exposed and she had an arm and a leg dangling off the couch. The blanket discarded on the floor. It reminded me of a child when they got too hot except that she wasn't a child. I went around and picked the blanket up. I covered her up and her arm came down abruptly. Her hand touched mine and warmth spread up my arm. Her eyes opened. She sat up and I almost didn't move fast enough. She looked scared. Then she looked up at me and the fear on her face disappeared.
"You can't touch me when I'm sleeping. When I sleep alone I always make sure to tell my roommates. I'm really sorry. You scared me. I should've told you, I'm so sorry." She placed her feet on the floor.
She rested her head in her hands. She took a deep breath and then looked up at me. She looked troubled. She sighed and looked down at the floor.
"I take it Taishiro is still working?" She grabbed the remote and muted the television.
"Yeah. He'll be home in an hour." She glanced up at me.
Her face told me she didn't believe me. She smiled at me.
"How was your day?" She scooted over so I could sit.
I turned the lamp on and took a seat.
"It was okay. Took down some robbers. Not much else." I looked over at her.
She had her elbows on her knees and her hands clasped together. She looked troubled.
"I'm glad you're safe." She said.
"So did Taishiro call at all today?" She looked at me.
Her face gave me the feeling that, that was a stupid question to ask. Then she looked at the floor.
"No. He didn't. That's okay though. He was probably busy." She got up and went to the kitchen.
She turned the light on and opened the fridge. She pulled out a couple of plates. She unwrapped them and warmed them up. Then she looked at me.
"Are you going to come eat?" She asked.
"Yeah. I will." It was weird coming home to someone having dinner ready.
However it was nice. She pulled the first plate out and my mouth started watering as she sprinkled the topping for takoyaki. Then she placed it on the bar. She placed a fork next to the plate.
"I can't make promises, but I hope it's okay." The microwave went off.
She pulled out what looked like fried rice. She stirred it, and threw it back in. Then she opened the fridge.
"Any fruit allergies?" She asked, bending over.
"Nope." I mumbled around the food in my mouth.
She pulled out a bowl of fruit. She pulled the top off and placed it next to me with a spoon. The microwave went off. The moment the door opened my mouth was watering even more.
"Who taught you to cook?" I asked.
She placed the plate in front of me. She was smiling.
"My Mom. I also kind of taught myself. Once I was old enough, she went back to work." She placed the other plate of what looked like chicken in the microwave.
She opened a cupboard and grabbed two mugs and one glass. She grabbed my tea kettle and filled it up. She put it on the front right burner and turned the stove on. She opened the fridge and grabbed a gallon of pink juice.
"I hope this is okay. I like having some of those tropical juices and whatnot. I try remaking them with my quirk. Not to mention the other stuff." She didn't specify what the other stuff was, but I already knew.
She set the glass on the bar and put the juice back in the fridge. The microwave went off. She pulled the last plate out. She set it on the bar. She went over to my tea cupboard. She pulled out a box of chamomile. Then she looked up. The sugar was on the top shelf. She placed her hands on her hips. I saw her glance at me from the corner of her eye. She shook her head and climbed up on the counter. I got up and walked up behind her. I placed my hands on her torso.
"Thalia, honey. You have a tall person right here." Her hands landed on mine.
A warm feeling flooded my entire body. Her pink ends seemed to turn a darker shade of pink. She looked at me. Her eyes met mine and she looked surprised.
"So pretty." She whispered.
"What is?" Her face turned red.
"Sorry. Nothing. I just didn't want to bother you while you were eating." She smiled at me.
I set her down and grabbed the sugar. The warm feeling I felt didn't disappear this time. I set the sugar down. She looked super uncomfortable and her face was also still very red.
"If you need help just ask. This house is made for m-Taishiro and I." Now she looked sad.
"I will. Thanks Tanjiro. I'll finish doing this. Go eat." She smiled.
She took out a couple of tea bags and placed them in the mugs. She put the tea away and I went back to my dinner. She started humming to herself. The kettle started to whine. She turned the stove off and poured the hot water in the mugs. She put the kettle on a back burner. She placed a bit of sugar in one mug. She grabbed a small plate and set my cup on it. She put it on the bar and placed the sugar next to it with a spoon.
"I don't know how you like your tea." She smiled and turned back to her own.
She started humming again. I had never heard the song she was humming before. It must be from America. She took a sip of her tea. By this time I had finished the takoyaki and fried chicken. I was almost done with the fried rice and vegetables.
"Thank you for dinner tonight. It's been a while since I've cooked at home." I said.
She glanced at me and smiled.
"You're welcome Tanjiro." She looked sad again as she took another sip of her tea.
"Why are you sad?" I asked.
She looked surprised.
"I know you're not telling me everything. You're hiding something, but it's none of my business. You don't have to tell me." She said.
She sipped her tea and washed her cup in the sink. Then she started taking my empty plates and doing the same. She kept her eyes focused on the dishes. Did she know that I was really Taishiro? Who could've told her? Then it dawned on me. Midnight. The only other person she knew in this city. She's known. For a day at least. She turned the water off and dried her hands.
"You know don't you?" I asked.
She looked up at me and smiled at me.
"Yeah. I know. I just wanted you to feel ready to tell me." She put the towel away.
She came around and sat next to me on a stool. I turned to her. She was fiddling with her hands. I placed one of my hands on hers. I saw this gorgeous pink hue surrounding her. I saw a yellow hue surrounding my hands. I looked up and our eyes met.
"Beautiful." I said.
Her face flushed red. She took one of her hands and placed it on my face.
"It's so bright. Like the sun." She said.
I saw yellow start appearing in the pinkish hue surrounding her body.
"It's you. It's just like my father said it would be." She wouldn't look at me.
She started pulling away. I gripped her hand and she met my gaze. I saw the fear in her gaze.
"What does this mean? Is this a second quirk?" I asked.
"Yes. It's when I find the person that I have the best chance at happiness with. I can see people's auras and connections between people. I can use it to track people. My father said his quirk didn't activate till he met my Mom. I understand if you don't want this." She smiled up at me.
I could still see the desire in her eyes. She was ignoring that though. I could see her pink aura mixing with mine. She bit her lip and I could see the gears turning in her head.
"I'm not sure what to think about this. I'm a little unsure." Then a phone started ringing.
It wasn't mine. A strange look appeared on her face. She pulled away from me and grabbed her phone off the stand. She opened the phone. She glanced at me and then answered.
"Hello?" Her face went pale.
She turned away from me. I saw her start trembling.
"When?" She was gripping the couch.
I stood up and walked up to her.
"I understand. I'll see your detective soon." She hung up the phone.
She set it down. She took a deep breath and turned to me. She kept her gaze away from my face.
"Why do you have to meet with a detective?" I asked.
"My hopefully soon to be ex husband. He's wanted for murder, abuse, mental, physical, and quirk wise. I just got some bad news. I don't think it's a good idea to stay with you." She grabbed up her bag and phone.
She walked to the door. I was up on my feet and grabbed her arm before she could open it.
"Honey. It's late. I can't in my right mind let you leave." I saw her lower lip start trembling.
"I can't stay. It would put you in danger. Especially since he escaped. I won't be the reason another person ends up dead. Not again." She slipped her hand out of my grip and slipped her shoes on.
She started to reach for the doorknob. Her hand stopped short. I came up behind her again. She was still shaking.
"Thalia, honey. We can discuss this tomorrow. I'd feel better having you stay tonight." She rested her head against the door.
I placed my hands on her shoulders. She dropped her bag. She turned around and there were tears streaming down her face.
"If he finds me here he'll kill you. I won't be responsible for another death." She placed her hands on my chest.
Her aura flared up before my eyes. It was pink and all over the place. I saw yellow swirling around in her aura. It was calmer than the pink hue surrounding her.
"Honey. You're going to be okay. You're not alone. Not anymore. Midnight and I will help. You're not alone anymore. I'm here for you. I promise." She looked up at me and then rested her head against my chest.
She took a deep breath and exhaled. The pink around her started to calm down as she continued to breath. The yellow in her aura seemed to be soothing her. I don't think she realizes I can see her aura. However, it's only when I touch her so it must be tied to her second quirk.
"Are you okay now?" I asked.
"Yeah." She hugged me as best she could.
I patted her head and she pulled away.
"I should get some sleep before tomorrow. Sleep well Tai." She slipped her shoes off and headed for the couch.
She laid down and covered up. She was hiding from me. I knew she wasn't just hiding. As soon as I was asleep she would leave. I went over to the couch and scooped her up. She squealed and glanced up at me.
"W-what are y-you doing?" I glanced down at her.
Her face was a deep red. She was biting her bottom lip. I turned my face away hiding my blush.
"Taishiro?" I looked back down at her.
Her face was still red, but I could see the desire in her eyes.
"You'll sleep in the same bed as me, sweetie. I'm a Pro, I know when someone's planning on running." She looked away and fiddled with her hands.
"I'm sorry," I kissed her forehead, "It's okay, Thalia. Let's get some rest and we'll deal with the detective tomorrow."
I walked with her to my room and set her down on the bed. I grabbed pajamas and got changed in the bathroom. When I came back she was already asleep and I had no doubt in my mind that it was from the stress of these past few days.