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Of Butterfly Wings
Chapter Thirteen: Quirk
Touya peered down at the scarf clutched tightly between his fingers. Fuyumi had given it to him last night after they'd finished training. She'd found him scouring all their closets and she'd even managed to sneak up on him when he wasn't looking. He didn't say what, or rather who it was for, but she just gave it to him anyways with a knowing smile.
He wasn't sure if he should be grateful or mortified at this point.
Touya came upon the familiar steps of the Higure Shrine. Like the days prior, Kagome was already waiting for him at the bottom of the steps. She'd had her hair pulled over her shoulder and was tugging on it, as if afraid that the slightest gust would reveal the hicky he left on her.
His lips curved into a smile at the thought, then he stopped. His gaze focused on the stark shade of red dashed across her cheek. Having lived in a hellish household his entire life, he was all too familiar with the physical bruises that abuse left behind.
Kagome had been struck.
The very thought caused a wave of cold fury to run through his veins.
Touya spoke nothing as he approached her. She smiled like she normally did but there was a tenseness in her posture, as if she were afraid of his reaction. Silently, he took the scarf and carefully wrapped it around her shoulders and neck.
"That should keep it covered," He spoke after a short moment.
His gaze narrowed at the sharp swelling of her cheek.
"Who was it?"
It wasn't unheard of for parents to strike their children for engaging in intimate activities with their significant others. He'd heard horror stories of parents who'd gone completely nuclear over the revelation that their teenage children were engaging in sex.
It was possible that Kagome's situation could be similar, but he wouldn't know for certain until she told him.
The young woman scratched the side of her cheek sheepishly, "My sister and I got into a fight last night."
The fury running through his veins deepened.
He'd known that Kikyou had a fierce temper. There were at least three occasions where she'd thrown inanimate objects at him when they'd gotten into arguments. He'd pointed out a few times that he believed that she was hiding him and their relationship from the public for her own selfish reasons. It'd been near the end of their relationship, but the ferocity in which she came at him had only shown him the violence she was capable of.
If she'd charged him for calling her out, then how exactly did she treat her own twin when she thought no one was looking?
"So she hit you?"
It was taking every ounce of self control for him to not rush to the top of the shrine steps, drag Kikyou out of the house and then burn her into a pile of cinders for all to see. He knew he couldn't but he was still sorely tempted.
Kagome's smile turned confident, "It's fine. I got her in a way that was far worse. So I doubt she'll be trying that again."
Touya blinked.
He had a distinct feeling that she wasn't referring to any sort of physical violence. So had she hit upon Kikyou's insecurities?
He lifted his hand and pressed his palm against her cheek. It felt painfully hot to the touch. Even hours after the blow, he knew that it still had to sting.
"Are you okay?" He brushed the pad of his thumb over the arch of her cheek.
That question always pissed him off growing up. He only had to point at his broken body and ask someone if he looked okay to them. It always felt so damn insensitive and tone deaf. Now that he was standing in front of Kagome and watching her face swell from her sister's strike, he found himself asking the very same thing he hated.
Kagome's features softened as she tilted her head to lean fully against his palm.
"I'm fine. It looks a lot worse than it actually is." She pressed her hands against his, holding it in place.
He felt his own face heat in response.
"If you say so," He lowered his voice.
They intertwined their fingers together as they started the long trek to school. He couldn't bring himself to say anything to her. His thoughts had become full with the blind rage he felt. Going after Kikyou would be satisfying but he needed to time it right. Getting his revenge in the middle of the day without any sort of excuse would only result in him getting expelled. He refused to leave Kagome alone in this school while that harlot sibling of hers caused trouble.
Touya paused as his eyes caught the site of an advertisement for the upcoming Sports Festival.
That was it!
If he couldn't get his revenge the normal way, then he would just have to blast through the ranks in order to get into a one-on-one fight with her. Gender be damned, he wasn't about to let someone walk away from hitting the only person who'd never judged him for his appearance.
"About that bet," Touya started. "I want to make an adjustment." His gaze met hers as a confident smirk spread across his lips, "If I win, I want you to meet me at the victor's podium."
There was one way to get his revenge in a fight and break Kikyou's pride all in a single day.
Kagome laughed at that, "As if I wouldn't!"
He led her through the familiar streets and alleyways until they'd reached the school's gates. Kagome attempted to head towards the homeroom but he stopped her with a gentle tug of their interconnected hands.
"You need to see Recovery Girl first." Touya asserted, "Get your cheek healed and then we'll go to class."
He didn't like the idea of her spending the next two to three days in pain. He'd been healed by Recovery Girl several times since his accident three years ago. She'd warned him that she would never be able to make his body 'normal' again, but it was thanks to her power that he still had some of his natural flesh left. A swollen cheek was nothing compared to what she'd healed for him, but that didn't mean that he wanted Kagome to suffer even that mild sort of pain.
He silently led her down to the nurse's office where Recovery Girl was already waiting for them.
"You know I can't heal any more on you, child." The elderly woman's voice was chiding.
"We're not here for me." He shifted to gently urge Kagome forward. "Her sister hit her last night. Think you can heal it?"
The nurse scanned Kagome carefully, "She hit you?" Her tone was incredulous and offended all at once. "Regardless of the reason, you two should not be resorting to violence. Children these days are all so quick to fight."
Kagome glanced away, her face flush with shame.
"Can you heal it or not?" Touya grouched, his tone coming across far sharper than he intended.
"Boy, I pieced you back together didn't I? Calm your horses." Recovery Girl motioned for Kagome to take a seat. The young woman did so silently, her hand still clinging onto his as if it were a lifeline.
Touya watched as the nurse began healing Kagome. It only took a few seconds but the swelling and all of the redness around it disappeared instantly. For just a brief second, he wondered if the hicky he left on Kagome had been healed too.
"You should be better now. Be sure not to get into any more physical altercations with your family." The older woman scowled at them equally, "I don't care what it was about. Hurting people who love you is unacceptable."
"You're making a lot of assumptions." Touya shot back petulantly.
Kagome tugged on his hand, urging him to let it go.
Recovery Girl's scowl darkened then a brief look of shock flittered across her aging features.
"Just a minute," She pointed her cane at him. "I need to take a look at your injuries."
"I thought you said that you can't heal them anymore?" Despite his complaint, he found himself being pulled down into the seat Kagome had just occupied.
The nurse said little as she leaned over his face, twisting his head this way and that, her expression growing puzzled.
"I don't know how but your burns aren't as bad around your jaw as they used to be." She passed a mirror into his hands. "They're still there of course, but you can now safely remove the staples on your chin."
Touya glanced down.
The familiar line that separated his chin had completely healed over. The flesh was still scarred and hard to look at, but there was no longer a divide between the two segments.
His eyes widened with surprise.
"Has anything changed recently?" Recovery Girl questioned.
Kagome pressed her palm to her mouth, her eyes zeroing in on the exit sign as if she wanted to make a swift escape.
His lips curled into a smirk, "Not really."
The nurse glanced between them both. Even if he didn't say anything, he knew that she perfectly understood the situation.
The older woman gave an exasperated sigh, "I've done what I can. You two are free to go now."
Touya took to his feet. He interlaced his fingers with Kagome's as he led her out into the hallway.
Although it was small, they now had a vague idea what sort of quirk she had and its activation.
"Don't say it." Kagome pleaded through her embarrassment. "Please don't say it."
"I won't."
But he'd at least think it.