Chapter 1: COVER
Notes:
Hi!
Thank you for choosing this story :) I hope you have a good time and enjoy this little creation in the works.
English is not my first language so... Sorry in advance for any grammatical mistakes I may have :')
-RM
Chapter Text
Chapter Text
A long, warm and relaxing shower is what Kristen needed after everything that happened that day: two delayed flights, a baby crying for 2 hours straight and her suitcase being broken by the airport staff.
But after all that suffering she's finally home...
Well almost, as her new apartment is not ready yet so she has to stay in a motel near the airport, lucky her.
“Well, the UA is paying for this place so I don't have to worry about the bills…” she said after being 20 minutes under the hot stream of water.
Her fingers twitched, making the liquid around her move as she desired, creating different shapes until she let go of them and they splashed on the floor, going down the drain.
A few more time passed when she noticed that her fingers looked like literal prunes.
“Sigh.. I guess it's time I finish filling out all the forms that Nezu sent me…” Kristen said while turning off the water and draping herself in a towel.
Everything around her was filled with steam. The mirror was foggy and she proceeded to draw a happy face on it, a bunny, then a flower and of course… A dick “heh, hilarious” she snickered.
A while later, her short hair was combed and free of knots. The color hasn't changed in a long time; white with black tips. She liked it better when it was black and gray, but thanks to David she learned she couldn't quite control it.
Before she began to dry her body, she felt something; vibrations.
Maybe a cat entered the flat as the door was a little bit on the cheap side, or the neighbors were throwing stuff around their room.
“Let's see what's going on…” she whispered while pressing her bare feet to the cold floor, the action making her shiver. She closed her eyes and let her quirk do the rest: two, there were two; big, heavy and moving rapidly around the house… Bipedal, so animals were discarded. She focused a bit more until she was able to make out their shapes: humans.
“There's no fucking way… Ugh why me…” she groaned while tying a knot on her towel to avoid flashing the intruders and grabbing the doorknob “Well, let's go say hi to my guests”
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
“I have a little bit of time left, I'll go around this district and head home” Toshi thought while jumping from roof to roof.
Feeling the air against his face was something he was going to miss, but it wasn't time to think about it, he had to focus.
This place of the city was a little bit sketchy as thugs took advantage of its closeness to the airport to rob lost or disoriented people, but right now everything was silent, almost too silent…
He looked around a bit more and when was about to call it a day saw something strange in one of the rooms of a cheap motel: an open door with no light inside. Maybe the person staying there forgot to close it, but checking wouldn't hurt.
He perched into the railing that followed the whole corridor and after looking around, jumped down. There were a few lights on and he didn't want to bother the neighbors so he carefully moved to the door and the scene in front of him almost made him cough blood all over the floor.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
The door to the bathroom opened silently much to Kristen's surprise. She made her way to the living room leaving a trail of water behind her and carefully took a look at her guests: a big ass man with a mutant quirk that made him look like a minotaur wearing some really big black cargos, no shirt and a pair of black spiky bracelets that looked really sharp
Next to him was a thin and disheveled man; dirty white shirt and ragged jeans. He had no noticeable sign of a quirk, maybe he was quirkless so he'll be her last target as he didn't pose a threat as big as his friend. Kristen noticed that he was shaking like a leaf, maybe he was nervous. How cute, his first robbery was about to be interrupted by a Pro Hero draped in a towel.
She was about to jump into action when she felt vibrations again, this time they came from the entrance. She looked at her new visitor and saw someone she didn't know she was going to meet again so soon, life sometimes brings you the weirdest of surprises.
As they made eye contact she saw him frantically gesturing for her to stop, a frown present on his face. The only thing she did was wink at him and quickly jumped into action. Let him enjoy the show.
Kristen ran towards them, leapt and as she was swinging her right arm, her fist covered in stone and collided against the minotaur’s head, making him stumble and grunt “Hey what the-” he didn't get to finish his sentence as Kristen kicked him on the stomach sending the poor man through the wall, taking the TV with him. With a movement of her arm, the rubble around him moved and caged his body, making the burglar unable to move.
“You, stay there and tell me if there's something worth watching on TV” she told the unconscious mutant “and now dear, let's see what do we do with y-” as she was turning around, the thinner man almost stabbed her with a blade that came out of his fingers.
“Oh! A transformation quirk… That's interesting” Kristen said while dodging the man that kept attacking her without any kind of control.
He chased her all over the living room, getting his blades stuck in the furniture. She jumped over the sofa and grabbed a pillow, throwing it at him and causing a big rain of feathers to fall all over the place as he sliced it in two.
"I shouldn't have done that, it had a really nice design" Kristen said while watching the head of the embroidered giraffe fall to the floor.
The chase kept going for a few more minutes and even All Might was starting to look bored from his position at the door.
"Huf, huf, shut up and stop moving you bitch!" the burglar yelled while hitting everything except his target.
Kristen frowned and stopped moving, making the man do the same in surprise. She placed her hands on her hips and let her weight fall on her right leg.
“Okay this is starting to be sad" she muttered while rubbing her face with her hand.
"If you want to actually hit me you'll have to stop swinging your weapon around like that. You need control and planning. Let me teach you how to do it!” she exclaimed happily as she jumped over him doing a somersault, boosted by an airstream "if you get behind your target they'll have a harder time dodging you. The wonderful element of surprise!" she landed behind him "Done! See how you can't tell my exact position? Now you prepare... And strike!" and kicked his butt sending him to the ground with a loud “oof”.
As he was about to stand up, a sphere of water surrounded his body. He tried to swim out of it but the liquid moved to keep him from going out.
"Honey you have to work on those reflexes, that was bad." she said, a worried and sad expression adorning her face.
Kristen’s right arm was extended with her palm towards him. She used her left arm to put the minotaur inside a different sphere and make him float next to his buddy.
“Now stay there and think about what you have done, I have another guest to attend” she smiled as she dropped her arms and moved towards the door, ignoring the insults and curses thrown at her and making sure the knot in her towel was secured.
“Hey big boy, like what you see?” she laughed.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
He saw everything unfold and couldn't dare to move. Was it really her? It's been 5 years and he made sure to make her family understand that they had to keep her safe when he sent her to Europe after the battle against the man that stole everything from him, but she didn't have to know it was his doing.
How did she manage to come back? He couldn't let Kristen know what he was now, what happened, he couldn't-
His thoughts halted when he heard her laugh, he was sure she said something but it didn't really get to his ears, but that laugh… He'd recognize it anywhere, it was her…
“Hey… Earth to the number one hero. Are you there?” she said, snapping her fingers in front of his face. He looked at her yellow eyes and noticed that she had to be on her toes to properly reach his face, she was still as small as he remembered. That thought alone made his heart flip. Looks like their promise hasn't left his heart after all this years.
“Oh, yes- ahem- YES, I AM HERE, CITIZEN!” his voice boomed making Kristen cringe “THAT THING YOU DID WAS REALLY DANGEROUS AND WITHOUT A LICENSE, ILLEGAL. THAT'S A JOB FOR HEROES, NEXT TIME PLEASE MAKE SURE TO CALL ONE BEFORE DOIN- mfgh!” he couldn't finish as she slapped her hands over his mouth. In this position, the light from the street let him see that her hair was different again.
“Please Toshi shut up, you are going to give me a fucking migraine” she whispered as she rolled her eyes “I know you have to do your big hero thing but please not today, I'm tired” she looked at him in the eyes “if I move my hands do you promise to lower your volume and cut all that “hello citizen” act?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Toshinori nodded and she lowered her arms and then herself until her feet reached the floor. Of course she had moved herself up using her quirk, she still does that. He recalled fondly when she first discovered that she could float if she maneuvered the air around her.
The memories of the amount of times she fell face first into the floor and the times he had to help her untangle from a tree she propelled herself into, warmed his chest in a way he hadn't felt in a long time.
“Sorry” he said while scratching his neck.
“No worries, All Might” she smiled “and now, are you going to take these two gentlemen from the living room or do you want them to stay there until they become prunes” she gestured to the burglars.
“Ah of course- yes- sorry!” he blurted out while feeling a blush appear on his cheeks. Toshinori control yourself, you are All Might! He breathed in and out a few times, noting how his lung was starting to fill with liquid again. He was running out of time.
“Well, if you excuse me I'll go get dressed and notify the owner of the motel about this incident. He's not going to be happy about the wall but maybe he can sell the room at a higher price saying that it's like this because it makes the space look bigger, like they do in America” she thought while rubbing her chin “open concept was it? I think so, yeah”
All Might hummed in confirmation while grabbing the two men when he noticed that he couldn't get the hands out of the water that surrounded them “uh…” he tried again but the liquid followed his every movement, trapping him inside.
“What's wrong All Might, can't fight against a little bit of wat- UGHHGBH” the only burglar awake laughed before the water began to move to fill his mouth.
“KRISTEN!” All Might yelled at the woman that could be heard laughing in the distance. A second later, the water moved towards the sink to go down the drain, not before softly brushing against Toshinori’s cheek leaving a wet trail there and making him blush again.
“Oh so you remember my name! What an honor…” she said while coming out, now fully dressed with a black t-shirt and black jeans “Well, I'll get going… I'm sure the owner will want to see you too, so don't go too far away!”
“Yeah of course! I have to take your testimony too, so…” he said while calling the police.
“Ah, just like we did in that class, I think it was called Legal Procedures Against Crime… It brings back memories” she said while exiting the flat, nostalgia filing her voice.
“Yes… Yes it does…” he whispered, his mind going back all the way to the day they first met. To that time where he was at his worst, but a light in the shape of a tiny and temperamental girl entered his life to make him the man he was today.
The best years of his life.
Notes:
And that's it for the introduction! Next day we will travel to the past to see how our protagonists met.
Don't forget to give a kudo if you liked the chapter and leave a comment down below!
Enjoy your day and go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!
Chapter 3: First Impressions
Chapter Text
First days have always been difficult for her, but this time was even harder as she entered the course two months later, she was already in disadvantage.
She took a deep breath and looked at the mirror in her dorm while adjusting the black wooden vest she wore over a light brown shirt. She made sure it was properly tucked in her black slacks and after that, she fastened the belt her mother gifted her: it was completely black with an Ouroboros buckle adorning it. Finally, she ruffled her black and grey hair to try and salvage it, but nothing could be done with the amount of time she had left.
"Thank you for your collaboration, dear hair" she frowned while blowing a strand of hair from her face "I guess, it's time to go... You can do it Kris" she told her reflection while putting on her loafers, grabbing her things and going out closing the door behind her.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
“Okay Kristen, you have everything you need… Books, paper, pen- wait, where's my pen?” she whined while rummaging through her backpack “ah! Thank god, it's here…”
The school's cafeteria was the second place she visited, the first one being her new room. It was paradise; full of different foods, colorful drinks she's never seen before and smells she didn't know.
But as much as everything around her tempted her, she started her morning with a simple latte. Her stomach growled in hunger, but if she ate anything she was sure going to throw it up because of the amount of stress and nerves flowing through her body.
She moved to stand next to the entrance and grabbed one of the papers the old woman that explained Kristen how everything worked here gave her.
“Hm… My first class is “Strategies and Planning" in the second building… Wait, there's another building?” Kristen frowned, whispering to herself “maybe I'm already there, where the heck did I put that damn map... Tsk, Kristen for the love of god, place that coffee somewhere, you need both hands for thi- AH!” suddenly, she felt something hit her back with force, making her tumble and throw the coffee all over herself.
“Oh my god I'm so sorry!” someone next to her said, but their apology was interrupted by laughter.
“Hahaha, dude Toshinori you messed up real bad this time, eh?” some guy with some kind of quirk that made his skin metallic bumped him in the shoulder. He was wearing a red with black details t-shirt that looked like the one from the school's football team and matching black shorts. Was their mascot really a yellow chicken?
Now everyone near the incident was looking at Kristen, their attention was all over her.
“She was kind of in the middle of our route so what did she expect would happen?” another guy with blue long hair and full black eyes laughed “come on, we'll be late to Strategies and we don't want Mr Robinson to kick us out of class again. Bye new girl and be careful next time! Hahaha!” he said while turning around and walking away from her.
The other one followed him and now it was only Kristen and that mountain of muscles that sent her precious coffee all over her black vest.
“This is perfect, just perfect” she said gesturing all over the mess, feeling the familiar burn of tears in her eyes.
“Hey, I'm really sorry- I-I wasn't looking and- Can I help you with anything-” the blond next to her stammered, trying to grab her backpack that was on the floor absorbing the coffee. At least someone is enjoying it.
“Stop, don't!” she slapped his hand away “you've already done enough!” she said, grabbing her things and darting out of the cafeteria. Tears of shame running down her cheeks.
“No! wait-” he said, trying to reach her, but she was already gone. Well done Toshinori, he thought while running his hands through his hair.
“Bro come on!” the guy with blue hair yelled at him. He didn't really consider them his friends, they just stuck around Toshinori and made him get in trouble almost everyday. They also got into fights they couldn't win and took advantage of his strength to come out victorious anyways. He wasn't able to say no, not when he saw his "friends" about to get crushed against the wall. He never used violence tho, he just scared the other guys, but he felt bad about it nonetheless.
“Yeah, I'm coming” he answered, but before he left he noticed something on the floor. Toshinori crouched to grab the paper that fell off that girl's hand and read it “so she goes to our class, huh?” he whispered.
Suddenly an idea came to his mind.
“Guys you can go without me!” he told them while jogging towards the machines inside the cafeteria.
“Whatever, Toshinori!” and with that they left the place.
A few minutes later, the blond could be seen running at full speed through the campus. He was going to be late again.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
“-and with that we conclude the review of last week's lesson, any questions?” a short, old man with a long white beard and white short hair asked the class in front of him.
Before anyone could answer, the doors of the room opened abruptly making everyone turn around to look at the girl that caused the interruption.
“I'm really sorry I'm late, Mr Robinson!” she wheezed, trying to fill her lungs with air.
"It's her…" Toshinori thought to himself.
“Oh… You must be our new student, Miss Yuzuki Kristen was it? Well, your student card says you are Japanese so I'm guessing Kristen is your first name and Yuzuki your surname… Oh, but I see here that you have another surname… do you want me to call you by it too?” the teacher asked, confused.
“NO! Please don't…” she yelled “sorry uh… That’s my father's surname. I'm not 100% Japanese, my mother is Japanese and my father Spanish. So they did that kind of amalgam with my name… But I'd rather you just used Yuzuki as my surname, thank you…” she explained while going down the stairs towards the teacher.
“Okay then” he said while scribbling something on a paper “you got here really late, but because it's your first day I'm going to let it pass. Being punctual is really important, as a hero you don't want to be late, that can be the difference between people dying or not.”
“I'm so sorry and thank you, it won't happen again” she bowed in apology.
“Well, you can leave your things in your desk and then I'll call you again to properly introduce you to the class” Mr Robinson said “come on young lady, move! Don't make me waste more time!” he gestured towards an empty desk in the middle of the class.
“AH, yes I'm sorry!” she blushed, running to do as told.
When she reached her chair she saw him again; that blond from the cafeteria. He was staring at her with what looked like puppy eyes and had something on his desk- was that a coffee?
“H-Hi!” he smiled sweetly. He looked truly nervous, poor thing.
“Oh, it's the guy from the cafeteria. Good morning” she said flatly, while sitting next to him, folding her wet vest and grabbing her things from her coffee stained backpack. She was glad her shirt was untouched.
“Yes, that's me! The guy from the cafeteria. Cafeteria boy, haha… Ha” he laughed awkwardly.
Silence.
“Uh… I-I just wanted to apologize again, I should have looked around before doing that jum-” he was interrupted as the sound of a piece of chalk cutting through the air could be heard. It hit him square in the forehead “OUCH!” he whimpered, rubbing the now red skin.
“MR YAGI! Stop distracting our new student, I don't want her to become a troublemaker like you!” the teacher yelled “Miss Yuzuki please, come back here and tell the class a little bit about yourself”
“Yes sir” she stood up, glancing at the boy that now sported a red bump in the middle of the forehead.
As she went down the stairs, Kristen made eye contact with a pair of girls that waved at her: one was small and a bit chubby. Her skin was light pink, adorned with white freckles and a red heart under both of her white eyes, no pupil or iris could be seen on them. She also had pointy ears full of piercings and round golden glasses.
Her ash blond hair was styled in a messy asymmetrical cut, with little pink and blue highlights adorning the right side of it. She was wearing a yellow, orange, green and blue striped t-shirt and a cream colored short overalls. Her hands were full of what looked like paint stains but her nails were completely clean, adorned with little chains, bows and details, so maybe the skin on her hands always looked like that? No idea.
The other girl was taller and… Bustier, oh my god they are big, Kristen thought while blushing. She looked more human-like, except for her blue iris with a yellow star that seemed to be her pupil and a short pastel pink bob cut.
She was wearing a white sleeveless tank top that showed her freckles covered body and a long denim skirt with a cut on the left side that almost reached her hip with a little decorative black belt linking the two pieces of denim.
Two big and pink cuff bracelets with a golden star in the middle of them adorned her wrists.
She was waving at her with a lot of energy, she looked like an hyperactive puppy while the other girl looked a little bit shier.
Kristen couldn't help but wave at them too, their energy was infectious.
As she finally reached her destination, she took a deep breath to steel her nerves and began talking.
“Hi! As you may have heard my name is Yuzuki Kristen, but you can call me just Kristen.
I'm an exchange student from Spain where I was born, but I spent the majority of my life living in Japan before moving back to Spain” she kept talking, gesturing with her hands “my hero name is Elementia and my quirk is called Magnum Opus and thanks to it I'm able to call into the elemental forces of nature and use them at my will. How? I have no idea as neither I nor the scientist I've been tested by are sure how my quirk works, but that's why I'm here!” she smiled.
“But I'm not talking about the elements that we find on the periodic table, I'm referring to the Four Classical Elements that alchemists believed were the basis of everything around us, then science proved that to be wrong and that's why we now have to study one hundred and whatever names, atomic numbers and stuff… Those damned little atoms” she could hear some people snickering at her commentary, which made her feel more comfortable and confident.
“But that's enough words for today, let me show you what I'm talking about” Kristen said while taking a step forward, a smirk appearing on her face.
“First of all…" she said while grabbing a match from her pocket, lighting it with the sole of her shoe and throwing it upwards "Fire!” Kristen exclaimed as she quickly moved her arm from left to right making a burst fire roar to life from the little stick and follow her movements, drawing an arch that made everyone in the room duck their heads and gasp.
“Then we have… Earth!” she said while closing her fists, bending her arms, lifting her right leg and stomping with force on the floor while dragging back her arms, summoning some irregular columns of stone around her.
Gasps and comments could be heard and she laughed while the columns disappeared under the ground, leaving the floor as if nothing had happened.
“This one it's really useful to move around. I could have used it to avoid arriving late but whatever, let's not cry over spilled milk… Air!” she exclaimed while jumping and spinning mid air thanks to an airstream that she sent all over the classroom with a sweep of her arms, making papers and stuff fly around. She then landed swiftly on one knee and got up while dusting off her hands.
She could hear some people laughing and pointing at something behind her “what, do I have something on my face?” she said while turning around to check what was so funny, only to find Mr Robinson’s toupee stuck to the highest part of the blackboard and a really angry teacher glaring at her. His face was red and looked like he was about to blow a gasket.
“A-Ah, let me reach that for you…” she stammered while using a more controlled airstream to go up and reach his hair “There you go sir, I'm so sorr-”
“Just keep going, miss Yuzuki” he interrupted her while putting his hair in place.
“Y-Yes sir!” she turned around abruptly to look at her classmates “Ahem… And now the last one of the Classic Four… Water” she said calmly as she dragged her body in a swift but slow movement, almost like a dance. Her arms went up and every drop of water available in the room made it out of its container, answering her call.
Everyone stared in awe how she moved the stream around the space, reflecting the light all over the place.
The girl with the pink skin from before, touched it, making an variety of colors float inside of it and mix, dyeing it a bright shade of orange.
“Wow, that's really cool!” Kristen said, looking at the girl with a smile.
“T-Thanks!” she replied shyly.
A while later, Kristen moved to the center of the class making the water stop in the middle of the air and become a big bubble.
“And that's all I have to offer! Thank you for listening to me and I hope we can all become good friends” she said while bowing “oh yes, I almost forgot about something…” she turned to look at Toshinori “Hey cafeteria boy! Have you seen the weather forecast for today?”
Toshinori jumped, startled by her sudden words “u-uh? No, I don't think so… Why?” he said frowning.
“Because they said that it's going…” she smirked “...To rain” as she finished her sentence, she snapped her fingers, making the orange water fall all over him.
Everyone in the classroom was laughing or gasping as Kristen made her way back to her chair.
“MISS YUZUKI, DETENTION AFTER CLASS” Mr Robinson yelled at her.
“Yes sir!” she said, not caring a single bit about it.
When she got to her destination, she dried a little bit of her chair that was wet and sat down, smiling sweetly at him. Then she proceeded to grab the coffee from his desk that was surprisingly untouched, not a single droplet of orange liquid inside of it and gave it a taste.
Toshinori looked at her through the soaked bangs stuck to his face and shivered. Kristen couldn't help but laugh at the image before her.
“Now we are even” she whispered and winked at him.
He frowned, lifting his hand and hitting the cup she was holding, throwing it all over her… Again
“What you did to me wasn't an accident so I dare say that NOW we are even” he smirked at her and crossed his arms.
…
“THAT'S IT, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU” she screeched while lunging at him, grabbing his bangs and pulling at them.
“AH- LET GO OFF ME! YOU ARE THE ONE WHO STARTED THIS” Toshinori tried to get her off him by grabbing her by the shirt, but as he was moving his arm, she turned around and bit him “AAAAHHHH, DON'T BITE ME, YOU ANIMAL. LET GO!” he cried while shaking his arm.
The whole class was laughing while the chaos unfolded before them.
“BOTH OF YOU, DETENTION TODAY AND TOMORROW!” Mr Robinson yelled at them in vain “MISS YUZUKI LET GO OF MR YAGI’S HAIR NOW" nothing "STOP I SAID!” he ordered while clapping his hands. His eyes became purple and suddenly, Kristen and Toshinori felt that they couldn't move.
They looked at each other and Toshinori felt Kristen's drool cover his arm and trickle down into his pants. He let out a whimper and Kristen couldn't help but laugh wickedly, as much as she was able to with her mouth wide open and stuck biting his big ass arm.
Looks like they messed up real bad.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
After the class was over, their teacher made them stay until every single one of the students got out. Some of them wished them good luck, while others laughed at them.
A few minutes later, every chair and desk was empty save for Kristen's and Toshinori’s.
“Now you are going to clean this whole mess without using your quirks” Mr Robinson said while handing them a pair of mops and rags.
“WHAT, BUT SHE'S THE ONE WHO CAUSED IT!” Toshinori complained.
“I DON'T CARE, MR YAGI. NOW LESS TALKING AND MORE DRYING” the teacher answered “when I come back I want to see this spotless” he grunted while closing the door behind him.
Toshinori sighed and grabbed the mop to begin cleaning, Kristen following him to do the same.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
A whole hour had passed and neither of them uttered a single word. Regret was growing uncomfortably inside Kristen.
She had to say something, to apologize. It was her fault they were trapped here, after all. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat.
“Ahem… Uh… Cafeteria boy, I'm sorry” she muttered
Toshinori didn't say a thing and kept cleaning.
“Well… Okay, uh… I messed up real bad because I behaved like a petty little child” she scratched her neck “and dragged you along with me, I'm really sorry”
Toshinori stopped cleaning to look at her, a frown adorning his face, still not saying anything. His blue eyes boring into her very soul.
She looked away and continued “Today is my first day and I was scared, I still am… So when you covered me in coffee at the cafeteria, I had a meltdown” she sighed fidgeting with the stick of the mop “I was lost, sticky, alone and everyone was looking and laughing at me" she tried to make eye contact again, but felt overwhelmed by the intensity of his gaze.
"What happened was your fault, yes, but you didn't do it on purpose and even tried to help me afterwards... But in my mind everything was a complete disaster, everything was over” she rambled on “I blamed you for every single one of my problems and used you as a punching bag and I'm really sorry for it, you didn't deserve it" she managed to properly look at him, yellow and blue eyes reading each other "My ego got the better of me and I couldn't admit I acted wrong when you apologized here in class and I even had the guts to humiliate you" she let out a shaky breath.
Toshinori took a step towards her and was about to say something, but she kept talking.
"And to top it all, the first impression I left on our teacher is horrible: I got here late because I can't even read a simple fucking m-map, I blew away his damn toupee" she gestured wildly with her arms "and now he's put me in detention for two whole days! J-Just because I can't control my emotions. My mother was right... She's always been right about me” Kristen felt her legs tremble and slowly fell to her knees, sliding down the stick she held.
"I'm going to mess this up. I've worked so hard to be able to get here without m-my family's help and I'm going to waste this opportunity..." she whispered, looking down at the floor "And I shouldn't be telling y-you this, I-I shouldn't be trying to make you feel sorry for m-me after all the problems I've caused you!" she continued as her hands moved to grab her hair, her breathing becoming more labored and erratic with every word she said "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" she bit her lip to try and shut her whimpers, but the only thing she achieved was to taste her blood.
She didn't know when Toshinori had moved to crouch in front of her but she felt his hands softly grabbing her wrists
“Kristen, hey Kristen. Listen to me and try to breathe please” he tried to calm her down, but she couldn't listen.
She attempted to move away from him, but he held her in place “Stop! I-I treated you like shit when the only thing you were trying to do was apologize, stop being so nice... I don't deserve it!” the volume of her voice kept going up and at some point tears started coming down her face “y-you should leave and let me do this all by myself! That's what you should do!” she tried to keep talking only to feel her throat close around her, making her unable to drag a full breath.
Panic and nausea started to set in and with trembling hands, she tried to grab and scratch her neck only to be stopped by Toshinori’s hands.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
She was shaking and couldn't breathe properly, she was having a panic attack.
He recalled all the times Nana had helped him through one of those and acted.
“Kristen, hey Kristen” he said firmly, his baritone booming over her whimpers.
She looked at him. Progress.
“Yes, yes there you are… Look at me, okay?” he carefully moved a strand of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear “we are going to play a game my master taught me a while ago” he said while ignoring the aching he felt when mentioning Nana.
Her spasms worsened and she closed her eyes, panic coming back.
“Hey, no, no, no” he placed his hands on her cheeks, making her look at him slowly. “You are doing really good”
They felt rough against her soft skin. Calluses from his hard work scratched her, allowing her to feel something different, to focus on his voice again.
“W-What g-game?” she managed to blurt between gasps.
Toshinori lit up when he heard her “well, it's called the 5-4-3-2-1 game. I'm going to ask you 5 questions and you'll have to answer me, okay?”
She tried to nod, but her head was trapped between his hands. Toshinori noticed this and laughed “oh sorry, let me help you” he moved his hands, making her nod.
A little laugh escaped her lips and he could see a little smile form on her lips.
“That's what I wanted to see!” he smiled “now let's begin! I want you to tell me 5 things you can see with those beautiful yellow eyes you have”
She tried to focus on her surroundings, only for her vision to go black “I-I can't see” she cried again.
“Come on Kristen, look up, focus. You can do it” he said trying to hold her still as her body began to spam again.
After a while, her vision came back and the first thing she saw were his blue and intense eyes.
“Y-Your eyes”
“What?” he asked, confused
“I see your eyes” she answered
Dumb Toshinori, dumb!
“OH, YES, YES WELL DONE!” he told her “4 things left!”
She tried to focus again, feeling her heart about to explode.
“You h-have a mole under your right eye” she noted
“Yes I do, well done. Three more!”
“I see your fluffy blond bangs”
Toshinori laughed “yes… The ones you were hanging from like a monkey a few hours ago… “
Kristen laughed again, her breathing becoming less erratic.
“Two more Kristen, you can do it” he encouraged
“I see a mop and… And your smile”
He couldn't help but blush at the way she said it. Something inside his chest felt warm.
“Nice! Next round… Tell me 4 things you can feel”
She focused on her body, on everything around her and this time she could answer faster.
“I can feel… My coffee covered sticky shirt” they both snickered at that “the mop I'm grabbing, the cold floor I'm laying on and… Your hands, they are rough” she finished while leaning on and rubbing her face against his right hand.
Toshinori’s heart did a flip at this and he couldn't suppress the shiver that ran down his spine.
“Y-Yes sorry, they are rough because of my workout routine and the few sessions of patrolling I do…” he mumbled while moving them away, only to be stopped by Kristen's hands. He couldn't react on time and the stick of her mop hit him on the top of the head.
Clonk!
“Ouch!” he cried.
Kristen laughed at this and whispered “Sorry… I-I just… Didn't want you to move them away… I think they feel nice” she told him, looking at them and tracing her fingers through the calluses.
“You are the first person to tell me that” his blush now reached his neck “ahem… Next round! Tell me 3 things you hear” he told her while intertwining their fingers.
He was warm… Really warm. It almost burned her, but it was helping her focus even more.
“I-I can hear my heart beating” she closed her eyes focusing “some girls laughing in the distance and my voice, I guess”
“Perfect! This was the fastest round, really nice!”
“It was the round with less things to say…” she pointed out
“Well, y-yes… I guess you are right… But let's see if you can break your own record in round 2!” he announced, his voice turning almost cartoony.
“Why are you talking like that? It sounds weird” she snickered
“To make you smile and it worked!” he smirked and winked at her.
Now it was her turn to blush “a-ah… Yes, it does work…”
“Perfect! Now tell me 2 things you can smell!”
“That's easy… I can smell the soaked wood from the floor and your cologne. It's really nice, let me tell you”
Her eyes were focused again and she had stopped shaking completely.
“You like it? It is a really famous brand in Japan. I'm glad it smells nice!” he beamed at her “and last but not least… Tell me one thing you can taste!”
Her answer reached her lips almost immediately.
“Blood”
Huh
“BLOOD?!” Toshinori yelled, panic traveling through his entire system “WHERE IS IT COMING FROM, DO YOU NEED ME TO CALL THE NURSE? OR- WAIT LET ME TAKE YOU THERE” he said while lifting her bridal style and moving at an incredible speed towards the door.
Kristen couldn't help but yelp and turn red as a fucking tomato.
“A-Ah no, no, don't worry! I just bit my lip a while ago! I'm fine!” she said, trying to calm him down.
He stopped right on his tracks and looked down at her “oh”
“Yes… Sorry about the scare” she shrugged while looking away.
…
“Toshinori... Can you please put me down?” Kristen whispered covering her face with her hands.
“AH YES I'M VERY SORRY!” he jumped and proceeded to sit her on a nearby chair “Oh, so you remember my name! What an honor. I thought I was going to be “cafeteria boy” forever…“
Kristen tried to answer only to experience a coughing fit. Her mouth felt dry and her throat burned.
“Oh let me get you some water!” Toshinori ran down the stairs to grab his bottle, bringing it to her.
“Thanks…” she whispered while drinking from it. The cold liquid did wonders to wash away any dryness and itch she was experiencing.
Suddenly the door opened abruptly making them both jump.
“Well, two hours have passed. Are you done?” Mr Robinson was watching them from the door and after a few seconds of silence, lifted an eyebrow “I'm still waiting that answer”
“WELL SIR, ABOUT THAT-”
“Yes sir, we are done!-” Kristen stood up from the chair, grabbing Toshinori’s arm to avoid falling. She still felt a bit dizzy.
“Is that so?” he hummed as he went down the stairs to check.
Toshinori crouched down next to Kristen “Kristen what are you doing, we still aren't done” he hissed
“Trust me, cafeteria boy… Just don't let me fall” she whispered back while moving her hand around.
Toshinori grabbed her by the hips and saw how the water from the floor and furniture slithered around, avoiding Mr Robinson altogether.
“He is going to catch us and we'll be grounded for a whole year…” he whispered while holding her upright.
“Shush don't jinx it” she frowned in concentration.
“What are you two whispering about?” Mr Robinson stopped walking to turn around and look at them. Making the water almost touch his ankle.
Kristen gasped and drew her hands away, making the liquid go back and under a desk, while Toshinori tried to answer their teacher.
“I- WE- I MEAN- US- NOTHING SIR!” he kept spitting random words until the water was controlled and away from Mr Robinson.
“Mr Yagi, what's wrong with your speech today? Do you need to go see the nurse?” he frowned and crossed his arms, concern showing in his voice and face.
Kristen’s snort could be heard all over the room.
“NO SIR! I'M FINE!” he said while grabbing the girl in front of her a little bit harder, making her yelp.
“If you say so, boy… “ he shook his head “well, looks like everything is dry so you can go, but remember that tomorrow you have detention again. Find me at 8am in front of the cafeteria” he sighed “I expect better behavior from you both. Have a good day, you are dismissed”
Just as he finished his sentence, the last drop of water made it out the window. Someone outside screamed, but when the teacher noticed, Kristen and Toshinori were nowhere to be seen.
Notes:
And that's how our protagonists met!
What kind of punishment will Mr Robinson make them go through tomorrow... I wonder, I wonder...
Don't forget to give a kudo if you liked the chapter and leave a comment down below!
And as always... Have a nice day and go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!
Chapter 4: CHARACTER SHEETS: Yuzuki Kristen (young)
Notes:
Hi!
I'll be drawing and uploading these from time to time! For now we have... Young Kristen!
(Next one will be Young Toshi, but my hand hurts so I'll draw him tomorrow or in a few days)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
CASUAL:
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
HERO COSTUME:
Notes:
Have a nice day and go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!
Chapter 5: The Biannual Hero Charity Event (part 1)
Notes:
Hello, hello!
In today's chapter we will see Kristen singing a part of a song, I'll leave it here for you to listen to:
I love Mili, their songs are amazing and Cassie's voice is heavenly...
This fic will have a lot of references to their music so I'll make sure to leave a link to it at the beginning of the chapter just like today!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The alarm clock beeped at 6am sharp, startling Toshinori.
“Ugh… Wait, today is Saturday, why did I- oh, right... Detention” he groaned while stretching his arms.
He tossed the sheets away and made a beeline for the bathroom. The cold floor against his feet was a nice way to finish waking up.
After washing his face and tying his hair in a bun, he walked towards his wardrobe, only to stop midway when something catched his eye: a framed picture he had on the desk. He grabbed it and rubbed it with his thumb. A sigh leaving his lips.
"Good morning, Master. As I told you yesterday, today it's my second day of detention. I know you're angry, but it wasn't my fault! I-I..." suddenly, tears began clouding his vision as his mind filled with memories he so hard tried to forget. Before it got worse, he placed the photo back where it was and turned around whispering "I'm sorry I wasn't enough..."
A few minutes later he got off the floor, grabbed some black sport pants, a black t-shirt and after struggling to put on his sneakers, went out the door for a run, he needed to keep training, he needed to become stronger.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
"No sleeping today either, I guess" Kristen groaned while sitting up on her bed.
The sun wasn't out yet so she turned on the lamp on her nightstand and walked to the bathroom to take a quick shower. After that she put on some comfy clothes and decided to go for a walk around the campus. This was better than looking up to the ceiling and letting some negative thoughts sour her morning.
She carefully put on her dark red sneakers and went down the stairs of the dorms, trying not to wake anyone up.
Once she got outside, the cold morning breeze hit her, sending a shiver down her spine.
“I guess I'll go to the cafeteria and wait until Mr Robinson and Toshinori get there” she whispered while blowing hot air into her hands to try and warm them.
The gardens of this place were really well maintained; the colorful flowers and vibrant grass filled the air with wonderful smells. She wasn't used to seeing this much green and nature in general, everything was dry where she lived.
Once she got to her destination, only a few people were inside, mainly staff getting ready to start the weekend.
“Hi, good morning!” she greeted them from the door.
“Oh, hi honey” an old woman carrying some big pots full of liquid answered “you got here really soon, I'm sorry to tell you that we are not open yet…” she said, struggling a bit with the weight she had in her arms.
Kristen ran towards her and grabbed the containers, lifting them easily “here let me carry this for you” she smiled “I'm not here to have breakfast, I got detention yesterday and our teacher told us to be here by 8am, so here I am” she laughed awkwardly while placing everything on the burners and turning them on.
“Thanks sweetheart” the lady patted her on the back “oh… You must be one of the students Mr Robinson told me about… Well, two extra pairs of hands are always welcome here, especially today” she commented while mixing a mysterious brown powder into the liquids.
“Yeah… I'm glad we can be of help”
Kristen scratched her neck and looked away, not knowing what else to say.
“I've never seen you before, are you new?” the old lady said after a few minutes of silence.
Kristen jumped a little bit, startled by the sound of some metal bowls falling.
“Y-Yeah! I got here yesterday” she answered.
“Oh that's really nice, honey. Are you liking it here?”
“Well, everything is really beautiful and well taken care of and the food smells amazing…” the old lady laughed at that “but I guess I didn't give a good first impression to my teacher and classmates” she sighed, crossing her arms.
The old lady hummed in understanding while trying to reach some bags.
Kristen beat her to it, handing them to her “here you go”
“Thanks again, sweetie” she pinched her cheek, making Kristen blush “well honey, first days are always hard, specially if you are an exchange student arriving a few weeks after the beginning of the classes”
Kristen looked at her in surprise.
“How did you know I'm not-”
“Oh please” the lady interrupted “I've been working here for 35 years. These old eyes have seen people from all over the world” she said tapping her glasses “If you give me a few minutes I can even tell you where you are from” she answered, putting her hands on her hips.
“Oh, I'd like to see you try, eh… H-How should I call you? I'm sorry, I haven't even introduced myself” she straightened her back and bowed to the lady “my name is Yuzuki Kristen, it's really nice to be meeting you, ma'am”
The old lady's laugh could be heard all over the place, making Kristen raise her head, confused.
“Oh honey, I didn't even need a few minutes. Japanese uh…? But not... Not quite… I'm missing something, right?" she looked up in thought.
“Heh, yes… I'm Japanese but… There's more to me than meets the eye” she winked gesturing to herself
“I love a good challenge from time to time!” the lady said while cutting some vegetables “well, answering your question… My name is Brenda, it's really nice to meet you”
“Thanks Mrs Brenda!” Kristen beamed “well I'll get going now, I want to breathe a little bit of fresh air before Mr Robinson gets here! I'll see you later!” she waved, making her way towards the door.
“Wait dear, take this” Mrs Brenda stopped her, grabbing a cup and filling it with the now brown liquid she's been preparing “it's really cold outside and a warm cup of hot chocolate will give you some energy”
She could cry, oh my god what a sweet fucking lady.
“A-Ah thank you very much Mrs Brenda!”
“You are welcome, dear. Now go enjoy your freedom because when you come back, you will be working really hard”
Kristen nodded at her while walking backwards towards the door “okay ma'am!” she answered, turning around and running outside, warm chocolate almost falling to the floor.
Mrs Brenda couldn't help but laugh at this “oh, to be young again…”
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
“Today's run has been really good” Toshinori thought while going back to his dorm, sweat running down his back and face “and I still have one hour left”
After taking a quick shower he proceeded to get dressed with something comfortable as he didn't know what Mr Robinson had planned for them. He grabbed a white plain t-shirt and his reliable black cargo pants, those big pockets were the best invention ever.
“45 minutes left” he whispered while looking around the room “well I have nothing left to do, so I'll just go to the cafeteria and wait until everyone gets there”
He grabbed his wallet, keys and went out the door. Jogging down the stairs only to be met with his two “friends”.
“Hey Toshinori, where are you going, bro?” the blue haired guy asked
He had to stop himself from rolling his eyes as he didn't want to be rude.
“Good morning Albert. As you may have heard yesterday in class, I'm going to detention with Kristen, the new girl” he answered, not stopping to look at them.
“Oh come on, you don't have to waste your day like that” the other one answered from the sofa they were sitting at.
Toshinori stopped this time and turned around, a frown present on his face “Liam, I really have to do this. I don't want Mr Robinson to get mad at me and Kristen to be alone doing all the work”
Both guys looked at each other, reading their minds.
“OH… So that's what it is…” Albert stood up and walked towards Toshinori “you want to fuck that new girl, huh?”
“W-Wait, NO! How do you even get to that conclusion from what I said?” Toshinori responded.
“Come on big boy… With that body you can get whoever you want, you don't need to go and work to impress her. Just ask her and she'll be on her knees instantly” Liam told him, laughing.
Toshinori could feel his anger grow with every word that came out of their mouth.
“STOP SAYING THAT!” his baritone echoed through the place, making the blue haired guy take a few steps back “I don't want to do any of that. And don't be so disrespectful towards someone you don't even know!” he growled while turning around and going out.
Distant laughter could be heard coming from the dorms, but he chose to ignore it. He was better than that.
As he got near the cafeteria, he saw Kristen sitting on the grass, her back against a tree and holding a cup in her hands. He felt his anger fading away the closer he got to her. The wind carried her scent; she smelled like a flower he couldn't remember the name of, those white small ones that bloomed at night…
When he was almost next to her, he heard her singing while making the morning dew from a patch of grass twirl around her free hand.
“So we start another journey”
He got closer
“Letting time repair our wounded beliefs”
Crouched next to her
“If our hearts remain loving”
Breathed in and-
“Will you break a promise with me…?”
“GOOD MORNING, KRISTEN!” he shouted, making the birds from the tree they were under fly away.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
“I'M SO SORRY TOSHINORI” Kristen whimpered while surrounding her hand in cold water and placing it over his now red cheek.
“D-Don't worry, I totally deserved that” he laughed, flinching away from the cold liquid “ouch!”
“Don't move, the cold will help with the swelling” she clicked her tongue while moving her hand again.
Kristen was sure her shriek have been heard all over the campus. That could also be said for the slap she landed on Toshinori’s face or the mix of Spanish insults and apologies she threw at him.
Thankfully she had already finished her hot chocolate, so the only thing she hit him with was an empty plastic cup.
The two of them remained silent for a while until Toshinori spoke again “you are here early…”
“Yeah, I couldn't sleep so I decided to go for a walk to get used to this place” she answered, her eyes focused on her hand.
“Oh, you had a nightmare or something?” he asked, looking down into the grass to see if he could find a 4 leaf clover.
“Not today” she shook her head “I've never been able to sleep more than four or five hours in a row”
“Wait that can't be healthy!” Toshinori moved his head to look at her right in the eyes, making her flinch back a little “you should tell your doctor about this. Have you tried drinking tea? Lavender or chamomile are really good for relaxing. Working out also works for me! Maybe you should try it before going to sleep… Or maybe…”
Kristen couldn't help but laugh at his rambling.
“Thank you Toshinori, but I've already tried those and none of them work for me” she shrugged “but I've been like this for a long time, so my body got used to it. Don't worry your little head about it!” she smiled tapping him in the forehead.
He couldn't help but smile in return “okay but… I'll think a little more about it, maybe we can find something that helps you!”
“You don't have to, really” Kristen frowned “it's going to be a waste of time”
“But I really want to! I can't let my detention buddy get tired and make me do all the work” he teased, bumping her shoulder.
“Ah so THAT'S why you do it?” she laughed, hitting him back “speaking of… Mr Robinson must be about to arrive”
“That's true, I wonder what he'll have us do today” he hummed scratching his chin.
Just as Toshinori finished talking, they heard someone clear their throat.
“Ahem… Good morning you two. I see you are finally getting along” Mr Robinson said, crossing his arms. Looks like he's been standing there for a while, watching them.
“G-Good morning sir!” they answered at the same time, jumping back and away from the other.
“Yeah, yeah… Come on, we have to get going before the place fills up” he turned around and walked towards the cafeteria.
Toshinori stood up, offering his hand to help Kristen, who gladly took it.
“Thanks…” she told him, letting his hand go omce she was up.
“You are welcome” he smiled.
After cleaning themselves of any kind of dirt or grass that stuck to their clothes, they followed Mr Robinson to see what their next punishment was about.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
“Do you have any questions?” their teacher asked after explaining everything they had to do today:
They were basically going to be helping the staff by cleaning, cooking and organizing.
“It's important that you take this seriously” an old lady Toshinori learned was called Brenda, told them “because, as you may already know, today the school is holding a really important event: the Biannual Hero Charity Event” she marked every word of the name with a swing of the ladle she was holding.
Toshinori’s sudden gasp made Kristen jump in surprise
“WAIT, was it today?!” Toshinori screamed, grabbing his hair dramatically.
Kristen turned to look at him, arching an eyebrow “uh… The biannual what?”
Mr Robinson put his hands behind his back and answered her, as Toshinori was now with his forehead against the wall, mumbling something “the Biannual Hero Charity Event is a tournament that takes place twice a year: once at the beginning of the scholar year and at the end” he began pacing around the cafeteria “where we organize a few games and stands for everyone to enjoy” he stopped to look at Kristen “but the interesting part comes at the end of the day, when every student that wants to, can buy a ticket to-”
“I BOUGHT THE TICKET THE OTHER DAY!!” Toshinori cried, voice muffled by the wall he was stuck to.
“Ahem…” Mr Robinson cleared his throat “to join an event where they'll be able to display their abilities and also have fun fighting against the other participants in a 1vs1 combat. The winner gets to choose the charity that we will donate every single dollar that we collected thanks to the event to. It also helps us teachers see the level our students are at” he crossed his arms, finishing the explanation.
“Oh! That sounds interesting, I'd have loved to check it out”
“Well Miss Yuzuki, maybe if Mrs Brenda allows you, you can go take a look”
Mrs Brenda laughed “oh dear, we will see how the day goes… As you may have imagined, when students are playing and running around, they get hungry and that's where we come into action” she said while pointing Kristen with her ladle “we have to cook the food for the stands and the cafeteria, clean the dishes, bring the necessary ingredients from the pantry… It's a really hard job, but with your young spirit I'm sure we can handle everything this day has in store for us!”
Kristen beamed and walked towards Toshinori, grabbing his arm and chirping “of course we can do it! We will give ou-” she turned to look at Toshinori who was now hitting his head against the wall. She frowned and poked him on the ribs, making him jump and look at her.
“Hey! That hurt!”
“At least it made you stop crying, you almost drowned us with your tears” she answered sticking her tongue out at him “but as I was saying…" she turned around again to look at Brenda "We will give our best!”
“our best…” Toshinori sighed, zero enthusiasm present in his voice.
“That's what I wanted to hear!” Mrs Brenda clapped her hands, almost dropping what she was holding “you can go now Mr Robinson, I guess you also have a lot of stuff to do before the beginning of the festival. I'll take good care of this two”
“Thank you Mrs Brenda” he smiled and turned around to face his students “and both of you… Behave and good luck, you are going to need it”
“Thank you sir” they answered as their teacher made his way out of the cafeteria.
Mrs Brenda turned around to grab something: a pair of white aprons and hair ties.
“You!” she pointed at Toshinori who jumped at her sudden change of attitude “tie those bangs before you stick them inside a pot!”
Kristen couldn't help but laugh, but the sound became muffled as a piece of cloth was suddenly thrown at her face.
“Come on dearies, put this on and follow me! We have 45 minutes before the chaos begins” she smiled and walked at a speed not normal for someone her age towards the kitchen.
Kristen and Toshinori followed her inside to get ready to fight their first enemies of the day:
Hungry and impatient students.
Notes:
Well... Looks like our main characters are going to have a rough time... Good luck to them...
Don't forget to give a kudo if you liked the chapter and leave a comment down below!
And as always... Have a nice day and go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!
Chapter 6: CHARACTER SHEETS: Yagi Toshinori (young)
Notes:
Ta-da! We all know how Yagi looks but I wanted to draw him nonetheless :)
Yeah, that thing adorning his left arm is Kristen's bite from their little... Fight (you may need to zoom in if you are watching it from your phone :D)
I already have an extra character sheet for a person we still have to meet and another one is in the works!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
CASUAL:
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
HERO COSTUME:
Notes:
Go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!
Chapter 7: We Are Ready! (EXTRA)
Notes:
Hi! This is a short text showing a little scene that happened between last and next chapter!
It also has a little drawing to go with it, enjoy! :D
(Guys have you seen all those Armored Might frames from the Final Season??? I'm- I'm- Oh god thank you for feeding us, we've been STARVING!!!)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"How did you even manage to tie your hair like that...? It doesn't make any sense" Kristen asked while opening the oven door to check on the bacon she put inside a few minutes ago. It was a second away from becoming too dry, so it was time to take it out.
"If I'm completely honest with you, I have no idea..." he shrugged while taking off his dirty apron "it just happens"
Kristen frowned and turned around, closing the door with her foot and walking towards him "what do you mean it just happens? Hair doesn't work like that, Toshinori"
"You saw it happen too..."
"Y-Yeah but-" Kristen was interrupted by an object hitting her lower back, making her whimper "Ouch!" she complained rubbing the now aching spot.
Mrs Brenda crossed her arms, her trusty ladle reflecting the light of the kitchen.
"If you have time to talk, you also have time to cook a new batch of bacon, young girl" the old lady chastised, hitting her again.
"What do you mea- I FORGOT TO TURN IT OFF" Kristen yelled while running to open the oven and taking the tray full of dry little pig stripes out.
Mrs Brenda sighed walking towards her "they don't look burnt, just a tad too crispy. We will crush them and use it as decoration for the creamy potato soup"
"Y-Yes Mrs Brenda, I'm really sorry" Kristen mumbled.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
A few minutes later, everything was almost ready: food organized in trays, the place was spotless, fridges full of resting dough and ingredients for future use and the now five members of the staff were standing on their assigned rooms, putting the finishing touches here and there.
Toshinori walked to the counter they've been assigned to and placed the jugs he's brought from the kitchen on it. He turned around to start filling them with milk when he saw Kristen looking at her ladle, a faraway look adorning her face. She's been oddly quiet since the oven incident. Was she still thinking about it? It was just bacon and it's already been solved...
Just before he could ask her about it, Mrs Brenda entered the room.
“Well dearies, are you ready for this? We only have five minutes left until we open the doors and start the morning service” the old lady asked after checking everything was prepared and organized for the hard day ahead of them.
“Yeah, we are ma'am” Toshinori and Kristen answered while filling some jugs with warm milk.
“I'm sorry but I couldn't hear you… Are you ready or not?!” she asked again, voice echoing through the place.
“Yes we are!” only one voice could be heard this time.
“Again, show me what you got, kids!” she hit her fist against the counter, watching Kristen flinch.
“YEAH WE ARE READY!” Toshinori answered again, frowning and turning around when the girl next to him didn't.
“KRISTEN, DEAR. I'M STILL WAITING FOR YOUR ANSWER!”
The only thing she did was sigh and before she could open her mouth, Toshinori grabbed her and sat her on his left shoulder, making the girl yelp in surprise.
“H-HEY! What are you-”
Her words got stuck on her throat as he flexed both arms, making her bounce a little and a blush spread all over her face and neck.
“WE ARE HERE WORLD, READY FOR ANYTHING YOU WANT TO THROW AT US!” his voice thundered through the whole cafeteria, making everything shake just a little.
Mrs Brenda couldn't help but laugh and shake her head “that's what I wanted to hear, Toshinori! And you Kristen dear… What about you?”
Kristen looked down at the man she was using as a chair and the thick fog inside of her mind dissappeared; she's been making a mountain out of a molehill, letting her negative emotions take control of her, but he managed to get her out of it with a simple and dumb action. Why was he so pure-hearted and good? Yesterday he managed to help her through a panic attack and today, this. They met a day ago and he already made her feel... Safe.
The sound of Mrs Brenda clearing her throat, startled her, making Kristen blush; she was waiting for her answer
A little smile appeared on her face and then, she proceeded to put her arm on Toshinori’s head and point forward with the ladle she's been using to fill the jugs.
“H-Hey!” Toshinori complained, laughing and blushing a little because now his face was being squished by her butt as she leaned on his head.
Kristen stuck her tongue at him and answered the old lady before her.
“Yes, Mrs Brenda. We are ready!”
Notes:
Next chapter will be the second part of The Biannual Hero Charity Event! I wonder what will happen! :)
Don't forget to give a kudo if you liked this mini chapter and leave a comment down below!
And as always... Have a nice day and go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!
Chapter 8: The Biannual Hero Charity Event (part 2)
Chapter Text
Time was up.
As the doors opened, the cold breeze of the morning slipped in followed by dozens of students rushing to take a seat or grab a tray and line up to have the most important meal of the day served to them by either Toshinori or Kristen.
The place filled with noises of all kinds: screams, chairs dragging across the floor, cutlery falling, people demanding their food and Mrs Brenda giving orders to the staff.
Toshinori placed a hand on Kristen's shoulder and crouched to properly look at her; she was pale and seemed like she was about to faint. He squeezed her shoulder and the girl looked back at him with the smallest of smiles and eyes full of fear. Poor girl.
“Hey, we can do it, okay? We are together in this” he smiled back.
“Yeah, but this is a bit too much, I'm not used to dealing with this amount of people… What if I make a mistake and they get mad at m-”
“Kristen” Toshinori’s voice made her stop rambling “everybody makes mistakes and I think you are going to do just fine… So calm down and remember… We are ready!” he said while standing up and moving his closed hand for Kristen to fist-bump him.
She breathed in and out, emptying her lungs and hit his fist with her own “Let's go Toshi!” she cheered while giving him her best and biggest smile.
He couldn't help the way his heart jumped; she called him Toshi and smiled at him with such energy and passion that memories from his master came back to him; the way she would encourage him when he was down just by using that beautiful smile of hers. That's one of the most valuable lessons she taught him.
“No matter how scared you are, you should smile to show things will be ok. Because in this world, the ones who are always smiling are the strongest”
He felt tears form in his eyes, but managed to keep them at bay “yeah!” he answered while grabbing a spatula and serving the first student of the day.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
The first two hours of the service passed without incidents. Some of their fellow classmates either greeted them or mocked them, making Kristen almost dent their heads with her ladle, but nothing Toshinori couldn't handle.
That was until three girls entered the cafeteria. One of them ran towards the blond, jumping and hugging his neck, making him throw what he was holding to grab her and not let her fall.
She was wearing a pink miniskirt and a cream colored sweater with oversized sleeves. Her two long silver pigtails bounced on her back after she gave Toshinori a big, loud kiss on the cheek, marking his face with her red lipstick.
Kristen couldn't help but roll her eyes at the situation; That girl gave her a bad feeling, but maybe she was judging Toshinori’s girlfriend too early.
As her grandma always told her: “don't judge a book by its cover”.
Her loud and high pitched voice made Kristen cringe; it was the most obnoxious thing she's ever heard.
"Grandma, this is going to be hard as heck" she whispered to herself.
“Hi Toshi, deaar!” she smiled while hanging from his neck “so was this your punishment? Stupid Mr Robinson, making you do…" she gestured around, pointing at everything and scrunching her nose "this... Do you want me to tell my dad to get you out of here so we can enjoy the festival together?” the girl asked, closing the distance between her face and Toshinori’s.
He didn't answer right away and moved his head back at her sudden closeness, frowning a little “Hey Linda, good morning” he answered while untangling her from his neck “no thanks, I actually want to stay here to help Kristen and the staff, but thank you for the offer” he smiled while placing her on the floor.
The girl got close to him again, placing her hands on his chest and drawing shapes with her right finger “come ooon Toshi, I want to spend the day with you…”
This was too much for Kristen to witness, so she turned away and continued serving the few students that were left in the cafeteria.
“I'm sorry but my decision is final” he gently grabbed her wrists and moved them away from his body “and now if you excuse me, I have to continue serving breakfast. Thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the festival with you friends” he said, his voice friendly but with a hint of annoyance.
The girl huffed making her bangs move, but her annoyance was quickly replaced by her previous smile “well, if you change your mind you know where to find me, honey” she winked at him and walked towards Kristen, stopping behind her.
“Hey you, new girl” her sweet voice from before was nowhere to be found, replaced by a tone of superiority that didn't go unnoticed by Kristen “give me a blueberry muffin, but one that's not too crispy, it has to be as soft as possible. And also a coffee with a drop of milk, but I don't want that watery shit from those machines you have so go make it yourself or something. And don't take too long, I have places to go to”
A few seconds passed without an answer. Kristen kept serving the students with a smile and ignoring her, making Linda stomp her feet on the ground “HEY! How dare you ignore me?! Do you even know who I am? I can have you expelled from the school and sent back to your shitty ass country!”
Silence again.
Toshinori was about to interfere, when Linda yelled again “STOP IGNORING ME, BITCH!” she was about to grab the ladle Kristen was serving some oatmeal with when the dark haired girl quickly turned around and stretched her free arm, fingers almost touching Linda's perfect nose.
Her movements were followed by the flames that came out of the burners they had turned on to keep the food warm. Kristen was now surrounded by scorching streams of fire that were floating a few centimeters away from the now paralyzed girl in front of her.
Her yellow eyes glowed golden and the lights and shadows that now painted her face, gave her a powerful look that sent a chill down Toshinori’s back.
“If you dare to touch me, I will burn that pretty hair of yours until everything that's left in your head is a pile of grey charcoal” Kristen's voice was deep and full of anger, but she didn't raise it “now, go to the end of the line and choose from the food we have available. Will you be able to remember those simple instructions or do I have to write them down for you?”
Linda was now fuming, hate written all over her face. She was about to answer when the doors to the kitchen opened violently, making everyone turn around towards the source of the sound.
“Miss Yuzuki, I think that's enough” Mrs Brenda scolded her.
“Yes, ma'am” and with that, the fire returned to its place, leaving a subtle smell of burnt hair around them.
“And Miss Adams, I won't tolerate that kind of behavior inside my cafeteria. I don't care that you are the principal’s daughter, you will do everything just like the other students” the old lady approached them “now scram! And if you want something to eat, go to the end of the line”
Linda scoffed and went to straighten her sweater, only to find it full out the oatmeal that flew from Kristen's ladle after she turned around.
“Oh no, Linda! Do you need a napkin or something?” one of the girls that entered the place with her asked, running towards her.
Linda raised her hand and yelled “NO! Ugh, I'll go change before the ceremony!” she said while turning around and looking at Kristen again “you are going to regret this, do you hear me? So you better watch every single step you take inside this school”
Kristen closed her fist and took a step towards her, she was going to break her fucking nose, when Toshinori moved between the two of them, arms crossed with his back towards Kristen.
“You should go now, Linda” he asked, his voice stern.
Suddenly, she transformed into the girl from a few minutes ago. Eyes filled with crocodile tears “What?! You are taking her side, Toshi dear?” she pouted “she was the one that started and she's also ruined my designer sweater!” she pointed at the stain “I just wanted to have a little breakfast and see you!” she got closer to him “you are so unfair!”
Toshinori’s frown deepened “we all saw what happened. Now go and let us prepare the things for the festival” he told her, annoyance present in his voice.
“Hmp, whatever!” she answered while turning around and walking towards the exit “now you have Toshi by your side, but when you are alone I will find you and make you pay, new girl”
Kristen couldn't help but laugh “I can't wait to meet you again, pretty girl! Don't hurt yourself thinking too hard about how you are going to torture me!” she energetically waved her goodbye, moving from behind Toshinori’s back.
“FUCK YOU!” was the only thing that could be heard coming from Linda's mouth before the doors of the cafeteria closed.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
Mrs Brenda didn't yell or scold her, much to Kristen's surprise. She just told her to be careful with Linda and to avoid using her quirk like that, as someone could get injured.
After apologizing, they began to clean and organize everything for a second round of cooking.
Toshinori and Kristen were now together doing the dishes: she cleaned and he dried. The majority of the things were inside the dishwasher, but there were some utensils that needed to be washed by hand.
“He has been really quiet since the incident with that girl” Kristen thought to herself while scrubbing a metal tray full of grease “I'd be angry if my girlfriend behaved like that too, but…”
“She's not my girlfriend” Toshinori mumbled angrily while drying some knives she gave him.
Huh
“W-What?” Kristen turned around, eyes big as saucers and looked at him.
His frown deepened and made eye contact with her “she's not my girlfriend, what makes you think that?” he placed one knife next to the others and grabbed a cutting board to dry it.
“D-Did I say that out loud?” she could feel the blush covering her whole face.
“What… Yes…?” he answered, stopping what he was doing and lifting an eyebrow at her.
Looks like she will have to work on her inner voice.
“I-I didn't mean to say that out loud, I'm really sorry” she apologized.
“Don't worry about it” he shrugged “at least now you know the truth”
Kristen hummed in agreement and they kept working in silence, completing the task a few minutes later.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
Now it was time to preheat the ovens and shape the thousands of cookies they were going to bring to the festival.
“Can you go get the dough, please? I will start sprinkling some flour all over the counter” she asked.
He just nodded and walked to the cold room to get the things, leaving her alone.
She grabbed some flour from the 10 kg package and dusted the working station with it. Once she was done, she brought some trays and placed baking paper pieces on them.
“Welp, everything is ready” she announced proudly while cleaning her hands “now I only have to wait for him to bring the dou-”
SLAM!
Flour flew everywhere around them as Toshinori let the pile of cold, heavy and hard dough fall into the counter.
Kristen began coughing as white powder entered her lungs “YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME” she wheezed while moving her arm and sending the white dust and baking paper away with an airstream.
There goes her hard work.
“Dude, now I have to start over, why did you do that?!” she snapped, turning around to look at him.
He just looked down and whispered “I'm sorry” he answered while moving to begin patting away the flour that was all over Kristen's clothes, face and hair.
She felt her anger fade away and get replaced by worry “I-It's okay…” she frowned while grabbing his hands “stop, you don't have to do that”
“Yes I have to, I caused this mess after all” he answered and kept going.
Kristen didn't argue and let her arms fall to her sides “what's wrong, Toshinori?” she just stood there, letting him ruffle her hair.
A long sigh left his lungs, causing her bangs to move “I feel bad because I didn't do anything to stop Linda. I stood there and let it escalate to a point where you had to do something drastic to deal with her” he looked away “if it wasn't for Mrs Brenda, who knows what would have happened…”
Kristen scoffed and shook her head “Toshinori, you don't have to feel bad for that. I wasn't your fault” she placed her hands on his cheeks and made him look at her “she was the one that was disrespectful and a biiitch” she told him slowly as if she was talking to a little kid.
Toshinori couldn't help but snort.
“You know I'm right” she smirked, squishing his face and earning a laugh from him “that's better, Toshi!”
Toshi
“But I have a question, if you don't mind me asking” she frowned “why do you let her treat you like that? I could see from miles away that you didn't feel comfortable with any of the things she did to you” Kristen asked while scrubbing with her thumb the traces of red lipstick he didn't manage to clean from his skin.
He looked down and shrugged “I guess I'm not good at saying no to people” he started to pick at his fingers, earning a slap to the hand from Kristen.
“Don't ruin your hands. If you keep going I'll squeeze a lemon all over the wounds”
“You monster”
They both laughed and after a moment of comfortable silence Toshinori started talking again while watching Kristen go grab a wet rag.
“The same thing happens with my so called friends”
“The guy with the blue hair and the metal skinned one?” she asked as she began to rub his face again.
He nodded “yes, those” he kept going “they consider me their friend only because they can use me to get what they want. I'm just their wall of muscles that make their enemies cower in fear” he rolled his eyes.
Kristen dried his face and snicked “dude, you have to be the softest wall of muscles I've ever met. And that thing about making others cower in fear… Let me agree to disagree, Mr sweet smile” she patted his cheek “done, no more traces of her in your face!”
He blushed faintly “I can be really terrifying if I want to, you know?”
She just turned away and went to the sink to wash the cloth “yeah Toshinori, whatever you say, sweetheart”
He didn't answer and she kept trying to get rid of the stain “what's that lipstick even made of…” she grumbled and after a few more seconds of trying she threw the rag into the water “I give up” she held her hands up “at least I tried”
Suddenly a big shadow engulfed her figure, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand. As she was about to turn around, two big hands slammed the counter, caging her.
She couldn't help the yelp that came out of her at the sudden noise.
“What do you think you are doing?” she fully turned around and rolled her eyes “you can make all the noise you want, but my point still stands; you softy can't be initimidating even if you tr-” her words died in her throat as she looked up and made eye contact with the man before her.
He was bigger; his muscles had grown a little bit making him look even taller and stronger.
His sweet smile was nowhere to be found, a smirk was in its place; white and dangerous.
But the scariest part were his eyes that were almost gone because of the shadows that covered his face, only two blue and vibrant dots left to stare right into her soul.
Now that he was closer, she could smell his cologne, it was intense with hints of sandalwood and bergamot.
His voice was a dark and husky baritone that made her bones rattle and a chill travel through her whole body.
“Care to finish that sentence for me, sweetheart?” he leaned forward gripping the counter a little bit tighter causing it to groan under his fingers, making Kristen lean back and grab the sink with her hands.
Sweetheart
She couldn't say anything, she just frowned and tried to keep her face from reflecting everything she was starting to feel.
His smirk grew and he moved even closer, almost pressing his chest against hers, leaving only a few centimeters between their faces “that’s what I thought” he whispered.
The heat he irradiated burnt her skin and made goosebumps cover her skin. She wanted to close the distance and- What?
Kristen's frown deepened, she's had enough of this, she thought while she quickly moved her hand to slap him, but he was faster and grabbed her wrist just before she made contact with his cheek. His hold was firm but gentle and she felt his thumb rubbing against her skin.
He lifted her hand behind her head, making Kristen arch her back and her chest press against his.
"Care to explain what were you trying to achieve with that, hm?" he mocked her, lifting an eyebrow "you'll have to be a little faster next time..." he moved even closer, making their noses touch and their chests squish harder together.
She couldn't utter a single word, so they just stared at each other, the sound of their breathing the only thing that could be heard.
A few seconds passed and suddenly, Toshinori noticed the position they were at and quickly let go of her wrist and backed away from the girl. His face turned red while his whole demeanor shifted "O-Oh god, I-I'm so sorry, I don't know what c-"
His rambling faded in the distance, as Kristen's mind began to send her images of what just happened
Don't move away from my body... Wait! Where were these thoughts coming from?!
The amount of feelings she had inside her body right now were about to make her faint.
Fear was present, of course, he could be intimidating if he really tried…
Wonder was there too; how did he manage to grow up like that? It had to be because of his quirk… She lifted her eyes and could see that right now his body had returned to the way it always was.
Anger also burned deep inside her; how did he dare to do that to her? He was lucky she didn't panic and attack him.
But there was another thing she was feeling, something she didn't understand;
Why did all this act turn her on?
When he whispered his breath touched her skin litting it on fire, that baritone that gave her chills also made thousands of butterflies fill her belly and when he got closer to her she thought her heart was going to explode.
The only thing she wanted right now was to feel his hands around her neck and-
“Kristen, are you okay? Again, I'm so sorry... I got a bit carried away” Toshinori’s worried voice snapped her out of her thoughts, making her jump “you look flustered, do you need to sit down?” he went to place a hand on her shoulder, only for her to back away from him “o-oh! Sorry I didn't mean to-”
Higher, move your hands a little bit higher
Kristen felt her whole face and ears become redder than they already were “¡N-No te preocupes, estoy bien!” she blurted out “¡voy al baño, ahora vuelvo!” she ran away from him and out of the kitchen “¡encárgate de ir poniendo harina en la encimera de nuevo por favor, gracias!” she yelled from outside the room.
Toshinori just stood there, confused and looking at the door. After a short while, he whispered to himself.
“What…?”
Notes:
Oh wow, what an emotional roller coaster... Let's see what happens in the next chapter... Maybe I'll write a little extra one showing their POVs after this little incident... 👀
Don't forget to give a kudo if you liked the chapter and leave a comment down below!
And as always... Have a nice day and go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!
(for those who aren't new to the story at the time I upload this... If you go to the first chapter/page you'll be able to see the cover I made for TCWU!)
Chapter 9: CHARACTER SHEETS: Linda Adams
Notes:
Look who's here! Everybody's favorite person: Linda Adams!
I thought about giving a little description of her quirk but I'll let you discover it when the time comes ;)
I'll do the same with every character I make a characters sheet of :D
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
CASUAL:
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
HERO COSTUME:
Notes:
I have a really special drawing prepared for next chapter........ 👀 But you'll have to wait until I finish reviewing it... :D
Don't forget to give a kudo if you liked it and leave a comment down below!
And as always... Have a nice day and go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!
Chapter 10: Disgusting... (EXTRA)
Chapter Text
Kristen’s family, friends and teachers have always told her that she had a really vivid imagination. It was something she loved about herself... Until now.
After locking the door of the staff bathroom, she ran to wash her face with cold water.
Her mind was creating all kind of fucked up scenarios featuring that blond dumbass…
She almost could feel how he easily lifted her, making her legs go around his torso and slammed her against the walls of the kitchen. His eyes were covered by shadows, but his blown pupils perfectly reflected the hunger he felt.
"So you don't believe that I can be scary?" he purred, squishing her legs with his rough hands "Let's see if you still think that when I make you scream my name"
She was about to protest when he captured her lips in a passionate and messy kiss. She didn't resist and let him guide her, allowing Toshinori to dominate her tongue. The taste of the chocolate muffin he ate this morning mixed with his own essence, creating a combination Kristen was rapidly becoming addicted to.
The blond suddenly broke the kiss, making the flustered girl complain, but that didn't last as he moved his head to her ear and licked the soft skin, taking pleasure in the noises she made.
"Good girl, let me hear your beautiful voice" his hands slowly traveled from her thighs all the way to her ass, leaving goosebumps everywhere he touched.
Kristen tried to stop her thoughts immediately; they literally met yesterday, what was she doing fantasizing about those kinds of things with him!
Her mind didn't give a single fuck about that.
Kristen's neck burned as he left a trail of wet kisses all over it. Her nails scratched his back, making him growl in warning and suck at her neck until a purple bruise adorned her white skin. That made Kristen let out a shaky breath, to which Toshinori laughed.
"Well, would you look at that... I wouldn't take you for the kind of girl who is into these things..." his voice was muffled as he teased her skin with his teeth "let's see how you like this..."
He kept going down, licking and kissing those sweet marks he left on her and when he reached that tender spot between the base of her neck and shoulder, he whispered.
"Sing for me"
And then proceeded to bite her. Making Kristen almost let out a moan that she managed to suppress by biting her hand.
She felt her legs give out and avoided falling to the floor by using her forearm to support all her weight on the sink.
“I'm disgusting...!” she whined while watching the water come out from the tap.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
Five minutes have passed since Kristen left and Toshinori began nervously wandering around the kitchen, his mind trying to analyze what happened to him. Why did he behave like that? It was really unlike him to do those kinds of things.
He just wanted to prove to her that he was scary and it was working until he looked at her. When he did it was as if a switch flipped inside him and someone else took control of his body.
There she was, trapped between his arms, flushed and breathing heavily. He couldn't help but get closer, he needed to get a bit of her smell again. What was the name of that damned flower? He didn't remember, but it was addictive.
He had to grip the counter to stop himself from pressing his body against hers, to move his hands and feel her softness, to slowly trail her body. He needed to burn into his memory every single one of her curves and touch her to make Kristen scream his name until she was out of voice.
But when she tried to slap him, he almost lost control. He grabbed her wrist and couldn't help but rub his fingers against the soft skin of her wrist, feeling her pulse; looks like her heart was beating fast too... Was she scared of him? Maybe his initial plan was working...
He didn't think about that for too long, as he made the girl arch her back, making that warm bosom squish against hard chest.
He got closer and told her something he didn't remember. The only thing Toshinori knew was that he really wanted to close that distance and taste those plump and tempting lips-
Toshinori crouched and slapped his hands against his red face letting out a muffled scream.
“AAAAAH, WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?! I MET HER YESTERDAY, WHY AM I THINKING THIS KINDS OF THINGS?!” he grabbed his bangs and pulled at them “I'M DISGUSTING!”
Notes:
Oh, those are some wild minds lmao...
Next chapter will be the final part of the Biannual Hero Charity Event! How will our protagonists end the day?!
Don't forget to give a kudo if you liked the chapter and leave a comment down below!
And as always... Have a nice day and go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!
Chapter 11: The Biannual Hero Charity Event (part 3)
Notes:
Hi! I've decided to split the last chapter of the Biannual Hero Charity Event in two :) so in a few days I'll post the last part!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Two hours and 30 trays of food later, the kitchen team was ready to carry everything to the stand of the event designated for the cafeteria.
When Kristen came back from the bathroom, the tension and awkwardness around them could be cut with a knife. They didn't know what the other imagined, but their own thoughts were enough to not let them interact for 20 minutes.
Toshinori didn't ask about the bite mark on her hand and she didn't ask why his hair looked so messy. Wise choice.
But after a while (and a little help from Mrs Brenda), they managed to look past their shameful thoughts and enjoy the other's company again.
The old lady taught them how to make dishes they've never tried before and the little apprentices were able to replicate them without many problems, just a little knife cut here and a stove burn there.
When Kristen finished covering the last mini fruit tart with clear syrup, she took a step back and smiled proudly at Toshinori “that was the last one, we are finally done!” she clapped, looking up at him.
The blond beamed at her and looked all over the different trays they assembled together “I guess so! Now we only have to carry everything to the stand and let everyone enjoy our masterpieces!” he answered, placing his hands on his hips and puffing out his chest.
Kristen nodded and began moving their beautiful creations to the carts to easily move them around the campus.
“I'll go get the popcorn bags!” Toshinori moved towards the door to gather them from the pantry “you can go without me and start sorting everything in the stand if you want to”
“That's actually a really good idea, I'll see you there!” Kristen waved at him “and be careful, don't hurt yourself carrying those heeeavy bags, big boy” she teased.
Toshinori’s laugh could be heard in the distance “thank you Miss I-cut-my-finger-with-a-butter-knife!” his mocking made Kristen blush.
“Hey! That knife was REALLY sharp, you know!” she screamed, but her only answer was his distant laugh.
Kristen huffed and grabbed the first cart, now full of food and moved between running and careless students until she reached her destination: a big, empty stand in the middle of the food district.
Mrs Brenda was already there, giving the finishing touches to the decoration. She waved at the girl when she saw her and signaled with her hand for her to move to where she was.
“There you are dear! I'm glad to see everything is intact” her old eyes analyzed the trays “I have to say that you outdid yourselves, well done” she nodded proudly.
Kristen couldn't help but blush at the compliment “t-thanks Mrs Brenda, it was because of your help that Toshinori and I managed to make all of these”
“Speaking of…” the old lady hummed, looking around “where's Toshinori?”
Kristen began moving little decorated cookies shaped like the school's emblem over a plastic plate “oh, he's grabbing the popcorn bags… He'll be here in a few minutes” she answered while grabbing another tray and watched Mrs Brenda nod.
They now worked in silence, presenting everything on food displays. Later, the cafeteria staff brought carts with the rest of products and began helping too with the preparations.
When they were halfway done, a powerful feminine voice startled them, making Kristen swear out loud and receive a slap from the old lady on the back of the neck.
“OH MY GOD, THESE ARE SO CUTE!” the girl began jumping around the stand, looking at the cookies “I WANT ONE PLEASE, PRETTY PLEASE!”
“Uh-” Kristen couldn't say anything more as the girl kept talking “WELL I UNDERSTAND IF YOU ARE STILL NOT OPEN, I'LL WAIT HERE UNTIL YOU ARE DONE” she stopped bouncing, an idea forming in her brain “WAIT, DO YOU NEED HELP? I CAN HELP YOU IF YOU WANT!”
She couldn't answer again and had to keep listening to the pink haired girl in front of her “WAIT I DIDN'T EVEN TELL YOU MY NAME, I'M NADIA! I GO TO THE HERO COURSE TOO!” she moved her arms and hands a lot when she spoke, making Kristen feel a bit dizzy while trying to follow them “AND THIS IS CHARLOTTE, SHE'S AT THE SUPPORT COURSE BUT SHARES SOME CLASSES WITH US! SAY HI CHAR!”
From behind her appeared a pink skinned girl with white eyes… Wait, she knew her. She was the girl that painted orange the water she threw at Toshinori yesterday. And the other girl, Nadia, was the one who waved at her when she was going to introduce herself to the class.
“H-Hi Kristen…” Charlotte waved timidly “I'm sorry about Nadia, her quirk and the event make her energy levels skyrocket…”
They both looked at the girl that was almost vibrating “... CAN I HAVE A COOKIE NOW?”
“No, miss Schmitz” Mrs Brenda told her, crossing her arms “you'll have to wait until we are done organizing everything”
“BUT MRS BRENDAAA” she pleaded.
“No dear. Now go burn some of that energy, looks like you are at your limit”
“OKAY MA'AM” Nadia grabbed Charlotte's hand and dragged her away, making the short girl yelp “BYE KRISTEN, WE'LL SEE YOU LATER!”
Kristen stood there motionless, watching how the two girls ran away followed by little stars that appeared every time Nadia’s feet stomped the ground.
“SORRY ABOUT THE DELAY!” a familiar baritone reached her ears “but here I am and I brought… Popcorn!” Toshinori sang while throwing the 4 bags to the ground with a loud thud.
Mrs Brenda hit him in the lower back, making him whimper “Toshinori you are really late! What have you been doing all this time?!”
Toshinori stopped rubbing his back and looked away, shame adorning his face “uh, I…” he began fidgeting with his fingers “I… I was at the pantry… Grabbing the popcorn, of course!” he tried to smile and look at the old lady, only to give up when they made eye contact.
“Young man, you are telling me that you've spent 45 minutes looking for the bags that were in the middle of the room, where everyone could see them?” she crossed her arms arching an eyebrow.
“N-No… I found them right when I entered the room…” for every word he said, his volume decreased a little bit.
“Then, what made you stay there for 45 minutes?!” the old lady's patience was wearing thin.
“… The door got stuck and I couldn't open it” he whispered.
Kristen snorted and Mrs Brenda sighed loudly while turning around to go and grab some kernels from the bags he brought “whatever, the important thing is that you are here and can help us with the rest of the things we have left to do” she tossed them inside the popcorn machine and let them pop “you and Kristen finish filling the deep fryers and after that, start frying those over there” she pointed at a bag of corn dogs.
“Yes ma'am” they answered at the same time while grabbing the oil.
The other members of the staff went back to serve the few students that wanted to eat at the cafeteria, leaving the three on their own, working to have everything ready as soon as possible.
Ten minutes had passed when a question crossed Kristen's mind “Hey Toshinori…” the blond hummed to let her know he was listening “Now that I think about it; you told us that you got stuck in the pantry because the door was jammed, right?”
“Uh-huh, that's what I said” he answered while placing some crispy corn dogs on a tray.
Kristen moved to sprinkle them with powdered sugar “I'm guessing that the door didn't magically open on its own… Did someone open it for you?”
She saw Toshinori pale and Mrs Brenda turned around to look at them, now fully interested in the conversation they were having “N-No… No one opened it for me…” he muttered.
Kristen left the powdered sugar under the counter and began folding little cardboard containers decorated with the the school's emblem that they'd use to serve the food in “so no one helped you open the door and it did not come unstuck on its own…” she placed the little box with the rest and turned around to look at Toshinori “then how did you manage to get out…?”
The poor blond was now sweating and about to pass out because of the intensity of Mrs Brenda's stare.
After thirty seconds of silence, he audibly gulped and looked down, using his bangs to try and hide his face “ᴵ ᵗᵒʳᵉ ᵗʰᵉ ᵈᵒᵒʳ ᵒᶠᶠ”
Kristen frowned, getting closer to Toshinori “sorry, what did you say? I couldn't hear you…”
“I TORE THE DOOR OFF AFTER TRYING TO OPEN IT FOR 45 MINUTES, I'M SO SORRY!” he cried.
…
Two sounds reached Toshinori’s ears at the same time and made him wince: Kristen's loud guffaw and Mrs Brenda’s bellow.
“YOU DID WHAT?!” the old woman stomped towards him, a pair of scissors in hand.
“HAHAHAHA THERE'S NO FUCKING WAY HAHAHA!” Kristen doubled over in laughter, grabbing her knees.
Toshinori walked back trying to escape, only to hit the counter with his butt “Mrs Brenda, I swear I tried my best to open it, but I couldn't!”
The old lady breathed in and out and turned around, calming down “okay, okay it's fine. We will fix it and tell the staff to check out the button that unlocks the door. There must have been some kind of malfunction within the circuit or something…”
Toshinori tilted his head “Wait, what button?”
Kristen finally fell to the floor, eyes and face full of tears “PLEASE STOP, I'M GOING TO PEE MYSELF” she managed to say in between irregular breaths.
“THE RED BUTTON THAT'S NEXT TO THE DOOR, MR YAGI!”
“I-It must have been covered in boxes or something… BUT I'VE NEVER HAD TO USE A BUTTON TO GET OUT OF THERE!” he complained.
“MAYBE THAT'S BECAUSE YOU'VE ALWAYS GONE WITH KRISTEN OR MYSELF AND WHILE YOU CARRIED THE STUFF, WE OPENED THE DOOR FOR YOU”
Kristen howled with laughter from her place on the floor, hitting it with her fist.
The blond turned red and looked down, ashamed.
“... Oh…”
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
A while later, Mr Brenda and Toshinori were crouching next to Kristen, who had finally passed out. At least she didn't wet her pants.
“I'm fine, guys… Really” the girl said, pushing away Toshinori’s hand “if you try to give me that bottle of water again, I'll shove it up your ass”
“But you need to drink a little bit more… It'll help you!” he opened it and put a straw inside of it “here, now it will be easier for you to- AGGHFDS” he couldn't finish the sentence as the liquid shot up from the plastic container straight to his face.
Kristen stood up and cleaned her clothes, leaving him coughing and wet on the ground “now that I feel better… Let's begin selling these!”
The three of them worked together for two hours straight to serve every student that went to the stand. The cookies and fruit tarts were a huge success and when Kristen managed to grab one of each and tried them, she understood why.
“I can't believe we made these…” her eyes were big as saucers “try them, Toshi” she grabbed a tart and gave it to the man who was serving some sandwiches to a pair of girls.
“Okay! Give me a second and I'll try them” he answered.
She watched as he wrapped the food and asked for the tickets the school sold to exchange for goods at the different stands. After a while he was done and Kristen swore she heard the two students giggle while saying their goodbyes.
“Now I'm free, gimme, gimme!” Toshinori grabbed the cookie from her hand and shoved it in his mouth, making little pieces of it fly everywhere.
Kristen couldn't help but shake her head “eager, aren't we?” she laughed, sweeping with her hand the crumbs that fell on the blond's shirt “how is it?”
He nodded enthusiastically and swallowed everything before answering “really tasty! It's buttery and the frosting is really light” he licked his fingers clean “can I have another one?”
“No Toshinori” Mr Brenda answered while opening a bag of plastic cups “they are for the students”
“But I am a student!” he complained.
The old lady looked at him and after a few seconds she shrugged “touché, enjoy the cookie”
After he devoured it, Kristen offered him the tart and he gladly took it and looked at it; it was really small on his big fingers, it almost looked like a toy.
“It's really cute, I don't want to eat it…” he pouted.
“Well, then give it to me” she went to grab it back, but he was faster than her and shoved it in his mouth.
“No! It's mine” he answered while chewing.
“Gross” Kristen cringed while taking a step back to avoid getting fruit puree all over her clothes.
He swallowed and tilted his head, confused “what do you mean? I think they taste good...”
She was about to answer when the old lady next to them spoke.
“You guys have been working really hard, do you want to take a break and walk around the festival for a bit?”
Their eyes filled with sparkles and they turned around towards her, answering at the same time “wait, really?!”
The lady took some tickets out of her pocket and gave them to Toshinori and Kristen.
“Yeah, go and enjoy yourselves for a bit… But I want you back in an hour!” she warned “I can't handle all of this on my own”
Toshinori was the first one to move, grabbing Kristen's hand and running out of the stand “THANKS MRS BRENDA, SEE YOU IN A WHILE!” he waved at her with his free hand “come on Kristen, I've been smelling takoyaki for a while now and I haven't had a proper one since I was in Japan!”
Kristen looked at their hands and blushed, but shook her head to clear her thoughts “yeah let's go! I'm really hungry right now… Let's see how many you can eat, big boy!”
“More than you are probably imagining… I have to properly fuel this machine” he winked at her and then began sniffing around to try and locate the stand “I think it's… THERE, COME ON!” he dragged her and stopped at the end of the line “I hope they are fast… I don't think I'll be able to survive without eating for much longer…“ a dramatic sigh left his lips and his free hand flew to his forehead.
The line moved, so they took a step forward “well, if you die I'll have to eat your portion…” Kristen teased.
The gasp he let out made some of the students around look at them for a moment “monster! you wouldn't dare…”
She stood on her tiptoes and whispered “try me” with a smirk appearing on her face.
The sudden closeness made Toshinori blush, certain images returning to his mind. He suddenly noticed that they were holding hands and he rapidly let go of it to scratch the back of his neck “a-ah, sorry about grabbing your hand without asking and dragging you around”
Kristen looked down, already missing his warmth “oh, don't worry about it!” she took a step back and shoved her hands in her pockets.
The line moved again and they did too.
After a few minutes of silence and slowly moving forward, they got to the stand, where a long-haired guy took their order.
2 minutes later, Toshinori was done. The student in front of them looked at the blond and asked “are you sure you are going to eat it all…?”
Toshinori laughed and gave him the tickets “yes, I'm sure! What about you, Kristen?”
“Oh, I just want 6 takoyaki with everything, thanks!”
The poor guy sighed and wrote it down “okay then… This will take a while, so you can sit over there until we are done”
The two of them nodded and moved to a nearby bench where they sat in comfortable silence watching how their food was made.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
“Okay this is more food than I was imagining” Kristen laughed while carrying the two bags “color me surprised”
“Told you!” the blond laughed and patted his belly “now we have to look for a place to sit” he told her while looking around “unless you want to go by yourself, of course” his voice came out as a whisper “I've been assuming that you were comfortable spending your free time with me” he looked down “we are only here because of the detention Mr Robinson gave us, not because we are friends, sorry”
Her heart broke at his words, he was the sweetest person she's ever met. She didn't expect him to be this insecure about something like this.
She placed her hand on his arm, making him look at her “hey, I think that after everything that's happened on this two days we can consider ourselves to be more that “punishment buddies”" she smiled shyly “I personally consider you my friend already, sorry if that's too forward"
Toshinori was silent for a few seconds before squishing her between his arms “AH I'M SO GLAD WE THINK THE SAME!” he laughed while twirling them.
Kristen couldn't help but laugh at how fast his energy shifted “yeah, I'm glad too” she smiled as he put her down. She suddenly looked behind him and pointed at something, making Toshinori turn around.
“Look, there's a free spot under that tree. We could eat there!”
He looked at the place she was talking about; it was full of fluffy green grass and white little flowers. The tree was tall and full of leaves that gave shade to a spot big enough for them to be comfortable. It was a little far from the stands, so the noises from the students weren't going to bother them too much.
“It's perfect, let's go!” he answered while moving and dodging people, opening a little path for Kristen to follow.
Once they reached their destination, Toshinori lay down with a loud sigh “ah… My feet hurt, we've been working all day without rest” the grass was cold against his burning skin.
Kristen laughed and sat down next to him, unpacking the food they bought “yeah, you are right…” she answered while giving him a pair of chopsticks “but now we can finally get comfy and fill our stomachs!”
Toshinori sat up and grabbed one of his multiple containers, opening it and sniffing it “Ah… Smells like home” he sighed while popping one little octopus ball on his mouth and chewing it “but it's missing something… I still haven't found a place with some takoyaki like the ones in Japan”
Kristen nodded in agreement while eating hers “hm… Maybe it's the flour or the magical energy that every obāsan in Japan has”
He laughed at that “yeah, it's like a second quirk that you only get when you are old and have grandkids. A cooking quirk”
“Now that I think about it… It’s something that happens all over the world” she pointed out “my other grandma was an excellent cook. She tried to teach me some recipes, but I've never been able to get them to taste like hers… Maybe it's really magic” she shrugged.
He looked at her while opening his second box of takoyaki "I'm guessing that your other grandmother lives in Spain, right?” he asked
She nodded, looking down at her food and poking it with her chopsticks “yeah, she lived there” she answered sadly.
“Oh, did she move away from there or something?” he tilted his head in question.
She let out a little laugh “yeah, you could say that… It’s an interesting way to put it”
They remained in silence for a few seconds before Toshinori began coughing loudly, startling Kristen and making her almost drop her food.
“OH MY GOD, I'M SO SORRY” he managed to apologize between coughs “THAT WAS REALLY DUMB AND DISRESPECTFUL OF ME”
Kristen hit him in the back to help him and answered calmly “don't worry Toshinori, it's fine”
He took a deep breath, feeling his lungs clear of food “it's not fine… Again, I'm sorry”
She just smiled sadly and left the container on the grass. She wasn't hungry anymore.
The silence that formed between them wasn't comfortable this time. It was full of negative thoughts and sad memories.
Memories of how her life crumbled because of her family's betrayal, their lies and greed.
She sighed and hugged her knees "she was murdered” the sentence came out of her lips as a whisper “because of her quirk”
Toshinori didn't answer, letting her talk, but looked at her to let her know he was listening.
“It's a long story I'm not comfortable sharing, but let's say that she had a really special healing quirk” started picking at her fingers, reopening the wounds she had there thanks to that bad habit “and you know how rare and sought-after they are”
Toshinori nodded. He only knew one person with that kind of ability and knew how dangerous life was for her because of it.
“Power makes people greedy, you know?” she mumbled “but my grandma never denied her treatment to those who needed it, she traveled all over the country and thanks to her I learned what being a hero truly means” a smile formed on her face, but it was quickly replaced by anger “the problems came when she said no to the wrong people, those who didn't need help and just wanted to use her”
The blond grabbed her hands and cleaned the blood from her fingers and nails with a napkin.
She didn't complain and watched him work. Why was she telling him this? It was something really personal she wasn't used to sharing. Why did she feel so comfortable with this guy? It felt like they've been friends for years.
Her thoughts were interrupted by his voice “I'm so sorry about that… I know what it feels like to lose someone you love at the hands of those full of greed and hate” he stopped moving his hands but didn't let go of hers “those who only see people as quirks and just want to take advantage of them” he squished her fingers to focus on something else, he couldn't have the memories of that day hunt him now, he'll have time to cry when he gets back to his room.
He just had to smile.
He was fine, everything was fine.
“But right now, we have to remember the positive things they did. What they taught us” he placed his fingers in the corners of her mouth and moved them upwards, making Kristen smile. Her smile was as beautiful as Nana's.
She just looked at him, tears blurring her vision, but managed to hold them down and let out a little laugh.
“Yeah, you are right, Toshi” her smile now reached her eyes “thank you”
He pulled his hands away and placed them on his lap “you are welcome”
They looked at each other for a while, before Kristen cleared her throat and whispered “we should get back to the stand. I'm sure Mrs Brenda needs our help”
Toshinori nodded, cleaning everything and standing up. He held his hand out for her.
“Thanks again” she said while grabbing it and letting him help her stand up.
After that they just walked together in silence, thinking about the good things their loved ones taught them.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
The food district began to empty as the students ran towards the big stadium placed at the end of the campus. Nerves and excitement filled the air around them.
Mrs Brenda left them alone 15 minutes ago to help the team finish preparing the arena. They will be able to handle the few students that could go to the stand.
“So now is when the tournament Mr Robinson told me about begins, right?” Kristen asked Toshinori while cleaning the counter.
He sighed “yeah…” he answered plainly and continued filling the popcorn machine.
She looked at him and frowned “you mentioned this morning that you’ve already bought the ticket to participate in it, haven't you?”
The noise of the kernels popping covered the hum he let out, but Kristen didn't need to hear his answer “you really wanted to participate…”
The guy in front of her shrugged “it's my first year and I guess I'd have loved to be part of an event so big” he looked at her and mumbled “it also looks like fun…”
“and why are you still here? Go before it stars” she smiled.
He looked at her as if she had grown a second head “Kristen, I can't just go. We are grounded, remember?”
She turned towards the 3 guys that were asking for some popcorn to eat during the tournament “I think I'm perfectly capable of handling the 2 students that are going to be around here, Toshi” she opened the machine and filled three big bags of the warm, fluffy snacks.
He frowned while grabbing the tickets from them “I won't go and leave you here alone” he thanked and wished them a good day “also, Mrs Brenda will go to the arena and beat my ass if I do it”
“If she comes back I'll tell her it was my idea” the shouts and cheers from the students began to increase in volume.
“No, I'm staying here with you”
“Come on Toshinori, look around you” she gestured with her arm, signaling the now empty district “there isn't a single sound here… We are just going to sit down and do nothing until the event finishes” she crossed her arms and huffed “stop being so stubborn and go!”
“I'm not-”
“HUSH” she interrupted him.
“But!-”
“H U S H”
“Krist-”
“Please stop!” she raised her voice a little, making Toshinori close his mouth “I'm going to be honest with you, I've been feeling like shit all day. We are in this situation because of me” she pointed at herself “I threw that water all over you and dragged you here with me” she dropped her arms to her sides in exasperation “please just… Go and at least enjoy one part of the festival…”
He looked at her and decided not to tell the girl that he got punished for voluntarily throwing the coffee at her after the water incident, not because of what she did. He shifted in place and whispered “okay, I'll go”
Kristen couldn't help but let out a breath she didn't know she was holding “thank you…” her shoulders felt lighter because of his answer.
As he was exiting the stand, she called his name, making Toshinori turn around to look at her “yes?”
“Can you do one last thing for me?”
He lifted an eyebrow “well, it depends… Tell me”
“I want you to kick their butts with all your might” Kristen smirked, her playful mood coming back.
He snorted and smirked back at her “if you ask me so nicely I'll have to comply… Consider it done, my friend!” he turned around and ran towards the stadium, leaving her alone and smiling.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
“Where is Toshinori?” Mrs Brenda suddenly appeared behind Kristen, making her jump from the chair she was sitting on and drop her cookie.
“U-Uh… He is at the tournament…” she mumbled, looking down at her fingers that were more interesting than the stare that the old woman was probably giving her right now.
“And who gave him permission to do that, because I didn't” she crossed her arms “and I'm sure Mr Robinson didn't do it either”
Maybe doing what she did was a bad idea.
“I did and I'm sorry” she gathered the courage to look at the woman in front of her, determination filling her eyes “he was going to miss this opportunity because of something I did. It didn't sit well with me and I'll accept any punishment you give me for it”
“And what if I give detention to Toshinori as he is the one who left the stand?”
Kristen paled and felt her heart jump at that “please don't! I gave him the idea and insisted on it, it's my fault. Don't make him pay for my mistakes again!” tears began filling her eyes, she didn't think this through, what a mistake.
The old lady huffed and shook her head “what am I going to do with you two…?” she whispered and sat on a foldable chair Kristen brought from the now-open-to-the-public-because-it-didn't-have-a-door pantry "You can't be making decisions that contradict the ones your superiors gave you as it could lead to fatal mistakes” her voice was stern but calmed “we do this because we want you to learn, to be responsible and mature, to be prepared for your hero career”
Tears of shame began falling from Kristen's eyes “I'm sorry, Mrs Brenda” she muttered, looking down again.
The old woman stood up and placed a hand on her arm, making her look up at her “but what you did shows me that you are fair and honest, qualities that the majority of heroes nowadays lack. You didn't want him to pay for your mistakes, you told me the whole truth and even offered to work alone only for him to enjoy himself” a big explosion could be heard coming from the arena, followed by cheers and applause “you are going to be a really good hero, Kristen, you just need to work a little bit in your impulsiveness, to think before acting”
Before she could react, Kristen hugged the old lady, the sudden movement making her tense a bit “what did I just say, dear?” she laughed while patting her back lovingly.
The girl jumped back, blushing “I-I'm sorry…” she laughed a little, only for a sob to escape her lips “and thanks” she said as she dried the tears with her fist.
“You are more than welcome and now go see Toshinori fight, he is really giving a good show…”
“Wait, you already knew where he was?” she asked, surprised.
“Kristen, I've been helping organize the tournament, of course I saw him in the middle of the arena send another student flying with a single punch” she laughed “it was really impressive, he has such a bright future ahead of him”
“Oh, that makes sense” she said “so you were just testing me, right?”
“Exactly, dear” the old lady answered “and now go, or you'll miss the majority of the event”
Kristen blew her nose with a napkin and jumped out of the stand, throwing some cups with her legs “ups… Wait, let me get them!”
“Dear, you better go before I regret my decision” Mrs Brenda warned her “but I want you two back when the event finishes, we have to clean everything and bring it back to the cafeteria”
“Yes ma'am, I'll tell Toshinori about it!” she waved at her and ran away shouting a final thank you, to which the old lady laughed while shaking her head.
Notes:
AAAAAAAAH!! We finally met the two girls from chapter 2: Charlotte and Nadia!
I can smell some character sheets nearby... ;)
We also got to listen to a bit of Kristen's past!
Don't forget to give a kudo if you liked the chapter and leave a comment down below!
And as always... Have a nice day and go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!
Chapter 12: CHARACTER SHEETS: Charlotte White
Notes:
Meet our sweet and shy Charlotte! We'll get know more about her quirk soon :)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
CASUAL:
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
HERO COSTUME:
Notes:
Next character sheet will be Nadia's :D
Don't forget to give a kudo if you liked the chapter and leave a comment down below!
And as always... Have a nice day and go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!
Chapter 13: The Biannual Hero Charity Event (part 4)
Notes:
Here it comes the last part of the BHCE! Full of action, of course!
I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Thankfully there was still someone selling tickets at the stadium’s ticket window. The man looked bored as hell and when he saw her run towards him, lifted a brow confused.
“You know you are a little bit late, right?” he smirked “the competition started two hours ago”
Kristen took a deep breath to try and calm her racing heart, she had to work on her cardio a bit more “Yeah… Huf- I know! But I want to enter and watch the rest of it! If I'm allowed to of course”
The man just huffed, grabbing the ticket from a folder “Whatever floats your boat, I don't care” he told her with a shrug, giving her the paper “good luck trying to find an empty seat”
Kristen thanked him and quickly entered the building; it was big enough to accommodate every student and right now was filled to the brim. The smell of popcorn and built-up energy became stronger the more she went down the stairs, her feet sticking to the stone floor from time to time.
When she got to the bottom of them, she grabbed the railing that divided the stands from the main arena where a combat was taking place and began searching for a place to sit down.
She looked around for a while when a familiar face waved at her from the crowd “Kristen, over here!” she managed to hear Charlotte scream her name.
After squishing between a lot of people and stepping on a few feet, she got to an empty space next to the girl. She let herself fall in it with a loud thump, sighing in relief “thank you very much for calling me, it would have been impossible for me to find an empty seat on my own…”
Charlotte smiled and nodded “you are welcome and I'm glad you could come. This tournament is something you don't want to miss”
Kristen looked at the arena where a guy with a quirk that allowed him to make vines grow from the ground was squishing a girl with a mutant quirk that looked like a little mouse “it surely looks interesting…” she frowned “aren't you participating in it?”
Charlotte shook her hands quickly “oh no, no! They would kick my ass the moment I put a foot on the arena…” she laughed awkwardly “my quirk is more of a support one! I came here to watch Nadia”
“I understand…" she smiled and moved a little to look at her "I'm really curious, could you tell me what your quirk is? If you are okay with it”
The pink girl looked down at her hands timidly “N-No, I don't mind at all” she cleared her throat “my quirk is called Colorful Status. It basically allows me to give anything my paint or fingers touch different properties…” she explained while holding up her right hand and creating a little pink sphere that hovered over it “every color has a different effect; red, yellow, green, cyan, and black are negative, while orange, blue, purple, pink and white are positive…”
“Oh wow that sounds extremely useful. In a battle you would be a really nice support!” Kristen told her excitedly.
A blush painted Charlotte's face “a-ah thanks…” the sphere floated down and absorbed into her skin “but it only lasts for a few minutes, depending on the effect…”
“But you can reapply it back when it does, right?”
“I guess, yeah…”
Kristen jumped a bit on her seat “then my point still stands! You'll be an amazing hero when you finish your studies!”
Charlotte was about to answer when darkness surrounded them, which was weird as the stadium had no roof and the sun was shining over them a few seconds ago.
“O-Oh this is really convenient” Kristen managed to hear Charlotte's whisper between every other student's screams.
She felt someone touch her arm and suddenly she was able to see again: in the arena a student with blinds over his eyes was about to ambush his disoriented rival. So that's where that darkness came from.
Kristen looked around and saw everyone panicking, except for those who she suspected had a quirk that allowed them to see in the dark.
She made eye contact with Charlotte, who grinned at her and shrugged “that color is white! Night vision!” she winked.
Kristen looked back to the middle of the stadium where now laid defeated the guy with the blinds; looks like the other student managed to catch on his trick and kick his ass.
Everyone around them calmed down as the darkness faded and a few seconds later, cheers erupted.
Kristen laughed and looked at the girl next to her “that was cool as heck, thank you!”
More fights passed and they commented on them from time to time until a familiar pair of names came out of the speakers, making them both look at each other in surprise.
“And for our next fight we have Linda Adams, hero name Pink Lace. Versus Nadia Schmitz, hero name Hyperstar! Please welcome them with a loud applause!” the commentator announced.
The excitement could be felt as everyone cheered and yelled. Looks like they were excited for this fight.
“Oh, it's Nadia’s turn!” Charlotte exclaimed “I hope she beats Linda's ass…”
Kristen couldn't help but laugh at her words, they seemed so unlike the shy girl she was sitting next to.
“I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one who doesn't like her”
Charlotte rolled her eyes “I've known Linda since we were kids and she's always been a spoiled and bad mannered brat. She thinks that she's the best because her father runs the campus” she huffed “she made my life a living hell through school and I don't think it's going to be any different here”
Kristen frowned and looked at her “I'm really sorry to hear that, Charlotte. But let me tell you something” she placed her hand on her shoulder and smirked “I've already had a run-in with her and if she dares to do or say something to you, I'll be more than happy to have a second round and finally teach a lesson to that little bitch”
Charlotte looked at her and shook her head “you don't have to do that, you'll only get in trouble… She's really popular and has her father's status as a shield"
“Charlotte” Kristen called her, her voice firm and serious “I hate bullies with all my soul. I'll do everything I can and more to give her what she deserves if she tries to bully you or anyone” she smiled at her again “you can count on me for that!”
She could see Charlotte's eyes shine with tears “thank you… That means a lot to me” she whispered.
Kristen smiled back and moved her hand to her lap “now it's time to watch Nadia kick her butt!” she smirked as she saw the pink haired girl run excitedly to her side of the arena.
A black sleeveless maillot with coral colored accents covered her body and left leg, four star shaped holes going all the way down from her thigh to her ankle.
A sock covered the majority of her right leg, it was yellow with two lines: one blue and one pink, decorating the upper part of it, following the irregular cut of the cloth.
White cargo boots with three lines (pink, blue and green) and a little star chain hanging from the right one covered her feet.
Her left arm was unprotected, while the right one had a black and coral long glove that matched the maillot. She still wore her pink cuff bracelets and a little two star clip adorned her hair.
She waved at everyone and jumped from side to side, extremely excited to begin the fight.
“She's full of energy, huh?” Kristen commented “sometimes it looks like she can't control it”
Charlotte looked at her and nodded “you are not too far from the truth. Basically her body produces a lot of energy that she can transform into powerful blasts and hits” she explained “but if she doesn't get rid of the excess, she becomes unstable and her body pays the price for it…”
Kristen hummed “so that's why she's always so hyper? Basically her quirk fills her body with energy that affects her mood too?”
“Yeah, that's basically it… And if she overuses her power, she becomes grumpy and pessimistic” Charlotte snickered “it's truly an experience to deal with her when she's like that”
Kristen laughed too “I can only imagine…”
Suddenly the crowd’s volume increased. Screams and whistles made Kristen and Charlotte cringe a bit.
Now next to Nadia was Linda, waving at the crowd. Her dark pink bodysuit was the only piece of clothing she had on.
White padding covered the sides of her upper thighs and her tall high-heeled boots matched the color of the suit.
Kristen couldn't help but overhear some disgusting comments about her body coming from a group of students in the crowd.
She was about to say something to them because, as much as she hated the girl she couldn't put up with those things, but the ring marking the start of the fight made her turn around.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
“GOOD LUCK, I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE FIG-”
Nadia couldn't finish her sentence as pink ribbons came out of Linda's hands and rapidly lunged at her. She shrugged and just jumped and dodged them while laughing.
Linda tsked, retreating them “let's see if you like this, kangaroo girl”
Pink ropes came out of her limbs and neck plunging into the ground and walls. Every part of the arena was covered in them, making it difficult to watch the fight from the crowd.
Nadia looked around and beamed at her rival “I LOVE IT, IT LOOKS LIKE A JUNGLE GYM!”
When the girl touched one of the ribbons, it twisted around her hand, making the surrounding ropes rapidly move to do the same.
“OKAY NO TOUCH, GET IT!” Nadia ripped the cloth from her hand and jumped back to dodge the rest.
Just as she touched the ground, Linda appeared next to her and landed a punch on her face, sending the girl to the ground.
Kristen and Charlotte gasped, but before they could get worried, the girl dashed through the cloud of dirt that had formed and with a kick that left a trail of stars behind it, sent Linda right into the opposite wall of the arena.
“THAT HURT, YOU KNOW?” she pointed out, smiling “BUT I FORGIVE YOU”
The dust around Linda cleared and revealed a pink cocoon that had protected her from the majority of the impact. It opened and she fell to the ground, breathing heavily.
Kristen noticed that ribbons were beginning to cover different parts of her body the more she used her quirk. Was that a consequence of overusing it?
“Now you've done it!” she extended her left arm, a long rope coming out of her hand.
Nadia looked at her and clapped “YAY, FINALLY SOME REAL ACTION” she altered her stance, slightly opening her legs “LET'S GET SERIOUS THEN!”
Just as she said this, she bent her arms and rapidly moved them backwards, making her bracelets open. A pair of energy boxing gloves covered her hands; the right one was blue and the left one yellow.
Linda ran and swung the ribbon like a whip with the intention of hitting Nadia, only for her to grab it and pull at it, dragging the other girl towards her.
“COME HERE!”
Just before she punched her, the rope detached from Linda's hand and she slid under Nadia, tying her legs in the process.
Then she stood up and shot her ribbons into a beam of the stadium, using it to go up, carrying Nadia with her by the feet.
When they were high enough, she swung down with a loud grunt, and threw the pink haired girl, making her hit the ground and leave a big crater on it.
The crowd cheered and chanted Linda's name as she descended towards the arena, but before she could reach it, the dust of the crater started to shine and rapidly spin around the middle of it.
Linda looked down and her face paled as she saw Nadia jump towards her followed by a trail of stars, wearing the biggest of smiles on her face. The power that she had summoned for her next attack could be seen spinning around her wrists in the shape of blue and yellow rings.
“YOU MADE ME GO DOWN SO ALLOW ME TO RETURN THE FAVOR!” she yelled as she punched her in the stomach, stars flying out of her fist, making Linda gag “STELLAR SHOCK…” Nadia went down to the ground and jumped again sending a bit of energy to her feet, allowing the girl to go up faster and reach her rival before she started falling “HYPERBEAM PUNCH!”
Before Linda could react, Nadia punched her in the back, the explosion of colorful light and power sent her plummeting down at high speed, followed by the girl's distinctive stars. Before she hit the ground, a teacher summoned a security pad, catching the now unconscious girl.
After a few seconds of silence, every single one of the students clapped and cheered. Words of shock left their mouths; some asked who that girl was, some others commented how amazing and strong she was and others just laughed at how Linda lost to an hyperactive puppy.
Nadia's feet touched the ground and she sighed, stretching her arms “that was a nice workout!” even if her voice lacked her usual tone, she was still beaming.
After declaring her the winner, she went away to rest for her next combat.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
The rest of the tournament continued without incidents.
Nadia was eliminated by another student, a mutant whose body was made of metal that basically turned her into a ball with his fists and launched her into a wall, leaving the girl unconscious in less than a minute. Every punch she threw at him didn't even tickle the guy, so it was a really hard battle to win. At least she was the student that had lasted the longest against him.
Kristen had to spend a few minutes calming Charlotte down. She almost passed out because of how worried she was.
A while later, Kristen asked why haven't she seen Toshinori fight yet and Charlotte explained that she arrived when the first round of classifications were over, this was the second round and the winner will fight the one from the first.
“So basically they split the participants in two groups and the winners of those groups fight to see who's the champion?” Kristen asked to make sure she understood it.
A piece of concrete flew really close to them, making them flinch. The mutant had another victim on his hands.
“Yeah, that's basically it…” Charlotte answered, cringing while she watched a girl receive a kick on the back "the teachers use the info they have about us, from our previous schools or from what they've gathered here and pair the students to make the fights more fair. It doesn't always work, but at least it is not extremely unfair” the bell rang again, signaling the end of this fight “yeah… Doesn't always work…” she laughed awkwardly.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
After 20 long minutes of students being sent to the infirmary by the mutant, the final round arrived.
The commentator walked to the center of the arena to announce the final fight that would help choose the winner of the event.
“We have reached the end of this wonderful tournament” he yelled “have you had fun this far?”
Everyone answered with a loud “yes” and cheers.
“I'm glad to hear that!” he laughed “but now the fight you've all been waiting for has come…” his voice turned mysterious and he gestured towards the left side of the arena “to my right we have the winner of the first round! The man who sent his rivals flying with powerful hits and won some hearts over with his beautiful smile and strong arms!” Kristen could hear some girls next to her giggling “Yagi Toshinori! Hero name…” he took a deep breath and screamed “All Might!”
“All Might?” Kristen snorted. That was a really straightforward name, it suited him.
Her thoughts were interrupted by cheers and screams as Toshinori entered the arena and Kristen couldn't help but blush when she saw him: his suit was tight, almost too tight. It made his muscles stand up more than they already did. Oh god she was starting. The color was… Was it blue? Maybe it was blue, she couldn't focus on it.
“Kristen are you okay?” Charlotte asked her lifting a brow “your face is really red…”
Kristen quickly turned to look at her “YEAH, YEAH I-I'M FINE WHY DO YOU ASK HAHA…” she stammered while trying to cool off her face with her hands.
Charlotte giggled and rolled her eyes “yeah, sure…”
The commentator spoke again, making the girls look back at the arena “calm down, calm down! We still have to introduce the winner of the second round!” he pointed to the right side of the arena “to my left we have the one who has crushed every single one of his rivals with his bare hands. Will he do the same with All Might?” the crowd’s volume went up “welcome with a big applause Trevor Parker, hero name… Crusher!” the poor man jumped back a bit when the mutant entered the arena, stomping on the ground.
This time the crowd was divided and even some boos could be heard. Crusher didn't like that as he flipped at them, making the negative sounds increase.
Toshinori just stood there smiling awkwardly, not knowing what to do with his hands, poor boy…
“Well, let's not do that okay Trevor?” the commentator added while moving them to their positions and after telling them a few things that the public didn't hear, ran out of the arena while yelling into the microphone “come on, do the countdown with me!”
“3!”
Kristen grabbed Charlotte’s arm as nerves filled her gut.
“2!”
The pink skinned girl picked her hand up and squished it, giving her a sweet and reassuring smile that screamed “everything will be fine”
“1!”
But it didn't last long as the 3 meter tall mutant lunged at Toshinori and plunged him into the wall with a powerful punch, raising a cloud of dust around them.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
A deafening silence filled the stadium as Crusher moved towards the place Toshinori was at with the intention of ending the fight. He began running and jumped, fist ready to crush the blond, but when he was a few meters away from his target, a figure emerged from the dust and met him with his own fist.
The energy that resulted from that hit, traveled through the stadium, making everyone gasp and cheer.
“You are strong, boy…” Crusher grunted, trying to match Toshinori’s strength.
The blond smiled, struggling a bit himself to keep up with his rival “I can say the same thing about you”
Suddenly they broke contact and jumped back, landing swiftly and running back to try and be the first to land another hit.
Toshinori kicked him in the stomach, making Crusher kneel and used this opportunity to deliver an uppercut to his chin that sent him flying a few meters away.
The mutant grunted, standing up and grabbed some debris, throwing it at Toshinori “CATCH!”
The blond smirked and with a simple swat of his hand, made it explode into millions of tinny rocks “don’t you have anything harder than that?” he taunted.
Just as he finished that sentence, a hand appeared from the falling pieces of rock and grabbed Toshinori’s face “how about this?” he lifted him and then smashed his head against the ground “is this hard enough for you?”
Kristen’s scream mixed with the noise that Toshinori’s body hitting the ground made, creating a gruesome sound.
Just as he was going to do it for the third time, Toshinori swung up and wrapped Crusher’s arm with his legs, applying enough pressure for the mutant to let go of him with a groan.
Toshinori used this opportunity to jump backwards and create some distance between them, his vision was blurry and needed a few seconds to get it back to normal. He could taste the blood that traveled down his face from where his head hit the ground.
But his rival didn't grant him that mercy, and moved to punch him again, only for Toshinori to match his hit and deflect it. Crusher tried again with the same outcome, and again… And again.
“Let's see how long you can last… All Might” Crusher’s voice rose above the sound of their attacks.
Toshinori laughed while closing his right eye as he felt his blood entering it “I could keep doing this all day, Crusher” he retorted.
Toshinori managed to land a blow on the mutant's left shoulder, making him tumble back “I'm having a lot of fun, but it's time we close this act!”
The blond kept hitting his target, moving around at high speeds and when he saw him disoriented enough, swung back his fist and began charging what would be his final blow “TEXAS…” he lunged forward, fist first, towards Crusher “SMAS-”
His words died in his throat as a pair of big hands clasped Toshinori’s body, crushing him “A-Agh!” he complained, feeling his ribs about to snap.
Crusher wheezed, splattering Toshinori with his blood. His breathing was labored and erratic.
“Game over, All Might” he managed to laugh while using the blond as a stress ball “let's give our public that wonderful conclusion you were talking about, shall we?” he said while jumping towards the sky, moving his arms backwards over his head “enjoy the free fall!” he yelled, dunking him down as if he was a basketball.
The public gasped and the teachers were about to release the security pad when a gut wrenching scream reached everyone's ears followed by three words “NEW HAMPSHIRE… SMASH!”
And with that, Toshinori punched the air in front of him propelling himself backwards, becoming a blur of blue, white and red that hit Crusher with his full weight, making a loud crack that made everyone cringe come out of the mutant's body.
“Great idea! Grand finale time!” he lunged towards him again using his quirk, grabbing his arm with both hands and spinning round rapidly “down with you!” he grunted while releasing Crusher and sending him plummeting to the ground, the strength of the impact making the foundations of the stadium shake.
Toshinori managed to hear a familiar voice scream from the public “KICK HIS ASS, TOSHI!” that gave him the strength he needed to deliver the final blow.
His smile didn't falter a bit when he voiced his last attack “CALIFORNIA…” he fell down with a frontal somersault, building momentum and air pressure “SMASH!” and released it with a powerful blow when he was close to Crusher.
But when he was about to hit him, Toshinori's eyes widened as he spotted a familiar old woman a few meters away from them. She spread her arms open creating an invisible barrier that absorbed his attack, exploding from the intensity of the hit without harming any of them.
The energy spread around the entire stadium, making the beams rumble and dust fly everywhere.
Kristen and other students helped to dispel it with their air-based quirks and when the arena came into view everyone erupted into cheers and applause.
There was an unconscious Crusher next to Toshinori; with a tattered suit, bloody and full of dirt. His hair was a mess and looked like he was about to collapse, but he was wearing the biggest smile Kristen had ever seen and had his fist raised towards the sky, signaling his victory.
“AND LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A WINNER” the commentator ran towards him, avoiding the rubble as much as he could “EVERYONE GIVE A HUGE APPLAUSE TO ALL MIGHT!”
Confetti flew everywhere and the infirmary team ran to attend their wounds.
Just as Toshinori was waving to the public, he made eye contact with Kristen. He noticed her eyes were red and puffy, had she been crying? Maybe it was because of the cloud of dirt that flew towards them at the end of the fight.
Toshinori’s smile grew even bigger and winked at her. He couldn't help but laugh when he saw her blush and give him a thumbs up. She also tried to mirror his smile while attempting to stop the tears of happiness that had started running down her cheeks, failing miserably.
Looks like she had actually been crying.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
After everyone calmed down and everyone got checked for any major injuries, the principal walked to the arena to make the closing speech.
Not a single one of the students focused on it, as they were commenting on how incredible the last fight had been.
“Ahem…” the principal cleared his throat “and now we will give our winner his medal and the possibility to choose a charity to donate every single dollar that we collected thanks to the event to” he raised his arm towards Toshinori “come here boy”
He walked towards the principal and stood next to him, he was a little bit shorter than Toshinori but only a few centimeters. He could see himself reflected in his bald head and had to suppress a laugh.
“First you have to announce the charity you've chosen” the principal announced “if you haven't thought of one, we will donate it to a random one”
Toshinori nodded and took a step forward, grabbing the microphone from his hand “Actually, I've thought of one. It's called ‘Heroes Breaking Barriers’, a really famous charity from Japan that has recently started working in the States too”
“That's wonderful Toshinori, thank you very much” the man smiled, grabbing the microphone back “now it's time for you to receive the medal!” he announced, the crowd cheered at that, waiting for the person with the price to appear.
A few seconds passed and nothing happened. Cheers turned into questions and whispers.
Mr Adams scratched his short beard and looked around “where's the girl in charge of bringing the medal? I just saw her a few minutes ago…”
Suddenly an obnoxious voice that Kristen and Charlotte recognized really well echoed through the loudspeakers of the stadium.
“Hi daddy, sorry for the delay!” it was Linda, covered in bandages from head to toe.
The principal looked surprised as his eyebrows rose, making his forehead wrinkle “dear what are you doing here? You should be resting!”
Linda climbed the stairs holding a red box covered in velvet “I'm here to give our dear winner his price, of course” she stopped in front of Toshinori.
Her father moved toward her and whispered “Honey, where's the girl that was in charge of bringing the medal?”
Linga giggled and gave him a dismissive wave “she was feeling a bit sick so she asked me to do this for her!” she answered and turned around to look at Toshinori again “congratulations, handsome” she winked.
The blond smiled awkwardly at her “thank you, Linda”
She grabbed his arm and laughed “oh you are more than welcome!” then she moved to open the box, revealing a golden medal with the emblem of the school “could you please lean down a little to give you your price? You are too tall for me to properly reach” she asked, while standing on her tiptoes and placing a hand on his chest.
He took a step back, breaking the contact and bowed down “is this enough?”
She smirked, throwing the box to the floor and placing the medal around his neck “yes it is, dear” she answered, brushing her hands against his neck, shoulders and chest.
Just as he was about to straighten his back, Linda grabbed his face and gave him a kiss right next to his lips, leaving a deep pink stain on his skin.
Suddenly, the earth beneath the building shook a little, but only the ones in the arena noticed as the rest were too busy gossiping about that kiss.
Toshinori looked up only to see a certain black haired girl gripping the railing, her eyes shining a powerful golden color.
There was a student next to her frantically trying to calm her down and he couldn't help but snort at the scene, completely forgetting about what happened a few seconds ago.
“W-What was that?” Linda muttered while grabbing Toshinori’s arm.
The principal looked around, worried “I don't know but after everything that's happened today, we will have to fully inspect the building's foundations” he grabbed the two student's shoulders and moved them towards the stairs “you two go, I'll end the festival and send everyone out of the place as soon as possible”
“Okay daddy. Let's go, Toshi!” Linda pulled at his arm to try and take him with her, only for the blond to move back, making her hand leave his skin.
“Sorry Linda, but I have to go grab my things and meet with Kristen and Mrs Brenda” he commented while walking down the stairs towards the changing rooms “have a nice day!”
Just before she could say anything, he ran away, leaving her fuming after hearing that girl's name. She just met her today, but she already hated her with all her might. She was not going to take Toshinori away from her, he was hers!
She'll have to teach that bitch a lesson and maybe after that she'll learn who she shouldn't mess with.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
“AND AFTER TREATING MY BROKEN WRIST THE NURSE GAVE ME A LOLLYPOP!”
Kristen, Charlotte and Nadia were outside of the stadium talking about the event. Right now Nadia was explaining, with a lot of details, how Crusher had broken her right wrist and a pair of ribs with his ‘stress ball’ trick.
Charlotte sighed, shaking her head “thank god we have an excellent nursing team” she grabbed Nadia's wrist with extreme care “does it hurt too much?”
Nadia winced a bit at the contact “IT'S A LITTLE BIT SORE, BUT THE BONE IS COMPLETELY HEALED!”
Charlotte frowned and brushed her fingers against the other girl's skin, leaving a pink trail of paint that absorbed into Nadia's wrist “here… This will help you heal faster”
Nadia beamed and hugged her tightly “AH CHAR, YOU ARE THE BEST!”
Kristen laughed at this, they were truly an unique duo.
They just kept talking until a familiar baritone made them turn around “Hey Kristen!”
There was Toshinori, waving and running towards them; his forehead covered in bandages and a few bruises and scratches now adorned his tanned and free of Linda's lipstick skin.
“Toshi!” Kristen ran his way and jumped to hug him “you imbecile I almost had a heart attack!”
Toshinori felt how his sore ribs were burning because of the sudden contact, but didn't mind it at all and just hugged her back “I'm sorry, I'm sorry…” he patted her back “if I'm completely honest I did not expect him to be that strong” he snickered.
Kristen let go of him, blushing. What was she doing hugging him like that? Looks like fear and relief got the better of her.
“Thank god you won, because if you ended up unconscious I would have had to go and help Mrs Brenda on my own… haha...” she said while awkwardly punching his arm.
Toshinori lifted a brow at her sudden change of attitude “yeah… About that!” he smiled “I guess we still have to take everything back to the cafeteria, right?
Kristen nodded, walking towards the two girls that were watching them with a mischievous look on their faces “yeah, Mrs Brenda is waiting for us” she stopped to say goodbye to them “hey, we have to get going… It was really nice to spend time with you both, I hope we can do it again soon!”
Nadia let out a squeal and hugged Kristen “YEAH, LET'S SPEND MORE TIME TOGETHER SOON”
Charlotte laughed and placed a hand on Nadia's back “let her go, dear… You are going to pop her like a balloon”
The girl placed Kristen back on the floor “OOPS, SORRY!”
Kristen shook her head to get rid of the dizziness “no problem!” she looked back at the blond next to her “oh sorry, should I introduce you or…”
Toshinori placed a hand on her shoulder and looked at the two girls “hi! I think I've seen you both around in class, right? I know Nadia from the hero course, but I didn't quite catch your name…” he eyed Charlotte who just clasped her hands together in front of her.
“A-Ah don't worry… I'm Charlotte from the support course. Nice to meet you, Toshinori...” she whispered shyly.
He smiled softly “nice to meet you too, Charlotte!” then turned to look at the star-eyed girl “Nadia! Your fights were amazing, I enjoyed them a lot!" Toshinori told her excitedly "How are you feeling after what Crusher did to your…" he gestured with his hands all over her body "Well, your everything”
Nadia just laughed and hit his arm with her fist, little stars jumping out when she made contact “THANK YOU TOSHINORI AND I'M FINE, EVERYTHING IS BACK WHERE IT SHOULD BE! HAHAHA”
Nadia was the only one laughing at that, the others looked at her with worried expressions.
Suddenly, the girl grabbed Charlotte's hand and pulled her away “WELL, WE HAVE TO GET GOING!” she waved at them “IT WAS NICE SEEING YOU GUYS AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOU VICTORY, TSCHÜSS!” and with that they disappeared between the crowd.
Toshinori and Kristen just looked at each other and shrugged.
“Shall we?” the blond asked, pointing towards the food district.
“Ah, yes! Mrs Brenda must be waiting for us” she answered while walking alongside him.
After a few seconds of silence, Toshinori began talking again “wanna know something?” Kristen looked at him, lifting an eyebrow “when I was about to deliver the final blow to Crusher, I swear I saw Mrs Brenda a few meters away from me”
She snorted at his words “did Crusher really hit your head that hard against the ground? Why would that old lady be down there?”
The blond looked at her and frowned “Well yeah, he actually did, he caused me a concussion”
Kristen turned to look at him, waving her hands quickly “AH NO, IT WAS A J-JOKE SORRY. THAT WAS REALLY INSENSITIVE OF ME”
Toshinori scratched his head “A-Ah it's okay, don't worry” he waved his hand at her “but I swear I saw her and she even managed to deflect my attack…” he told her seriously.
“Toshinori, you know how unlikely that sounds, right?” now it was Kristen's turn to frown.
The blond ruffled his hair and grunted “Agh, I knooow… But I-”
“You what, young man?” speak of the devil.
They didn't notice but they were already in front of the stand with Mrs Brenda looking at them with her arms crossed, waiting for an answer.
“Hi Mrs Brenda!” Kristen was the one that spoke “we were just talking about you and we have a little question”
“And that question is…?” the old lady gestured with her right hand impatiently for her to keep talking.
“I know it may sound weird, but…” Kristen cleared her throat “were you in the arena of the stadium during Toshinori and Crusher’s fight? Sorry if it sounds weird, but Toshinori insists that he saw you deflecting his punc-”
“Yes, I was there and I did deflect his attack to avoid that other student to turn into a pulp”
Kristen’s mouth snapped shut and looked at the woman in front of her with wide eyes.
“SEE I TOLD YOU I WASN'T CRAZY!” Toshinori screamed at her.
“BUT- I- THAT” Kristen stammered while gesturing with her hands.
“This old lady has a few tricks up her sleeve young woman…” she mocked “never judge a book by its cover” she ended the conversation with that “now come help me with this heavy bags”
“I'm coming ma'am!” Toshinori ran towards Mrs Brenda, leaving Kristen alone and processing the information she just learnt.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
A few hours later everything either was stored, washed or inside trash bags.
Kristen and Toshinori were having the leftovers from the festival for dinner when Mr Robinson entered the almost empty cafeteria “well, look who it is… The winner of the tournament!” he exclaimed happily “congratulations, boy”
The blond chewed his food and swallowed before speaking “thank you sir!” he had to drink a big gulp of water to avoid choking.
"You are welcome" he said while placing a hand on his shoulder “Now I have a question for you” Mr Robinson’s tone made Kristen's heart skip a beat. Oh no… “who gave you permission to participate on it? If I recall correctly, you were grounded”
The sound of Toshinori’s fork falling was the only thing that could be heard “I-I…”
Just as Kristen was about to answer, Mrs Brenda opened the kitchen doors carrying two glasses of hot chocolate “I was the one who let them go to the tournament, Eric” she said, placing them in front of the two shaking and pale students “they worked really hard and it's their first year, they deserved to enjoy at least a part of the festival”
Mr Robinson scratched his long beard “well, if that's what happened...” he crossed his arms, looking at Kristen and Toshinori “I guess that means that your detention is over”
Toshinori didn't answer right away as his mouth was full of scolding hot chocolate. He was doing his best to avoid spitting it out all over Kristen, tears of pain rolling down his cheeks.
Kristen grabbed a bottle of water and gave it to him, sighing “thank you sir” she looked at their teacher, smiling “and sorry about everything”
Mr Robinson nodded “it's fine, first days are always hard and Mrs Brenda filled me in on what happened at the cafeteria before you got to class” he looked at Toshinori “you should be more careful, Mr Yagi!” he scolded.
The blond apologized between coughs, making Kristen giggle.
“Oh, by the way Mrs Brenda” the girl turned around to look at the old lady “may I ask you something?”
“Yes you may, dear” she smiled
“Would you, by any chance, be willing to let me work with you in the cafeteria from time to time?” she asked, picking at her fingers nervously “I really enjoyed cooking and helping you with everything and I think I'll learn a thing or two about patience being here under your wing” she looked down at her glass “if it's okay with you, of course. I wouldn't want to bother you or your employees-” she kept rambling until Mrs Brenda stopped her by calling her name.
Kristen’s face turned red and looked at the woman that had moved in front of her “dear calm down” she placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled “I'll be more than glad to let you work here with us, but you can't neglect your studies because of this, do you hear me?”
“YES MA'AM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!”
Toshinori cleared his throat to catch their attention, succeeding “and, m-may I join to…?” he asked while pressing his index fingers together “it's been really fun and I'd love to try and learn some cooking too…”
Mrs Brenda’s laugh boomed through the cafeteria “oh dear, I did not expect that” she dried a tear that threatened to fall from her left eye “of course you can, Toshinori. We always need a pair of extra hands around here” she suddenly frowned “and the tech team will need help carrying the new door for the pantry”
Mr Robinson looked at the woman, confused “what happened to the door?”
Toshinori jumped from his seat and grabbed Kristen's hand dragging her towards the exit, making the girl yelp “HEY, I HAVEN'T FINISHED MY HOT CHOCOLATE!” she screamed, but the blond was determined to leave the place as soon as possible.
“WELL, WE WILL GET GOING NOW. THANKS FOR EVERYTHING AND HAVE A LOVELY NIGHT. BYE!” the doors of the cafeteria closed behind them allowing Toshinori to temporarily escape their teacher's wrath.
Mrs Brenda shook her head and went back to the kitchen, laughing. Mr Robinson just stood there, confused.
“What did I miss?”
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
“Now you owe me a coffee AND a hot chocolate” Kristen complained, crossing her arms.
Toshinori sighed, relieved “yeah, I'll get you one whenever you want” his hand went to scratch his neck “and sorry about that, but I didn't want Mr Robinson to kick my ass”
“It's fine, don't worry” the girl just shrugged and looked at him, smirking “but are you aware that he will find out eventually, right…?”
“I'd rather not think about that right now” he moaned.
She just laughed and started walking towards the residence buildings “man, I'm tired. Today was an... Interesting day” she commented while stretching her arms.
“Yeah, it surely was. Do you think that today you'll be able to sleep properly?”
The girl looked at him and grabbed her chin in thought “I guess so? In not sure but right now my body is asking for my bed”
Toshinori chuckled at this “is that so? Then I won't take more of your time” a shy smile appeared in his face “thank you for making this day more enjoyable and for helping me get to the tournament”
Kristen blushed and looked down, moving her bangs from her face “you are welcome… And sorry again for what happened in class and for dragging you here with me”
Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder “as I told you, now we are even!” he winked at her.
“hah… I guess so, yeah” she smiled back “well, I'll get going now. Have a great night, Toshi!” she waved him goodbye as she entered the building, closing the door behind her.
He waved back, smiling and walked calmly towards the boy's building, not noticing the set of eyes that were spying on them, hiding in the dark.
Notes:
And that concludes the Biannual Hero Charity Event! An event that has allowed us to meet the characters that will accompany Toshinori and Kristen during their younger years :)
We also got to see their dynamics, personalities and learn a bit about their quirks.
Let's see what the future holds for them from now on!
Don't forget to give a kudo if you liked the chapter and leave a comment down below!
And as always... Have a nice day and go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!
Chapter 14: CHARACTER SHEETS: Nadia Schmitz
Notes:
It's Nadia's turn!
Her hero design is not 100% mine. It's a mix of my best friend's OC and my personal touch :)
Hope you guys like it
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
CASUAL:
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
HERO COSTUME:
Notes:
Next chapter will be a Halloween one!
Don't forget to give a kudo if you liked the chapter and leave a comment down below!
And as always... Have a nice day and go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!
Chapter 15: Roses...
Notes:
Happy Halloween!
I hope you enjoy this wonderful celebration, eat a lot of candy and do spooky things :D
Wanna know what's the scariest thing I did today? Write this chapter. I wasn't aware of how HARD is to accurately describe things in a language that isn't your first one.
My afternoon has been filled with "uh..." and google searches.
BUT, IT'S FINALLY OVER :D (until the next Extra that'd be uploaded after the next chapter)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The next day after the Biannual Hero Charity Event was plain, uneventful and almost boring.
Toshinori and Kristen didn't leave their beds until their stomachs began begging for sustenance.
So they dressed up without really looking at what they chose and left their rooms moving slowly, like zombies.
When Kristen got to the cafeteria, Toshinori was already there. How did he get there before her? They got out of the residences at the same time…
Well, she got lost of course!
She spent five minutes going around in circles until she gathered the courage to ask some students where the cafeteria was.
They just looked at her from head to toes and after giggling a little bit, answered her question.
Mrs Brenda saw the girl enter the place and sighed from behind the counter “Kristen go take a seat with Toshinori, I'll be with you in a moment” she told her while serving a boy a bowl of freshly made pasta.
Kristen just nodded and dragged herself to the chair next to the blond’s, who had his right elbow on the table, propping up his chin. They just made eye contact and nodded, perfectly understanding the other even though words were not exchanged.
The warmth he radiated drew her close and she ended up resting her head on his shoulder. Her eyes began to close and when she was about to start dreaming, something hit the table, making both Kristen and Toshinori jolt awake.
“There you go!” Mrs Brenda exclaimed “I made you a tea to drink while you go back to your rooms and I also packed you some lunch to eat later” the two lunch boxes were filled to the brim with mouthwatering pasta with vegetables, salmon and a side of salad “and also, take a pudding” the old lady moved to the counter and grabbed two containers with the dessert.
“A-Ah thank you ma'am, but you don't have to” Toshinori’s voice was raspy and he moved to help the woman only to receive a slap on the hand.
Kristen let out a weak laugh that was followed by a yawn “thank you very much Mrs Brenda” she managed to say.
“You are more than welcome, kids” she handed them a pair of bags with everything inside “now get out of my cafeteria and rest. You look horrible and are scaring the students away…”
They didn't answer and before they crossed the door, the old lady ran towards the blond “by the way, take this Toshinori” she grabbed a box of aspirin from her pocket and handed it to him “you will need it after yesterday”
He thanked her and walked to catch up with Kristen who had stopped and was looking around, confused.
“Are you okay?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I… I don't remember how to go back to the dorms” she closed her eyes and sighed “I'm too tired for this, I'm going to sleep on that bench” and with that she sprawled on the stone surface, shivering as soon as she made contact with the cold material.
Toshinori just shrugged and sat on the floor with his back resting on the bench “okay, I'm joining you. Goodnight”
“It's 2pm, you can't say goodnight” she muttered while placing an arm over her eyes.
“Whatever” he answered and placed the back of his head on her thigh.
Three minutes later Kristen’s voice woke Toshinori up “my back hurts, I want my bed…”
He just laughed and stood up “then let's go, I'll help you get to the dorms”
She grabbed her lunch and followed him “thanks…”
They got there fast and after a short goodbye, they went back to their rooms.
Back at the cafeteria, Mrs Brenda grabbed the forgotten cups of tea and took them away, shaking her head.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
The next week was filled with nothing more than lessons and monotony.
Toshinori and Kristen kept sitting together in class, which helped them become even closer: they chatted from time to time, shared notes and studied together in the library.
One day when they were at the cafeteria Nadia and Charlotte asked if they could sit with them and from that day on, the four students had lunch together, creating a little group that made Kristen feel like she finally belonged somewhere.
Another 7 days passed and Toshinori and Kristen joined Mrs Brenda for a cooking lesson.
After managing to not burn the kitchen down, they enjoyed their beautiful and tasty muffins. Toshinori’s had chocolate chips all over them while Kristen's were filled with lemon custard.
But not everything was fun and games; because of what happened at the festival the stadium was undergoing renovations, meaning that the training arena was closed, leaving the hero course students without their favorite subject ‘Field Training’.
So for now, they could only sit in class listening to Mr Robinson’s lessons for 6 hours straight and even if he would not admit it, even the teacher was starting to get tired of it.
To get rid of the boredom caused by this new routine, Kristen and Toshinori started meeting after class to do non-school related stuff, like going for a walk, going to the campus’ gym to train together or just lie down on the grass and talk about whatever crossed their minds.
With time, their bond became stronger, allowing them to trust the other with more personal feelings; if Kristen had a bad day, Toshinori was there to listen to her and if Toshinori was feeling a little blue, Kristen knew exactly what words to use to make him smile again.
They didn't know how they got to that point that fast, but they wouldn't change it for anything.
A full month passed and Halloween was only 8 days away.
Everyone was really excited for the upcoming “Halloween Masquerade”; posters announcing the event filled the corridors, students talked about their costumes and teachers met with the class representatives to organize everything.
“AND WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO FOR THE PARTY?” Nadia asked, stabbing a piece of broccoli with her fork and putting it in her mouth “WE COULD HAVE MATCHING COSTUMES!” pieces of the green vegetable flew in every direction.
Kristen cringed a bit at that, but said nothing “well, I haven't thought about it, to be honest” her hand scratched her chin “matching outfits would be cool, but we will have to choose a theme”
Nadia jumped, hitting the table with her knees by accident “WE COULD BE MUMMIES AND COVER OURSELVES IN TOILET PAPER”
Charlotte moved back quickly, avoiding the water that spilled from the glasses that toppled over “N-Nadia dear, I'd rather not be covered in toilet paper… We could use bandages! They are more fitting for a mummy…”
The pink haired girl crossed her arms, pouting “IF IT'S NOT TOILET PAPER, I DON'T WANT IT, SO LET'S KEEP THINKING”
“Maybe we can be zombies? You know, with ragged clothes and cool make up?” Toshinori proposed while he watched Kristen move the water from the table to a nearby plant that Mrs Brenda had placed in the cafeteria a few days ago “you know it's made of plastic, right?” he frowned, looking at the girl.
Kristen froze and a few seconds later, the water left the pot and filled Toshinori’s glass.
“Enjoy” she muttered, looking down at her plate.
Toshinori couldn't help but snicker “I think I'll pass, thanks” he said while moving the now mucky liquid away “but yeah, zombies would be cool, right?”
“I-I'm not a big fan of wearing dirty clothes, sorry…” Charlotte answered “maybe we can find something that is cool and is compatible with beautiful costumes?”
Nadia put an arm around the girl's shoulders “YOU CAN BE AN ELEGANT ZOMBIE, CHAR! YOU'LL BE PRETTY WITH ANYTHING YOU WEAR”
Her face turned red at her words “well yeah, but you get what I want to say. I'd prefer if we were… Cleaner” she answered, looking away from her.
“What about vampires?” Kristen spoke up “we just have to paint a little blood here and there, but their clothes tend to be stylish and quite beautiful, in my opinion”
The other three remained silent, thinking.
“That's not a bad idea… I like vampires, they are really cool” Toshinori broke the silence.
Nadia nodded enthusiastically “I LOVE IT. I CAN EVEN MAKE US THE OUTFITS”
“You can sew?” Kristen asked, eyes wide open in surprise.
“WELL, YEAH?” Nadia answered as if it was the most obvious thing “I CAN MAKE ALMOST EVERYTHING, EXCEPT FOR GLOVES… I STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE HAND OF IT”
Charlotte giggled and placed her hand on the other girl's arm “honey, the word is hang, not hand… Get the hang of it” she corrected.
Nadia looked at her for a few seconds, expression completely blank until her brain began working again “OH, WELL THERE GOES MY JOKE! HAHAHAHA” her laugh boomed through the cafeteria.
Charlotte shook her head and turned to face Kristen “I actually love the idea! Maybe we can meet this afternoon and design the clothes and masks together” she picked at her fingers and whispered “if that's okay with you…?”
Toshinori stood up and started collecting everyone's trays “yeah that'd be great! That way we can start working on it as soon as possible” he moved to take everything to the trash “I'll throw this away and then we can go to class, okay?”
The girls nodded and thanked him before returning to the conversation about the masquerade.
As he was emptying the last plate, the doors of the cafeteria opened loudly. Linda entered the place quickly and began looking around as if searching for something.
When they made eye contact the girl shrieked and ran towards him. Looks like she found what she was looking for.
“TOSHI HONEY HERE YOU ARE!” she yelled before trying to jump and hug him, only for Toshinori to use the tray he was holding as a shield.
“Hey Linda, good afternoon” he greeted politely “did you need anything from me?”
She moved around his “shield” and grabbed his arm “yeah! I wanted to ask you to be my partner for the masquerade!”
Toshinori tensed a bit at her words, oh boy this was going to be awkward “well, I didn't know I needed to look for a partner to go to the party”
Linda's obnoxious laugh filled the place “oh silly” she slapped his arm with her hand “you don't HAVE to, but it's always nice to be accompanied by someone and spend the night with them…” she winked at him, making the blond shiver.
“Uh… Well, I'm already going to the party with Kristen, Nadia and Charlotte, I'm really sorry” he apologized “I'm sure you'll find another partner in no time!”
She scoffed after hearing those names “are you serious, Toshi? You can't go with… THEM!” she pointed at the girls who were now looking at Linda after hearing their names “your reputation is going to be tarnished!”
He frowned at her words “how so, Linda?”
She moved away from him and rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her hips “well, you are handsome, strong and popular, and they are…” she lifted and moved her right hand in circles, looking for a way to express her opinion without causing too many problems “weird, let's leave it at that”
The blond crossed his arms, frown deepening “well, first of all; I don't know why you think like that about them but you couldn't be more wrong. And second; I'm going to the masquerade with them, and that's final, so please drop the topic”
Linda rolled her eyes “oh come on Toshi, we could be the most popular couple of the party. The king and queen, the spotlight, the main event!” she smirked at him “wouldn't you prefer that over being next to three nobodies?”
“The one that's going to be a nobody is you when I grab your ID and shove it up your ass, Linda” Kristen appeared next to Toshinori, followed by the other two girls.
“HAH, IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE LEGALLY SHE WOULD BE A NOBODY WITHOUT HER ID” Nadia laughed loudly.
“Oh god she's dumber than I thought” Linda cringed, her expression shifting into one of pure disgust “what do you want, Kristen. I wasn't talking to you”
Nadia walked towards Linda, towering over her “WANNA SAY THAT AGAIN, FRIEND?” she asked, her smile growing impossibly tighter.
Charlotte moved quickly and grabbed her arm, pulling Nadia away from the popular girl.
Kristen could see from the corner of her eye the energy that was buzzing out of her closed fists, asking to be released by hitting a certain bitch’s face. Looks like Charlotte had saved the day, for now.
Linda’s expression was priceless, it looked like she was about to pass out, but it didn't last long as she just scoffed and whispered a single whatever, before letting her arrogance come back to her again.
“I asked you a question, have you forgotten how to talk?” she mocked
Kristen snickered at her words “ah no, I just didn't want to answer you moments before Nadia sent you to the infirmary flying… I didn't want to have to repeat myself” she lifted an eyebrow at her “I'm sure the concussion would have made you forget even your own name”
“AND YOU WOULDN'T HAVE YOUR ID TO LOOK IT UP, BECAUSE IT'D BE UP YOUR FUCKING ASS-”
Charlotte gasped loudly “NADIA, WHAT THE HECK!?” she hit her ribs with her knuckles “DON'T SAY THAT!”
“OUCH, THAT HURTS CHAR…!” the star-eyed girl whimpered, grabbing her now aching side.
Linda was now fuming “okay, listen carefully” she said slowly “I wasn't talking to you so go and get lost with your weird ass friends, okay Kristen?” she hissed.
Kristen moved closer to the girl and whispered “how about you go fuck yourself, Linda dear?”
Suddenly a pink ribbon came out of Linda's hand and wrapped tightly around Kristen's neck, making the girl wheeze.
Kristen’s fingers tried to grab the rope only for it to squeeze harder, almost fusing with her skin.
Everyone in the cafeteria looked at them, some whispered, others gasped and a few told them to fight.
“LINDA!” Toshinori yelled, moving to help the girl.
Kristen’s vision filled with white dots and everything became blurry. Panic filled her system, while oxygen didn't.
“That will teach you to talk to me with more respec-”
Suddenly a little green ball hit Linda's skin, absorbing into it.
Her ribbon dropped from Kristen's neck, allowing her to breathe again. Toshinori grabbed her before she fell to the floor, coughing loudly.
“W-What's happening to me?!” Linda asked, tumbling backwards “I feel dizzy, really dizzy… What the heck did you do to me?!” she yelled.
Charlotte looked at her nails and answered “I gave you a little help to let out all that hate and negativity you have inside” she smirked “you are welcome!”
“C-Charlotte you bitch, I'm going to make you pay fo-” but before she could finish, she ran and emptied the contents of her stomach in a nearby trashcan.
Everyone let out sounds of disgust that mixed with laughter.
Toshinori picked up Kristen and moved towards the exit “let's get out of here before Mrs Brenda arrives” he told the other girls.
“Don't worry Linda, it'll go away in a few minutes, bye!” Charlotte told the girl who was gripping the trashcan with all her strength before closing the door.
“FUCK YO- UGH!”
The last thing they heard was Linda retching and Mrs Brenda's voice demanding an explanation.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
Linda didn't snitch on them because if she did, she would have to explain why she tried to suffocate Kristen.
With that thing solved, the following days were filled with sketches, measurements and shopping.
Charlotte helped design the costumes while Nadia brought her drawings to life with her skilled hands. It was so weird to watch the usually hyper girl work in silence and be able to use with astounding precision a needle.
Toshinori and Kristen were in charge of the masks. Due to Toshinori’s big and clumsy hands he was in charge of buying everything while Kristen did the rest.
After a lot of hard work and sleepless nights, everything was almost finished and they met at Nadia's room the day before the party to give some finishing touches to the clothes.
“KRIFTEN PLEAFE FTAY FTILL!” Nadia tried to speak, but her lips were holding the pins she was using to mark the parts that needed corrections.
“Ah, sorry” Kristen apologized “I'm just really excited for tomorrow…”
Nadia hummed in response and moved away to look at her work.
“Are you already done with the rest of the costumes? I can help you if you need a hand”
The pink haired girl placed the pins on the table and looked at Kristen, smiling “AH DON'T WORRY. THE ONLY THING LEFT IS YOUR CAPE AND I'LL DO IT IN FIVE MINUTES… BUT THANK YOU!”
“You are welcome!” Kristen smiled back “hey…” her expression changed to one of mischief “Can I take a little peek at the other's clothes?”
Nadia just moved around her while adjusting the fabric “I'VE ALREADY TOLD YOU, KRISTEN… NOPE, YOU CAN'T!”
Kristen turned around sharply, earning a punch to the leg “OUCH!”
“DON'T MOVE OR I'LL STICK YOU INTO THE GROUND WITH ONE SINGLE PUNCH!”
She moved to her original position and apologized before begging again “but whyyy… I just want to see your work!”
“AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT TOMORROW, DON'T BE IMPATIENT” she laughed.
Kristen crossed her arms and huffed in annoyance. Looks like she'll have to wait another day.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
And with that, tomorrow arrived. Kristen couldn't focus on anything that wasn't tonight's event, earning a scold from Mr Robinson.
But she managed to avoid getting detention and when the bell marked the end of the school week, she ran to meet with Charlotte and Nadia, leaving Toshinori with a brief goodbye and a hug.
The blond just laughed and prepared to also go to Nadia's room, his costume was there too after all, but she seemed to have forgotten about it.
“OPEN THE DOOR!” Kristen banged the door of Nadia's room “I SWEAR I'LL BREAK IT DOWN” she took a few steps back and ran to do so, but before she made contact the wood panel opened and a hand grabbed the back of her shirt, preventing her from falling face first into the floor.
“H-Hi Kristen” she could hear Charlotte from somewhere in the room “we are waiting for Toshinori to help him get ready, so you'll have to wait outside for a bit…” she whispered.
“WHAT?! BUT I GOT HERE FIRST” she complained while Nadia placed her feet on the floor “thanks Nadia” she smiled and turned around to look at the pink skinned girl again “IT'S NOT FAIR!”
“B-But our costumes take longer to put on, so doing his first is better…”
That made sense and Kristen didn't like it, so she just walked towards the other girl and slammed her face on her chest, screaming in frustration.
Nadia just patted her head and laughed “THERE, THERE… JUST A FEW MORE MINUTES”
“U-Uh… Am I interrupting something?” a male voice came from the door.
Toshinori was standing there, looking at them and blushing slightly as Kristen was mumbling into Nadia's boobs.
“AH TOSHINORI, ENTER PLEASE” she exclaimed while grabbing Kristen's shoulders and turning her around towards the door "AND YOU GET OUT OF HERE”
The girl just cursed under her breath and walked towards the lobby of the girls residence, sitting on the big sofa and watching students run excitedly from place to place with their costumes on.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
Twenty minutes had passed when Kristen felt a hand on her shoulder, startling her.
“A-Ah! Sorry” Charlotte apologized “I didn't want to scare you… I-I just came to tell you that we are done with Toshinori so you can come get ready with us!”
Kristen quickly stood up and jumped over the sofa, leaving the other girl behind “H-Hey wait for me!” she ran to catch up with her.
This time she knocked gently at the door “can I come in please?” she begged.
“TURN AROUND AND LET TOSHINORI GET OUT” Nadia answer from inside the room “AND DON'T PEEK”
She groaned but did as told, hearing the door open and Toshinori’s voice “bye Kristen! See you later” he told her while ruffling her hair.
“Yeah, yeah Toshi, bye-bye and all that stuff” she told the blond, her patience running thin “now get out of here before I combust and ruin everything!”
He just laughed and walked towards the stairs, his loafers clacking in the distance.
“WAIT TOSHINORI, LET MEASURE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN YOUR TEETH” Nadia ran to catch the blond.
What?
A few seconds later she came back and entered the room again.
“NOW YOU CAN COME IN!” Nadia called her and in an instant, Kristen was in front of her, almost vibrating and full of excitement.
The distribution was just like Kristen's: a queen sized bed on the far left corner, in the wall in front of it a big wardrobe filled the space and a desk with a chair was placed on the right side of the room, in front of the entrance. On that same wall was the bathroom door, every student had a private one with a shower, a basin and a toilet, basic but convenient.
And of course, in the middle of the front wall, a window let light into the space.
Those were the elements every room had in common, but Nadia gave the place her personal touch just like almost everyone else; the walls were adorned with posters of old movies and bands she didn't recognize and star stickers could be seen almost everywhere. A bunch of potted plants gave the room a cozy vibe and a fresh aroma.
Her sewing tools and machine filled the far right corner, and a mannequin wearing what Kristen thought was Charlotte’s costume was placed in the middle of the space, over a black fluffy rug.
Her desk was full of photos of her friends and family. Kristen learned that Nadia was born in Germany, but came to the US to study here, just like herself.
“COME IN, COME IN” she invited her, closing the door.
Charlotte was already sitting on the bed, waiting. Looks like she had snuck inside while Toshinori left.
“Let's get ready!” she said while clapping her hands.
The first one was Charlotte, her costume was an off shoulder short dress.
The fabric was dark red with embroidered roses all over it, they were almost imperceptible as they were also red, but they gave the dress texture and an air of luxury.
Puffy short sleeves and two black leather straps that rested on her shoulders held it in place, with dark lace adorning the neckline.
While Kristen tightened the black leather corset, Nadia started putting in place the different layers that formed the skirt of the dress.
Two layers of red cloth cut irregularly were overlaid with dark tulle, which gave the skirt a bit of structure due to its strength and firmness.
“AND NOW THE CHERRY ON TOP!”
Nadia tied a choker with a big red rose around her neck and pinned a little black bow in the middle of her chest.
“DONE, YOU LOOK AMAZING. NOW PUT ON YOUR SOCKS AND GRAB KRISTEN’S COSTUME” she told Charlotte that was in front of the mirror of the wardrobe, eyes tearing up.
“I love it Nadia, you outdid yourself…” she sniffed.
“OH YOU… THANK YOU!” she laughed “ONLY THE BEST FOR THE BEST”
And with that, Charlotte put on her black long socks, red mary janes and brought everything they needed to start dressing Kristen up.
“NOW, STRIP FOR ME, WOMAN” Nadia commanded.
The girl blushed a deep shade of red and looked down at her feet “d-dont say it like that” she whispered while taking off her shirt and pants.
“COME ON CHARLOTTE, WE HAVE A LOT TO DO!”
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
“H-Here, your measuring tape”
“THANKS, LUV” Nadia answered while putting the rope over Kristen's neck and painting the second dot that formed the ‘vampire's bite’ “3,5 CM… PERFECT!”
“Uh… That's extremely precise” Kristen frowned while feeling the girl splash fake blood over the bite mark.
“MY WORK IS ONLY EXACT AND PERFECT” she complained “WELL, YOU ARE DONE. NOW GET OUT OF MY ROOM!”
And with that, Nadia kicked them both out of her place to get ready herself. So the girls went to look for Toshinori.
It wasn't that hard to find those blond bangs, he was standing right next to the tree that was in front of the cafeteria.
Charlotte called his name, making him turn around and letting Kristen finally see his costume “what the heck?” she frowned.
They were practically matching: their shirts were the same blood red color, Toshinori’s was really basic and a bit too tight on his muscles, while Kristen's was an off shoulder one with layered long sleeves. From the neckline a layer of fabric flowed in waves like it did in her arms, giving it more volume than it already had.
The rose pattern of her black corset matched the one in Toshinori’s dark vest.
“CHARLOTTE I'M GOING TO KILL YOU BOTH!”
Their slacks were also black; Toshinori’s had roses embroidered all the way down the side and Kristen's had that same design at the bottom hem.
The pink skinned girl just giggled and watched how Kristen and Toshinori’s face matched the color of their clothes.
From the lower part of the vest and corset, a cape flowed down behind them. The blond’s was completely dark while the inside of Kristen's was red.
Toshinori’s look was topped with a two layer white jabot and a rose brooch that held the cloth to his shirt. Nadia also added a little bit of blood coming out of his mouth, as if he had... Bitten... Someone's neck.
Realization hit Kristen like a truck, but before she could say anything about it, Toshinori broke the silence.
He looked away and cleared his throat “y-you look really good, Nadia did a great job…” he whispered.
Kristen moved a piece of hair behind her ear “yeah, she did… You look handsome in that, shirts really suit you” she smiled.
“Really? I must admit that I'm not used to clothes this fancy, but if you think I look good in them I will have to wear them more often” he winked at her.
She just laughed and walked next to him, her reed heels clacking across the stone floor, and hit his arm “and if I told you that you would look REALLY sexy if you did my homework everyday?”
“Sorry but I don't believe you” he shrugged, the stitches of his shirt groaning a bit “no one looks good when writing a 900 words essay for ‘Strategies and Planning’ about how the materials of a building can be used to create a safe and efficient strategy”
Kristen cringed a bit and shook her head “yeah, you are right, but it was worth a try”
Suddenly Nadia's voice reached their ears and when they turned around Toshinori had to grab Kristen's shoulders to prevent her from falling to the ground.
"Ay dios mío..." she whispered in spanish.
“HI GUYS, I'M READY TO PARTY!” she screamed from a few meters away, while she ran towards them.
A black low cut irregular dress hugged her body tightly. The sweetheart neckline was covered in red roses and her stomach could be seen thanks to the see-through material from the bodice.
A maroon satin cloth was draped around her hips, folding in waves that flowed towards another cluster of red roses stuck to her right hip. The flowers held a long piece of red, shiny tulle that went all the way down to her feet.
The upper part of the dress was trying its best to hold her breasts inside, but the running and jumping she was doing made the job really hard.
“Oh god I can't look away” Kristen said while trying her best to try and stop looking at Nadia's boobs.
“I'd say t-that you'll get used to it but I'd be lying” Charlotte giggled while going to meet the girl.
Kristen turned around to look at Toshinori who was analyzing the shapes and colors of the few leaves that hadn't fallen from the tree yet.
“How many are there?” Kristen snorted.
“17” he answered “17 leaves”
She just laughed and grabbed his arm, dragging him towards the auditorium where the party had started a few minutes ago, the other two girls following behind them, giggling.
Kristen couldn't help but feel like she was forgetting something, but couldn't put her finger on it… Well, she'd remember later, now it was time to have a fun night with her friends!
Notes:
Party time! I wonder what Kristen is forgetting... I'm sure it's nothing important, right?
Don't forget to give a kudo if you liked the chapter and leave a comment down below!
And as always... Have a nice day and go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!
Chapter 16: ...Painted Red With Blood
Notes:
Hi again!
This chapter has some parts where you may feel a bit uncomfortable with some people's actions, so read with discretion!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The masks, of course. That's what she was forgetting about.
After running barefoot and grabbing the bags from her bed, she returned to the auditorium and gave the accessories to her friends.
Nadia's was simple but elegant; the black and maroon material with two big red roses glued on either side of it covered the upper part of her face, completing her look.
“DO YOU NEED HELP TYING IT UP, CHAR?”
“Y-Yes please” the girl shyly answered and handed the mask to her friend.
Charlotte's was fully made of black lace, allowing her face to be seen through the holes. A pair of the red flowers crowned the right upper part of it.
“KRISTEN THEY LOOK REALLY GOOD” Nadia yelled excitedly “THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO MAKE THEM!”
Kristen blushed, looking away “you are welcome, but I should be the one thanking you for these amazing costumes!”
Nadia just gave her a dismissive wave and turned around to look at Toshinori “HEY BOY, DID YOU BRING… THE THING?” she asked cryptically.
The blond’s eyes opened widely in surprise, the white mask full of blood splatters that covered the right side of his face showing only one of them, but his blue orbs still shone from under the shadows cast by the material.
“Yeah! I got it right here” he grabbed a little box from his pocket “I'm not sure if this is a good idea, Nadia” he whispered looking down at the present.
“SHE'S GOING TO LOVE IT. NOW GO GIVE IT TO HER” she told him, winking dramatically.
“I really hope you are right” he sighed, moving towards Kristen, who had just finished adjusting her mask; a white colombina mask with red border and black details. Only her left eye was visible as the other one was covered in a bunch of roses and green leaves. Red little shiny beads hung from the bottom of it, resembling drops of blood.
“Can you even see properly with that?” he asked her, watching the girl cross her arms and roll her eyes at him.
“Of course I can… I have a little space hidden between the petals for me to see” she squinted her eyes, looking around “more or less”
He just snorted, offering her the red velvety box “this is for you”
She grabbed it and looked at him, expecting some kind of explanation that never arrived “and what is it…?”
Kristen didn't miss how a little blush appeared all over his only visible cheek.
“This is something I saw when buying the materials for the costumes” he scratched his neck, looking away “I thought it would pair really well with your mask and the theme we chose…” the blond managed the courage to meet her eyes again “I hope it isn't too much”
Kristen looked down at the box “well, I better open it” she mumbled.
Inside of it was a beautiful necklace; a silver thin chain full of red little jewels that shone brightly, reflecting the light from the place. Some of the stones dangled from the main part, looking like blood streaks. It was stunning.
“Oh wow” she whispered, running her fingers over it “it's really pretty, Toshi” she looked at him, her golden orbs meeting his blue ones “you didn't have to”
He smiled sweetly at her “I know but I really wanted to” he said while grabbing the collar “may I?”
Kristen blushed and turned around “y-yeah, of course” she muttered while moving her hair away.
Toshinori looked at her pale neck and felt an itch on his teeth. The sensation strong enough to make him stop for a moment before being able to move again.
He got closer to her and lifted the piece over her head placing it carefully, letting the red of the beads contrast against her white skin.
His fingers closed the clasp and moved slowly, following the chain to make sure the necklace was correctly positioned, brushing slightly against her shoulders and collarbones.
He felt Kristen shiver under his hands, making Toshinori focus again and move away from her quickly “a-ah! There you go!” his voice came out louder than he expected “it looks really good!”
She just turned around, smiling brightly and nodded while touching the piece decorating her neck.
“OH GOD LOOK AT YOU!” Nadia jumped between them “GOOD CHOICE, TOSHINORI”
“Y-Yeah, it goes really well with your costume, Kristen…” Charlotte mentioned, giggling a little.
“BUT LET'S STOP CHATTING AND LET'S START DANCING!” she grabbed both girl's hands and dragged them towards the main dance floor, officially starting their night.
Toshinori just followed after them, laughing and shaking his head.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
An hour later, the four of them sat down on a nearby table. Feet sore and throats dry from dancing and singing.
“I wish I could just burn my heels and walk barefoot for the rest of my life…” Kristen sighed, sitting with a groan.
“I could always carry you if you needed it” Toshinori chuckled, sitting next to her.
A frown appeared on her face “and how do you expect me to dance, hm?” she moved her face close to his “are you going to cradle me in your arms and swing me around like a baby?”
“Well, I don't want to brag, but I'm a pretty good dancer myself” he smirked, getting even closer to her “so yeah, I'd do that”
She snorted, feeling his breath on her skin “yeah and who tells you that, your mom?”
Suddenly, the playful atmosphere between them dropped abruptly.
Toshinori moved away from the girl looking away “hah, no…” his voice sounded… Sad “I just took some classes here and there when I was younger, so I guess I'm at least a bit good at it” he shrugged.
Kristen couldn't help but worry, did she do something wrong? Maybe getting that close to him made him uncomfortable.
“Hey Toshi, are you okay?” she asked, worry filling her voice “I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortab-”
Suddenly a voice made them both jump in surprise “TOSHI, DEAR!”
Oh god not her, not now…
Linda stood in front of the blond dressed in a long white with golden and blue accents dress. Jewelry adorned the majority of her body and her eyes were covered by a golden cat's mask full of stones and lace. Her costume reminded Kristen of the ones female Egyptian Pharaohs wore.
“Hi Linda” his smile returned to his face, but it looked forced… Fake “how are you doing?”
A few days after the incident at the cafeteria, Linda ‘apologized’ to Kristen loud enough for Toshinori and almost everyone at their class to hear. That allowed her to get close to the blond again without him rejecting her right away.
“I'M REALLY GOOD DEAR, BETTER NOW THAT I'M WITH YOU” she answered and looked at Kristen “do you mind? We are having a conversation”
Kristen crossed her arms and made herself comfortable on the chair “I was here before you so you'll have to be the one moving if you don't want me to listen to your conversation”
Linda’s jaw clenched, but managed to control her temper “is that so, bitch?” she whispered and used a pink rope to move Kristen's chair, sliding between her and Toshinori.
“HEY!” she yelled while she was dragged away from the table.
Linda just ignored her and looked back at Toshinori, smiling again “WELL, I CAME HERE TO ASK YOU FOR A DANCE, WHAT DO YOU SAY?”
Toshinori sighed, tired of this already “Linda that was rude, please bring Kristen back”
She sat on his lap, draping an arm around his shoulders “only if you say yes, handsome” she whispered to him.
He just stood up, moving away from her and accepted, watching how Kristen's chair was placed on its original position “I'll be back, girls. See you later” he informed his friends before being dragged away by Linda.
They just watched in silence how the two walked away, getting lost between the other students.
“T-That was weird…” Charlotte commented “he looked really sad all of the sudden” she looked at Kristen “what happened when you were whispering to each other?”
Kristen frowned, trying to remember and guess what could have happened for his mood to change so abruptly “we were talking about dancing; he teased me, I teased him and boom” she gestured with her hands “maybe he felt uncomfortable because I got too close to his face?”
“I HIGHLY DOUBT SO, HE MOVED EVEN CLOSER TO YOU AFTER ALL” Nadia added, giggling “IT HAS TO BE ANOTHER THING”
Kristen took her mask off, playing with the roses to distract herself “well… I mentioned her mother at some point, maybe he's not on good terms with her?”
“Yeah, that'd make sense” Charlotte added, grabbing her glass full of punch and drinking a bit of it “maybe you should apologize?”
Kristen placed the mask back on and nodded “yeah you are right… If it made him feel bad it's the least I can do” she shrugged pointing towards the dance floor “but first I'll have to wait for Linda to let him go and that may take a while”
“LET SEE IF I CAN SPOT THEM” Nadia started looking around on the dance floor until she jumped and pointed her finger at them “LOOK, THERE THEY ARE”
Toshinori and Linda were dancing to a slow song. The girl tried to press her body into his, only for the blond to spin her around as an excuse to create more distance.
He was a good dancer, just like he said. His body moved swiftly and with grace, guiding his partner, improvising a perfect choreography.
Kristen couldn't take her eyes away from them; the way Linda's hands were placed and grabbed at him, how she sometimes succeeded in her attempts to brush her body against his and how Toshinori just smiled awkwardly and kept moving without missing a step. All of that was making the girl feel her chest burning and jaw clenching.
“K-Kristen are you okay?” Charlotte asked, placing a hand on her arm “you look tense”
Kristen jumped a bit, startled by the sudden contact “yeah, yeah I'm fine”
“ARE YOU SURE? YOUR LEG IS BOUNCING. DO YOU NEED TO GO OUT TO RELAX FOR A BIT?”
She just shook her head and sighed “don't worry girls, I'm okay. Just a little bit…” she looked at the dance floor again where Linda's obnoxious laugh could be heard over the music “distracted”
Nadia and Charlotte just looked at each other, worried.
“DO YOU WANNA GO DANCE WITH US? THAT'LL HELP YOU FORGET WHATEVER IS BOTHERING YOU”
“No thanks, you can go if you want, tho”
Charlotte moved closer and hugged her “n-no way, we are not leaving you alone here”
Kristen smiled, returning the hug “thank you, girls”
And with that, almost every negative emotion disappeared from her body.
They just talked about everything and nothing, laughing from time to time until a male voice interrupted their conversation about which was the best scented candle smell.
“Hey Kristen” the guy was dressed up as a zombie, the dark green mask he chose covered everything except his mouth “I couldn't help but notice that you are here instead of dancing” he tried to sound smug, making the girl cringe a bit “wanna change that and let me show you a good time?”
The girls just looked and each other and back at him “uh, no thanks I'm fine” she answered politely "but thank you for the invitation”
“Come on, just one song and if you don't like it I'll leave you alone” he offered his hand to her “deal?”
She was about to say no again, when her eyes spotted Linda sliding her hands down a certain blond’s chest.
Kristen stood up suddenly, startling her friends and the guy “you know what?” she looked at him in the eyes and grabbed his hand, dragging him to the dance floor “deal”
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
Memories of his mother flowed through his mind while Linda talked to him. He just nodded mindlessly. It was a rude thing to do, but he couldn't help it.
He knew Kristen didn't say that on purpose and it wasn't even something negative, they were just teasing the other. But the sole mention of her mother brought back feelings he thought had under control.
Looks like he was wrong.
He didn't even notice Linda's hands roaming, how long have they been here for?
What he managed to see was Kristen moving towards the dance floor with someone he recognized. The guy was a bit taller than her and had his long blue hair in a ponytail. It was his ‘friend’ Albert and he was dancing with her.
Their bodies were really close. His hands were placed on her waist while hers rested on his shoulders. She was laughing, moving around with him, following the rhythm of the upbeat music.
Toshinori felt his sadness turn into something different; jealousy.
Why was he jealous? She had the right to dance with whoever she wanted.
He tried to reason with himself, but when he saw the man's hands move down to her hips and press her body to his, any semblance of understanding and logic went out the window.
“I have to go” he told Linda, not even looking at her.
She just grabbed him again, pouting “Oh come on Toshi, just one more dance!”
But he grabbed her wrists and dropped them, looking directly into her eyes. The intensity of his gaze made the girl take a step back.
“Enjoy the rest of the night, Linda” and with that he went away, squishing between dancing students.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
Kristen was having a good time, this guy knew how to move, but was a little bit handsy. Nothing she couldn't be too bothered about, to be honest.
Their bodies swung around for a while, but after 5 minutes she was bored and a bit uncomfortable. The more she spent with this guy, the more she felt something was off.
“Well, I think I'm going to go” she told him, having to scream for her voice to be heard “thanks for the dance and all”
Just when she was going to turn around, he moved his hands to her hips and pressed her body into his “HEY, WHAT THE FUCK!? LET GO OF ME”
He moved his face closer to hers “come on sweetheart you know you want this, I can feel it” Albert told her, grinding against Kristen.
Her body tensed and moved her hand to slap him, but he was faster and grabbed her wrist squishing it painfully, making the girl whimper in pain.
“Don't you even dare, bitch” his nails dug into her skin “try that again and I'll make sure that you don’t-”
“She doesn't what, Albert?” a baritone boomed over the music, making Kristen and the guy look at the imposing towering figure that appeared next to them.
“Toshi…?” she managed to say, a sound of complaint leaving her mouth as the hand of the guy applied more pressure.
“Toshinori, this is none of your business” he hissed “weren't you dancing with Linda just now? Go away and leave us alone”
He didn't answer and instead grabbed the guy's wrist “wanna know how it feels?” his voice turned dark, the shadows on his face only allowing his blue orbs to be seen.
“H-Hey let go- AGH” Albert tried to move away, but before he did a deafening crack could be heard coming from his wrist, his fingers opening and letting Kristen go.
She took a step back, looking at the scene before her.
“Apologize”
Not a single sound left the other guy's mouth, causing Toshinori to snort “okay then” he said plainly, crushing the other's wrist again, the pops and cracks making Kristen shiver.
“OKAY STOP, I'LL APOLOGIZE” he cried, his legs almost giving out “I'M SORRY KRISTEN, I'M SORRY”
Toshinori let go of him, not even bothering to watch how he fell to the floor, he just turned around and moved towards Kristen, carefully grabbing her injured arm “are you okay?” his voice turned sweet and careful “come on, let's get out of here to better look at it”
She just nodded and followed him, every student watching them go and opening a path for them to leave the dance floor.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
After calming down and explaining to the other two girls what happened, Charlotte applied a bit of pink pain on her wrist, making Kristen feel a bit better.
“THAT MOTHERFUCKER, I'M GOING TO FUCKING CRUSH HIS HEAD” Nadia barked, anger flowing in waves out of her body.
Kristen huffed and placed a hand on her leg “don't do that, please. Just forget about it and enjoy the rest of the night”
“W-We can't do that after what happened to you” Charlotte mumbled.
Toshinori moved and kneeled in front of them, sighing “it's the best we can do right now. Thinking about it will only sour our mood” he told them “and everything is fine now, right? That's the most important thing” he beamed at them, his smile a bit forced.
“YEAH, YOU ARE RIGHT” Nadia stood up and grabbed Charlotte's hand “LET'S GO CHECK THE FOOD, I'M STARVING”
As they were going away, Kristen's voice reached their ears “I'm going out to get some fresh air, I'll join you guys later” she told her friends, turning around and moving towards the exit.
“I'll go with her, you girls enjoy the night!” the blond said, following Kristen.
“S-Should we go with them?” Charlotte asked.
“NAH, THEY HAVE A FEW THINGS TO TALK ABOUT. THEY'LL JOIN US WHEN THEY ARE READY!”
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
The white bright light from the infirmary and the sterile smell made Albert's head throb.
“Looks like your wrists is broken, dear” the nurse told him “let me go grab my things and I'll fix it up”
He just scoffed, annoyed. Why did that stupid idiot have to appear and fucking break his wrist? They were having a good time, the girl was just a brat that was hard to get.
And he did love a good challenge.
“Hey you” someone called from the door, it was Linda.
“Bitch what the heck do you want? Leave me alone” he said, taking off his mask.
She just rolled her eyes and walked inside the room “I just wanted to congratulate you on your pathetic performance, it almost made me feel pity”
“Is that all?”
She hummed “actually, it's not” she looked into his black eyes, a smirk adorning her face “I came here to offer you something: revenge”
He frowned “Linda, I can't possibly beat Toshinori, have you seen how effortlessly he broke my wrist?” he pointed at the purple bruise “he will crush me into a ball in two seconds”
“Oh dear no! I won't let you near my dear Toshi” she laughed “I'm talking about that Kristen bitch. Didn't you want her to yourself? I can get you an opportunity to have that…”
His face changed into one of surprise and then, a suspicious look appeared “wait, why are you doing this?”
She crossed her arms and sat on one of the chairs “I just hate her and want to make her suffer, is that enough for you?” she wasn't going to tell him all the details and how she wanted Toshinori to be alone tonight to take him to her room and finally make the blond hers.
Albert just shrugged “yeah whatever. Now tell me what to do”
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
A few hours later the party was finally over. Everyone was packing up and going to their rooms to keep partying or just fall face first into their beds.
“I HAD A REALLY GOOD TIME” Nadia screamed, full of energy “HOW ABOUT YOU, GUYS?”
Charlotte walked, dragging her feet, next to her “yeah honey, I had a really good time but I'm really tired right now” she yawned “I'm going to bed, see you tomorrow guys!”
“Bye Charlotte, sleep well!” Toshinori waved her goodbye.
“WAIT FOR ME CHAR” Nadia ran to catch up with her “BYE GUYS I LOVE YOU!”
“Bye girls!” Kristen laughed “I should go too, my feet are killing me” a sigh left her lips.
“Do you want me to carry you to your room?” he asked.
“What? No!” Kristen blushed “I can get there on my own, but thank you”
“Okay, okay!” he snickered, raising his hands “at least let me accompany you there?”
Just before she answered, a girl carrying a box full of decorations fell in front of them, scratching her knees in the process “OUCH!”
“Oh let me help you with that!” Kristen ran and grabbed the box while Toshinori helped her stand up “do you want me to carry it for you? It's kinda heavy” she asked.
“Oh you don't have to, really” she answered shyly. Wait, did Kristen know her? Her voice sounded familiar.
“I insist!” she smiled “Toshi please, could you take her to the infirmary while I bring this to the storage room? I'll meet you there when I'm done!”
“Yeah no problem” he responded “can you walk or do you want me to carry you there?”
“I think I can walk, thank you” she told him and turned around to look at the girl “and thank you very much, Kristen”
“Well, that's settled then. See you later, Toshi!”
Kristen ran with the box to the back of the auditorium, where the small storage room was.
She moved behind the red curtains of the stage, it was hard to see as almost every light was turned off, but she managed to get there without any problem.
She finally arrived at the door with a sign that read “Storage Room”. Kristen struggled a bit, but managed to turn the doorknob, entering the dark space.
She clicked her tongue “where's the damn light switch?” she mumbled while grabbing the box with one hand and feeling the wall with the other to locate it.
Suddenly something hit her back, making her fall forward and into the floor.
“HEY WHAT THE FUCK?” she turned around only to see Linda standing there, a smirk on her face “LINDA WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU” Kristen yelled and stood up, moving towards her.
But an arm appeared from behind and put her on a chokehold, making Kristen panic and scratch at the limb to free herself.
“You are the thing that's wrong, Kristen” she looked at her with nothing more than disgust “I've already warned you about Toshi, but you didn't listen. So let's see if my friend here can make you understand”
Kristen was gasping for air, kicking her feet “Y-you bitch! When he finds out about this, he will fucking c-crush you!”
An arrogant laugh filled the space “ah dear, but that's the thing” she walked towards Kristen moving down to meet her face “you won't tell him that I was involved in this. You can tell him about Albert for all that I care, tho”
The person behind her complained “Hey what the heck?! What do you mean she can snitch on me?!”
“Oh shut up, someone has to take the blame for this and it won't be me” she raised an eyebrow “I will also have an alibi; Toshinori will be under me in my bed when whatever happens here, happens”
Kristen stared at her with wide eyes and mouth agape “s-so that's what all of this is about?!” she coughed “YOU ARE SICK AND STUPID IF YOU THINK I WON'T TELL HIM ABOUT THIS!”
Linda's eye twitched and grabbed her face “wanna know why you won't tell him a damn thing?” she hissed “because if you do, the next person I will go for is your little friend Charlotte” her nails dug into her cheeks, blood trickling down Kristen's skin “and what would that good for nothing do alone against whoever I send to crush her bones, hm?”
With that she let go of her and walked away “remember my words and have fun in here!”
A loud howl left Kristen's lungs and with newfound strength managed to bite Albert's arm, making him cry in pain and release her. She used this opportunity to breathe again and with a sharp movement of her hand, make columns of stone emerge from under the ground and dash towards Linda.
Just as she was about to be hit, the rocks halted, only a few centimeters away from her.
“W-What the heck?” Kristen whispered, trying to move her arm “why can't I move?!” she panicked, noticing how she couldn't move her body.
“Pathetic” Linda poked at the pointy stones, retreating her hand as they broke her skin, drawing a drop of blood from her “that’s Albert's quirk, Shadow Trap. Now I'll leave you discover what else he can do”
And with that the door closed, leaving them in complete darkness.
“LINDA COME BACK HERE” she yelled “LINDA!”
“Shut up!”
The next thing she felt was something hitting her hace and blood flowing freely from her nose and into the floor.
Notes:
Welp, that's bad...
Next chapter will be an extra! Everyone wants to know what Toshi and Kristen talked about when they went outside... But you'll have to wait a bit longer to read it ;)
Don't forget to give a kudo if you liked the chapter and leave a comment down below!
And as always... Have a nice day and go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!
Chapter 17: May I Have This Dance? (EXTRA)
Notes:
Hi, hello!
Welcome to another extra :) this one shows us what happens when Kristen leaves the party and Toshinori follows her!
It's a little bit special as it features another Mili song, yay! I really recommend you to listen to it as it will help you imagine the pace of the movements and story in general (the scene where it's used at is almost at the end, you will see when as Kristen literally starts singing it)
Here you have it!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
October’s cold breeze brushed against Kristen's skin as she walked on the wet grass that covered the roof of the auditorium, making her shiver.
The building had a beautiful roof garden that was now closed to the students, unless you could fly, of course.
She just sighed and looked at the vast ocean in front of her. She could enjoy a bit of it from her dorm’s window, but it didn't beat this; to be able to watch it without buildings or the wall of the campus interfering was a completely different experience.
Kristen sat down, hugging her knees; another night ruined, why did this always happen to her? She just wanted to have a little fun with her friends, enjoy herself for once.
She just wanted a peaceful life, but she couldn't even have it here.
Tears ran down her face before she could stop them, a few sobs leaving her lips.
“Maldita sea!” she snapped, taking her mask off and throwing it into the grass, the object bouncing away until it reached a pair of black and white loafers.
Kristen looked up at Toshinori, who just crouched and grabbed it, cleaning the dirt off it.
“Why are you here?” she asked, standing up and turning away from him, wiping the tears off her face “you should be inside enjoying the night, dancing with our friends, with Linda”
The blond said nothing, walking towards her and stopping right next to the girl, gazing forward.
And they stayed like that, silently looking at the wonderful view in front of them: a sea of stars, free of any kind of pollution, opened before their very eyes reflecting itself into the water.
Constellations and galaxies decorated the sky with their shapes and colors, and the moon bathed everything in its light, creating an almost ethereal ambience.
Studying on top of a hill far away from the town had its advantages.
After a while, Kristen broke the spell they were under “is it my fault?” she whispered “am I not trying hard enough?”
Toshinori turned towards her, frowning “what do you mean?” he asked, confused.
“I-I” she couldn't find her words “I just- I don't” her hands grabbed at her hair angrily “AGH!” and sat down on the grass again, with a thump.
“I don't know Toshinori!” she yelled between sobs “it doesn't matter where I am or what I do, I always end up getting hurt!” she gestured with her hands “I moved away from my home looking for a peaceful life without problems. But I've been here for a month and a half and I've already gotten in so much trouble; the detention, Linda and now that Albert dude” her hands were starting to shake “what am I doing wrong?!”
“Why do you think you are responsible for those things happening?” he asked, sitting next to her and placing the mask on the ground.
She looked at the blond and scoffed “what do you mean? Have you listened to anything I've just said?!”
“Yeah and that's why I'm asking you this” he replied calmly.
“Well, I splashed you with that giant ball of water in class! It's my fault we got detention”
Toshinori shook his head “I earned that detention by my own accord, only your punishment is your fault” he corrected “now keep going, please”
She rolled her eyes “well, I started the fights with Linda: I teased and insulted her. That's why she hates me and does what she does”
The blond cringed at her words “okay you have to be joking” when she didn't answer he sighed “Kristen I swear to god, Linda is jealous because I prefer to spend time with you instead of her. The only thing you are guilty of is being a good friend and someone I like doing things with”
She shook her head, not wanting to listen to his words “and what about Albert? I was the one that accepted his offer”
“Did you really say yes to what he did to you?” Toshinori crossed his arms “because it didn't seem like it”
“I-I…” she tried to argue, but no words left her mouth.
“Exactly” he placed a hand on her shoulder “you can't blame yourself for everything bad that happens, you can't control everything… Only the things you do”
After a moment of silence, a sob escaped her lips “I don't know what to do anymore, I'm so lost and tired”
Toshinori stood up and offered her his hand, smiling sweetly “let me be here for you to help you find your way” he helped her up and used his free hand to grab her waist “let us dance together until we reach your destination... And more"
Kristen looked at him, frowning “why?” she asked “why would you do that for me?”
The blond just shrugged, holding her hand up “I mean that's what heroes are for, right?” he smirked, earning an eye roll from the girl “but I guess I also care about you and want to help you be happy”
A blush covered their cheeks and Kristen placed her hand on his shoulder, sighing “thank you, Toshi” she looked at his beautiful blue eyes and smiled “muchísimas gracias”
An even bigger beam covered his face when he saw her smile “you are more than welcome. And now…” he squeezed her waist a little, earning a little yelp from the girl “may I have this dance?”
Kristen couldn't help but feel that the answer to that question was going to change her life forever.
But she didn't see anything wrong with it.
“Yes” she answered, moving away from him to get her mask and after putting it back on, grabbed his hand again.
A laugh that warmed her heart left his lips and with that, they danced to the sound of the waves and their heartbeats.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
20 minutes later, they rested on the grass watching the stars above them.
Their hands didn't touch, but were close enough for Kristen to feel his warmth.
Toshinori’s low voice broke the silence “do you miss your home?” he asked without taking his eyes off the sky.
Kristen looked at him, following the curves of his face with her eyes “why are you asking me that all of the sudden?”
He just shrugged “I mean, you said that you left your country to have a peaceful life free of problems” suddenly his blue orbs met hers “I was just curious about knowing if you missed your loved ones…”
A scoff left her lips “the only loved one I had was killed by my family's greed, so no” she stood up from the ground and walked away towards the edge of the roof “I don't miss them a single bit”
Toshinori sat up, a concerned expression adorning his face “I'm sorry…”
“Don't” she interrupted abruptly “it's not your fault so don't be sorry about it”
He just watched her raise her arm towards the moon “they don't like me because I refuse to follow their steps. They say I'm a disgrace to the family's name” she shrugged “they basically threw me out of my home, so there's no way I miss THEM!”
Tears began running down her cheeks from under the mask.
“Because of THEM I lost everything and I had to fly alone to an unknown place, to a different continent!” she gestured with her hands towards the ocean “they forced me to change so many things about myself, only for them to just… Discard me”
She turned around to look at the blond “It got to a point where I didn't feel like ME anymore. I was an empty shell that changed its personality to fit the occasion. I always had to be perfect” her hand moved to her heart, grabbing her shirt “but then I met you and in a few weeks you helped me remember how to be me again” she took a step back, nearing the edge “she would have loved you”
Toshinori stood up quickly “Kristen be careful, please”
She just turned around and closed her eyes, the tips of her heels with nothing but emptiness under them.
“Do you think she's proud of me?” she asked “of the person I've become?”
“I doubt so” a male voice she loathed with all her soul rang inside her head.
Kristen took a shaky breath in, the humid and salty air filling her lungs and sang to the moon to try and make the only person that's ever loved her, answer her questions again after all this time.
“Rainbows”
The wind blew against her face, not letting her hear the blond calling her name.
“Thought I'd never know”
She let herself fall forward, but Toshinori grabbed her arm and dragged her towards his body.
“Warmth…”
She could feel his heart pounding.
Her free hand moved to his shoulder, like when they danced together a few minutes ago.
“All the pain will be gone”
He just looked at her and grabbed her waist, taking a step forward to start dancing again.
“And the saints will respond”
The sound of their footsteps and Kristen's voice were the only things that could be heard over the deafening silence of the night.
“Tell me, where did they go?”
She asked, gazing at the stars and the moon.
“And where should we go?”
She questioned, looking at the blond in front of her.
“When the puppet couldn't find its master, it spoke…”
She let go of Toshinori, who stopped moving and watched the girl carefully remove her shoes, the moonlight bathing her body.
His trance was broken when he saw her walking backwards “Kristen…” he warned.
A smile adorned her face and suddenly she turned around and ran towards the edge of the roof, jumping into the darkness of the night.
“KRISTEN!”
“I still remain…!”
An airstream moved her upwards while she hugged herself, twirling rapidly. Then stopped and opened her arms, falling towards the ocean.
Her tears got lost into the night.
“And I'm still one and the same”
Her voice echoed through the sky, the stars and the moon the only witnesses to her feelings.
“Though my love now goes by a different name”
But then someone joined them slamming into her in a tight hug, making their bodies spin because of the inertia.
“My heart stays unchanged”
And they just stood there, floating and staring into the other's eyes.
“Please don't do that again…” Toshinori whispered, pressing his forehead against hers.
She didn't answer and just kissed his right cheek, leaving red lipstick on his skin. Then moved away from him walking backwards, her feet sliding through the air thanks to her quirk.
She raised her hand, inviting him to keep dancing.
Toshinori tried walking just like she did, but couldn't help but look down and frown when he saw the hundreds of meters that were between them and the ocean.
“Don't worry, dummy” she snickered “as long as I'm here, I won't let you fall”
A confident smile appeared on his face and he took a few firm steps until he reached her, pulling Kristen's body against his and floating around in the air.
“We're not wishing for a brand new world”
He grabbed her by the waist, lifting her towards the moon and then bringing her down to return the kiss on her cheek.
After winking at her, he placed Kristen down again.
“The lost can still be redeemed”
And with that, they just kept dancing under the sea of stars.
“It has always been a beautiful world”
Kristen looked up at Toshinori.
“We just weren't looking…”
The blond saw her eyes move to look at the moon and suddenly, felt her body tense up under his hands, tears threatening to fall again.
“Kristen?”
“Why do we feel so rushed?”
Her hands began shaking and her eyes glazed over.
“Why do we feel so rushed?”
The power that held them up disappeared, making them plummet towards the darkness of the ocean.
“Fuck!” he cursed.
“Why don't we feel enough?”
Toshinori grabbed her face, forcing her to look into his blue orbs.
“Kristen, focus on me! I'm here with you!”
He saw her focus on him, but noticed she couldn't use her quirk to lift them up again on time.
“We're already enough”
Toshinori held her against his chest and punched the air, propelling them towards the ceiling of the auditorium.
He fell on his side, protecting her with his body and sliding across the grass.
When they came to a stop, Toshinori opened his arms to check if Kristen was hurt, but before he could ask she moved her face closer to his, caressing his cheeks with her hands, looking at his lips and then his eyes.
“Let us bloom for us”
And she gave the tip of his nose a sweet kiss, leaving it red with lipstick.
He just watched her wide-eyed and after a few seconds, burst out laughing, letting her go and roll onto her back.
His laugh boomed over the silence of the night.
“I still remain”
She whispered, raising her left fingers towards the moon.
“And I'm still one and the same”
Then she moved them over her heart, making a fist.
“Though my love now goes by a different name”
And with her free hand, grabbed Toshinori’s, making his head snap towards her with a blush on his face.
A little giggle left her lips and after breathing in one more time, ended the one-sided conversation with her grandma.
“My heart stays unchanged”
Looks like she answered the questions on her own.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
Silence surrounded them for a while, but it was cut short by the voices of the students that went out of the building to check what had happened.
“My feet are cold…” she complained, lifting up her legs and wiggling her toes.
The blond laughed and sat up without letting go of her hand “let's grab your shoes and get out of here before someone catches us”
She nodded while standing up, Toshinori doing the same, but suddenly she remembered something and called his name, making him turn around to look at her “Is everything alright?”
“I completely forgot to apologize for what happened when we were at the party…” she answered “I made you uncomfortable when I talked about your mother, right? I'm so sorry about it”
The blond tensed up a little, but relaxed a second later, shaking his head "you didn't do anything wrong” he let go of her hand with a kiss on the back of it and grabbed her shoes, kneeling to help her put them on.
She lifted her right foot and blushed, letting him grab her ankle and slide the red heel on.
“It's just that after my mom… Passed away” Kristen couldn't help but notice how his voice became rougher at those two words “every time something about her comes up, I tend to get a little gloomy. But don't worry too much about it” he explained, standing up after putting her left one on “now, shall we go?” the blond asked, offering his hand.
Kristen moved and hugged him “I'm so sorry, Toshi” she whispered “I know what it feels to lose a loved one so if you need someone to talk to, I'm here for you”
He exhaled, hugging her back tightly “I know, thank you”
But their beautiful moment was interrupted by the sound of the trapdoor that led to the roof trying to open.
Toshinori grabbed Kristen like a sack of potatoes, making her yelp “I'm sorry but we have to go now, so hold on tight because we are going down!”
“wait, wait, WAIT-!” she tried to stop him, but he just jumped, taking her with him “TOSHINORIII!” she screamed into the night, digging her nails into his back.
Her noises got lost into the sounds of the ocean and the teachers rushing up asking what happened.
From the sky, the moon shone a bit brighter as it watched them land safely and, after Kristen punched Toshinori a few times, return to the party.
Notes:
And that's it for today's extra :D this one was longer than the others, I hope you don't mind...
Here you have the first version of the drawing I made for the chapter (I KNOW, TOSHINORI’S BLOOD IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF HIS CHIN AND HIS MASK IS A BIT DIFFERENT... MY BAD...)
Don't forget to give a kudo if you liked the chapter and leave a comment down below!
And as always... Have a nice day and go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!
Chapter 18: Will You Make A Promise To Me?
Notes:
TW!! SA
This chapter is hard in some parts, but important for the story. You can skip the uncomfortable bits if you can't handle them and go straight to the lore (it starts when the text becomes corrupted, l̵i̴k̵e̸ ̵t̸h̶i̵s̵)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Linda opened the door of the infirmary with a loud bang, startling Toshinori and the girl he took there.
“OH MY GOD SOL, ARE YOU OKAY!?” she ran and hugged her “I WAS SO WORRIED” but it was brief as she quickly turned around to grab Toshinori’s arm “THANK YOU TOSHI FOR HELPING MY FRIEND”
The blond took a step back and clasped his hands together “you are welcome, Linda” he answered awkwardly “now that you are here I can leave, I didn't want Sol to be alone” Toshinori waved at them, walking towards the exit “have a nice night, girls”
When he left the room, Linda's face turned sour “where is he going?” she whispered.
The sound of shuffling sheets made her jump “he's going to wait for Kristen. They agreed to meet here when she was done” Sol answered, getting off the bed.
“Oh, it's you… Nice acting by the way” she told the girl, turning around to look at her.
Sol stood up and strode towards Linda angrily “this wasn't part of the plan; I was supposed to just ask for her help, not fall down and get hurt”
Linda huffed, crossing her arms “it's not my fault that you are as clumsy as you are”
The girl scoffed back, rolling her eyes “I know what you did! I felt your ribbon around my ankle” Sol accused her.
She turned around and laughed, moving to leave the room “yeah and what if I did that? This was the only way to ensure you didn't mess up” she grabbed the doorknob and turned it “now if you excuse me, I have more important things to do, bye!” and with that she slammed the door shut, leaving the other girl alone.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
Toshinori was pacing around, anxiety starting to creep in. What was taking her so long?
“Where is she?” he whispered to himself “maybe I should go to the auditorium”
But before he could take a step, someone grabbed his arm.
“HI, TOSHI DEAR!” Linda yelled, making him cringe a bit “where are you going?”
“Ah Linda, I'm going to the auditorium to look for Kristen” he tried to move away from her, to no avail “can you please let go of me?”
He turned around as she didn't answer, only to see the girl staring at his right cheek, eyes full of hatred.
“Linda, are you okay?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow.
She just squished his arm and laughed, a smile returning to her face “I'm just peachy dear, but why would you go there? The building is already closed!”
“It's the last place I know she's been at, so it's only logical that I-” a finger was placed on his lips, making him frown.
“But Toshi, I saw her go to the girls' dorms on my way to the infirmary!” she lied “I can go with you if you want to, come on let's go!”
Before he could complain she dragged him towards the building, opening the door and greeting the girls that were sitting on the couch of the lobby.
“Hey girl!” she called one of them “now that I see you here, I just remembered that I have to give you that book you lent me the other day!”
The green haired girl looked at her friends and back at Linda “what are you talking abo-?”
“Don't worry I won't take too long, see you now!” she yelled while pushing Toshinori away.
They just stared at them with wide eyes and started whispering.
The blond waved at the girls before being forced into the staircase that led to the rooms.
“Sorry about that, dear!” she apologized “but she's been bothering me with this for a while and now that I know where she is, what better opportunity than this to give her the book back!”
He simply hummed as an answer and kept going up.
“It'll be just a second, and we have to go to the 9th floor either way as Kristen's room is up there too!” she clapped her hands together “really convenient”
“Do you really know where her room is?” he asked, loafers clacking across the tiled floor.
“Why of course!” another lie “our rooms are really close, actually!”
The long walk led them to room 910. The door was decorated with pink stickers and handwritten messages from her friends.
She grabbed the key from her white dress’ pocket and opened it “come in, come in!”
He walked in, the strong smell of strawberries and perfume making him a little dizzy.
And before he could say anything, the door locked behind him with a click.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
A thick darkness surrounded Kristen, the sound of her blood dripping into the floor the only thing letting her know she hadn't fallen unconscious.
Her arms and legs were being held by Albert's quirk: Shadow Trap, and no matter what she tried, she still hadn't managed to free herself.
“Stop squirming!” she felt something punch her stomach, making her gasp “no matter what you do or how much you scream, your dear Toshinori won't be able to save you again” Kristen felt him grind against her back and his mouth move to her ear “you are all mine now” he whispered, licking and biting her neck.
She whined, feeling his tongue on her skin and tried to use her quirk, but still couldn't move an inch.
“The more you resist the worse it'll be for the both of us” Albert warned, putting a hand over her mouth “now be quiet”
Her muffled words died in her throat as she felt his other hand move around her body grab her left breast. She tried to scream, but it only made Albert angrier.
“I've told you to shut the hell up!” she received another punch to the face courtesy of his quirk’s shadowy hands. She could taste blood on her tongue.
“I know you want this, you are not even wearing a bra under this, you whore” he said, groping her under the shirt.
Her breathing became erratic and with Albert's hand over her mouth she wasn't able to properly fill her lungs with air, making her vision blur.
“I can't let him use me like this” she thought, her brain trying to properly function under these circumstances “think Kristen, think”
She felt like she was about to pass out, but right before it happened, a voice she hadn't heard in years appeared in her mind.
It was her master’s. The one her parents hired after her fourth birthday to help Kristen harness her quirk.
The mantra he taught her to be able to control it and not the other way around, echoed inside the girl's brain.
Before she could stop herself, Kristen started whispering into Albert's hand “don't let it control you, don't let it overpower you, don't let go of it”
The blue haired guy stopped moving and frowned, confused “what the heck are you saying?” he removed his hand from her mouth listening to her words.
Kristen closed her eyes tightly, whispering to herself.
“Don't let h̴i̴m̵ control you”
“You know what, bitch? I don't care” he moved both hands, groping everything he reached “because when I'm done with you, the only thing you'll be saying is my damn name”
“Don't let ḣ̷͓i̴̘̕m̷̹̄ overpower you”
Her voice became distorted, a mix of hers and another's speaking at the same time.
Albert's hand reached the hem of her pants and when she felt his fingers touch her skin, bellowed out.
“L̶͎͊͝E̷͔̪͋́̈́T̸̖̠̑̿̽ ̸͓̍G̶̭͗̎̎O̴̥͎͖̓ ̸͕̣̓̿O̸͙̫̐F̶͇͉̂̚ ̸̧͓̬̇I̴̘̣̒̕T̵̳͍͉̕!”
Kristen's eyes snapped open, filling the room with golden light.
Albert reeled back, his shadows burning and releasing her body “HEY WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DO-” his words died in his throat when she turned around to look at him “w-what the fuck…?”
She was the same as always except for her eyes, now fully covered in golden power, but her whole demeanor was completely different: where before stood a defenseless and normal girl, now lay a powerful and displeased being.
She took a step towards him, waves of raw energy shook the ground when her heel touched the wooden floor.
Albert moved away from her, yelling “DON'T GET NEAR ME, FREAK” he sent his shadows to try and grab her, but they burned just like the others upon contact.
Another step.
And then another.
The guy was about to say something when he felt water move around his neck and lift him up in the air.
He wheezed and tried to grab at the liquid, his hands sinking into it. This made Kristen laugh, her voice now completely different from before.
“How darest thou meddle with my vessel” she voiced, making his eyes widen in surprise.
Albert opened his mouth, a weak sound coming out of it “s-since when do you know how to speak German?” he asked between coughs, only to feel the grip on his neck tighten.
“Silence! When I am through with thee, 'twill be thy voice that cries my name, pleading for mercy” she snarled, her now fully black hair floating around her.
She glanced up and opened her arms “let us bask in the moon's hallowed light, that we may commence” she chanted and suddenly a giant pillar of stone with multiple symbols carved along its surface appeared from the ground and broke through the ceiling, only for it to go down and disappear a few seconds later, letting the moonlight fill the room.
Kristen walked towards him and used her quirk to float and grab his neck, the water absorbing into her skin. He kicked and scratched trying to free himself, blood now dripping down her arm, but she just chuckled and swung him into the wall behind them.
Albert tried to stand up, only for her to appear next to him and kick him into the opposite side of the room, slamming his body against some shelves.
The guy groaned, kneeling to try and stand up, only to notice that he was bound to the ground by a pair of stone chains.
“H-Hey Kristen, let me go. I'm sorry, okay? Linda forced me to do this-” he begged, looking up only to see her palm pointing at him with a red alchemical circle filled with geometrical shapes, runes and a big red triangle in the middle.
“I shall render thee to ash and aid thy return unto the Earth” the circle started shining, charging up with energy “let it embrace thee, and forge anew thy very soul”
Albert's gut wrenching scream was interrupted by the door of the storage room flying open.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
Toshinori’s hand grabbed the doorknob, trying to open the door, only to find it locked.
A heavy sigh left his lips and he turned around, looking at the girl that was standing in the middle of her room “What are you doing, Linda? Please open the door”
She walked towards him, taking off the jewelry that covered her body and throwing it to the floor “well… I just wanted to surprise you and show you a good time”
He rolled his eyes at her words “Linda I've already told you that I don't want this. You've lied and locked me here, did you really think that after ignoring my words I'd be willing to partake in whatever this is?”
After throwing her shoes away, she placed her hands on his chest, moving her face closer to his “I think you'll be more than willing to be part of this little game” she whispered, running her hands over his shoulders, neck and finally face, grabbing it gently “let me show you”
Toshinori grabbed her wrists, moving Linda away from him “please, stop. I don't want any of this, so open the door and let me go”
She took a step back, freeing herself from his grasp with a sharp movement of her arms and scoffed “how can you be so sure that you don't want this?” she voiced seductively, letting her dress fall into the floor.
Toshinori sighed again, closing his eyes and looking up at the ceiling, his patience running thin.
“Come on Toshi dear, look at me” she said, pressing her naked body against his “we will have a lot of fun together” her hands started moving down his stomach, teasing and making Toshinori’s face twitch with anger “just relax and let me show you what I can do”
When her fingers grazed the hem of his slacks he grabbed her wrists again and opened his eyes, his blue orbs boring right into her brown ones.
“ENOUGH!” he yelled, making Linda flinch a little “I'm tired of you taking advantage of my patience!” he moved his face closer to hers, shadows covering it almost completely, except for his blue eyes and mouth “I'm going to repeat it just in case I didn't make myself clear: I don't want anything with you, so stop trying to force me into your games!”
Linda glanced down at his hands and after a few seconds of silence took a step back, laughing hysterically “No… You can't be serious…!” the girl looked at him, tears running down her cheeks “DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHO YOU ARE SAYING NO TO?! I WILL MAKE YOUR LIFE A LIVING HELL, TOSHINORI” she tried to slap him, only for the blond to stop her. She tried again with the same outcome.
“Linda stop, you are going to hurt yourself” he sighed, having calmed down a little.
“WHAT HAS THAT KRISTEN BITCH GIVEN YOU? I CAN GIVE YOU EVEN MORE, JUST ASK AND I WILL DO IT” she begged, grabbing at his sleeves “ANYTHING!”
“Linda, that's enough please” he said firmly, crossing his arms.
Pink ribbons appeared from various parts of her body, floating angrily around her “I WILL SAY WHEN IT'S ENOUGH!” she tried to punch him in the face, only for the floor to shake under them, making her lose her footing and fall forward, Toshinori grabbing her by the arms.
“What the…?” she mumbled only for another tremble to rattle the windows and then another one.
Toshinori couldn't stop the shiver that traveled through his body as an unknown energy reached him.
He released the girl, who tried to cover herself with her arms, and ran to open the window, sticking his head out of it. Suddenly a giant stone pillar shot towards the sky from behind the auditorium, only for it to go down again and disappear.
The voices of other students could be heard all over the building and after a few seconds, Toshinori’s eyes shot wide open in realization “KRISTEN!” he exclaimed, quickly closing the window and moved to grab a blanket from Linda's bed.
He walked towards her and wrapped the girl with it, then crouched and asked calmly “you knew where she really was, didn't you?”
Linda grabbed the white and pink checkered cover tightly and looked down “N-No I…”
He sighed, standing up “of course, you didn't…” he moved away from her “where's the key?”
“My dress…” she answered, voice wavering “b-but wait, Toshi!”
The blond walked right next to her and placed his hand on her head, patting it softly “goodbye, Linda” and with that, unlocked the door and left the room.
The girl stood there and then fell to her knees. Tears of shame and frustration dripping into the carpet.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
Toshinori ran out of the building, the sound of his loafers hitting the stone floor echoing into the night.
His legs filled with power and in one swift motion, he propelled towards the auditorium, white mask flying away from his face.
No one was there yet, but he didn't care, he forced open the doors of the building and ran, leaping to the stage and moving the curtains away.
His heart was beating wildly inside his chest, eyes scanning every door, ears trying to follow any sound.
Until he heard something: it was Albert's voice and he sounded scared.
Toshinori followed it until he reached the door with a sign that read “Storage Room”.
He grabbed the doorknob and tried to turn it, but it was locked.
Suddenly a piercing scream rang from inside the room and he didn't hesitate to kick it open, sending the wood flying away.
The scene before him left the blond speechless: Albert was kneeling chained to the floor, looking completely beaten up. And Kristen was… Different.
Her eyes were completely covered in light, no sight of white or pupil, just golden power flowing through them. Her nose was bleeding, just like her cheeks and right arm.
Her clothes were disheveled as well as her hair that now was completely black, having lost its grey highlights.
The energy that filled the room was overwhelming, raw and chaotic and it was flowing in waves from the girl.
Toshinori called her name and she turned her head towards him, tilting it slightly.
“TOSHINORI HELP ME!” Albert yelled from the floor “SHE'S TRYING TO KILL ME. I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HER, BUT SHE'S GONE CRAZ- HMPF” he couldn't finish his sentence as a water rope covered his mouth, pulling his head backwards and forcing the blue haired guy to look at her.
“Silence, thou wretched cur!”
Her voice made Toshinori’s hair stand on end; it wasn't hers and she was speaking in what sounded like a really early stage of Modern Japanese, from almost the beginning of the Edo period.
“Kristen what are you doing…?” he walked slowly towards her, only for the girl to point her free palm at him, a red alchemical circle like the one in her other hand appearing.
“Intrude not, for this concerns thee not. Depart, and thou shalt remain unscathed; linger, and thou shalt share his grim fate”
Toshinori frowned at her words, trying to translate them into Modern Japanese in his head “who are you and where's Kristen?”
“I am the power enshrined within this form, that which is also known as Magnum Opus. The raw essence that flows through her veins, forced to be chained as deemed too volatile to be left unfettered”
The more she talked, the more he was able to fully understand her. How was that even possible?
“Why are you doing this? Kristen wouldn't want to be responsible for someone's death!” the blond asked.
“By vermin's lewd hand was she nigh defiled, thus did she beseech me to take control to flee his quirk's grasp”
Toshinori looked briefly at Albert, his fists closing and knuckles turning white “well, you've already done that, now let Kristen come back, please”
“Scarred and afraid, she is. I would but preserve her from further blight” she looked away from him and towards Albert “Now, begone, and let me see my task complete”
He took another step forward, making her head snap towards him again.
“Please, don't stain her hands with someone's blood. She will not be able to live with that” he begged “bring her back and I'll be the one keeping her safe”
“Thou forsook her, and witness now the consequence. I shall not suffer our safety to rest in the hands of one who could and would abandon her. I alone am fit to protect her”
“I won't leave, I promise!” he screamed, tears filling his eyes “I swear I won't!”
She turned around and moved towards him, floating to be able to face him properly “wherefore should I place trust upon thy words?”
He frowned and raised his pinky finger "you will just have to trust me”
She frowned at his finger and scoffed “I comprehend not why she favors thee, yet I sense her pleas for mine acceptance” she moved her left hand to his heart, making him shiver “Wilt thou keep this vow to me, so long as thine heart doth beat?”
“Yes, I will” he answered quickly, voice unwavering and firm.
She nodded “then be it done; but shouldst thou fail, then suffer thou shalt thy just deserts” and with that, her right pinky finger touched his, sealing the promise.
“I wouldn't want it any other way” he whispered, watching her smile at his words.
Suddenly the golden light of her eyes disappeared and Kristen fell unconscious. Toshinori caught her and heard Mrs Brenda run inside the room with other teachers. Looks like there was an energy barrier not letting them in until now.
“Toshinori what the hell just happened?!” she yelled while checking them for any major injury.
He just looked at the girl in his arms and whispered “I have no idea”
Suddenly Albert stood up, free of her chains “SHE TRIED TO FUCKING KILL ME! WE WERE HAVING A LITTLE FUN AND SUDDENLY SHE STARTED SPEAKING OLD HIGH GERMAN WITH THAT WEIRD VOICE AND-”
“What are you talking about, boy?” Mrs Brenda interrupted “I heard no German from outside the room, just Shakespearean English. It was hard to follow it at the start but then it was as if I could perfectly understand it…”
Toshinori frowned, how were they able to listen to her speak in 3 different languages at the same time?
Albert's screams interrupted his thoughts “I COULDN'T CARE LESS. KRISTEN TRIED TO FUCKING KILL ME! SHE'S CRAZY” he pointed at the girl in his arms.
The blond’s eye twitched and he took a step towards Albert “AND WHY DO YOU THINK SHE BEHAVED LIKE THAT?!” he yelled, making the other cower in fear "YOU HEARD THAT VOICE SAY IT, SHE WAS TRYING TO PROTECT HERSELF FROM YOU!” his voice thundered across the room, making the walls shake. But before he could continue, he felt a hand grabbing his arm.
“I will take care of this, young man… Go take Kristen to the infirmary” Mrs Brenda asked, calmly.
Toshinori clenched his jaw and nodded, getting out of the room and walking past the teachers and students that were there, whispering.
His eyes met Linda's who was just staring at them with tears in her eyes.
He didn't bother to say anything and left the building, pushing Kristen tightly against his body.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
After being discharged from the infirmary, Toshinori walked next to Kristen around the campus.
It was already 3am and everyone had left, so they were the only ones there.
The girl hadn't uttered a single word, she didn't answer his nor the nurse's questions and reeled back when Toshinori tried to help her down from the bed after the checkup. So he just kept his distance and let her get closer to him whenever she felt ready.
A few minutes later the girl grabbed his arm with shaking hands, still saying nothing. He was the one to break the silence “do you want me to take you to the dorms?”
After 10 long seconds, she nodded, looking down at the floor and hiding behind her now fully black hair.
He smiled and walked with her until they reached the building “here we are”
She just stood there, looking at the door.
He touched her arm to get her attention only for her to move away from him, eyes wide in fear.
“Oh no, no! I'm so sorry” he took a step back “I just wanted to get your attention, sorry” he apologized.
Kristen looked at him and nodded, scratching the bandages in her arm.
“Don't do that, you'll rip off the scabs” he told her.
“It itches…” she whispered, voice hoarse.
The sound of her voice made his heart ache “I know, but try not to touch them or they will scar, okay?” he told her calmly.
Kristen just nodded and looked at the door and then at his eyes, saying nothing.
He understood her and smiled “Do you want me to get you to your room?”
She nodded and the blond opened the door for her, walking inside the building and going up the stairs until they reached the fifth floor.
The corridor was long and after a minute they reached the door with a 513 written on it. It was decorated with little bunnies and drawings of stars and hearts. A few messages from Nadia and Charlotte could be seen written on the wood.
She grabbed the key from her pocket and tried putting it into the lock, failing as her hands started shaking.
“May I help you?” Toshinori asked after a while.
Kristen groaned and handed him the key, moving away and letting the blond open it.
“Done” he gave it back with a smile “now try to sleep a little bit, okay? Today's been really rough, you need to rest”
She grabbed it and nodded, looking into the dark room, but not moving.
Maybe he was overwhelming her, he should leave her alone.
“Goodnight, Kristen. If you need anything my room is the 208” he looked at her and after a while, walked away towards the stairs, a sour feeling coating his heart.
Suddenly she called his name and he turned around quickly, his bangs hitting his face “yes? Do you need anything?”
She looked down at her hands and whispered “please don't leave” her yellow eyes met his “I don't want to be alone”
He felt a weight lift off his shoulders at her words and he just nodded, moving with her into her room, looking at the decoration while she locked the door behind them:
Plants were hanging from the ceiling in tiny pots. They were well taken care of and filled the room with a fresh aroma.
Fairy lights adorned the headboard of her full of fluffy weighted blankets bed. Two big lumps could be seen under them, making the space look already occupied by someone.
Framed pictures and drawings of plants and the moon adorned her walls, and her desk was filled with books and papers. A little photo of Kristen and a sweet looking old lady with silver eyes stood out from the mess.
Her bedside table had a big yellow candle on it, maybe that's where the fresh and citrusy smell of the room was coming from.
She took off her heels and moved to grab a match from a matchbox she had inside a drawer, using it to light the candle. The fire danced around her fingers as she got her hand closer to it.
Toshinori took off his shoes too and stood there, watching the girl close the dark green curtains. His eyes struggled a bit to adjust to the dim light from the candle, but after a while managed to do it.
“Make yourself comfortable, please” she whispered, moving to her wardrobe to grab her pajamas “I don't think I have anything that fits you” she looked at him from head to toes, making the blond blush.
He waved his hands quickly “a-ah don't worry, I'm comfortable with these”
She frowned at him and looked back at her closet, opening and closing the drawers “I don't like street clothes touching my stuff” she mumbled “it's gross”
“Oh” he answered “then I can go grab something real quick from my room, if that's okay with you”
She stopped moving and fell silent. After a moment she whispered “please don't take too long”
“Don't worry, I'll be back in a minute” he told her calmly while opening the door and running down the stairs.
After grabbing what he needed, he jumped from his window to the entrance of the girl's building and reached her floor in a few seconds.
“510… 511… 512… 513!” he arrived at her door and softly knocked “Kristen, I'm here” he whispered.
The door opened on its own and Toshinori moved inside the room, closing and locking it.
He searched for the girl and saw her sitting on her bed, hugging a round bunny plush that looked a little bit old. Next to her a shark almost as big as her took over the rest of the bed.
He snorted, taking off his shoes and walking towards her “that's a big shark… Aren't you afraid of it eating you?” he joked.
A few moments of awkward silence passed, making the blond sweat a little.
“It's a plushie, Toshinori… It can't eat me” she answered plainly, not even looking at him.
“A-Ah yeah I know, I just-” he started, but she interrupted him.
“But if he tried…” she grabbed the stuffed animal and squished it with her hands “I don't think he'll manage to do it, look at his dumb face”
Toshinori couldn't help but laugh when she flipped the animal towards him, the stupidest face he's ever seen on a plush adorning one third of his body.
“Okay, fair enough… He looks really dumb”
She put him back in the bed and huffed “see? I'll be fine”
“Glad to hear that” he smiled “I'll go change now, okay?”
She nodded, watching him enter the bathroom and come out after a while, wearing a black t-shirt with the image of a film she didn't recognize and dark blue loose pajama pants.
He moved until he reached the fluffy grey carpet that was next to her bed and sat down on it, resting his back against the side of the furniture.
Kristen looked at his fluffy hair and moved closer to him “you are going to get cold” she whispered.
He turned around and shook his head “I'll be fine, don't worry” he told her, his expression becoming a little sad “how are you feeling?”
The girl looked down at her bunny and shrugged “everything itches and every time I close my eyes I can feel his hands on my body” the sound of her nails scratching against her skin could be heard under the covers “and no matter how hard I try, I can't make it stop”
Toshinori felt anger flow through his entire body, the thought of what Albert had done to her making his blood boil. But after taking a few calming breaths, he moved and rested his elbows on the bed “Kristen stop doing that, you are going to hurt yourself”
She scooted back towards the wall, curling into a ball. Little sobs leaving her lips “sorry… I just- I can't”
“It's fine and completely normal after what you've been through” he calmed her down “but I don't want you to bleed all over your bunny…”
Kristen looked at him from under the blankets and then at her bunny. After a few seconds she sighed and sat up.
She was wearing a black tank top with a little white rabbit in the middle of it and dark grey shorts. The bandages around her arm were full of blood as well as her neck and chest, where she had broken the skin with her nails.
Toshinori stood up quickly, worry written all over his face “don't worry, it's fine” he moved his hands closer to her “come with me and let's heal those, okay?”
Kristen looked at his hands and after a while grabbed one. She was cold and Toshinori couldn't help but flinch a little.
They walked to the bathroom where the blond opened the first aid kid every room was equipped with and kneeled in front of her. He looked down at her stomach and saw an angry bruise starting to form there, just like the one on her face.
“Now let's take care of these” he said calmly while grabbing an antiseptic and a gauze “can I touch you?”
When she didn't answer he looked at her, noticing that her eyes were focused on his right cheek.
“Is everything okay?” he asked, confused. It was the second time this happened tonight.
She just grabbed a towel and rubbed his skin with it “you have my lipstick on your face"
“Oh” he whispered, a blush appearing on his face “thanks…”
After a while, his face was still red but not because of the makeup.
“There you go” Kristen smiled a little “good as new”
The blond snorted and thanked her, taking the towel from her hands and throwing it to the sink “now let's get you patched up, okay?”
She just looked at him and nodded, fear appearing again in her eyes.
His touch was firm but careful, stopping every time he saw her flinch. He took care of her neck and whatever he could reach of her chest, and after throwing away the bloody gauze, went to peel off the bandages that were stuck to her arm.
“Okay, this will hurt a little” he warned “the blood and scabs are stuck to the cloth, but I'll be as gentle as I can. Just tell me if you want me to stop”
And with that, he started carefully removing them. This part was easier and they managed to do it faster than expected. After that they moved to the sink and washed her with soap, getting rid of the dry and fresh blood.
“And now we wrap it like a burrito” he beamed, patting her arm dry carefully.
She giggled “I don't like you comparing my arm to a food”
Toshinori winked at her “when I'm done you'll think just like I do!”
He moved to grab the gauze bandage and tightened it firmly around her arm “done!” he exclaimed proudly, looking at his work.
She looked at her arm and whispered “yeah, it looks like a burrito”
His laugh echoed in the almost empty bathroom “see? Told ya!”
She smiled and rolled her eyes, moving to put away the things he's used, only for the blond to grab her shoulder, making her flinch a little “a-ah sorry" he apologized “I just wanted to tell you to go to bed, I'll take care of this”
“Toshinori you've already helped me enough, please let me-” she tried to argue, only for the blond to shake his head.
“You will mess up my wonderful burrito, so go and don't move your arm too much”
Kristen sighed, but ended up washing the blood off her hands and leaving the bathroom, climbing under the sheets.
A few minutes later, Toshinori turned off the light and closed the door, leaving them under the candle’s fire and moved to sit down on the rug again, only for Kristen to grab his hand.
He looked at her, confused and after a while she tugged at him.
His eyes widened and moved a little closer, his knee resting on the bed “are you sure? I promise I'm fine on the floor”
She nodded and moved closer to the wall, dragging him towards her, only to be stopped by the blond “please, think about it and say it out loud” his voice was filled with worry “I don't want you to regret it and feel uncomfortable”
Kristen let go of his hand and after a few minutes of silence, she looked at him, eyes full of unshed tears, and told him firmly “I won't regret it, please come only if you are okay with it… I don't want you to feel pressured to do it just because of what happened to me”
The blond watched her for a few seconds and slowly lay down over the covers.
She just looked at him, frowning “what are you doing?”
He looked at her, confused “uh… I-I don't know, I just-”
Kristen groaned and tried moving the sheets over him, but his full weight was preventing her from doing so “oh goddammit, just-” she grabbed the shark plush from the tail and swung it towards his face, a loud clonk coming from where the plastic eye hit the blond’s forehead.
“OUCH! Hey that hurt!” he complained, sitting up and rubbing the now sore spot.
She looked at him angrily and grabbed it again, getting ready to hit him another time “under the covers, please” she warned.
Toshinori snickered and raised his hands in defeat “okay, okay sorry… I just didn't know if it was going to be too much” he told the girl while sliding under the soft and warm sheets “oh wow this is really nice…”
She giggled watching the blond roll around her bed like a puppy “I know right?” she answered, laying down next to him “they keep me warm in winter”
He looked at her, smiling “no wonder!”
And after that they fell silent for almost 10 minutes, the sound of their breathing the only thing that could be heard in the silence of the night.
Toshinori was looking at the ceiling, hands over his stomach, thinking about everything that had happened that day when he felt a pair of ice cold hands grab his arm.
“OH GOD!” he yelped, jumping a bit and turned around to look at the girl, eyes wide.
Kristen moved away, scared “a-ah sorry. I didn't mean to startle you…”
“N-No you are fine! I just… You are really cold, are you feeling okay?” he frowned, worried.
The sound of her giggle warmed his heart “yeah, I'm usually this cold at night”
He moved, laying on his side “that can't be healthy, Kristen”
“I mean, I haven't died yet” she shrugged “so I'm going to guess that I'm fine”
He rolled his eyes playfully and opened his arms “I can help you with that” his smile faltered a little “only if you are okay with it”
She looked at him and frowned, memories flashing into her mind and making her shiver, but after a while scooted closer until she could lay her head on his bicep.
He closed his arms slowly around her, hugging her “is this okay?”
“Yes…” she answered, her voice muffled by his chest “you are warm… And smell really nice…”
He laughed at that, but it was cut short as he felt her feet roll his pants up and press against his thigh.
He inhaled sharply and his muscles tensed and grew up a bit, squishing her.
“TOFHI, YOU ARE FOINF TO CRUFH ME!” she complained.
“You totally deserve it!” the blond cried as he relaxed again “that was really cruel…”
He felt her shoulders shake under him “Sorry, sorry!” she laughed “it was too tempting”
Toshinori huffed, hugging her even closer “okay, I forgive you”
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
He didn't know when he had fallen asleep, but suddenly his eyes shot open.
The blond shook his head and as he was finishing waking up, he heard noises coming from the bathroom.
He looked in front of him only to find the bed empty and Kristen's bandages scattered around.
They were bloody.
Toshinori tossed the sheets and ran towards the door, knocking softly “Kristen?” he asked trying to sound calmed but failing “Kristen please answer me”
The only thing he could hear was the shower running and Kristen's sobs, they were almost imperceptible over the sound of the water, but they were there.
Toshinori’s heart was beating out of his chest. He tried opening it, but it was locked.
“Kristen, please open the door” he begged, placing his forehead on it.
No answer.
The blond rubbed his face, exhaling sharply “fuck” he cursed “I'm sorry, Kristen”
And after his apology, hit the door with his shoulder, breaking the lock and swinging it open.
Steam covered the entirety of the unlit space, making him cough “Kristen, I'm coming in!”
He turned on the light, hearing a soft complaint when he did so.
Toshinori took a few steps but stopped as his feet touched something. The blond kneeled and grabbed the cloth, inspecting it: it was Kristen's top, completely torn apart, as if someone had ripped it off.
He looked around and saw the rest of her clothes in the same state.
“Shit” he moved towards the shower, discarding the top. He had to squint a little, but he managed to see something on the floor of it.
Kristen was there, hugging her knees and grabbing her hair tightly. Scalding hot water fell against her now red skin and blood poured down her body from where she's been scratching.
“Kristen!” he ran towards her, grabbing a towel and wrapping her in it. He couldn't help but hiss when the water touched him. Toshinori noticed it was coming out of the shower head with more pressure than it normally would, it felt like scalding needles against his skin.
He lifted the girl only for her to look up, golden eyes shining, and start thrashing around like a wild animal.
“SUÉLTAME!” she yelled at him, trying to kick his face “NO ME TOQUES!”
He grabbed her tightly to not let her fall to the floor “Kristen stop you are going to hurt yourself!” he closed his eye as her knee hit it “OUCH!”
“I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, LET ME GO!” suddenly he felt something yank on his ankle and he fell to the floor with Kristen on his arms with a loud oof.
He looked up and his eyes widened; he was surrounded by thousands of sharp looking blades made out of water, every single one of them pointing at him
“Kristen” he tried to call her but she kept trying to move away from him “KRISTEN!”
His loud voice made her stop and look at him “Let. Me. Go” she growled.
“I won't” he grabbed her harder “I don't know what you are seeing, but please know that you are safe” he whispered “I won't hurt you”
After a few seconds his words clicked in, making her eyes stop shining and the water around them fall to the floor. Tears started running down her cheeks and her breathing became erratic.
“I-I’m sorry!” she wept, grabbing his wet shirt and pressing her head against his shoulder “I didn't want to! Please tell me I didn't hurt you!”
Toshinori hugged her and placed a hand on her head “Don't worry I'm okay, you are okay” he whispered, feeling her body shake.
Her wails echoed against his heart, making it almost shatter. He squished her to himself while feeling his own tears fall down his cheeks.
A few minutes later she had calmed down a bit so Toshinori stood up, tightening her towel properly and moved her to the bed after turning off the water.
She curled against herself and looked at him while he opened her wardrobe.
“Where do you keep your pajamas?” he asked.
Kristen stood up from the bed and walked next to him, grabbing everything she needed “here” she whispered.
He snickered and turned around after she asked him, hearing the towel fall down into the floor.
A minute later, she climbed into the bed and hugged her bunny “you can turn around now”
He laughed awkwardly, scratching his neck and moved to get under the covers with her only for Kristen to stop him.
“T-shirt” she whispered, frowning.
He looked at her confused and touched his chest only to feel his shirt completely soaked “oh”
She turned around and he snorted, taking it off and going to toss it into the sink. After grabbing a towel and drying himself, he closed the bathroom door and crossed his arms “may I come in now?” he mocked.
She turned around, eyes going down his chest and abs for a moment “y-yes you may”
And with that he moved under the covers, getting comfortable.
Kristen looked at him and scooted closer, hitting the hand that was resting on the pillow with her forehead.
Toshinori laughed at her antics and opened his arms, letting her rest against his arm and chest.
“Your hair is a little bit wet” he whispered, gently stroking her hair “you're going to get a headache”
She just hummed, ignoring him and after a while, he felt her breathing even out and a soft snore leave her lips.
Toshinori sighed and closed his eyes, the stress of the day making him fall asleep almost instantly.
His dreams were filled with golden eyes, otherworldly voices and u̶n̷breakable promises.
Notes:
Thank god they can sleep and rest in peace after all the shit they went through... They deserve it...
Don't forget to give a kudo if you liked the chapter and leave a comment down below!
And as always... Have a nice day and go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!
Chapter 19: The Aftermath
Notes:
Hello and good morning!
I wanted to publish this as soon as possible because I NEED to start working on the next chapters... This one is not bad, just a little slow compared to the ones I've in store for you guys... 👀
Enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It's been so long since the last time Kristen was able to sleep for more than 3 hours straight, but there she was, snoring softly into Toshinori’s arms, whose drool was pooling on the pillow and smearing all over his face.
Suddenly a loud banging noise startled them, making the girl jump and the blond hug her tightly. It was coming from the door.
“I-I'll go get it” he mumbled, voice hoarse, standing up with a sigh and trying to move around the dark room.
A soft groan was the only answer Kristen gave him as she hid under her plushies.
Toshinori followed the walls with one hand while rubbing his eyes with the other, sleep still clinging to his body.
When he reached the door, he unlocked and opened it without thinking, finding in front of him a really confused Nadia and Charlotte in their pajamas.
They just stared at each other and after a few seconds, the pink skinned girl turned around blushing “o-oh wow…”
When he heard her voice his brain woke up, allowing him to remember that he was in Kristen's room shirtless, thanks to yesterday's shower incident.
Toshinori’s face turned red and he quickly moved to hide behind the door, only leaving his head visible.
Nadia's voice echoed through the entire hall “WHY ARE YOU SHIRTLESS AND INSIDE KRISTEN'S ROOM?!” she asked, laughing at how he opened and closed his mouth trying to find an answer that didn't sound as an excuse.
“Girls come in before the whole campus hears you, please!” Kristen yelled from the bed.
“AYE AYE, CAPTAIN!”
And with that, they ran inside and jumped into Kristen's bed; Charlotte sat next to her while Nadia stayed at her feet, hugging the shark plush.
Toshinori closed the door with a sigh and moved to open the curtains a little, letting in the little light that the cloudy day brought with it.
While he moved to the bathroom to freshen up and grab his t-shirt, the girls asked Kristen what happened yesterday.
When the blond came back, he sat on the bed too and joined the conversation.
“-I should've guessed that something was really wrong” Kristen shrugged “but I didn't think anything of it and went right straight to the storage room, where…” she looked at Charlotte for a moment and then down at her hands “someone kicked me and locked me with Albert”
“WAIT BUT YOU DIDN'T SEE WHO HIT YOU?” Nadia asked, confused.
“Not really” she started picking at her fingers “everything was extremely dark”
She lied.
Toshinori looked at her, frowning. He was sure Linda was the one responsible for that, but why was Kristen lying to them?
“The only person I remember hearing is Albert. He was the only one inside that room when the door locked”
Nadia's knuckles turned white, the energy created because of her anger making her hands glow “I'M GOING TO FUCKING CRUSH HIS HEAD!”
“Heh, don't even bother. It's not worth it, Nad” Kristen whispered.
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!” she moved to kneel on the bed and grabbed her hands, making the black haired girl look at her in surprise “I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE DID TO YOU, BUT I DON'T THINK IT WAS GOOD. HE DESERVES TO BE PUNISHED FOR IT”
Kristen scoffed, looking at their joined hands “I don't know, Nadia. That'd make us as pathetic as he is”
Charlotte brushed her fingers against her bandages “did he do this to you when he…?”
Kristen shook her head “no, I don't know when he did this. The only things I remember are the parts where he…”
“Nu huh, don't do that if you are not comfortable with it, dear” Charlotte whispered.
Kristen moved back a little and hugged her knees, a shaky breath leaving her lips “I just… I wish I could forget how he used me” one tear ran down her cheek “the feeling of his hands grabbing my skin, the things he told me” she hid her head between her legs wanting nothing more than to disappear “I felt so fucking powerless”
“Oh honey…” Nadia’s voice turned surprisingly soft, as if she was trying not to scare her away. The girl moved and wrapped her arms around Kristen's shaking body.
The sounds of her labored breathing filled the room, making Toshinori’s heart break into a million pieces.
“My skin burns so much I just want to fucking peel it off” she managed to say between sobs “I don't know what to do!”
Charlotte placed an arm around Kristen's shoulders and placed her chin on her head “the only thing that will heal you is time” her voice was clear, free of stutters or doubts “you will feel better eventually. It'll be hard, but know that you are not alone” she placed a soft kiss on her tangled hair “we are here for you”
“HELL YEAH WE ARE!” Nadia beamed, crushing Kristen between her arms, making the girl giggle a little.
Toshinori moved and completed the hug, his arms moving around Charlotte’s and Nadia's back “you'll never be alone, Kristen” he whispered “I swear”
Their conversation was interrupted by a soft knock at the door.
“I'll go get it this time” Kristen said, voice muffled by the her friend's bodies “it's my room after all”
So she jumped off the bed and moved to open it, finding someone she didn't expect to see on the other side “o-oh, Mrs Brenda…”
The old lady was standing in front of her with a worried expression covering her face “hello dear, how are you feeling?” she asked, looking at her tear stained eyes.
Kristen just sniffled and shrugged “I've been better” she tried to laugh “is something wrong?”
Mrs Brenda crossed her arms, sighing “I'm sorry to bother you, but the teachers council want to see you to discuss yesterday's events”
The girl tensed a little, shuffling uncomfortably “I guess Albert will be there, right?”
“That's right, honey. I'm so sorry” she apologized.
Toshinori walked towards the entrance, having heard the conversation between the two women “I'll go too”
Mrs Brenda's eyes widened in surprise at his sudden appearance “good morning to you too, Mr Yagi. I did not expect you to be here” she said, lifting an eyebrow “and no, you can't come as the council didn't deem it necessary. I'm sorry”
Toshinori took a step towards the old lady and crossed his arms “I was with Albert and Kristen when the incident of the mysterious being occurred” he told her “and taking into consideration that she can't remember anything of what took place on that period of time and Albert was severely injured I'm inclined to say that I'm your most reliable witness” his voice was firm and unwavering, making his argument seem irrefutable.
Kristen turned around to look at him, mouth agape. It was weird seeing the blond’s whole demeanor turn so serious all of the sudden.
Mrs Brenda scratched her chin, humming “that's exactly what we will tell the council, dear” she smirked, a proud look on her face “you have half an hour to get ready and go to the teacher's lounge on the main building, 4th floor” the old lady turned around and walked down the hall “don't be late!”
“Yes ma'am!” Toshinori yelled, closing the door and smiling at Kristen “see? We told you that you won't be alone anymore”
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
After getting dressed, they said goodbye to their friends and walked towards their destination.
The white building was the biggest of the whole campus. The university's emblem adorned the front of it and the rest of the facade was filled with tall windows that reflected the few rays the sun managed to slip between the clouds.
“I can't do this, Toshi” Kristen whispered, her nails digging into the blond’s arm “I don't want to do it”
They walked through the doors and went up the stairs. Toshinori placed his hand over hers, trying to calm her nerves.
“Everything will be fine” he reassured the girl “you've done nothing wrong, they just want to ask you for your version”
This did nothing to help her relax, but she just nodded and let him drag her around the corridors.
A few minutes later, they stood in front of the sign that read “Teacher’s Lounge” that let them know they were at the right place.
Kristen hugged herself, looked at it and then at Toshinori, who gave her a reassuring smile and a thumbs up.
“Okay…” she took a deep breath “let's do this” and let it out while knocking at the door.
Mrs Brenda opened it, her sweet smile in place “oh you are here, come in please” she invited them in, moving towards a big table full of papers.
Two more teachers were already sitting; she just recognized the principal; Linda's dad, which made her a bit uncomfortable. At the other side of the table was Sol, the girl that told her to carry the boxes after the party and Albert.
Kristen looked down at her feet and walked with Toshinori to sit down too. She was between Sol and Toshinori, Albert being next to the other girl.
When Mrs Brenda joined them after locking up the door, the principal spoke, his tone calmed but firm “good afternoon” he greeted “sorry to bother you after last night's events, but we want to solve this as soon as possible, as you may understand”
The students just nodded their heads, which prompted the man to keep talking “now we need your individual versions of what happened, so we will be asking one by one to try and puzzle everything together. Please be respectful and patient with each other” he warned.
“Please Miss García” one of the teachers called Sol “you and Miss Adams were in charge of bringing the boxes to the storage room, am I right?”
The girl looked down at her hands and nodded “yes ma’am”
“And why did you let Miss Yuzuki do your assigned work?”
“I fell down hurting my knee while carrying them and Kristen told me she'll do it while Toshinori took me to the infirmary” she explained.
The teacher turned towards Kristen “is that true Miss Yuzuki?”
“Yes, it is true” Kristen answered “I offered to do her job due to the circumstances”
The woman just nodded, noting something down on her notebook “that's a really good thing to do, well done”
“Thank you”
When she finished writing, she turned towards Toshinori “Mr Yagi” the woman called “did you stay the whole time with Miss García at the infirmary after taking her there?”
Toshinori placed his hands on the table and spoke calmly “I stayed with her while the nurse cleaned her wounds and until Linda got there. At that very moment, I left”
At the mention of her daughter, Mr Adams’ eyebrows shot up, but said nothing.
“Why did you leave and where did you go?” the teacher asked.
He frowned, not liking the way it sounded as if they thought he had done something wrong “I left because I had to meet up with Kristen. I went to the door of building number 3 and stayed there until Linda appeared again and told me she knew where Kristen was” he crossed his arms, slightly annoyed “and speaking of… Why isn't she here?”
The principal spoke up “no one informed us of the direct involvement of Lind- Miss Adams in this. So we didn't deem it necessary to make her come. But we will ask later for her version of everything”
Toshinori eyed the other students that were looking down at their hands, nervous.
Why didn't any of them tell the teachers about Linda?
“You may continue, Mr Yagi” the teacher told the blond.
He looked back at the woman and nodded “Linda told me Kristen was at the girl's dorms so I followed her”
Kristen scoffed at his words, making Mr Adams cough as a warning. She just crossed her arms and looked away, remaining silent.
Toshinori glared at the principal for a second before continuing “she told me that their rooms were close and that she needed to grab a book from hers on the way there, so I followed Linda and when we got inside, she locked me with her inside her room”
Kristen’s head snapped towards Toshinori “SHE DID WHAT!?” she yelled, making Toshinori jump a little.
“Miss Yuzuki, control that attitude of yours!” the principal told her “this is your last warning”
Kristen glared at him, but bit the inside of her cheek and started bouncing her leg.
Mrs Brenda intervened, arms crossed and a frown present in her face “and what happened inside the room, Mr Yagi?”
Mr Adams hit the table with his fist, making everyone look at him “that's not relevant information for this case” he frowned “Mr Yagi, how did you end up finding out Miss Yuzuki was at the auditorium?”
Toshinori scowled at the man in front of him “when the tremors occurred, I looked out the windows and saw a giant stone pillar go towards the sky from behind the building and it just clicked” he answered.
“So you magically guessed that she was there?” the principal mocked “that sounds like an excuse to me, mister”
The blond breathed in and out trying to calm down “it wasn't that hard to guess based on the circumstances” he shrugged “I know Kristen's quirk and the last place I saw her was the auditorium. When Linda locked me inside her room, I figured out she had lied to me about everything, including Kristen's location”
The man glared daggers at Toshinori and crossed his arms, saying nothing.
The other teacher cleared her throat, uncomfortable “well, thank you for your testimony, Mr Yagi. We'll be contacting Miss Adams regarding this” she turned around to look at Albert “Mr Weber, what were you doing inside the Storage Room before Miss Yuzuki arrived?”
Albert sat up straight and cleared his throat “I was helping Linda organize some stuff” he answered
The teacher lifted an eyebrow “Miss Adams was there with you?”
He jumped a bit, getting nervous “n-no! She just… Just asked me to help her and left…”
“Do you know where?”
“No ma'am, sorry”
The teacher wrote a few notes and looked at him again “well, when Miss Yuzuki arrived in the room. What happened?”
Toshinori saw Kristen tense and grab at her pants tightly. He moved his hand under the table to grab one of hers, his warmth helping the girl relax a little.
“Well, she got there, we started talking and well…” a chuckle left his lips “we danced together at the festival, there was chemistry between us and when we found each other inside that room we couldn't help but let go of our restraints…” he shrugged, laughing.
Kristen's hold on Toshinori’s hand tightened, but said nothing.
“Then her eyes turned completely golden out of the blue and started speaking in like, super old German, archaic almost” he added “and then tried to fucking kill me!”
“Language, Mr Weber” the teacher chastised.
“Sorry ma'am”
The woman looked at Kristen and asked “Miss Yuzuki, do you have anything to add to Miss Weber’s testimony?”
Kristen looked at her, tears filling her eyes “he is lying, ma'am” she answered, voice trembling “someone locked me inside that room and he used his quirk to restrain me. He… He did all kinds of things to me without my consent”
“YOU ARE THE ONE LYING” Albert yelled, grabbing the table in front of him “YOU DIDN'T SAY NO, YOU WANTED EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED THERE!”
“SILENCE!” the principal yelled “Miss Yuzuki, you know that accusation is a really strong one, right? Are you completely sure of what you are saying?”
“Yes I am, sir” she answered firmly.
“Can you prove it?” he asked.
Everyone's eyes widened in surprise and Mrs Brenda intervened “sir you can't be serious”
He looked at the old woman and scoffed “I am, she can't just throw out those accusations without any proof” he turned around again to stare at the girl “well?”
Kristen stood up and lifted her shirt, revealing the bruises that Albert caused with his abuse “he made this when I didn't want to be still for him to use me” she pointed at her face, where another purple mark adorned her skin “this one was also caused by him”
“HOW CAN YOU PROVE I MADE THEM?!” the blue haired guy spat, standing up.
“Actually… That's one of the reasons I am here” the other teacher stood up, walking towards Kristen “my quirk is called Remaining Traces and allows me to see the print a quirk leaves behind after it's used” she explained “it's like a fingerprint; everyone has it and ties them to their quirk. You can't forge nor hide it”
After hearing her explanation Albert sat down, tension present all over his body.
Mrs Brenda crossed her arms, smiling proudly “our dear Stacey here worked with the police for years helping solve all kinds of cases, she was the best at her job”
The teacher just blushed and looked away, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose with her finger “oh come on Mrs Brenda, stop it” she said shyly “but yes, my quirk is useful for these kinds of situations” the woman reached towards Kristen's bruises “may I?”
She just nodded and placed a hand on her skin. Her eyes shone blue and she started looking at every person in the room, making them tense a little.
The moment Stacey got to Toshinori, her eyes widened in surprise, making the blond grip the chair, a cracking sound coming from the wood because of the pressure. The teacher didn't utter a word and after a few seconds acted as if nothing had happened.
Kristen glanced down at him, raising an eyebrow, but he didn't meet her eyes and just focused on his legs, face tense with something like fear adorning it.
When the teacher's gaze reached Albert, she moved her fingers away from the bruises and sat down again, crossing her arms.
“There are clear traces of your quirk’s pattern all over her wounds” she frowned, watching the boy clench his jaw “these marks scream your name, Mr Weber”
Albert remained silent, looking down.
“That settles it” Stacey said “does that count as enough proof for you, sir?”
The principal nodded and Kristen sat down again “well, now that we established what happened before, let's focus on the after” he looked at Kristen “do you remember anything about what happened when that power took control of your body?”
Kristen shook her head “I don't, sir… I just remember screaming and waking up at the infirmary”
“Mr Yagi, any additional information you can give us about it?”
The blond looked at the man “not really, I just talked with her and I noticed she was speaking in a really archaic version of modern Japanese, that's all I can tell you”
“That's interesting as multiple witnesses heard that voice speak in archaic versions of their mother tongue, how is that even possible?” Mrs Brenda added.
The room remained silent for a while, questions floating around them and no answers available.
“Well, for now we have everything we need” the principal said “Miss Yuzuki, can you stay here for a little while? We need to have a private chat with you”
The girl nodded, looking down “yes sir”
Toshinori stood up to leave the room, but before that he placed his hand on her shoulder and whispered “I'll be outside if you need me”
She thanked him and with that he walked out of the place, closing the door behind him.
Mrs Brenda took Toshinori’s seat, making her feel less alone.
“Well, dear” she started, voice soft “we need you to tell us more about what happened yesterday”
Stacey nodded “any information you can provide will help us understand it” she crossed her arms “and be ready shall it take control of your body again”
Kristen shook her head “they didn't take control of my body by force” she clarified “I let them do it”
“So you know that being?” the old lady asked, confused.
“Yes, of course” she frowned “that's the manifestation of my quirk; Magnum Opus”
The principal raised his voice, sounding angry “are you saying that you allowed that dangerous creature to almost kill a student!?”
“No sir, I just let them use my body to help me. After that I had no control” Kristen explained calmly “if it wasn't for Magnus Opus, Albert would've been able to…”
Mrs Brenda placed her hand on the girl's arm, stopping her from continuing “that’s enough, dear”
Kristen just nodded and continued “I don't like what they did, but I understand why they acted like that”
The principal was about to intervene when Stacey moved the conversation away from that path “and would you be able to summon them right now?”
“No, I don't think so” she answered, playing with her sleeves “I've never been taught how to do that and I was only able to achieve it yesterday because I was panicking”
“Taught?” Mrs Brenda asked “has anyone helped you with this before?”
“My parents hired a renowned alchemist from my country after what happened at my fourth birthday to help me take control over Magnum Opus and not the other way around” Kristen shrugged “it's the only guidance I've received and it's been useful so far”
Stacey stood up and moved towards her purse, opening it and picking up a little business card from inside a pocket “the way you are putting it makes me think that this will happen again as you are only gripping the chains and forcing your quirk down, not understanding nor using its full potential” she returned to her seat and slid the card to Kristen “here's the contact from the lab I used to work with when I was at the police station. They have the best quirk researchers and inventors in the United States, they'll help you learn a lot of things about that power of yours” she smiled at her.
Kristen grabbed it, brushing her fingers against the person's name and address written on it “thank you, miss” she smiled back “I'll think about it”
A loud noise coming from outside and a female scream interrupted their conversation.
Everyone stood up quickly and ran towards the door, opening it to find a hole in the wall with an unconscious Albert at the other side of it.
Toshinori was silent, looking down. Little tendrils of white smoke coming out of his closed fist.
Sol was standing there, hands over her mouth and eyes wide open in shock.
“WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED HERE?!” the principal yelled.
The blond didn't answer and Sol explained that Albert and Toshinori had gotten into an argument because of something really disgusting the blue haired guy said about Kristen and when he tried to punch the blond for the second time, he just sent him flying through the wall.
“WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF, MR YAGI!?” Mr Adams asked, getting nothing more than deafening silence from the blond.
When he was about to grab Toshinori’s arm, Mrs Brenda walked between them “I'll take care of him, sir” she talked slowly and calmly, rising her hands “you guys go help Mr Weber”
The principal sighed loudly and adjusted his shirt “I want him to receive a punishment for his actions and bad behavior, Mrs Brenda”
She just turned around, rolling her eyes when he couldn't see her. Then grabbed Toshinori’s wrist and walked towards an empty room “yes sir”.
And with that they disappeared behind a door.
“You can go, girls” Stacey told them “thank you so much for your time and if any of you need anything” she eyed Kristen “just look for me and ask”
They stood there for a few minutes, trying to process everything that happened and after a while Sol left with nothing more than a goodbye.
Kristen tried to wait for Toshinori, but one teacher told her to leave the building while they fixed what happened.
The white card inside Kristen's pocket made questions and doubts burn inside her brain as she walked back to the residence.
Her feet took her in front of Nadia's room and after knocking a few times, her friends greeted her, letting Kristen in and asking about every single detail of what happened.
She didn't want to be alone.
And she wasn't going to be, not anymore.
Notes:
Poor Toshi, another detention... At least he'll be with Mrs Brenda so it won't be THAT bad... Right?
Right.....?
Don't forget to give a kudo if you liked the chapter and leave a comment down below!
And as always... Have a nice day and go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!
Chapter 20: The Consequences Of Our Actions
Notes:
Hello, hello!
I hope you had an amazing week...
It's so freaking cold where I live, oh my god... My fingers are about to fall off my hands, completely frozen.
But writing helped them a bit, so yay!
I hope you enjoyed today's chapter :)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“You can't be breaking walls whenever you feel like it, Toshinori” Mrs Brenda scolded the blond while they walked to the cafeteria “I won't be always there to save you, you know?”
He looked down and kicked a little stone, sending it a few meters away “I don't need you to protect me, Mrs Brenda”
The old lady shook her head “young people these days… You don't want to know what Mr Adams would have done to you if I hadn't intervened” she grabbed the keys of the back door and opened it “you should be grateful”
Toshinori entered the kitchen and washed his hands as she turned on the lights “I am grateful for what you did, but I didn't need your help. I would've accepted whatever he did to me”
She laughed and threw his apron at him “ha! I'd love to see if that's actually true, boy. But for now I will be the one in charge of your punishment”
He grabbed it and put it on, walking next to her “speaking of punishments… What do I have to do; clean the burners? Sort the cabinets?”
Mrs Brenda lifted a bag of flour with a grunt and put it on the counter “no boy, today we are making a batch of fruit tarts!” she exclaimed happily as she moved towards the fridge, grabbing a block of butter “we just got a shipment of fresh seasonal fruit so we better use it before it goes bad”
Toshinori stood there, watching her pick up different ingredients and place them next to him “wait, that's it? Nothing else?”
She turned around, sharp knife in hand and lifted a brow at him “do you really want me to change the punishment?”
The blond waved his hands in front of him quickly “n-no, no! Ma'am, I don't… It's just that after what I did I expected something different”
The old lady threw some clementines at him and grabbed a bunch of green grapes “we both know that rascal deserved it, that's why I wanted to be in charge of this” she closed the fridge and opened the tap to wash the fruit “and I would've asked you to come with me to do this either way, with or without the new hole in the main building's wall”
Toshinori turned to look at her, confused “wait, I don't understand” he asked, looking around at the ingredients before him “why would you need me to do this? It's a really simple recipe if I recall correctly from what we did at the Charity Event”
She handed him a bunch of kiwis and he started peeling them carefully “because this is a little gift for Kristen” she answered, giggling when she saw the blond snap his head towards her “after all she's gone through these days, the girl deserves a little treat, don't you think?”
Toshinori beamed at her, grabbing another kiwi “yes ma'am, you are absolutely right… Thank you!”
“Don't be, boy! Now grab a knife and cut that fruit” she told him while she prepared the dough for the base “but don't squash them, we need them to be pretty!”
He laughed and carefully started cutting the ingredients into thin slices.
Mrs Brenda added a bit of cold water to the butter and flour and started mixing everything with her hand.
When Toshinori was done and Mrs Brenda had covered the dough with plastic wrap and put it on the fridge, they moved to prepare the custard that would fill the tarts.
“I couldn't help but notice that you were inside Kristen's room this morning…” she asked as she turned on stove “did you spend the night with her?”
“H-Huh?” that's all he managed to say before the milk he was pouring inside a pot fell from his hands, splashing the white liquid everywhere.
“Oh no, I'm sorry!” he blurted out, trying to clean it up with a rag, but he smashed his hand against the flame coming from the burners instead. The sizzling sound made Mrs Brenda turn the fire off and drag him over to the tap.
“Be careful, boy!” she yelled, smacking him on the back of the head “don’t move, I'll go clean the mess”
The smell of burning milk filled his nostrils, making the blond cringe a bit.
After a while, everything was good as new and his hand was covered in bandages and burning ointments.
“Now Toshinori, put the milk…” she pointed at the new carton she gave him “INSIDE the pot” and then at the now clean pot.
“Yes ma'am…” he whispered, pouring everything without spilling a single drop.
“Well done” she smiled, patting him on the back “and to be clear, I'm still waiting for an answer “
The blond tried to hide behind his bangs, but that did nothing to stop the old lady from staring at him.
“W-Well I took Kristen to her room and she asked me to stay with her because she didn't want to be alone and I, of course, accepted” he took a deep breath and kept rambling on “I healed her wounds after she reopened them and then w-we went to sleep, but we had a few incidents a few hours later, but we managed to solve them-”
“Breathe boy, breathe! You are going to faint” she said, smacking him with a wooden spoon. Suddenly her face turned serious, making Toshinori worry a little “did you say that you had a few incidents? What kind of incidents?”
The blond scratched his neck, looking down at the pot “Kristen had a really bad panic attack and I helped her through it. She had reopened her wounds and was trying to scald her skin in the shower” he shivered, memories of that moment flashing in his head.
Mrs Brenda sighed, stirring the milk to prevent it from burning "poor girl, I'm glad you were there to help her”
“Yeah, me too” he whispered.
The sound of the fire hitting the back of the pot was the only thing that could be heard for a moment before the old lady talked again.
“I have one question, Toshinori” she moved to grab the vanilla and added it inside the warm liquid “how is Miss Adams involved in all of this? I heard what you told us, but I think you know more than you are letting on”
He cracked a few eggs, pouring just the egg yolks on a bowl “I think she was the one that locked Kristen inside the storage room and that she also knew what was going to happen with Albert”
“Do you have any proof?” she asked, turning off the fire.
“I don't” he groaned while whisking some sugar, cornstarch and the egg yolks “that's the problem…”
“Here, pour this in slowly” she asked, giving him the pot “it's going to be difficult to prove anything without solid proof and we also have to take into consideration that Miss Adams is the principal’s daughter, so anything that comes out will probably be overlooked”
“Yeah, I guessed that much” he shrugged “I wish I could do more, but I don't know how”
The old lady grabbed the whisk from his hands and hit it against the rim of the bowl, making the now thick cream drop inside “you can't do anything more, dear. Now just be with Kristen and help her heal”
He nodded, covering the cream with plastic film and putting it inside the fridge.
Then they proceeded to roll and cut the now chilled dough to place it in some round containers.
“Speaking of being with Kristen…” she said, the smirk of a true gossiper adorning her face “are you guys dating or something?”
The grape the blond had inside his mouth flew away as he erupted into a coughing fit, his face turning as red as the pomegranate they had been emptying a few minutes ago.
“N-NO, WE DON'T- WE ARE NOT-” he tried to answer, but his brain was overheating.
The old lady's laughter boomed and echoed all over the kitchen “calm down boy! I'm just curious” she elbowed his ribs, making him jump “you look good together”
Toshinori took a deep breath after clearing his airways and looked at her shyly “we are not dating, Mrs Brenda. What makes you think that?”
She shrugged, moving to preheat the oven “you seem to have formed a really special bond; you are always together, seem to enjoy each other's company, care for your well-being…” she crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow “and of course, don't think I missed those red lips you had on your cheek yesterday and the way your costumes matched”
“I-I guess that's true, we have a really close and special friendship, but that's… That's all it'll ever be” he answered, looking down at his hands and closing his fists.
“Oh why is that?” the old lady asked, confused.
He frowned and met her eyes “I… I don't want Kristen to be in danger because of me, because of the hero I want to become” he answered vaguely. He was not going to let All For One hurt her because he saw her as a way to reach him. He wouldn't forgive himself for it.
“Are we talking about the same girl? Because if I recall correctly she's a powerful and capable woman, perfectly able to defend herself” she chuckled “you saw what happened the last time someone tried to hurt her, she almost burned them to ashes”
Toshinori cringed at that, imagining what would have happened if he hadn't gotten there on time “yeah but this is worse than a simple and pathetic guy” he frowned “this is more dangerous and I don't want to see her die because of it”
Mrs Brenda grabbed his hands, making him tense for a moment “well then I'm sorry to tell you, but I think she likes you too” the blond’s eyes widened at her words, how did she know that he… “so what are you going to do when she gathers the courage to do what you are trying to avoid; lie, reject her and crush her heart and also yours? Or be honest and live your own life and not the one other people want you to have?”
“It's not that simple” he answered sharply, moving and grabbing the trays to place them in the oven.
“Oh Toshinori, love is never simple. Life is not simple at all, but that's the best part of it” she smiled and went to wash everything they used “now go and tell one of her friends to bring her here in an hour”
He turned around without saying nothing and left the kitchen, thinking about their conversation.
About the promise he made.
What was he going to do?
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
Charlotte opened the door and moved to sit down on the star-shaped rug Nadia had in the middle of her room.
Kristen, Nadia and her had been playing board games since they got there and when they were in the middle of a very intense monopoly game, someone knocked at the door, making the pink skinned girl leave for a moment.
“WHO WAS IT?” Nadia asked, playing with her house-shaped pieces.
“O-Oh just a person that got the wrong room number” she answered, her words trembling a bit “I helped them find where they needed to go, that's why it took me a bit to come back”
“OH OKAY CHAR, NOW ROLL THE DICE AND PAY ME”
This monopoly game ended up being another hour long, resulting in a total of 2 hours.
Suddenly fake money started flying from place to place, the board laid discarded in the corner of the room and Kristen and Nadia were throwing their houses at each other.
“YOU CHEATED, YOU CAN'T BE THIS LUCKY!” Nadia yelled, launching a handful of plastic pieces at Kristen who just swatted them away with her hand.
“IT'S NOT MY PROBLEM THAT YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO MANAGE YOUR RESOURCES” Kristen yelled back, grabbing the box and hitting the other girl in the head.
Charlotte was trying to calm them down “girls it's just a game, relax please!”
Nadia looked at her and then pointed her finger at Kristen “I CAN'T, CHAR… SHE'S A CHEATER AND STOLE MY MONEY!”
Charlotte grabbed her hands and whispered softly “Nadia I'm going to be honest with you… You messed up real bad at the end, so Kristen has won fairly and square”
Nadia gasped loudly while Kristen laughed maniacally “TOLD YOU, I WON!”
“BETRAYED, I'VE BEEN BETRAYED” she fell to her knees, grabbing Charlotte's skirt “AND HERE I THOUGHT THAT YOU LOVED ME”
The girl sighed and patted her head “and I d-do love you, that's why I'm telling you the truth…” she smiled and helped her stand up “now that we are done with this game, how about we go have a little snack at the cafeteria? I'm kinda hungry”
“Yeah, I'd like to eat something…Winning makes me hungry” she mocked, but it didn't last as a pillow hit her on the face with enough force to make her lose her footing and land on the carpet.
“YEAH, LET'S GO EAT!” Nadia answered, clapping her hands.
So they put on their shoes and ran down the stairs of the residence, chatting and joking around until they got to the doors of the cafeteria.
Kristen looked through the glass doors to find the place completely empty, and lifted an eyebrow “why isn't anyone here? Is Mrs Breda okay?” she asked worriedly while pushing the doors open.
“I-I'm sure she's fine!” Charlotte reassured her, looking around “do you guys smell that?”
Nadia ran inside the place, sniffing the air around her “OH GOD, WHERE'S THAT WONDERFUL SMELL COMING FROM?!” she yelled.
“That'd be our fault!” Toshinori answered, coming out of the kitchen with his apron full of flour “hi girls, how are you doing?”
“Toshi!” Kristen beamed at him, the sound of his name on her lips and that beautiful smile made his heart leap “I didn't expect you to be here”
Mrs Brenda appeared from behind the blond, carrying some empty plates and napkins “well, he has been here with me as part of his detention” she patted his back “now boy, go grab everything while I serve them a drink”
“Yes ma'am!” he ran to the kitchen, making the doors hit the walls when they opened.
“Be careful, please!” she yelled, turning around to look at the girls “what would you like to drink?”
Nadia raised her hand excitedly “I WANT AN ORANGE JUICE, PLEASE”
“Okay, dear” she nodded “what about you?”
“I-I'd love to have a green tea with a drop of honey, if that's possible” Charlotte asked, shyly.
“Oh, I want one too, please!” Kristen added.
“One orange juice and two green teas with honey, coming right up!” she smiled, going behind the counter to grab a pair of tea bags and three glasses.
Just as she was pouring the liquids, Toshinori came out of the kitchen with a tray in his hands.
When he reached the table he pointed a finger at Kristen “close your eyes!”
She lifted an eyebrow at him “why…?”
“Pretty please…!” he pouted, making the girl roll her eyes but comply, using her hands to cover them.
The sound of something hitting the plates and her friends’ exclamations made Kristen feel excited.
“Can I look now?” she asked impatiently.
She felt Toshinori’s hands grab hers from behind and move them away from her eyes “yeah, you can!”
It took the girl’s vision a few seconds to focus, but when it did she couldn't help the gasp that left her.
Before her was a beautiful and perfectly crafted fruit tart; the crispy and buttery dough filled with yellow cream and different colorful fruits made her mouth water.
“W-What- Why?” she asked, confused, turning around to look at the now blushing blond that was trying his best to avoid her eyes, was he nervous?
“W-Well… Mrs Brenda and I wanted to give you a little treat after everything you've been through these days” he moved away from the girl, grabbing the now empty tray “we hope you enjoy it and that they make you feel better”
Suddenly his smile faded as he saw tears run down Kristen's face, ugly sobs leaving her lips.
He tried to move and ask what was wrong, but the girl beat him to it. She stood up and hugged him tightly, her clothes now dirty with flour too.
“Thank you” she said, voice muffled by his chest “thank you so much, Toshinori”
He was sure that she could feel the way his heart was about to fly out of his chest, but he didn't care. The blond sighed in relief and embraced her, whispering into her hair “you are welcome, Kristen”
Nadia clapped, jumping on her seat “OH GOD THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL!”
Charlotte frowned and elbowed her on the ribs, making the girl whine.
Kristen and Toshinori moved away from the other, faces red and warm.
“COME ON, I WANNA TRY THEM!” Nadia urged the girl who just sat down chuckling softly and grabbed the tart with her hands, taking a bite from it.
The flavors inside her mouth made her almost moan in delight. It was perfectly balanced: the dough was a bit salty and buttery, the cream sweet and silky against her tongue and the different fruits gave the dessert all kinds of textures and flavors.
“W-well?” the blond asked shyly, twiddling his fingers “how is it?”
Kristen cleaned her lips with the napkin and looked at him “Toshi, this tastes amazing! Did you really make this?” she teased, beaming when he placed a hand on his chest and let out a fake gasp.
“How dare you disrespect me like that!?” he asked, feigning hurt “give me my beautiful creation bac-”
He had to move his hand away as Kristen grabbed a knife and stabbed it on the table, dangerously close to his hands.
“I wouldn't do that if I were you” she warned, giving the dessert another bite.
Their friends laughed while he shook his head “Okay I get it, jeez…”
After clearing their plates, Mrs Brenda let Toshinori leave, considering his detention was over.
Before they left the place to go play more board games at Nadia's room, Kristen ran to hug the old lady, thanking her for everything.
The rest of the day was full of laughter, games and good company and when they noticed it was already night.
Kristen and Toshinori left Nadia's room, agreeing to meet next Friday to go to the city for the first time to have dinner and window shop.
They walked in comfortable silence until they reached the door with the number 513 written on it.
He looked at her before she unlocked it and asked “do you want me to stay with you tonight?”
The girl paused for a moment and after a few seconds, shook her head “no, don't worry… I'll be fine” she answered “if I need anything I'll go to your room, okay?”
The blond frowned, not really convinced, but ended up nodding “okay then, I'll get going now” he took a step back and smiled “goodnight Kristen, try to rest please”
When he was about to reach the stairs, Toshinori heard her call his name. When he turned around, she was already jumping and hugging his neck.
He quickly grabbed the girl by the waist and after a second, moved his arms to hug her back, hiding his face on the crook of her neck just like she was doing.
She smelled of… Of that flower, whatever its name is. It was addictive.
“Thank you so much for today and yesterday” she whispered “thank you for being here with me and help me even if you don't have to”
“Thank you for letting me help you, Kristen” he answered back, placing her back on the floor as she untangled herself from his body.
The smile she gave Toshinori and her scent followed him all the way to his bed.
That night he dreamt about that beautiful smile, her piercing eyes and those tempting lips.
This was going to be harder than he thought.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
The following nights were hard, but Kristen managed to get through them without many problems.
Her physical wounds were healing properly, but the mental ones were slower.
The business card started at her from the desk of her room. She hadn't dared to go to that place… What would they do to her? What if she discovers something bad about her quirk?
But those questions were moved to the back of her brain because of the exams they had to take that week.
Toshinori and Kristen spent their free and not free time studying like crazy, completing assignments and drinking an unhealthy amount of coffee. If it weren't for Mrs Brenda they would even forget to eat properly.
One day when they were leaving the library, a conversation from a group of teachers reached their ears.
Looks like Albert had been suspended for two weeks and Linda hadn't been punished at all.
The blond felt his blood boil as he turned around to say something when Kristen grabbed his hand, eyes full of tears, and dragged him away.
Toshinori spent the majority of that night hugging her tightly in an attempt to help the girl through panic attacks and nightmares.
But after all their suffering the week was over and Friday arrived.
Their friends were already waiting for them at the entrance when they got there; Charlotte wore a light pink and white fur jacket, combined with a white lace miniskirt, thick tights and white fur high boots. Her hair was adorned with a few ribbons and to top it all, she had a beautiful white beret crowning her head.
Nadia was jumping from side to side, making her white sneakers lift a cloud of dust. A soft looking lime thick sweater and jeans filled with star chains protected the girl from the cold breeze.
When they saw the other two students, Nadia ran towards them, waving her arms “HI GUYS, WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU!”
Kristen laughed softly, opening her arms to receive the powerful and unavoidable hug from the girl with an oof.
Toshinori snickered, adjusting his dark grey flight jacket. He decided to dress comfortably today so the blond chose an off-white colored sweater and a pair of black cargo pants, with white and black sneakers.
“N-Nadia be careful please” Charlotte begged, watching how she crushed Kristen's ribs “you are going to hurt her”
The pink haired girl placed her on the ground, allowing her to breathe again “UPS, SORRY!”
“It's fine, don't worry!” Kristen coughed while she grabbed a tissue from her dark maroon leather jacket and blew her nose.
She was freezing even though she was wearing a brown turtleneck sweater and her thickest black slacks with her uroboros belt, of course.
She kicked a little pebble with her black combat boots and grunted “it's so cold… Let's get moving, please”
And with that, they walked to the bus stop that was placed at the doors of the campus and waited.
Toshinori looked at Kristen and saw her shivering while Nadia told her how she managed to solve one of the questions of today's exam.
He sighed and fully opened his jacket, moving behind the girl and wrapping her body in a warm hug that made her jump in surprise.
Nadia gasped and snapped her head towards Charlotte, who was giggling behind her hand, but neither of the other two noticed as they were too busy blushing and trying to calm their brains and hearts down.
Toshinori was yelling at himself for acting like that, what was wrong with him?! He was supposed to suppress these feelings…!
But he didn't move.
Kristen tried to think what to do, what to say, but any coherent thought ended up discarded as she felt his warm body press against hers. The scent of his cologne made the girl want nothing more than to take that sweater off the blond and let herself melt against his skin.
She didn't want to move.
“G-Guys, the bus is here” Charlotte said shyly, making them jump in surprise.
They said nothing and walked into the vehicle. Five minutes later it started moving towards the center of Los Angeles, where they'd spend the rest of the day.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
“KRISTEN TRY THIS ON” Nadia threw a black, sleeveless and skin-tight dress at her "AND THIS ONE TOO”
The girl just grabbed them and nodded, having learnt after an hour of this that it was pointless to try and tell Nadia ‘no’ when it came to clothes.
So she walked into the changing room and two minutes later walked out of it, blushing.
“N-Nadia I don't think this is for me” she whispered while trying to adjust the fabric around her boobs “it's too tight”
“BULLSHIT, YOU LOOK GREAT AND IT REALLY SUITS YOU!” she turned around towards the benches that were in front of the fitting rooms “RIGHT, GUYS?”
Charlotte nodded, smiling brightly “it looks amazing! You have an amazing figure”
Toshinori had been mostly silent since Kristen walked out to show them the first outfit Nadia created for her 60 minutes ago.
He yelped in surprise as an elbow hit his ribs, making his thoughts halt and return to the real world. The blond looked at Charlotte, who was frowning at him as if waiting for something “w-what?” he asked, confused.
“See?” Kristen told Nadia, looking down. Insecurities were filling her mind, so she grabbed the curtain to close it and change back “guys I think we should go have dinner, what do you think?” she asked, trying to sound as happy as possible.
Nadia's eye twitched and looked at the blond “YEAH… THAT’S A GOOD IDEA!” she moved towards him, grabbing his arm “BUT BEFORE THAT YOU HAVE TO TRY ON ONE LAST THING, BE RIGHT BACK!”
“OUCH!” he complained while the girl dragged him around the shop “hey what's wrong?! Stop!”
Nadia stopped moving to grab one last piece of clothing and smashed it against his chest “GO GIVE THIS TO KRISTEN AND TELL CHAR I NEED HER HERE ASAP” she said, pushing him away "MOVE DUMMKOPF, MOVE!”
The dress was long and made of a really silky and shiny dark red fabric. Two thin straps were attached to the upper part and there was a big cut on the right side of the skirt.
He didn't get to answer and walked towards the changing rooms where Charlotte was talking to Kristen behind the curtain.
“Girls?” he called “Nadia gave me one last dress and said that she needed you, Charlotte”
A few seconds later, the pink skinned girl walked out of the changing room and thanked the blond, leaving him alone in the middle of the corridor.
Suddenly an arm came from behind the curtain, startling him “please give me the dress and let's get this over with as soon as possible” she whispered.
He couldn't help but frown at the way she sounded “are you okay, Kristen?” he asked, giving her the dress.
She didn't answer for a while, the sound of the previous clothes dropping to the floor was the only thing that could be heard.
“I'm fine, don't worry” she told him.
“I can tell that's not true” Toshinori crossed his arms and lifted a brow as he heard her grunt and struggle inside the booth “is everything alright in there?”
“Y-Yes!” she groaned “fucking dammit! Damn my short arms and damn this shitty ass dress…! Is Charlotte over there?”
He looked around to try and see if she had come back “nope, she's still with Nadia. Can I help you with anything?”
“Maldita sea…” Kristen whispered and after a few seconds of silence she sighed “y-yes please”
He smiled, walking towards the curtain “what do you need?”
Her answer made him stop right on his tracks “I need you to zip up the back of this damned dress…”
His face turned red and he gave her a soft “oh” as an answer.
He didn't move again as his mind went back to throwing those images and thoughts about Kristen he's been trying to avoid for the entirety of the day.
The girl sighed “forget it, I'm sorry for asking. I'll tell Nadia it looked okay and then we'll leave” she whispered with that insecurity filled tone from before.
Her voice made him snap out of his trance “wait, I'll do it!”
“Toshinori stop” she said angrily from behind the green fabric “you are clearly uncomfortable and I'm sorry for having put you through this experience. Don't do something you don't want to because of me”
“But I want to do it!” he assured her “sorry, it's just that…”
“Don't bother, if you say that you are okay with it just do it and let's leave as soon as possible” she grumbled.
Toshinori slowly moved and grabbed the curtain “can I open it?”
“Yeah, of course” she answered plainly.
When he moved the cloth away, the first thing he saw was Kristen's red face reflected on the mirror. She was looking at the floor as if the most interesting thing in the world was there and after a while, whispered “could you please close the curtain? I don't want random people to see my… My everything”
He jumped a bit and moved inside the changing room, doing as he was told “y-yes sorry!”
The place was small even for Kristen, but it became even smaller with Toshinori’s body occupying 70% of the space.
The girl took a step towards the mirror, forearms squishing against the cold surface. This made her shiver and goosebumps cover her arms and shoulders.
Toshinori moved his eyes from Kristen's face and saw her holding the top of the dress with her hands to avoid flashing him. Her bare back was at full display as the zipper was almost completely down.
Pale skin was adorned with little moles that created a beautiful sky in front of the blond. He wanted nothing more than to connect them with his fingers to see how many constellations he could find within her body.
How many more of those was she hiding under that dress?
Would she let him count them all?
“Are you okay?” she asked, looking at him from her reflection.
He jumped a bit and nodded while moving his hands; one to grab the zipper and the other right under it to tense the fabric.
Then Toshinori started slowly zipping it up, fingers brushing against her spine.
Kristen couldn't help but close her eyes when she felt his warm hands on her skin. A soft sigh, that made him grab the fabric tighter, left her lips.
When he was done she moved her arms from her chest, letting the loose fabric that adorned the semi sweetheart neckline down, creating a few folds that gave the garment bit of volume.
The satin shone and contrasted against her skin, the cut on the right lower part of the fabric left almost the majority of her leg on display.
She smiled and after adjusting the spaghetti straps, moved her body a little, trying not to brush against the blond, to be able to see how it fit her.
It was beautiful.
“What do you think?” she asked him looking down, gathering all the courage left in her to form that question.
He remained silent, eyeing her reflection and after a few long and torturous seconds, Toshinori moved his hands to her hips and slowly slid them up her curves until they reached the bottom of her breasts. The sound of his rough hands against the soft fabric of the dress filled the space.
Kristen's breath hitched and warmth spread across her body at the sudden contact. Her eyes snapped towards his half-lidded ones, watching how his pupils were filling almost the entirety of his blue orbs.
She felt his fingers twitch against the red satin, struggling to stop himself from keeping going “you look…” he answered, voice lower than usual and filled with something akin to hunger “ravishing”.
He turned her around until she faced him and she used this opportunity to drag her hands up his abs and chest, eliciting a low rumble from the blond.
He smirked as one of his hands moved down to squish her hip again while the other brushed against the side of her boob and crept up until it reached her cheek, caressing it with his thumb.
The soft moan that escaped her lips made the blond growl and press his body against hers, making her bare upper back squish against the cold mirror.
“A-AH, COLD!” she whined, trying to move away from the freezing surface.
He jumped back, eyes shooting open and put his hands up and away from her body “SORRY!” the blond cried.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
After showing their friends the dress and not answering their questions about the noises they heard coming from the changing room, they left the store and had dinner at a really good burger place that Toshinori enjoyed very much.
He's never tried an actual burger from the States so he was extremely excited when the waitress brought his order to the table.
The juice from the three beef patties dripped down the tower of lettuce, onion and cheese, and a few seconds later down the blond’s chin.
“You are going to dislocate your jaw, Toshinori” Kristen frowned, quickly putting a napkin under his face to stop the liquid from falling into his sweater.
“I’ll be fine, don't worry!” he told her after swallowing everything down.
After paying for everything they decided to go back to the university, so they took the bus and a few minutes later they were saying their goodbyes in front of the girl's residence.
Kristen and Toshinori stood in front of the building’s door in silence until the girl looked at him and smiled.
“Do you want to take a little walk with me and chat for a bit?” her voice was oh so soft that made Toshinori shiver, or maybe it was the cold.
He nodded, beaming at her and started walking. Their hands brushed a few times, but neither of them had the guts to do what they both wished.
“So…” Kristen began “did you have fun today?”
“Oh absolutely! Today was really nice” he answered her “I really enjoyed getting to know a bit more about the city and you girls are really good company!”
The girl hit his arm playfully, laughing “oh, the same could be said about you!” then looked at the cloudy sky, sighing “and… How are you? You know, are you feeling okay? I've noticed that you were a little off this whole week” Kristen shrugged “maybe I'm just overreacting, but I don't lose anything by asking!”
Her question made Toshinori frown a bit; how was he feeling?
Actually, the conversation he had with Mrs Brenda the previous weekend had his feelings all over the place…
And after a lot of thinking, he came to the conclusion that he liked her, which was bad news.
He tried his best to keep his distance and just protect her like he promised, as her friend.
He couldn't let himself be weak and make her fall with him to the hands of AFO, he couldn't do that to her, but every time they were close his body moved towards hers like a fucking moth attracted to a light bulb.
And when they weren't together, his mind still thought of her smile, her laugh… Her.
And today was one of the hardest days by far; seeing her in all those beautiful clothes did nothing to help him.
At some point he thought that Nadia was doing it on purpose based on the way she looked at him every time Kristen came out from the changing room, but wasn't completely sure.
And the sugar on the cream was, of course, whatever the hell happened when he helped her zip up the dress.
Images of how the red satin hugged her figure like it was made only for her body flashed in his head.
The way her skin felt smooth like velvet against his fingers and how he wished he could explore every mark and detail engraved on it, made his fingers twitch.
He couldn't stop himself from grabbing her and feeling just a little bit of her body.
And he was ashamed of it.
What the blond didn't expect was for her to do what she did, maybe Mrs Brenda was right and she was interested in him too? But maybe it was purely physical attraction, something similar to what Linda felt for him.
“Toshi?” her worried voice snapped him of his thoughts, eyes widening a bit.
“A-Ah sorry!” he apologized “I'm just a little tired, this week has been hard”
“Yeah, I feel you…”
“But answering your question…” he mumbled “I have a bit of an internal debate inside my mind… Two different parts of myself are fighting against each other and it's draining my energy, to be honest” the blond sighed, running a hand down his face.
Kristen hugged herself at his words, feeling her heart drop a bit “you've been helping me all this time with what happened with Albert” then looked at him, smiling “so I just want to remind you that I'm also here for you, so if you want me to try and help you or just listen, ask me”
He smiled back, a sad look adorning his face “I know, and thank you very much” he told her “and by the way, today helped a lot” and it also messed his mind up even more, but he wasn't going to tell her that “I really enjoyed it”
She nodded, feeling that something was off, but said nothing.
Suddenly, Toshinori stopped walking, making the girl turn around only to see that they were in front of the boy's residence.
“I guess I'll get going now, it's late and we both need to sleep”
Kristen frowned, worry and anxiety filling her gut “o-oh, okay, yeah!” she tried to sound happy, failing.
An uncomfortable silence fell between them and after a few seconds, she managed to speak again.
“Do you want me to keep you company tonight?” she asked, looking at her shoes with a worried expression on her face.
His heart sank the moment he saw her smile vanish from her face, but he had to do it, he couldn't let that other side win. He couldn't let AFO win.
“No, don't worry I'll be fine” he lied, walking into the building “have a really good night, Kristen!”
“O-Okay see you tom-” the door shut before she could finish “-orrow…”
Toshinori pressed his back against the wood, a hard sigh leaving his lungs.
The girl just stood there trying to understand what happened.
Did she do something wrong?
Has she upset him with something she's done?
A few minutes later, the sound of her boots echoed through the silence of the night, making the blond want nothing more than to open the door and call for her, to apologize and ask that girl to hug him until they fell asleep. To brush away all her worries until there were none.
But he didn't move.
That night was filled with nightmares and anxiety, worry and disappointment.
And they just endured it alone.
Like they've always done.
Notes:
Well, fuck
That's no bueno
Don't forget to give a kudo if you liked the chapter and leave a comment down below!
And as always... Have a nice day and go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!
Chapter 21: Choices
Notes:
Hi!
I have nothing to say, so... Go read this chapter 👀 I hope you enjoy it 👀
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Weeks passed and the distance between Toshinori and Kristen grew.
Their study sessions at the library vanished.
Those times where they just spent the day talking and doing nothing while laying on the grass of the campus, disappeared.
And neither of them went to help Mrs Brenda with the cafeteria even when she offered them to do something the old lady knew the students would enjoy.
That didn't mean that every trace of contact had been lost, they just stopped doing everything together.
Kristen tried to ask Toshinori about this sudden change, but he just dismissed it or changed the subject. Making her feel even worse.
Her mind told her she did something to upset him, but didn't know what.
The dreaded week of the finals arrived and thankfully the arena had been completely remodeled and fixed after what happened at the Charity Event, so the students were able to attend the Field Training exam.
Toshinori got a solid 10 while Kristen got a 9.5 for almost breaking the blond's nose with what the teacher called an “uncontrolled kick”. She knew what she was doing, but wasn't going to admit it.
That half point was worth the relief she felt when she saw him on the floor.
It was his turn to feel a little bit of the pain he's been causing her.
But much to her surprise, he just looked at her with sadness and understanding. He accepted the blow and didn't blame her for it.
Which only made her angrier.
Later that week, they got together to present their assignment for Heroic Studies.
They decided to talk about one of the biggest heroes’ anti-corruption movements that completely changed how Vigilantes were treated in Europe, and of course they got a 10.
Their work was so detailed and well-made that the University offered them to showcase it to the hero committee of LA, to study and maybe implement in the future some of the things they talked about.
The two of them were acing their exams, but outside of that, everything was a mess.
Kristen's nightmares became more active and real. She couldn't sleep for more than 2 hours without waking up covered in sweat and tears… And the blond could see how it affected her: the bags under her eyes, the times she fell asleep during class and the comments from their friends about how the girl hadn't left her room for a whole day.
His conscience was killing him; regret filled his heart because he was the cause of that. He was making her suffer because he was a coward.
But it was for her own good. He'd rather have her hate him than have her die because of him.
But as every human, he had a limit.
And when he woke up at three in the morning feeling everything was crumbling down like it was the end, he couldn't help but move unsteadily, vision blurry, until his legs took him to Kristen's room.
He had no right to ask for her help after everything he's done and he'll be okay with the girl straight up telling him to go fuck himself.
But she didn't, of course she did not.
She was a better person than him, after all. That's what he told himself when he used the spare key Kristen gave him a few weeks ago with shaking hands and went to look for her in the dark.
After that night, things started going back to normal, almost. There still was a bit of resentment and hidden things from both of them, of course.
Toshinori didn't explain what happened, what made him behave like that.
He couldn't, he wasn't going to let Kristen know anything about the monster he was going to give his life to in exchange of his.
The less she knew, the better.
Right?
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
Finally exams were over and the Christmas holidays arrived.
Almost everyone was leaving to spend the free days with their families, and that included Nadia and Charlotte.
“A-Are you sure you don't wanna come with us?” Charlotte asked, standing next to the entrance of the campus with her pink luggage “my mother said she'd be glad to prepare two more beds for you, guys!”
“OR JUST ONE!” Nadia chimed in, receiving a glare from the shorter girl.
Kristen laughed, shaking her head “no, thank you girls. You both go and enjoy the holidays together!” she smiled.
“Yeah, we will miss you a lot tho!” Toshinori told them “so get ready for when you come back, because we will be waiting for you!”
The four of them laughed, watching how the bus arrived and opened its doors.
“Do you need help with those?” Kristen asked, pointing at their luggage.
When she finished that sentence, Nadia grabbed everything and threw it inside the vehicle “NO THANKS, WE GOT IT COVERED!”
And after a few hugs and goodbyes, Toshinori and Kristen saw how the bus disappeared in the distance, leaving them alone for almost 2 weeks.
The girl sneezed loudly, causing the blond to jump.
“OH GOD- b-bless you!” he told her, eyes wide open.
She sniffed before grabbing a tissue and blowing her nose “t-thanks…”
“Wanna go somewhere warmer? It's really cold out here” he asked, worried about her health.
“How about we go visit Mrs Brenda?” Kristen suggested “she told me we should go to the cafeteria one of these days to help her plan the Christmas menu”
“Oh, that actually sounds like a good plan” he smiled, gesturing with his hand in an exaggerated way towards the entrance “shall we?”
The girl just rolled her eyes and smiled back, walking past him “yeah, let's go!”
The walk to the cafeteria was silent and a bit uncomfortable. They were still trying to get back to where they were before, but it was taking a lot more time and effort than they expected.
But there were other things that they managed to enjoy doing together again in a really short time.
When the two got there, Toshinori opened the door of the cafeteria and screamed from the top of his lungs “WE ARE HERE!”
Kristen appeared from behind him and did exactly the same “TO PLAN THE CHRISTMAS MENU!”
The few students that were trying to eat their breakfast in peace and the staff looked at them wide eyed, not knowing how to react.
“Why are you screaming like wild animals inside my cafeteria!?” Mrs Brenda yelled from the kitchen “come back here before I go and get your asses!”
They looked at each other and laughed, running to meet the old lady who was waiting for them with her arms crossed.
“Looks like you both have a lot of spare energy, huh?” she smirked, making Toshinori and Kristen pale. They knew that look “well then grab your aprons and start washing those pots!” she ordered.
“IT'S A TRAP!” Kristen whined, trying to run out of the kitchen, only for an energy barrier to appear in front of the door.
“Nu-huh girl, come back here” Mrs Brenda moved and grabbed her wrist, dragging her towards the sink ”and you too, mister!” she called Toshinori, who just shuffled until he got next to her “good boy, now start cleaning until you learn how to behave properly!”
“Yes ma'am…” they whispered in unison.
An hour later everything was clean and sorted. Kristen sighed, drying her hands and moving to one of the tables where Mrs Brenda was already waiting for them with papers and pens.
The old lady watched her sit down and lifted a brow “where's Toshinori?” she asked, confused to only see the girl.
“Hm?” she hummed, focusing “oh, I have no idea. He should be inside the kitchen finishing something”
Mrs Brenda just nodded and crossed her arms.
She didn't know what was going on between those two, but what she managed to observe during the past weeks was the way they suddenly stopped behaving like they used to.
It was almost too sudden: one day they were happy, helping each other and the other day they acted as almost complete strangers.
What could've made them start behaving like that…?
Suddenly her eyes widened, recalling the conversation Toshinori and herself had the day after the Halloween party.
“I'm done!” the blond said, sitting down in front of Kristen, making the girl sigh and look down at her paper “shall we begin?”
After talking for a bit about the menu structure and rationing, ideas about the actual food started flowing.
“What about chicken? It's is really cheap and versatile” Kristen added, chewing on her pen “we can cook it with a bunch of different spices and herbs to make it less boring”
“Yeah, that's a good idea” Mrs Brenda noted down “think about the spices we could use and tell me about it later”
“And maybe we can make that French mashed potatoes with cheese as a side dish” Toshinori scratched his chin, humming “what was it called…? Agi… Alo…”
“Aligot” Kristen whispered without looking up from her paper.
“Yeah, that!” he pointed at her, beaming “potatoes are really cheap too and their creaminess and light flavor will pair really well with the herbs from the chicken!”
“Well done, guys!” the old lady smiled “we will also make a fish option with salmon for those who don't want meat and a bit of roasted veggies as a second side dish option”
They nodded in agreement, writing every down.
“How about we make a few appetizers?” Kristen suggested “I don't know if you guys do it here in the States but in my country it's really common to have them at celebrations”
Mrs Brenda played with her pen, spinning it between her fingers “I've never prepared those so I'm a bit lost here as what to include, but sounds like a good idea”
The girl moved her paper towards them and started drawing on it.
“Well, we always prepare a plate full of ham, cheeses and all kinds of cured meats, but I've noticed that those products are a bit expensive here so we'll omit them” she kept talking while doodling “we can make little bite-sized tarts filled with whatever we want: cream cheese and walnuts, smoked salmon, prawns, avocado… The combinations are almost unlimited”
The old lady and Toshinori hummed, already writing down different things to fill the tarts with.
“Oh! And with the leftovers from the chicken, salmon and veggies we could make some tasty soups” Kristen suggested, smiling widely.
“But won't the soup taste weird if we mix both salmon and chicken?” Toshinori asked, making the girl frown.
“That's why I said SOUPS, in plural” she scoffed, her demeanor shifting completely “it's evident that if you put those two things together, they'll taste bad”
The blond looked down, taken aback by her tone “s-sorry, I didn't hear you properly, thanks for the clarification” he whispered.
Kristen didn't answer for a few seconds, her face turning sour “yeah whatever, it's okay” she answered, sounding regretful, while doodling all over her notes.
Mrs Brenda sighed loudly, but before she could say something, Kristen stood up from her chair and told them she was going to the bathroom, leaving the room quickly.
The silence between the two didn't last long as Mrs Brenda hit the table with her fist, making Toshinori jump.
“Okay what the hell is wrong with you two!?” she asked angrily “I hope this complete change in the way you both behave with each other doesn't have to do with what we talked about last month, young man!” she warned, her eye twitching as she saw the blond look down in regret, silently answering her question.
“I-I just…” he said, voice trembling “I can't do this to her, I don't want her to get hurt”
The old lady scoffed, shaking her head “well, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you are doing an awfully bad job at that! But instead of those you are so afraid of, the one hurting her is you!”
Toshinori hugged himself, trying to hide from her piercing gaze “I know a-and I'm sorry, I'm so sorry” he whispered, a tear falling down his cheek “I don't want to do this, but it's too much-” a sob left his lips “I can't do this to her, Mrs Brenda”
The old lady sighed softly, standing up and moving to hug the blond “oh sweet boy, what kind of heavy burden and secrets are you carrying on your shoulders?”
Her words made him sob again and turn around to hug her back “I-I can't- I'm sorry-”
“Shush, boy” she rubbed his back lovingly “don't be sorry and cry all you need”
A few minutes later, he managed to compose himself and move away from Mrs Bremda, who gave him a tissue he accepted with a soft thank you.
The old lady sat back down with a grunt, her knees popping “do you really think THIS” she pointed at him and Kristen's empty seat “is worth it? Don't think that time will make this go away if you try to ignore it, because it won't” she told him.
“And what should I do?” he asked, grabbing his pen to play with it “I don't want her to get hur-”
“Stop with that!” she frowned, looking at him “do you want to know what to do?” she asked, watching him nod “give the girl a chance to prove to you that she's stronger than you think she is and just live your damn life!” her hand grabbed his and squished it “you don't want to get to my age and be full of regrets; enjoy what you have while you can and don't let others dictate what you can or can't do” she smiled at him, touching the pen he was holding “you are the only one who can write your own future, don't give others that power, Toshinori”
When he was about to answer, Kristen entered the cafeteria again, looking at them with a confused look “Am I interrupting something? I can leave if you-”
“Oh no dear, come in!” Mrs Brenda exclaimed happily “you know what? What about you both leave? We've done more than enough today!” she pushed the blond, making him stand up and whispered only for him to hear “go enjoy the present and apologize, boy”
“But we haven't even thought about dessert!” Kristen said, disappointed.
“I'll do it by myself and that way it'll be a surprise for you!” she answered, walking the blond to the exit with a hand on his back “now scram! And have a nice evening!” she told them, closing the doors behind her.
Toshinori and Kristen looked at each other in silence.
“U-Uh… What the heck?” she frowned, looking at the closed doors “okay… I guess now that this is over, I'll go back to my room” she told the blond, smiling softly “by the way, sorry about how I answered you before, I shouldn't have done that…” Kristen apologized, looking at him for a moment and when he didn't answer she just sighed, moving away from him “well, see you soon Toshinori!”
When she took the first step towards the dorms, the blond grabbed her wrist, making her turn around sharply.
“Please don't-!” he yelled by accident and then adjusted his volume, blushing slightly “d-don’t go…”
She looked at him and then at his hand “uh, okay… Do you need anything else or…?”
He shook his head, bangs hitting his face “I wanted to invite you to see the Christmas lights, I've heard they are really nice and I was wondering if you…”
Kristen frowned, moving away from him and crossing her arms “why would you want to do that with me all of the sudden?” her eyes were full of resentment and fear “has Mrs Brenda forced you to do this? Oh god, please don't. I don't want you to take pity on me”
Toshinori looked at her, eyes wide “what are you talking about? Why would I-”
“Come on Toshinori, you've been avoiding me like the plague for almost a month and now you want to spend time with me again after coincidentally speaking with Mrs Brenda?” she scoffed “I'm not that fucking stupid, you know?” she whispered, hugging herself.
He moved to grab her hands but she took another step back, making his heart shatter a bit “t-that’s not it, I just…” he struggled to form a coherent answer “I'm sorry”
Kristen looked at him, frowning “sorry? Sorry for what, Toshinori” she shook her head “don't apologize for doing what you want to do. I understand that dealing with me after everything that happened with Albert had to be a lot and that you felt overwhelmed and forced to be with me because of it. I don't blame you for not wanting anything to do with it” her eyes now full of tears met his again “what hurt me was the way you didn't give me a single explanation and just, l̴e̵f̴t̷ me”
He swore he saw her eyes fill with golden light for a moment, but it ended as quickly as it started.
“Wait, no! That's not it!” he told her “I don't regret doing any of that and I'd keep doing it-”
“Liar” she spat, making him take a step back. Her voice was full of pain and hate.
“I'm not lying, Kristen!” he cried “I was… I…” he pulled at his bangs and looked down.
“You were WHAT!?” she took a step towards him and poked at his chest with her finger “too busy? Too tired? Too-”
“TOO SCARED!” he yelled, tears running down his cheeks “I WAS TOO SCARED!”
Kristen looked at him and said nothing, feeling too shocked by his answer.
This wasn't what she imagined the blond would say.
“I JUST WANTED TO PROTECT YOU” he grabbed her hand, feeling how cold it was compared to his “I DON'T WANT YOU TO GET HURT BECAUSE OF ME! BECAUSE OF WHAT I HAVE TO DO!”
She frowned, not fully understanding what he meant and looked at their joined hands “I can protect myself, I'm not that weak you know”
His grip on her tightened “you don't understand, Kristen, it's not that-”
“Then help me understand it!” she begged, grabbing his hand with her free one “but don't push me away thinking that I won't be able to handle whatever you are talking about. Let me decide if I want to stay or not”
Toshinori sniffled and rubbed his nose “I…”
Kristen smiled and moved her hand to wipe the tears that adorned his face, making him look at her eyes “but let's not do it now okay?” she whispered, cupping his cheek “today's been enough. Thank you for opening up a bit about how you feel, I know it's hard for you”
He took a step back and let go of her hand, causing her arm to fall to her side “w-why?!” he asked, frowning “why are you like this?”
She tilted her head to the side, confused.
“After everything I've done, after ignoring you for weeks and lying to you… Why do you act like you've forgiven me and even worry about my well-being?!”
A little laugh left her lips, and after shaking her head she moved towards him “oh dear, I have not forgotten you… You still have a lot of apologizing and explaining to do, but treating you poorly and not letting you do this at your own pace will only hurt us both again” her cold hand grabbed his, making the blond jump a bit “and of course, I… I really appreciate you, so I feel the need to be there for you even after what happened”
“That's why you let me stay with you the night I asked for your help?”
She nodded “yeah, that and because I've never seen you looking like that before, it scared me a little bit to be honest”
“Sorry…” he whispered.
“Don't be silly… That's one of the few things you don't have to apologize for… Asking for help is completely fine” she told the blond, walking and drawing him towards the residences “but enough of that! What did you say about some Christmas lights you wanted to take me to?”
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
When Kristen and Toshinori got off the bus, the girl gasped watching how the city had completely transformed into a festival of lights and colors.
The blond had to grab her by the collar of her coat to avoid losing the girl between the crowd. She ran from side to side, pointing at everything and smiling.
Toshinori was glad that they had that conversation, she looked a lot more relaxed and happy.
Will he be able to tell her everything? She already knew some parts of it because he told her the night he walked to the girl's room, but maybe someday she'll get the full story.
Or not.
But for now he will focus on getting ready to talk to her about the parts that compromised her security if they kept hanging out together and even started dating.
The mere thought of them as a couple made him blush.
It sounded really good to him, but at the same time fear and uncertainty clung to his bones.
“Toshi!” she hit his arm, startling him “finally! I can see smoke coming out of your ears, so stop thinking so much and find a hot dog stand with that wonderful height of yours” she gestured with her hands towards the people in front of her “I can only see, and smell, armpits”
The blond blinked a few times and laughed “I have an even better idea!” he smirked while grabbing Kristen and lifting her to sit on his shoulders.
She giggled all the way there and started looking around until she kicked her legs, hitting Toshinori’s chest “I FOUND IT, OVER THERE!”
He had already seen the stand a few minutes ago, but the girl was having a good time so Toshinori tilted his head, telling her to guide him as he didn't spot it.
So Kristen grabbed his bangs, raising them up and controlling him like a robot.
When they got to their destination, she jumped down and ordered three fully loaded hotdogs; two for Toshinori and one for herself and started eating them, watching the way the colors adorned every corner of the city.
“Oh wow this is tasty” she hummed, looking at her food.
“Yeah! They taste amazing and were really cheap!”
“I know, right?!”
They kept talking about little things they saw or thought, walking down the streets of LA.
It almost felt like everything was just like before; Kristen and Toshinori enjoying their time together, laughing, teasing each other, just being happy.
“Hey look at that place” she pointed at a beautifully decorated restaurant full of hanging plants and with an elegant ambiance coming out of it “it looks really good, doesn't it?”
The blond nodded, reading and memorizing the name of the place while they walked past it.
At some point he had placed Kristen on his shoulders again to allow the girl to see the decorations properly.
When he suddenly stopped moving, the girl looked down watching how they were in front of a hot chocolate stand.
“Still hungry, big boy?” she teased, hitting his chest with her heel.
He laughed, grabbing her ankle “yeah, but I also wanted to pay off my debt” he commented while asking for two cups of the warm, thick liquid.
“What are you talking about?” she asked, raising an eyebrow and grabbing the container he offered him “oh, thanks!”
He tried drinking his, but reeled back when his tongue grazed the scalding chocolate, making Kristen giggle.
“Do you remember the day after we met? Just right after the festival ended” he told her, trying to cool his tongue down by sticking it out.
“Yeah, of course… We went to the cafeteria to put everything away and spoke with Mrs Brenda and Mr Robinson” she answered, frowning “what does this have to do with- OH!” she gasped, making Toshinori laugh “OH MY GOD YOU REMEMBERED IT!?” Kristen screamed, laughing with him too.
“Well yeah!” he said, blushing softly “I felt really bad about dragging you outside of the place without letting you enjoy your chocolate so…”
Kristen blushed, moving to hug his head and leaving a kiss on his hair “thank you, that is really sweet of you…” the girl smirked “but you still owe me a coffee!”
The blond rolled his eyes, pinching her leg and kept walking until they reached a quite empty park. Looks like everyone was around the city watching the lights.
In front of them was a big poster of a firework show that would start in almost 40 minutes, so they decided to stay to watch it.
“Let's look for a nice place to sit before it starts!” she grabbed his hand after jumping down from his shoulders, dragging him inside.
5 minutes later, the sound of the city was too far away and the only thing they heard were their own footsteps.
When they reached a part of the park that was full of trees, Kristen asked the blond something that made his heart drop.
“Do you really see me as a weak hero?”
“W-Wait, what?” he mumbled, extremely confused “why are you asking me this?”
She looked down, picking at her fingers “so is that a yes?”
“No, it's not!” he told the girl, stopping and grabbing her hands “why would you say that?”
Kristen shrugged “everything that happened between us this past month was caused because you were scared of something or someone hurting me… Because you don't think I'm strong enough”
“I never said that!” he shook his head, voice serious.
“Yeah but it's implied!” the girl answered angrily, kicking a pebble.
“No, it's not!” he grabbed her chin, making her look into his eyes “you are one of the strongest heroes I've met. Your quirk is extremely versatile and powerful and you are perfectly able to defend yourself and others. And you also almost broke my nose” he teased, receiving a punch to the gut.
“I could've broken it if I wanted to…”
“Yeah, I know” he laughed “I know you could've…”
The girl sat on a bench huffing and the blond followed her, remaining silent for a while.
“Sometimes” he started “no matter how powerful we think we are, there's always someone a bit stronger than us. And if you decide to try and beat that person, you are at risk of losing” Toshinori shrugged, looking at her “maybe you can win if you are lucky and play your cards well, but that person can also play theirs in order to defeat you”
She met his eyes, the intensity of then making Kristen shiver.
“It's not that I think you are weak, it's just that I fear that the other person will play their cards and hurt you in order to defeat me”
“Oh” Kristen whispered, blushing at the implications “so that's what it was, huh?”
“Yep” he smiled “so I don't want you to say that ever again”
“S-Sorry”
“Don't be, it was my fault” he shrugged “I did not explain anything to you, so it's normal that you filled the gaps with whatever made sense to you”
Kristen groaned, trying to hide her face with her hands “ugh, this is so embarrassing now that I think about… I wish I could just run and hide-”
Suddenly he stood up, taking off his black leather jacket leaving him with only a tight black turtleneck sweater.
Kristen jumped a bit and looked at him. Her eyes moved without her wanting to and scanned his body, blushing at the sight of his muscles.
He laughed, making her look away “well, you can if you want to” he pointed to the little forest behind them “how about we play tag?”
“Why are you proposing this all of the sudden?” she asked, but stood up anyways and took off her own coat, leaving it on the bench.
“Because…” he stretched his arms, allowing a bit of his tanned abs to show “this way we can warm up a bit, make a bit of time until the fireworks start and you can show me how powerful and fast you really are” he teased “but I understand if you are not up to the challenge-” he smirked, receiving another punch to the stomach.
“Fucking dammit” she complained “I hate that you know how to manipulate me into doing this kind of stuff… Okay I'll do it only if the winner gets a prize!”
“I wouldn't call it manipulation…” he snorted “and that's fine by me, but what kind of prize?”
“I don't know, I'll think about it when I beat your ass” she told him, making him lift an eyebrow “you are it by the way, so count to ten and try to catch me” she walked towards him and run her fingers up his stomach and chest, making Toshinori’s breath hitch “only if you can big boy, you have until the firework thingie begins” and with a final wink she ran and disappeared between the trees.
He had to count to thirty to allow his heart to calm down after what she did.
Oh he'll make her pay for that.
He went into the forest, using his quirk to move quickly.
A few minutes later he saw someone from the corner of his eye and before he could avoid it a ball of water hit him on the face.
“Hey, that's cheating!” he called, using his sleeve to dry his skin.
The only answer he got was that beautiful laugh he so much adored and followed it until he saw Kristen sitting on a tree branch.
“Is it? Ups” she laughed, feigning innocence “sorry…”
He jumped to touch her foot but she was faster and let her body fall towards the ground and used an airstream to move faster and dodge the trees and the few tries the blond did at catching her.
They kept doing this until only a minute or so remained, according to Kristen's wristwatch.
“Come on Toshi” she teased him, using her most slutty voice “is that all you can do?”
Kristen moved away, watching the blond try to grab her “hah! Too slow”
Toshinori let out a groan and she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand.
Before she could react, the blond tackled her to the ground, making them both roll along the grass.
When she opened her eyes again, she saw her head caged between his forearms and a shit-eating grin on his face.
“I win” he whispered, only a few centimeters away from her.
Kristen felt her heart about to explode, his warmth was covering all of her body and the smell of his cologne made her head all fuzzy.
But she managed to shake her head and roll her eyes, blushing “oh yeah, congrats…” she told him nonchalantly “what do you want your prize to be?”
He remained silent for a few seconds before moving a bit closer to the girl and looking at her lips and then her eyes “I…”
Suddenly, a flash of her master dying to the hands of AFO appeared on his head, making the blond tense.
He couldn't do it.
Before Kristen could ask what was wrong, the fireworks started, startling them both.
The blond stood up as if nothing happened, offering her his hand and smiling “shall we?”
She accepted it and after cleaning her clothes from grass and dirt she grabbed his arm “what about your price?” Kristen pouted.
“Hm… I have to think about it for a bit longer, when I know I'll let you know”
She just shrugged and kept walking until they reached a part of the park with an amazing view of everything that was happening.
The event was beautiful and after it ended, they took the next bus to the university.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
When they noticed, they had already reached room number 513.
“Well, here we are!” Kristen said, grabbing her key and opening the door.
The girl looked at him shyly and asked him the same thing she used to a few weeks ago, but for some reason today it felt different.
“Wanna come in and spend the night with me?”
He knew he shouldn't, but before he could tell himself that, his hands were placing his shoes next to the door and the sound of the lock reached the blond’s ears.
“I still have a few of your pajamas in my closet” she told him while moving towards the bathroom.
He nodded, opening the drawers and grabbing his red checkered pajama pants and a black sleeveless shirt from it.
When he was putting the upper part on, a familiar perfume came from it.
It was Kristen's.
Had she been wearing it when he wasn't there?
The image of the girl with his clothes on made his lower abdomen stir, causing the blond to groan softly.
A few moments later they had brushed their teeth, put on their pajamas and lit a candle.
Kristen got into the bed and sat down, leaning against the headboard.
Toshinori did the same looking at her when she poked his bare arm.
“Shark or bunny?”
He smiled, feeling his heart melt at that simple question.
He had missed this.
“Bunny! Thank you” he answered, grabbing the plush and putting it next to him.
And after that, they remained silent, staring at their reflection from the mirror that was stuck to the wardrobe’s door a few meters away from them.
Their hands were almost touching and suddenly he felt how her pinky finger wrapped around his, making them both blush and look at each other.
Kristen was the one who broke the silence “today was fun, I'm glad you also stayed here for Christmas”
Toshinori smiled, nodding “yeah, I had a really good time too. Everything was beautifully decorated and everyone was really enjoying themselves, it felt great being there”
Kristen hummed in agreement and continued talking “thank you again for opening up to me, I really appreciate it”
He moved his hand and grabbed hers, squishing it “don't be, it's the least I could do after everything that's happened”
After a few more seconds of silence, the girl cleared her throat “and about your prize…”
The blond brushed his thumb against her skin and whispered “I… I actually know what I want”
Kristen turned around to face him, smiling “Oh that's nice! Tell me, tell me!”
When he was about to answer, his mind began telling him that he was only going to hurt her if he kept going.
That he couldn't do i-
“A kiss…?” he answered before his brain could go any further. That made everything inside his head vanish, leaving only the sound of his pounding heart to be heard.
The girl giggled softly and raised an eyebrow “is that a question or an affirmation?”
His blush now covered the majority of his face and Toshinori started gabbling uncontrollably “it's an affirmation of course, but only if you want to. I don't want to force you to do anything after everything you've gone through. I wouldn't feel good knowing that y-”
“Okay” she answered shyly, red face as a tomato.
His head snapped towards the girl who was now avoiding his gaze and answered with a soft and single ‘oh’.
But neither of them moved, they just sat there waiting for something to happen.
After three long and agonizing minutes, Kristen cursed under her breath “joder…!” and straddled him, making Toshinori jump at the sudden closeness and raise up his hands as much as he could to avoid touching her.
Her shaking hands grabbed his shoulders, rubbing them softly “I'm not going to break if you touch me, you know?” Kristen giggled, watching the blond try to look anywhere but her.
“I-I know” he answered quickly “I just don't want to make you uncomfortable”
“You won't” she reassured “and if you do, I'll let you know right away, okay?”
Toshinori nodded and slowly moved his hands down; one of them to her waist while the other went to tuck a lock of hair behind the girl's ear and then cup her cheek.
Kristen closed her eyes and slowly turned her face towards his palm. When her lips felt his skin, she kissed it, causing electricity to travel from that point to every single nerve of the blond’s body.
Suddenly she spoke happily “well there you have it, a kiss!”
Kristen started raising her leg to go back to her place on the bed when she felt a hand grab her thigh and pull, causing the girl to lose her balance and fall against his chest with an ‘oof’.
“I think you know what kind of kiss I want” Toshinori moved to whisper in her ear and squished her bare thigh, making the girl shiver.
The way she rolled her eyes was almost audible and she used her hands to push against his chest and sit up straight again, looking at him with a knowing smirk.
“I don't think I follow” she moved closer to him, causing their chests to squish together and noses to touch “Toshi” the soft voice she used to say his name made the blond tense under her.
This made the girl giggle, but a second later a gasp left her lips as she felt the blond’s hand slowly travel up her leg, moving under her shorts until he reached the lower part of her hip and squished the soft skin.
The way he darkly chuckled when he saw how she reacted, made the girl blush even harder.
“Are you sure you don't know?” his thumb played with the band of her underwear, dangerously close to her core “Kristen?”
She frowned, trying not to lose this fight they were having and moved her hands from his chest to his shoulders, scratching him with her nails over his t-shirt.
“M-Maybe I know” she stuttered a bit, nerves getting the best of her “but it's your prize, so you should be the one to come and get it”
Toshinori smirked and his other hand found her cheek, thumb grazing her lower lip “is that so? Okay then…”
And after those words left his mouth, he closed the distance between their lips with an oh so soft and shy kiss.
A few seconds later, they moved away smiling.
The blond rubbed his forehead against hers, moving both hands to her waist and whispered “can I get another one?”
Kristen giggled, grabbed his t-shirt and smashed their mouths together again, making him gasp.
The girl began moving her lips against his and he followed. The kiss started slow, hands caressing each other softly, but after a while it turned a bit heated as Toshinori’s fingers moved under her t-shirt and started feeling every inch of skin they could find until they reached the hem of her shorts.
Kristen sighed and moved her hands too; one to his back under his t-shirt and the other behind his head, where she fisted a bit of his fluffy and soft hair.
He growled into her lips and deepened the kiss, pulling her closer against himself.
Suddenly Toshinori moved away, a trail of saliva still connecting them, but before Kristen could complain, his lips latched to her neck, sucking and licking everything he could reach.
“A-Ah Toshi!” she managed to whimper, hugging him tighter.
Then, Kristen scratched down his back, leaving red angry marks in her way. This made the blond hiss and bite the skin between her neck and shoulder, causing the girl to moan loudly and grind against his now painfully hard erection.
“F-Fuck!” he cursed, grabbing her shoulders and pushing her away from his body to look into her eyes “I think we should stop, Kristen” he managed to say between labored breaths.
It was too soon after what happened with Albert and he wasn't going to make her remember everything because he couldn't control himself.
She whimpered, trying to kiss him again but his index finger reached her lips, not allowing Kristen to reach him.
He laughed softly and moved to hug her “trust me when I say that I want to keep going as much as you do, but I don't want to open those wounds that aren't still completely healed” the blond kissed her temple, making her groan and relax against his body “and we also have a few things to talk about before we try to do anything, so…”
Kristen shrugged and whispered “I know, I know… It’s just that I've been wanting to kiss you for a while and now that's happened I couldn't control myself” she laughed “you are a really good kisser, by the way”
Toshinori blushed, looking away “i-is that so? Thank you, I guess”
“You are more than welcome!” she smiled and after leaving one last kiss on his lips, moved to lay down on her bed “and you don't need to win anything to ask for more of these you know?”
He smiled and did the same, hoping that lying face down would help him get rid of his aching problem.
“I'll take you up on that” he laughed, adjusting himself as discreetly as he could.
“Will you be okay?” she asked, making him raise an eyebrow.
“What do you mean?”
Kristen blushed and rolled her eyes “those pants are really thin, you know?” she whispered “I could feel EVERYTHING”
His face turned a deep shade of red and used the bunny plush to try to hide himself, but the way it smelled like her didn't help so he placed it down again.
“Y-YES DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT, I'LL BE PERFECTLY FINE!” he gabbled, making her laugh.
“You can go take a shower if you want to” she looked at him and grinned “or I can help you with that if you want…” Kristen teased, making the blond hit her with the stuffed toy.
“SHUT UP!” he screamed, hiding his face between his hands “b-but yeah, I'll gladly accept that shower”
“Okay!” she smiled, turning around to hug the big shark “I'll go to sleep then, good luck with that!”
The blond groaned and moved to kiss her cheek, making Kristen snap her head towards him in surprise “goodnight, Kristen” he whispered.
“G-Goodnight…” she smiled back.
Then he jumped down off the bed and made a beeline for the shower.
It took him 20 minutes to be able to fully calm down and when he climbed back up next to Kristen, found her still awake.
“Can't sleep, huh?” he told her, grabbing the sheets and covering himself with them “is everything okay?”
She turned around to face him and nodded “yeah, it's just that these past few weeks have been really… Intense, and my brain is trying to process everything that happened”
Toshinori opened his arms and watched her scoot closer to him, resting against his arm and chest “I know and I'm so sorry” he hugged her “tomorrow let's grab some breakfast and talk about everything, is that okay?”
She nodded “only if you feel comfortable with it”
“I want to do this right” he squished her, his hands caressing her back and head “I'll be honest with you from now on and let you be the one to choose if you want to stay with me or not”
Kristen pressed against his body and kissed his chest “thank you” she whispered, a single tear falling down her cheek.
And with that, they closed their eyes, and after almost a month managed to sleep right through the night.
No nightmares.
No anxiety.
Just a peaceful and well deserved rest.
Notes:
As you may have guessed, that night Toshinori went to Kristen's room will be an Extra!
So get ready for it!
Don't forget to give a kudo if you liked the chapter and leave a comment down below!
And as always... Have a nice day and go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!
Chapter 22: Nana (EXTRA)
Notes:
Hello, hello and welcome to another extra!
This time featuring that night Kristen and Toshinori talked about in the previous chapter. The one that helped Toshinori leave a bit of his stubbornness behind and start doing what he wanted with his life...
Enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Today was the anniversary of her death.
Toshinori had stayed in his room all day looking at his Master's picture; at that smile he won't ever see again.
After what happened with AFO, Torino sent the blond to America to allow him to finish his hero training and also get him out of the villain’s radar.
Sometimes he wished he was back in Japan so he could go visit her grave, but he couldn't do that as it was too risky.
So Toshinori had to settle for the worn out photo Torino took while they were resting after one of their toughest training sessions.
He sat on the floor in the morning and lit a candle next to the framed picture in front of him.
That afternoon, when Kristen, Nadia and Charlotte knocked at his door asking if he was ready to go to the city just as they had planned the week prior, it was halfway melted.
And the moment the lights of the street lamps of the campus turned on, signaling the end of the day, the wax was all over the wooden floor and the fire became smaller until it was nothing but a thin thread of smoke.
His eyes were red and puffy and he felt lightheaded. He hadn't been able to eat anything since the previous day, not that he was hungry anyways.
Toshinori grabbed the photo and placed it on the desk, brushing the glass with his thumb and decided to go to sleep to try to end this day as soon as possible.
But he couldn't.
No matter how tired he felt, nightmares made the blond wake up covered in sweat and tears. His breath uneven and mind blurry. He couldn't remember them, but knew they weren't good.
The clock struck 3am and with that the worst nightmare of all of the ones he had, formed in his brain.
It was so vivid.
The smell of his Master's fresh blood filled his nose, making him almost taste it.
The body of the woman that trained him and allowed Toshinori to become a hero lay over the debris, lacking any sign of life. Just like in every dream he had about that day.
But there was something different today.
A new scent that had never been present before; the aroma of those white little flowers he didn't know the name of mixed with Nana’s blood, creating a nauseating combination that made Toshinori’s vision blur.
It couldn't be…
Just as he was about to look up from his Master's body, something wet splashed him, covering his face and hair.
The blond’s eyes slowly went up until they met the one who caused it.
At the very top of the destruction, AFO was looking down at him, smirking, with one of his fists piercing Kristen's chest, her body limp and dripping with red.
He couldn't move, he wanted to scream but his voice was missing.
Suddenly, the girl's head snapped to look at him, the cracking sound of her neck making him wince. Her eyes were covered in golden light, and with a voice he still dreamt with sometimes, announced:
“T̸h̸o̶u h̷as̴t b̷r̷o̶k̴e̶n ̸t̴he̷ v̶o̵w w̸e ̷s̷w̵o̴r̸e,̶ ̴f̷a̸ilin̸g̷ t̶o s̷h̴i̴e̵l̵d̷ h̶e̸r f̷r̷o̶m̵ h̸a̸rm̴” an alchemical circle appeared under his feet, making Toshinori’s eyes widen “t̴h̷e̸n t̷h̴o̸u̶ ̴s̴h̵a̵l̴t̵ p̶a̶y̷ b̶y̴ f̷a̴d̶i̵n̵g f̷r̴o̵m̶ ̷a̷ll ̴p̴l̴a̵n̴e̷s̸ ̵o̵f̷ ̴e̸x̶i̶s̷t̴e̷n̷c̵e̴, ̴l̵e̶a̷v̵i̷n̵g̴ n̶a̴u̴g̷h̴t̴ b̶u̸t̶ a̴ v̴o̴i̶d̴ ̴w̴h̷e̴r̴e̶ o̷n̷c̷e̴ t̴h̵o̴u s̴t̸o̸o̷d̷”
Before he could react, a beam of power shot upwards from the ground, going through his body with a deafening hum.
He felt himself melting not only at a physical level, but his soul and mind as well. His very essence vanished, turning him into nothing.
The pain was unbearable and when he opened his mouth to scream, he sat up on his bed, finding out it was all a dream.
He quickly tossed the sheets away and made a beeline for the bathroom, emptying the few contents of his stomach into the toilet; bile, tears and saliva dripped into the water, and in the silence of his room the only thing that could be heard were his sobs.
After 10 long and agonizing minutes, Toshinori managed to stand up with shaky legs and move back to sit down on his bed.
His mind was full of static that also filled his ears.
His heart was pounding in his chest, causing pain with every beat.
His body was numb; he didn't feel like the owner of it anymore.
When he regained a bit of consciousness and control, he was grabbing with trembling hands the spare key with a bunny keychain Kristen gave him a few weeks ago and moved to leave the room, using the walls to support his weight.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
A soft tune left Kristen's lips as she danced under the hot water of the shower.
After a lot of years of not being able to sleep properly she found out that showering helped her body relax and at least give her a few more hours of rest.
So when she looked at the clock at 2:55am after trying to sleep for hours, the girl knew what to do.
Today's been an interesting day, but she couldn't help but worry a little about Toshinori; they had agreed to meet up and go together to LA. The girls even prepared a little surprise for him as they noticed he had been a bit sad these days, but when they knocked on his door and he didn't answer, they imagined that something had come up or that he had forgotten about their plans.
But Kristen couldn't help but feel that he was avoiding her, just like he's been doing for almost a month. That thought alone, made her heart ache painfully.
The girl sighed, making some of the water float to try and distract her mind, but a little thump coming from the door of the bathroom made her jump and the liquid splash on the floor.
She frowned, maybe her sleep deprived mind was starting to hallucinate?
“Uh… Is someone there?” she asked, her voice echoing in the room.
She swore she locked the main door before going to bed, how could someone have gotten inside…?
After a few seconds of silence a hoarse voice she almost didn't recognize spoke from behind the door, making the girl's heart drop.
“It's Toshinori” his normally cheerful tone was completely gone and replaced by one filled with sorrow and pain.
“Toshi, what are you- Is everything alright?” Kristen asked, her voice filled with worry.
When the blond didn't answer, she turned off the water, wrapped a towel around her body and opened the door.
The blond was sitting there hugging his knees with his back to her; looks like he's been resting his body against the door before she opened it.
“Toshinori, what happened?”
The only thing she could hear was the sound of his labored breaths. That made Kristen move and crouch in front of him, placing a hand on his arm.
The blond flinched and quickly grabbed her wrist, eyes unfocused, wide and full of fear like the ones of a cornered animal about to be devoured.
She hissed a bit because of the pressure, but said nothing to avoid startling him more.
“Hey Toshi” she called him using her softest voice “don't worry, you are safe here” and placed her free hand on his cheek, making his eyes focus again.
Toshinori scanned her face carefully and after a while a soft sob left his lips, the only thing on his mind at that moment was a simple but powerful sentence:
“She is safe”
When he entered her room and approached her bed, she wasn't there. That made the blond panic until he reached the bathroom and heard the shower running and Kristen's soft voice.
That gave him hope, but didn't make everything go away.
He needed to see her and when their eyes finally met, the images inside his head vanished as a golden and warm light filled his entire body.
Suddenly, he noticed what he was doing and quickly moved his hand away from her arm, looking at the way his fingers were marked on her skin.
“What happened, Toshinori?” Kristen repeated calmly.
But he just looked down, hugging his knees tighter and the girl stood up, offering him her hand. The blond stared at her palm and after a while, took it and let himself be dragged to the bathroom where he sat on the toilet lid.
“Wait here, I'll bring you your pajamas” she told him, moving rapidly and coming back a few seconds later with some of the clothes he left in her room after staying a few nights with the girl.
She handed them to him and smiled sweetly “do you wanna take a shower to see if it helps you relax?”
Toshinori shook his head and the girl nodded “okay! Then you can sit there for a bit until I finish drying my hair and brushing my teeth” she commented, moving to grab her blow drier and plugging it.
The rooms of the residence were almost soundproof, so she didn't have to worry about the noise bothering her neighbors.
The blond watched in silence as little drops of water flew from her black hair into the floor.
When she was done, she moved to grab her toothbrush and started brushing her teeth. The blond decided to stand up and do the same as he also had a spare one there.
Kristen just smiled with her mouth full of foam and a few minutes later, the girl looked at Toshinori and placed a hand on his arm.
“I'll let you change, okay?” she told him “come to bed whenever you are ready”
He nodded and with that, Kristen left the bathroom and went to put on her pajamas.
Toshinori dressed up in silence, folding his clothes and slipping into his comfortable grey pants and black t-shirt.
When he got out, the scent of lavender filled his nose and saw a purple candle on the girl's nightstand. The flame danced and created shadows all over the walls. It was mesmerising.
Toshinori walked to the middle of the room and stood there, hugging himself, not knowing what to do. He didn't want to force her to let him inside her bed after everything he's done.
Kristen saw him an as if he read his mind, patted the spot next to her “come on, get in here”
He looked down, his mind throwing all kinds of thoughts about not deserving her kindness, but it all stopped as something soft and fluffy hit his face, startling him.
Toshinori grabbed the foreign object before it fell to the floor and saw on his hands Kristen's bunny plush.
“You don't want me to throw the other one” the girl threatened, eyeing the giant shark next to her.
He squished the stuffed animal and started walking, as he did not want to receive another fluffy hit to the face, until he reached her bed and sat next to Kristen, moving his legs up and placing the bunny between his thighs and chest. Then hugged it and rested his chin on its face.
“Shark or bunny?” she asked as she always did even if she knew the answer, pointing behind her towards the big shark.
Toshinori held the bunny tighter, answering her question. She just snickered and grabbed the other one.
They stood there in silence, watching the light around them change because of the candle.
Kristen didn't want to force him to talk, so she'll wait until he's ready. Let him do everything at his own pace.
A while later, she broke the silence to try to help Toshinori relax a bit and move his thoughts away from wherever they were.
“Today we went to an ice-cream parlor that you'd have loved” she started “yeah I know it's really cold outside, but ice-cream is tasty all year around” rolled her eyes smiling and turned around to face him “you may be wondering why would you have loved it… well, because it was inspired by those old western you won't stop trying to make me watch!”
This made the blond to lift his head and look at her.
“It was furnished as a real canteen; with wooden furniture, those weird swing doors and posters of famous films I'm sure you know the name of” Kristen hugged the shark’s tail, making Toshinori smile a little at how adorable she looked “and the waiters were also dressed as cowboys! The one who took our order looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there, poor man…” she giggled “the ice-cream was mid, but the experience and ambience made it all worth it”
Then her face turned a bit sad and looked at his eyes “we wanted to give you a little surprise as we've seen you a bit down these past few days, but when you didn't answer the door this morning we thought you had things to do” Kristen placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled “but if you want to, we can go together anytime!”
Toshinori closed his eyes and whispered with a raspy voice “I'm sorry…” he tried to continue, but started coughing as he felt like his throat was made of sandpaper.
The girl moved and went to grab a bottle of water from a little box she had in a corner of the room, handing it to him “hey don't be! You don't have to apologize for that… I completely understand why you didn't answer, looks like you've had a rough day” Kristen frowned, watching as the blond gave a little sip of the liquid.
Toshinori felt his stomach churn and nausea filled his entire body, but managed to keep everything down.
When he was done, he handed Kristen the bottle and grabbed the bunny again as she placed it in the nightstand.
Silence surrounded them again as the girl sat next to him, shoulders almost touching.
The girl didn't know how long they'd been there for and she felt her eyes start to close, but the blond’s voice made her jump and open them again.
“Yesterday was the anniversary of my Master’s death” he said while squishing the plush to try to distract his mind “it's been one year since she was killed and everything still feels too recent. Images of that day flash inside my head and I don't know how to stop them”
Kristen said nothing and slowly moved to grab his hand, intertwining their fingers.
A sigh left his lips as he kept opening up to her “nightmares filled with blood and destruction have been haunting me since that day, but tonight's been even worse” his free hand moved to rub his face “sometimes I regret leaving Japan, but I have to be here for everyone's sake”
She raised an eyebrow, confused “why do you have to stay here? If you really want to, you could perfectly leav-”
Suddenly his head snapped towards her, the intensity of his stare made the girl stop talking and close her mouth with a soft clack caused by her teeth.
“It's not that simple” he whispered, hiding his head on the bunny.
“How so?”
Toshinori moved his hand away from hers and hugged his knees “I don't want to talk about it” he snapped, his tone making Kristen think he was starting to get annoyed at her nagging.
But it was himself he was getting mad at.
He couldn't tell her, he couldn't put her in danger no matter how much he needed to get everything out of his chest. He was being weak.
She looked away sadly, picking at her fingers “sorry, I didn't want to bother you… I just wanted to understand, but I get it, not everything has to be shared” her voice was a soft whisper that the blond almost didn't catch.
His heart ached at the way she sounded, making him move to face her, the thoughts inside his mind disappearing “don’t be sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you when you are only trying to help me” Toshinori sighed “it's just that the less people know about… Everything, the better”
She frowned, deciding to not say anything more about this even if she wanted to “okay, I… I understand”
He thanked her internally for that.
The sound of birds chirping outside let them know that the night was almost over.
Suddenly a sob left the blond’s lips “I miss her so much” his voice was the one of a broken man carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
“Oh, Toshi…” she whispered, lying down on the bed and opening her arms “come here”
He looked at her and sobbed again, moving towards her and resting his head on her chest.
She hushed him, caressing his hair “cry if you need to, it's okay to do so”
And he did, a painful wail left his lungs, muffled by her body.
Why was he being weak around Kristen?
Why couldn't he be strong and just smile like Nana taught him?
His body shook, full of secrets and expectations.
His head throbbed, images of his past and future trying to burst it open.
And his soul shattered by the thought of not being able to protect everyone.
But Kristen held him, hugged him and made those broken bits stick together. She didn't allow him to get lost in his sorrow and instead started talking.
“My grandma used to sing to me when I had… A bad day” she wasn't going to tell him what she meant by ‘bad days’. The thought of everything her family did to her made her body hurt, but managed to keep her feelings at bay “so I'll do it for you now!”
The blond hugged the girl tightly, causing her to giggle “you are going to crush me Toshi!” but he didn't stop and Kristen just patted his head sweetly “okay, okay… I think I can handle it for a while…”
The girl hummed, thinking “I think I'll go with a simple ‘nana’-” the word made the blond tense and snap his head towards her, making Kristen jump.
“W-What did you say?” he asked, voice trembling.
The girl frowned, thinking about her previous words “that I'm going to sing you a lullaby…?”
“No!” he said, shaking his head “that's not the word you used… D-Did you say Nana?”
Her eyes widened in realization “ah yeah! That's the Spanish word for lullaby! It must've slipped out of my mouth without me noticing, sorry”
Toshinori looked at her and smiled sadly, tears falling down his cheeks again.
“Is everything okay…?” she asked, worried “would you prefer that I don't sing or…”
“No…! Please, do” he whispered, lying down again against her body and closing his eyes.
The girl nodded, not really understanding what happened and after taking a deep breath started singing a song that Toshinori didn't understand, but he could feel the love and care that her words carried.
The way her voice sounded when she used her mother tongue was sweet and delicate, making Toshinori sigh. Little hiccups made his shoulders shake from time to time, but her scent helped him relax.
Nana’s name had another beautiful meaning and Kristen was showing it to him right now.
Before he could even notice, he fell asleep with Kristen brushing his hair with her fingers.
He didn't dream of blood and destruction again, the rumble of her chest keeping the nightmares away.
Notes:
Sleep sweet boy, you need it.
What a coincidence that the word "nana" means something in Spanish! When I noticed I knew I had to do something with it...
Don't forget to give a kudo if you liked the chapter and leave a comment down below!
And as always... Have a nice day and go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!
Chapter 23: Opening Up
Notes:
Hello, hello!
I hope you're having a nice day and if you aren't just try to relax for a little while and enjoy this new chapter. Lit a candle, drink some tea and put on your favorite songs!
Everything will be okay :)
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
The sound of someone running around the room woke Toshinori up, a soft groan leaving his lips as his eyes adjusted to the morning light.
He didn't know how long he'd been sleeping for, but it didn't matter as they didn't have anything planned for that day.
When he was in the middle of stretching his arms, the blond noticed the empty spot next to him; it was still warm, but the beautiful smile he expected to see there was missing.
“Where is she?” he thought while sitting up and scratching his head.
It wasn't hard to find the girl; she was looking out the window, beaming like a little kid.
“Good morning” he told her, voice raspy with sleep.
This made Kristen snap her head towards the sound, smiling even wider than before when their eyes met.
“Toshi, Toshi!” she called him excitedly, pointing outside “look, it's snowing!”
The blond walked towards her, shivering when his feet made contact with the cold wooden floor, and wiped the fogged glass with his sleeve as he got to the spot she was standing at, revealing a breathtaking landscape that made his smile mimic Kristen's.
Everything was covered in a thick blanket of white fluffy snow and more of it was slowly falling from the sky.
The ocean reflected the grey hue of the clouds and not a single spec of color could be seen around, save for the terracotta-colored walls of the campus’ buildings.
“It's been years since I've seen snow…” she whispered, mesmerized by the landscape, placing her hands on the window and turning her head to look at the blond again “I want to go outside, please!”
Toshinori felt his heart melt when their eyes met. He had missed this side of her; happy, excited and full of energy.
Seeing Kristen lose her light because of his fear and insecurity filled actions was one of the hardest and most painful things he's ever had to witness.
His smile faltered a little as his mind started to spiral down into a dark hole of regret, but suddenly a pair of hands grabbed the collar of his t-shirt, pulling him down.
Before he could process what was happening, Kristen's mouth met his, making him gasp in surprise and forget everything that wasn't related to the way her soft, warm lips felt.
It was brief, but long enough for Toshinori to not fall again into the traps his mind laid for him.
The girl's hand brushed his cheek, making him close his eyes and lean towards it.
“Better?” she whispered, knowing exactly what the blond’s brain tried to do.
He nodded, opening his eyes to look at her golden ones and smiled “yes, thank you”
“Perfect! Now get out of my room and put on some warm clothes” she turned him around and pushed his body towards the door “because I want to go play with the snow!”
A soft laugh left his lips as they reached the wooden panel “okay, okay! I'll meet you in 15 minutes at the entrance of the residence” he turned around and patted her head, feeling her soft hair against his fingers “see you later…”
The girl blushed, feeling the warmth of his hand against her skin and looked away “y-yeah, see you”
But he didn't move.
Neither did she.
“Can I…?” Toshinori asked after a while.
She nodded and took a step forward, placing her hands on his chest.
He leaned down to kiss her as she stood on her tiptoes and smirked, quickly grabbing the back of her thighs and lifting her up, causing the girl to giggle and wrap her legs around his torso.
In a swift motion the blond turned around, pressing her back against the door and moved to squish their bodies together. The girl just brushed her hands up his neck and hair, scratching the skin softly.
A shiver traveled down his spine and without losing any more time, closed the distance between them, trapping her lips in a soft but deep kiss.
What started slow and sweet quickly became sloppy and heated as their bodies begged for more.
Hums and sighs left their mouths, the sounds the other made encouraging them to become even bolder.
Kristen pressed herself harder against him, to which Toshinori responded by sliding his hands up until they reached her ass, squishing it firmly.
The moan that came out of her made him need to taste the girl even more so he traced her lips with his tongue, asking for permission to explore her mouth.
And she accepted, letting him wander freely, sighing against his lips as their tongues fought for dominance.
A groan rumbled inside Toshinori as Kristen's cold hands roamed his back under his t-shirt, feeling every muscle tense and move under them.
When she tugged at the fabric, he moved his hands and took it off quickly, throwing it somewhere without much care to press his body against hers again.
Kristen followed, causing the blond to blush as her chest was now only covered by a teal, rather revealing, sports bra.
“Pf, what's wrong big boy?” she teased, her golden eyes almost fully covered by her dilated pupils “never seen a girl shirtless?”
He cringed a bit as he recalled what happened with Linda the night of the Halloween party, but decided to focus on what was in front of him.
“Yeah, I have” he answered, moving to whisper on her ear “but it's never been someone as breathtaking as you”
This made Kristen's courage and sassiness fly out the window and an array of incomprehensible words that tried to sound like an answer left her mouth, causing the blond to laugh.
But instead of replying, he moved to leave an open mouthed kiss on her neck, teeth grazing her skin. This elicited a loud moan from the girl that only made Toshinori snicker and repeat it, covering her in saliva and little bites.
His hands traveled to her now bare waist and moved up, wanting to feel every single bit of her body, goosebumps rising under his touch.
When he reached the annoying garment that covered her chest, his fingers traced it softly, grazing her nipples under the thin fabric.
This caused Kristen to tense, a knot suddenly forming in her throat.
She wanted to push him away, but found herself paralyzed. Memories of that damned night making her skin itch and burn.
Toshinori noticed this and moved away from her neck, frowning in confusion.
When her eyes full of tears met his, something inside him clicked, quickly taking the girl to the bed, placing her softly on the mattress and covering her with a blanket.
Then he sat on the floor, giving her some space and spoke softly “I'm so sorry Kristen, I should have asked before doing that” he apologized, causing the girl to shake her head.
“D-Don't apologize, you did nothing wrong… I just- ugh” she groaned, frustration filling her body alongside the other negative emotions.
Toshinori moved closer and looked into her eyes “your body has not healed yet, it's normal to react like this after what happened” he assured, causing Kristen to sigh.
“But I don't want THIS to happen!” she flopped down onto the mattress, hugging the blanket tighter “I want to be able to enjoy my life without the feeling of his hands tormenting me and ruining everything!”
Toshinori intervened quickly, voice serious and firm “hey, you haven't ruined anything, okay?” he grabbed her hands, rubbing her skin with his thumbs “I really enjoyed what we did and I'd say that you being able to get to that point and actually enjoy it, is a great step!”
Kristen sighed, sitting up and letting the blanket fall from her body “yeah, whatever…” she brushed it off “let's change and try to do something more productive than talking about this”
The blond nodded and they stood up from their respective positions, grabbing their t-shirts, putting them on and agreeing, again, to meet in 15 minutes.
Toshinori left the room wearing his coat over his pajamas as he didn't feel like changing and after closing the door, Kristen ran to the shower to try and wash away the itching off her skin.
After 30 minutes of futile scrubbing and tears she heard the blond knock softly at her bathroom door.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
It took a bit of time and Toshinori’s infectious happiness, but Kristen managed to eventually feel better and find some strength to go outside as they planned.
When the girl took a step forward, not really looking where she was going, her foot sank into the snow making her fall face first into the ground. Thankfully the blond managed to catch her by the coat’s hood, leaving her nose only a few centimeters away from the floor.
“Thank you… That could've ended with us spending the day with the nurse” she smiled shyly.
A soft laugh followed by a cloud of mist left his mouth as he helped her up on her feet “you are welcome!”
As Kristen was shaking the snow off her shoes, an idea appeared in her mind.
The way she was mischievously looking at the blond made Toshinori arch an eyebrow.
“What?”
“Take off your coat” she told him sharply, stepping towards him.
“No way! It's freezing out here” he answered, walking away from the girl and hugging himself, gripping the coat tightly.
“Okay, then I'll do it the hard way” she shrugged, moving behind him quickly and slipping under his thick coat until she was squished against the sweater he was wearing. Then tried to climb his back, causing Toshinori to almost lose his balance.
“H-Hey what are you- Stop, you are going to make me fall!” he complained, feeling the girl grab his shoulders and groan under his clothes.
“Why do you have to be so tall!?”
“I don't know! You are saying it like it’s my fault!” he yelled, grabbing a nearby lamp post.
“Whatever! Unbutton your coat please, I'm starting to sweat!” Kristen complained, pulling at the collar of his sweater, making him wheeze.
“O-Okay, but stop doing that! You are choking me!” he begged, opening a few buttons “happy?”
In a swift movement, Kristen placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed herself upwards, wrapping her legs around his torso. Then hugged his neck and popped her head up from inside his clothes, gasping dramatically.
“Oh my god I thought I was going to suffocate!” she complained, rubbing her cheek against his temple sweetly.
Toshinori shook his head, rolling his eyes “oh, poor you… You must have suffered a lot” and moved to grab her legs, letting Kristen rest against his arms.
“Yes, I have!” she told him, kissing his cheek “now move! I wanna see the snow!”
And with that, the blond carried her around the campus, his smile growing every time she gasped or commented on something she liked.
An hour later they decided to go to the cafeteria to warm up for a while.
When they entered the place, the few students that were there looked at how Kristen was wrapped up under his clothes and started whispering.
The way they behaved with each other was now fairly known around the university, but this sudden closeness after what's been going on for the past month was something worth gossiping about.
The girl blushed and tried to hop down, only for Toshinori to grip her tighter and turn his head to smile at her.
She tried to copy him, but hers reflected a bit of the uncertainty she felt inside.
“Are you comfortable in there, dear?” the voice of the person that had almost become their caretaker made them turn around in surprise.
“Actually, yeah!” she answered, now beaming at the old lady that had come out of the kitchen “Toshinori is like a two meters tall heater”
“T-Thanks?” he said frowning, deciding to take that as a compliment.
Mrs Brenda laughed, watching the girl slip from under his coat and run to hug her.
The blond followed and after receiving a warm embrace too, moved inside the kitchen with her.
“So… What takes you both to my domains?” she asked, walking towards the cabinets knowing exactly what they wanted.
“Well it's really cold outside…-” Kristen answered, looking at Toshinori to make him start talking too.
“-and we were wondering if we could have some hot chocolate, only if you are okay with it. We don't want to bother you with-”
The old lady shook her head and placed two cups on the counter “you have hands and know where everything is at, so go make it yourself!”
Toshinori and Kristen nodded, running to the pantry to grab what they needed as the old lady went outside to help serve the students.
One pot, milk, cocoa powder and a whisk later, Kristen sat on the counter with Toshinori leaning on it next to her, enjoying their warm beverage.
“I'm glad to see you both getting along again” Mrs Brenda told them as she entered the room again, eyeing Toshinori specifically.
The blond looked down at his cup, guilt suddenly filling him.
When they didn't answer, the old lady decided to change topics as it seemed that there was still something unsolved going on between them.
“Have you seen how beautiful the landscape is with all that snow? It's truly magical when everything turns white like that, right?”
Kristen jumped down and placed her cup on the sink “yeah! I love to be able to enjoy it again after so long!”
“Didn't it snow where you used to live?” the old lady asked.
“Nope!” the sound of the running tap and scrubbing made Kristen turn around, only to see Toshinori washing what they used to cook “I've only seen it like, two times in my entire life”
“Then what are you doing here!? Go outside and enjoy it while it lasts!”
“Yes ma'am!” the girl beamed and poked the blond’s back “come on Toshi, hurry up!”
He was about to answer, but Mrs Brenda beat him to it “he'll go when he's done here! Go ahead and have fun!”
The two students looked at each other, frowning in confusion, but decided not to contradict her.
When Kristen left the kitchen, Toshinori felt the old lady's stare burn the back of his neck.
“So-” she started, making him jump and drop the pot, water splashing everywhere “boy I'm not going to kill you, relax!”
He nodded and after taking a few deep breaths, kept scrubbing.
“I see you guys talked things out…” the old lady tried again.
A sigh left him as he shrugged “I guess, but I promised to talk to her and explain everything she wanted to know about why I behaved the way I did…”
Mrs Brenda approached him, crossing her arms “and you still haven't done it, I suppose”
The way he shook his head answered her question.
“And what are you waiting for?”
Toshinori closed the tap and dried his hands, avoiding her gaze “I don't know, I'm just waiting for her to ask me about it…”
A sharp blow to his lower back made him whine and turn around, only to see Mrs Brenda holding her ladle while shooting him a disapproving look.
“Boy, it almost looks like you don't know her!” she chastised him “she ain't doing it, the poor girl is probably waiting for you to feel comfortable enough to bring it up!”
“But I'm never going to feel comfortable!” he groaned, grabbing his bangs.
“Then you'll have to grow a pair and do it! Even if you don't want to!”
“I know…” the blond whined “she deserves to know why I treated her like that, but I-”
The old lady placed her hand on his arm, making Toshinori stop talking and look down at her “think about how much it'll help her. How much weight your answers will take off her shoulders, young man”
A while later, the blond left the cafeteria to look for Kristen with a batch of butter cookies Mrs Brenda made that morning.
He looked around, only spotting her footsteps marked in the snow. After following them they took him to the tree that was in front of the building, but she was nowhere to be seen. Maybe she was at the cafeteria and he hadn't noticed.
Just as he started walking, something cold hit his back, sliding down his waterproof coat and making the blond stop moving.
“There's no way you didn't see that coming!” Kristen's voice echoed through the space around them.
He turned around, looking for the girl and managed to spot her sitting on a tree branch with a shit-eating grin adorning her face.
Without saying anything he moved towards her, crouched and grabbed a handful of snow, throwing it at her face, making Kristen gasp in surprise.
“A-AGH-” she yelled, spitting on the ground “IT GOT IN MY MOUTH, GROSS!”
Toshinori laughed and grabbed her foot, pulling the girl down and trapping her body between his arms “there's no way you didn't see that coming…” he mocked her.
Kristen tried to escape, but his grip was too strong “LET GO!”
“Never” he laughed darkly “I'm going to make you pay for staining my coat!”
“It's waterproof, idiot!”
“Even so!” he said happily, crouching to grab another handful of snow “but I'll forgive you IF I hear an apology come out of those beautiful lips”
Kristen stopped moving and a after a few seconds, whispered “over my dead fucking body”
Her answer made the blond shrug “Okay!”
“What-”
Before Kristen could finish her question she felt his hand slip under the collar of her coat and t-shirt, rubbing her bare back with the freezing, wet snow he grabbed.
The screech that left her lungs made the windows around them rattle and the curses she threw at Toshinori only made him chortle harder.
After she calmed down and explained to Mrs Brenda that she was not dying, he placed her on the ground and braced himself to receive the kicks and punches she probably had in store for him.
But they never arrived.
Instead she slowly moved to hug him, trying to steal some of his heat.
When he felt how hard she was shivering, a pang of guilt hit him. Maybe he had gone too far. So he unbuttoned his coat and opened it, allowing Kristen to wrap her arms around his torso and to warm up. Then he hugged her back and stood there, waiting for her to feel better.
“Sorry” he whispered softly.
“It's okay…” she answered, her voice muffled by his chest and clothes.
He was going to apologize again when he felt her pull his sweater out of his pants.
“Kristen-!” he warned, trying to move away from her quickly, but it was too late.
Her icy cold hands reached his lower back, causing a silent scream to leave his body.
“Revenge is best served cold…” she whispered as she moved away from him, watching how he kneeled, defeated.
“Y-you monster…” he whined, a chill running up his spine.
Kristen just laughed, walking happily towards the residences after grabbing the box of cookies from his hands and tossing one into her mouth.
“Come on! I don't want to be outside anymore… My socks are soaked!”
A few seconds later he stood up sighing and followed the girl to her room.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
After lighting a candle and putting their thickest pajamas on, they slipped into Kristen's bed, trying to warm themselves up.
“Why is it so cold!?” Kristen whined, clinging to Toshinori’s body.
“I have no idea, maybe the central heating system is broken or they forgot to turn it on…” he answered, hugging her back.
After a moment of silence, the blond sighed, making Kristen look at him.
“Is something wrong?” she asked, worried.
He shook his head and tried to smile, only managing to deliver a lopsided grin that made the girl cringe.
“Uh, okay” she moved away to properly face him “what's eating you up?”
Toshinori’s hand caressed her back, trying to distract his racing mind and a second later he answered.
“I'm ready to answer you questions”
He saw her eyes widen in surprise and a frown appear on her face “you don't have to do it if you are uncomfortable, Toshi”
“But I have to, you deserve it”
Kristen sighed and shook her head “I don't deserve shit. Don't do something you don't want to because you'll regret it later and blame me for it”
Now it was his turn to frown “why would I do that?”
She shrugged, looking away from his eyes “that's what everyone does”
“Well, I don't and I assure you that I want to talk about this, it's just not something I'm used to doing”
Kristen moved to sit against the headboard and hugged her bunny, not fully trusting his words “yeah sure, let's do it then”
“Thank you” he told the girl, sitting up next to her.
She cleared her throat and after a few seconds, asked the question that's been bothering her since they talked about this the day before outside the cafeteria.
“You told me that you've been avoiding me because you were scared and wanted to protect me” he nodded and she continued “but… Protect me from what exactly? What's that thing that scares you so much?”
It took the blond a few minutes to formulate his answer, but Kristen waited patiently until he spoke.
"There's a threat lurking in the shadows of Japan, slowly gathering people to strike when we least expect it. Someone so absurdly powerful that even the greatest heroes have died at his hands... My master being one of them”
Kristen crossed her arms at his words "but why would you have to protect me from that? We're not in Japan, and I don't know who that person is. Why would he even acknowledge my existence?”
Suddenly a new thought crossed Toshinori’s mind: Kristen's quirk was powerful and versatile. What if AFO took interest in it and tried to get her in order to add it to his personal collection?
“Because of me” he answered plainly, deciding not to let her know about his thoughts.
A frown formed on her face, reflecting the confusion she felt “what the heck does that even mean?”
Toshinori crossed his legs and sighed “he will use you as a way to get to me, to hurt me” he explained, staring into her eyes “he's the most cruel and manipulative person that's ever existed and will resort to any method in order to achieve his goals”
The girl remained silent, thinking about his words, analyzing them until she spoke again.
“Uh okay… With the information you've given me so far I can guess a few things I think I'm correct about; first of all” she said, using her fingers to count “this mysterious person you are so scared of is extremely powerful and dangerous. He’s been moving in the shadows for a long time and he's basically like a bomb that can explode at any minute”
The blond nodded when she looked at him for confirmation.
“Then…” she added another finger “a lot of powerful heroes have tried defeating this threat, one of them being YOUR master” another nod from the blond “this information plus the thing about him wanting to hurt you makes me think that she's been training you to try and defeat him”
Toshinori looked away, avoiding her gaze. She just kept going, her brain trying to piece everything together.
“But why are you here instead of fighting him if that's what ‘you have to do’?” she used the same words he told her when he apologized yesterday “my guess is that you are hiding from him to train and become strong enough to at least have a chance against this villain-”
“Yeah, you are right-" Toshinori interrupted, wanting to cut that line of thinking, but the girl kept talking.
“-BUT that means that even without having faced him yet, he knows about your existence and is actively trying to find you even if you are no match to him right now. That's why you left Japan, but… Why?”
The blond’s head snapped towards the girl, eyes widening.
“Out of all the other heroes that are probably trying to fight him right now, what makes you so special that the most powerful villain in Japan and probably the world uses his time to try and eliminate you as soon as possible? Why would he even consider you a threat at your current level?”
Finally their eyes met, but neither of them uttered a single word.
He couldn't let her know about One For All, so he chose to remain silent.
After a while, Kristen shrugged “Ah… Who would've told me that I'd fall for the guy whose life is full of mysteries and secrets… Lucky me” she said nonchalantly, stretching her arms.
“H-Huh?” Toshinori’s face turned red at her words.
“What?” the girl stopped moving, confused by his reaction.
“Y-you said that- do you really-?” he tried to find the right words to use, but his brain was too overwhelmed by everything that happened in the past few seconds.
A soft laugh left her lips, warming the blond’s heart “well, I thought it was obvious with all the kissing stuff, but… Yeah…” now it was her time to blush and look away.
After a moment of silence, Kristen gathered enough courage to eye him again, waiting for the blond to say something, but he didn't. So she grabbed her bunny and yelled “SAY SOMETHING!” startling Toshinori.
“WAIT, WHAT- OUCH STOP HITTING ME” he tried to answer, but couldn't do it as he had to protect himself from the multiple fluffy blows she was delivering “ITS EYES ARE MADE OF PLASTIC, THEY HURT!”
When she didn't cease her attack Toshinori moved to snatch her wrist, but the girl grabbed the plush with her free hand and hit him again, so he did the same with the other one, pinning them up against the wall she had behind her.
He grasped both of them with one hand and squished her cheek like you would do to a little kid, making her frown “are you done?”
The girl tried to bite his hand, but he was fast enough and moved it away.
“NEVER, LET GO!” she yelled, thrashing around.
Toshinori had to hold her tighter “okay why are you behaving like this all of the sudden!?” he asked, confused.
The girl blushed and kept trying to free herself, failing miserably, but gave up after a while, breathing heavily.
“Let go…” she whined, looking down “please”
Toshinori didn't know what to say or do. What happened to make her react like this? First she was happy, then angry and now she seemed… Sad.
“Okay” the blond released her, watching how she moved back against the wall to hug her knees “have I done something wrong?”
The girl shook her head, not saying a word.
“Kristen, use your words please” he moved in front of her and grabbed her arms, causing her to look at his blue eyes.
Toshinori saw how a deep blush covered the majority of her face and part of her chest.
“I-I was expecting you to reciprocate my feelings, but I understand if you don't” she tried to move away from him “now I feel ashamed and I regret opening my damn mouth!”
Oh, so that was what happened.
Kristen's stare turned hard as the blond began laughing.
“¿¡Estás de coña!? FUCK YOU!” the girl yelled as she kicked the blond in the stomach with all her strength, making him fall out of the bed. But because he was holding her, she went down with him, landing on top of his body.
Toshinori kept laughing, completely unfazed and hugged her tightly, making her growl.
“S̴T̶O̵P ̸IT̵” she snapped, tears of frustration and shame leaving her eyes.
His laughter died on his throat as he saw himself surrounded by flames.
“Now you stop laughing” her voice was muffled by his chest and when she moved to look at him, Toshinori’s heart dropped as the light of the fire reflected on her tears.
He sat up with her still in his arms and the flames moved with them.
“I'm sorry” he apologized, brushing her dark hair with his fingers “I just thought it was obvious that I felt the same way… Sorry for not clarifying it”
Kristen said nothing and just pressed herself against his chest, sitting more comfortably on his lap.
After processing his words, she hid her face behind her hair, whispering “o-oh, now I feel dumb… Sorry for overreacting”
The blond looked up at the angry blaze that surrounded him and chuckled, kissing the top of her head “don’t worry, it's fine”
The flames shone brighter as his lips pressed against her hair.
“And as much as I would like to stay here, the floor is rather cold…” Toshinori complained, making Kristen look at him with her golden, glowing eyes.
The gasp she let out when she saw the fire around them, made the blond guffaw.
“OH GOD, ARE YOU OKAY?” she asked worriedly as she jerked her arm backwards, making the flames return to the candle they came from.
“Yes, don't worry!” Toshinori answered, carrying her as he stood up from the floor and moved back to the bed. Then pulled the covers over themselves and hugged the girl, trying to warm her up again.
“Thank you” Kristen whispered after a while, her body relaxing against his.
Toshinori lifted an eyebrow and asked what she was thanking him for, making the girl move until their noses were almost touching.
“For opening up to me. I know I can sometimes be a bit overwhelming, but you answered some of my questions and helped me understand why you acted the way you did, allowing me to realize that what happened wasn't my fault”
He brushed his nose against hers, making the girl giggle.
“Now I know the risks that I'm going to be exposed to, as well as the mission you were entrusted with, even if there's still some things that don't make sense to me” Toshinori looked away, a guilty expression adorning his face “but what I'm sure about is that I want to help you”
The blond tensed, snapping his eyes towards her again.
“I want to be here for you, to help you become the best hero you can be so you are able to defeat that motherfucker and walk away from that fight with a smile on your face” Kristen closed her eyes, pressing her forehead against his “I want to give you the happy life you deserve, because I feel like you have discarded that idea a long time ago”
Toshinori’s trembling breath tickled Kristen's skin and after closing his eyes too, moved to kiss her, a tear falling down his cheek.
But it wasn't a happy one. It was full of fear, but also a bit of hope.
The blond expected the girl to leave him as soon as she knew what he had to do, the risks she'd be exposed to.
She was right; he already knew his fate was written and didn't want to carry the girl he loved with him. To crush her heart when she saw him give his life in exchange for All For One’s.
But the way she sounded, the determination filling her words, made Toshinori think that maybe there was hope for him.
That maybe he could be happy with Kristen while fulfilling his purpose.
That he could live his own life and not the one other people wanted him to have.
That he would survive that dreaded fight and go home to find her waiting for him with the warmest of smiles on her face.
Notes:
Welp, looks like she made her choice... I hope everything goes well :)
Don't forget to give a kudo if you liked the chapter and leave a comment down below!
And as always... Have a nice day and go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!
Chapter 24: An Uneventful Encounter
Notes:
Welp, it's over..... But instead of being sad, let's go re-watch the entire anime, films and everything. Let's keep enjoying MHA like the first day :)
Have a great day and merry almost Christmas!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Don't go…” Toshinori whined in the middle of the night, hugging Kristen tightly as she tried to get out of bed, away from his arms.
“Toshi, I need to pee” she told him for the third time, feeling her bladder about to explode.
After a few more sleepy complaints from the blond and some kisses that made him loosen his grip on her, she managed to slip away and run across the dark room until she reached the bathroom.
A good minute and a half later, Kristen sighed in relief and went to wash her hands.
One long yawn escaped her lips as the smell of soap and the sound of running water and scrubbing filled the room, but the moment the girl decided to look at her reflection, her movements came to a halt.
Maybe she was still asleep and this was all a weird dream, so she splashed her face with ice cold water to try to wake up, but when she lifted her head and saw herself looking exactly the same as a few seconds ago, her hands clutched the sink, eyes widening in disbelief.
“Uh… Okay, this is new” she whispered, inspecting her hair carefully “Toshi, can you come here, please…?” the girl called calmly without taking her eyes away from the mirror.
A loud, heavy thud and the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps made her giggle before the door snapped open, revealing a rather distressed Toshinori: his hair was a mess and drool could be seen smeared all over his cheek, quite a look.
“ARE YOU OKAY?!” he yelled, his mind all fuzzy with sleep “WHAT HAPPEN-”
The blond stopped talking as his eyes landed on Kristen's hair, where a single white lock now adorned the right side of her black bangs.
Toshinori’s face turned serious as he approached her slowly and ran his fingers through it; it felt completely normal to the touch.
“Do you feel different?” he asked all of the sudden, his voice filled with worry. This made Kristen lift an eyebrow at the blond.
“I'm hungry because we skipped dinner, but aside from that… Nope, I feel the same as always”
A hum left his lips as he tried to understand what was happening; it was not the first time her hair changed colors: the night of the Halloween party, when her quirk took over her body it turned completely black, but nothing like that happened this time.
What was going on?
Toshinori crossed his arms, eyeing the girl “maybe you should try to visit the lab Miss Stacey told you about the day after the Halloween party…” he suggested, watching her sigh.
“I guess you are right” Kristen agreed, grabbing the white lock between two fingers and pulling at it softly “this has something to do with my quirk and even if it doesn't feel dangerous or affect me negatively, I want to know what's causing it”
“Do you want me to go with you?” he asked, hugging the girl from behind and placing his chin on her head. Her hands moved to his forearms as she nodded softly.
“Yes, please… I don't want to get lost in the middle of Los Angeles trying to find that place”
Toshinori chuckled and kissed her hair, moving towards her room.
“Then we'll go whenever you want” he nodded, closing the door after she walked out of the bathroom with him.
“Maybe after the holidays are over?” Kristen asked, feeling how the bed was still warm as she got in.
“Sounds perfect to me!”
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
When the sunlight filtered through the windows of the room, Kristen jumped out of bed and closed the curtains, grumbling. Then went back to the warm embrace of the blond, falling asleep again almost instantly.
Two hours and a lot of effort later, they managed to get dressed and go to the city to do something they've been putting off for way too long: buy everyone's Christmas presents.
The bus left them right in front of a big mall, where they walked around talking about what to get their friends.
“We have to look for something for…” Kristen started talking, grabbing a piece of paper from her coat pocket “Nadia, Charlotte and Mrs Brenda”
“Okay, easy!” Toshinori beamed, a bunch of ideas already filling his mind.
“Glad to hear that” she giggled “first one… Charlotte!"
The blond grabbed her hand and dragged her towards a little art shop they knew too well.
When they entered the place, the familiar smell of paint and wood filled their lungs.
Old shelves filled to the brim with different objects; brushes of all sizes and shapes, papers, sketchbooks, bags full of materials none of them knew how to use, bottles of mysterious liquids and colors they didn't even know the name of, made them smile brightly.
“You've read my mind, now let's look around and find something for her!” Kristen clapped happily.
Every time they came to this mall, Charlotte spent more than 40 minutes walking around this very shop. Pointing and commenting on everything she liked, while her three friends silently wrote everything down.
Nadia told them that she'll be getting her an easel she's been talking about nonstop, so they decided to pick up a few canvases and a pack of brushes and paint tubes from a renowned brand highly recommended by the cashier.
After paying for everything, Kristen crossed out one name from her list.
“Now it's Nadia's turn!” she looked at the blond, who offered to carry everything they bought “are you sure you don't want me to carry something?”
Toshinori laughed dramatically, causing a few people to look at him and exclaimed “don't worry! I can handle this and a lot more!”
Kristen just shrugged and started walking around until they reached a shop that caught her attention.
“Let's check this one!” she suggested, watching the blond nod as he followed her inside.
Stuffed animals of all kinds and sizes filled the shelves and Kristen had to resist the urge to buy every single one of them, she's always had a weakness for these soft things.
“What kind of animal would Nadia like?” Toshinori asked, grabbing a cute little frog and putting it back after squishing it between his big hands.
Kristen hummed, thinking about it until her eyes landed on a plush of a huge, round hamster holding a sunflower seed with the dumbest face she's ever seen on a toy. Its grey fur looked soft and the white little stars that adorned the base of its paws screamed Nadia.
This was it.
Toshinori jumped a little when Kristen gasped and ran towards it, following her.
“TOSHI, THIS IS IT!” she beamed, hugging the toy tightly.
The blond snickered as she was not able to touch her hands because of how big it was and brushed his fingers all over it.
“Okay that's spot on, she's going to love it” he told her, still watching the girl struggle to squish it between her arms.
One hamster later, they left the store and moved to the center of the mall where a little lounge full of plants invited them to rest for a while.
“Now it's Mrs Brenda's turn!” Kristen announced, sitting on a bench with a grunt.
Toshinori placed everything on the floor and sat next to the girl “I thought that maybe she'd like some kind of cooking appliance or even a cooking book”
“That's actually a good idea… Maybe a book filled with recipes from all over the world as she has told us on more than one occasion how much she enjoys learning about how different cultures enjoy their food!”
“Then that's settled. Shall we go now or would you rather rest for a while?” he asked, moving to stand up again.
“We just got here, but okay let's get moving…” she whined, stretching her legs before standing up and walking alongside the blond.
Mrs Brenda’s present was the easiest one to find; the old bookstore they went into had the exact thing they were looking for: a cookbook that showcased recipes and a few bits of history from countries from all over the world.
Kristen spent 15 minutes reading and commenting on every single dish from her country she found, explaining everything excitedly to Toshinori.
As they exited the store the girl pulled the list out of her pocket and crumpled it, running to throw it away into the nearest trash can.
“We are finally done!” she told the blond happily “now the only thing left for me to do is go get your present!”
“Looks like we both have to do the exact same thing!” he laughed, adjusting the bags he was holding to grab them more comfortably “how about we go on our own to buy them and meet up here in 15 minutes?”
“Perfect, see you in a while!” she yelled, running away and leaving him alone with all the gifts.
Toshinori shook his head, chuckling softly and walked towards the shop district.
He already knew what he was going to get her, so in only a few minutes the shop appeared in front of him.
The sound of a bell echoed around the place as he opened the door and walked inside.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
The place was filled with clothes of all kinds, sizes and colors. It was a store for those whose dressing style was more on the alternative side and it could be seen by simply looking around. But what convinced Kristen that this was the right place to get Toshinori’s present was the big sign outside that read: “we accept custom orders”
“Hi!” she yelled over the loud rock music that blasted through the speakers, greeting the spider-like girl that was neatly folding some wildly colored t-shirts “I'm here to grab something I ordered a while ago”
The girl turned around, fangs poking over her smile. Her black long skirt and blue short hair flowed as she moved.
“Oh, it's you! Welcome back” she exclaimed, jumping happily towards the back of the shop “follow me and let me show you the result. You are going to love it!”
Kristen snickered and followed her until they reached a rack with a single jacket hanging from it.
“I had to do a little research and ask for a few favors, but here you have it!” she explained, grabbing the hanger and showing Kristen what would be Toshinori’s Christmas present.
“Oh my god it's perfect!” she clapped, grabbing it and feeling the high quality of the material.
The varsity jacket was dark blue with white sleeves. The collar and cuffs were also blue, but with a little white line adorning them.
“Turn it around, girl!” the shopkeeper hurried her.
On the back, a perfectly embroidered design even better than the one they sketched together the first time Kristen went to the shop, stood before her:
A cherry blossom’s branch full of flowers covered the center of the space, with a full moon on the left and a few sakura petals flying around.
Encasing it there were two red curved lines (one over and one under it) with a yellow text in front of them that read “PLUS ULTRA”.
Kristen's fingers brushed the “PLUS” that adorned the upper part of the jacket and then the “ULTRA” at the bottom of it, letting out a single ‘wow’.
“Do you like it?” the girl asked, watching her delighted expression “the people at the UA were extremely nice and didn't have any problem with me using their motto when I told them what we wanted to do for one of their ex students!”
“He is going to love it!” Kristen said, hugging the other girl tightly “thank you very much!”
Her laugh echoed around the shop as she patted her back softly “no, thank you for making my work so easy! How did you even manage to get your friend’s measurements so precisely without him suspecting anything?”
Kristen moved back and smiled, walking towards the register.
“A friend already had them from one time she designed some costumes for us, so I just asked her!”
“Clever girl…” she told her, grabbing the money from her hand and placing the jacket inside a bag “thank you so much for trusting me with something so special and have a wonderful Christmas!”
“Thanks and you too!” she told her, walking out of the shop with her heart full of happiness. She couldn't wait to give it to him.
As Kristen was going towards the meeting point a little colorful shop got her attention; it was simple, but had a wide variety of cute and original keychains. So she walked inside and began inspecting every single product they had. Anything you could imagine was there in the shape of something you would hang on your keys or bag.
As she was happily shaking a little bottle full of a blue, thick liquid and stars, a familiar voice reached her ears from the end of the aisle.
“Hi Kristen, merry Christmas!”
She turned around towards the sound only to find Sol, Linda's friend, smiling shyly and walking towards her, hands full of bags.
“Oh, hi Sol! Merry Christmas to you t-” Kristen stopped talking as her eyes met the two figures that appeared from behind the girl: it was Linda and her father, Mr Adams.
A knot formed in her throat, but managed to swallow it down as they approached them.
“Why the hell didn't you wait for me?” Linda asked rudely before rolling her eyes after they landed on Kristen ”oh, look who it is. Sol, stop wasting your time with her and let's go” her tone was full of resentment and disgust as she moved to grip her friend's wrist to drag her away. But before she touched her skin, Mr Adams grabbed Linda's shoulder, glaring at her daughter.
After having a silent conversation for a few seconds, the girl scoffed in defeat and put on her fakest smile, saying with an annoyingly high pitched voice:
“Sorry about that…” her left eye twitched “hello and merry Christmas!”
Kristen stared at her, perplexed and after a while managed to answer her.
“Merry Christmas to you too, Linda and don't worry about it, I expected nothing less from you”
As Mr Adams turned around to greet an acquaintance that called his name from the end of the aisle they were at, a dry laugh left the other girl's lips while she approached Kristen slowly, her smile turning dangerous.
“Is that so? Maybe I'll have to do something you don't expect… Again” she whispered, making Kristen's blood freeze “how does that sound, hm?”
When she didn't answer, Linda took another step towards her and moved her fingers to her new white lock, inspecting it with disdain.
“Do you want to have to hide in your room for weeks and use Toshi as a shield?” her brown eyes met hers and Kristen saw the malice behind them “or how about I go get your little friend next, how does that sound?” she threatened, gripping her hair tightly.
In a swift movement, Kristen's hand clutched Linda's wrist, her eyes glowing golden. The intensity of her glare made the girl take a step back.
“Don't you even d̸a̵r̴e lay your di̵rt̷y hands on Charlotte, bitch” her voice was deep and full of power.
At her words, Mr Adams approached them rapidly.
“You two, stop right now!”
“Let me go, you stupid whore!” Linda yelled, trying to free herself from her grasp. When she found herself unable to, one of her pink ribbons shot from her hand to try and strangle Kristen, but before it reached her, a big, tanned hand caught it, making Linda gasp in surprise.
Toshinori’s words boomed across the tiny shop, making everyone except Kristen wince.
“What the hell is going on here?” he asked, voice low and filled with rage.
The air around them turned thick with tension. Nobody dared to move until Linda spoke, causing everyone to look at her.
“H-Hey Toshi!” she tried to sound innocent even as the ribbon from her hand was still being held by him “it's been so long since the last time we-”
But before she could finish her sentence, Mr Adams grabbed her arm and walked away without uttering a single word, causing the pink rope to rip from her skin, making Linda hiss in pain. Sol ran behind them, throwing a silent apology at Kristen and Toshinori and in an instant they were gone from the shop.
Kristen stood there, her hand still raised from grabbing Linda's wrist. Toshinori moved to face her, watching the girl's expression change from shock to exasperation.
“Are you okay?” he asked, dropping the ribbon and grabbing her hand, kissing it softly.
“Yeah” Kristen replied shortly, gripping the bag with his present tightly “let's get out of here”
And so they did, moving to a nearby cafeteria to enjoy a sweet treat to try and wash that sour encounter before getting back to the university.
The intense smell of freshly roasted coffee and sweet pastries surrounded them, making their stomachs rumble.
After waiting for a few minutes in line, they got to the front.
“What would you like to order?” a tired looking man asked them, his voice void of any kind of positive emotion “please don't touch the glass, I don't want to have to clean it again”
Toshinori jumped away from the display cabinet that showcased every food option they had available, blushing slightly.
“S-sorry!” he mumbled “we'd like an Americano and a Cappuccino, please”
“And something to eat? I've seen the way you were drooling all over the glass” the guy told him, a little smile appearing on his face “if I were you, I'd have the croissants or the palmiers”
“Oh! It's been so long since I've seen palmiers!” Kristen said, beaming at the thought of being able to enjoy the pastry again “I'll have one, please!”
“Chocolate covered?”
“No, thanks”
“Good choice” he winked at her, moving his head to eye Toshinori again “how about you, big boy?”
The blond’s face turned ever redder and with the softest of voices asked for a pair of croissants that the cashier served him with a smirk.
“Take the food to your table and when the coffees are ready, I'll bring them to you” he asked, moving away from the counter to start preparing their order.
A few minutes later, the guy placed two cups on the table and walked away, saying nothing more than a simple ‘enjoy’.
Kristen looked at the beverages and then at Toshinori. After snickering softly, she swapped the cappuccino that was in front of her with the Americano that Toshinori was eyeing with disgust.
“I don't know how you can enjoy that” he told her, savoring the sweet and creamy taste of his drink.
“No idea to be honest” she shrugged, taking a sip of hers and feeling the roasted flavor cover her entire mouth “but I love it”
Different conversations flowed between them easily and after finishing everything, they took their presents and left the coffee shop to board the next bus that'd take them to the campus.
When they got there, their eyes spotted a familiar luxury car that was parked in front of the university; Mr Adams’.
Without giving it too much importance, Toshinori and Kristen walked to the girl's room where she flopped down on the bed, sighing dramatically.
“I'm so tired…!” she complained, the only bag she was carrying falling to the floor, almost revealing his gift.
The blond laughed, placing the rest of the presents on the corner of her room and moving to pat her head.
“There, there… Now you can finally rest” he whispered, causing the girl to turn around and look at him, frowning.
“You're saying it like I was dead or something…”
The way he bursted laughing at her words made Kristen smile.
“Yeah, it really sounded like that” he said, wiping a tear from his eye “I have to hide your present in my room, but I'll be back in a few minutes, okay?”
A complaint left her lips, but he silenced it with a deep kiss that caused the girl to blush and cover her face with her hands.
As he was exiting the room, his voice made her look at him from between her fingers.
“Are you aware that you are lying on your bed with your ‘outside’ clothes, right?”
The way she shrieked and jumped away from her no longer clean sheets made Toshinori shake his head and snicker all the way down the stairs.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
“There’s no way she can reach up here, right?” the blond mumbled to himself, taking a few steps away from the shelf and nodding “yeah, here's fine”
He’s never been good at choosing gifts, so when a special occasion was close he asked his master for advice. But now that she wasn't here, insecurities started filling his mind.
He moved to grab her photo and spoke to the woman whose smile could light the entire world.
“Do you think she'll like it? I hope she does-”
A soft knock interrupted his one-sided conversation, making him arch an eyebrow as he left the picture back in its place and moved to open the door.
Right in front of him was Linda, standing awkwardly in place. She was fidgeting with the pink folds of her dress and when the door moved, she jumped back in surprise and tried to compose herself.
“H-Hello Toshi!” her voice wavered, making the girl clear her throat “I'm glad to find you here-”
“What do you want?” Toshinori asked coldly, crossing his arms.
She shifted, clearly uncomfortable by his dryness.
“I wanted to speak with you, can I come in?” her hand pointed to his room.
“No”
“O-Oh, okay” she nodded, remaining silent for a few minutes.
Toshinori sighed and locked the door “I have to go, Linda. Kristen is waiting for me, so if you excuse me…” he tried to walk past her only for the girl to grab his arm and beg for him to wait.
The blond closed his eyes and counted to ten before turning around to look at her, crossing his arms again.
After taking a few deep breaths, Linda put on that fake smile that always made Toshinori cringe internally and started talking.
“I wanted to apologize” her tone was almost too happy and fake for the blond to take her seriously, but decided to say nothing “for what happened the night of the Halloween Party”
Toshinori looked at her, waiting for something more, but it looked like that was all she had to offer. A dry laugh left his lips, making the girl’s eyes wide slightly.
“What are you referring to when you say ‘what happened the night of the Halloween Party’; to the way you lied to me about where Kristen was? Or maybe how you tried to force me to sleep with you, locking me inside your bedroom? Or perhaps…” he took a step towards her, causing Linda’s smile to falter “to what you did to Kristen?”
At his accusation, her whole demeanor turned aggressive as she crossed her arms too and rolled her eyes.
“What the hell are you talking about? The only one that did something to Kristen was Albert, I was with you the whole time!”
“No you weren't” he smirked darkly, his muscles growing slightly “what were you doing before you entered the infirmary acting all worried about Sol? Because those 15 minutes between the time I last saw Kristen and your arrival to the infirmary seem enough time for you to lock her inside the Storage Room and even walk around the campus for a bit if you felt like it”
Linda's jaw clenched, but relaxed a second later as she just shrugged and moved her hand to grab her hip, placing her weight on one leg; a stance that shouted ‘I'm safe, you have no proof’.
“I was inside the auditorium when one of the other students helping us told me about what happened to Sol when I asked where she was at” she smiled “that’s when I ran to the infirmary”
“What student?”
“I don't know! One that was in charge of carrying the boxes with us too, I can't remember his name”
“But Sol and Miss Stacey confirmed that you two were the only ones in charge of taking the boxes to the storage room, why were there other students doing it?”
Toshinori saw her right eye twitch “he wanted to help me! But if you still don't believe what I say, ask Kristen, she'll tell you exactly the same!”
“I will, don't worry” he threatened, moving away from her and towards the stairs, not bothering to let her keep distracting him with her lies.
When he was no longer visible, Linda's expression shifted into one of rage and hate. After a few seconds of thinking, she turned around and walked in the opposite direction of the stairs, getting lost in a corridor full of locked and empty rooms.
Well, maybe not all of them were.
· · ─ · 🜃 🜄 🜂 🜁 · ─ · ·
Toshinori stood in front of Kristen's door for a few minutes, trying to decide if it was a good idea to tell her about what happened with Linda or not.
When he entered the room, the girl was sitting on the floor, reading a book that he guessed by the cover was in Spanish.
“That one's new” he told her while locking the door and taking off his shoes.
“No, it's not. It's just been sitting in my drawer for a while, completely forgotten”
Toshinori made a humming noise and after pocketing his key, moved in front of her, doing nothing more than standing still.
The silence around them felt uncomfortable, as the blond’s thoughts filled the space.
“Okay what's wrong?” Kristen asked, standing up and closing the book after placing the bookmark on the page she was at.
He sighed, rubbing his face with his hands and after a few seconds, answered “Linda came to my room”
The way she tensed didn't go unnoticed by the blond, who looked at her and proceeded to explain everything to avoid misunderstandings.
After telling her about her ‘apology’ and their conversation about where she was at before going to the infirmary, Toshinori asked her the question Kristen's been fearing since the day Linda threatened Charlotte's wellbeing:
“Did she have something to do with you getting locked up inside the storage room with Albert?” he said softly and trying to contain the rage he had been feeling since the conversation with the silver haired girl.
Her silence was enough for the blond to guess the answer.
“So she did have something to do with what happened to y-”
“You don't understand, Toshinori… I can't-”
Suddenly his head snapped towards the door, raising a hand to stop Kristen from talking. She didn't take this well and was about to give him a piece of her mind when she saw him walk slowly towards the entrance, crouching to look under the little space between the wood and the floor.
Someone was there, leaning against the door and spying on them.
When he stood up, Kristen looked at him, already catching up with what was happening and looked at the door, her expression shooting the blond a silent question that he answered with a firm nod.
In a matter of seconds a plan formed on his head and after crossing his hands in an X shape, started talking loud enough for whoever was outside to hear him.
“I just want you to be HONEST with me”
Kristen frowned and looked at him, understanding what he was trying to tell her and gave him the lie he was looking for, her yellow eyes boring into his blue ones.
“No, she didn't have anything to do with what happened to me”
Toshinori sighed and nodded, crouching to see how those shoes moved away from the door and walked towards the stairs.
After a moment of silence, he proceeded to put on his pajamas while the girl sat down on her bed.
“So there was someone spying on us?”
He nodded, putting his shirt on.
“Who do you think it was?”
“Maybe it was Linda or someone she sent. I can't be completely sure as the corridor was dark and I couldn't quite see what shoes they wore”
The girl jumped down from the bed and walked towards the blond, hugging him.
“When will this end? I'm tired of it” the way her voice left her lips made Toshinori’s heart shrink.
His right hand moved to pat her head while the other caressed her upper back.
“I don't know, but let's go to sleep and I'm sure that tomorrow everything will-”
“She told me that if I snitched on her she'd hurt Charlotte” Kristen interrupted, gripping his t-shirt tightly.
This new piece of information made the blond tense. He already knew he was right; Linda had something to do with what happened the day of the Halloween Party.
She was part of the reason why Kristen had been unable to sleep without nightmares for almost two months.
The reason she still felt her skin burn and itch when he sometimes grazed her body with his fingers.
But this was something he didn't expect and that made his blood boil even more than it already was.
The girl looked up as she felt his muscles tense and grow. His face was covered in impossible shadows, a frown replacing his usually present smile.
Toshinori moved away from her and walked quickly towards the door.
“Don't you even dare” she warned, running to grab his arm “if you say something, who knows what could happen to Charlotte!”
His head snapped towards her, causing the girl to take a step back.
“And do you expect me to stay silent while she keeps doing that to other people!?” he growled, his feelings getting the best of him “someone has to stop her!”
Kristen hugged herself, shrinking under his intense gaze “I-I know, but I don't want others to suffer because of my problems. We have to think this through in order to-”
“Remaining silent is only going to let Linda keep doing whatever she wants without facing consequences!” Toshinori interrupted, leaning to tower over her “you say that you don't want others to suffer, but the way you are cowardly keeping this information is only going to achieve the opposite-!”
A loud slap echoed through the room, making the blond’s eyes widen and his muscles deflate slightly.
The shock that filled him, quickly turned into guilt, but before he could apologize, Kristen spoke up.
“My brain is screaming at me to kick you out of my room, but I won't do it because I know that you didn't actually mean what you just said” she told him almost too calmly.
“Kristen I-” he tried to talk, but the girl shushed him with her hand.
“You've already said enough, now it's my turn” Kristen started, looking at his blue eyes “yeah, I don't want others to suffer the same way I'm doing, Toshi. But understand that if we say something Linda will target Charlotte and who knows what she'll do to her. The information we possess is really powerful and we have to use it carefully.”
The blond rubbed his face, groaning into his hands “I know and I'm so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking”
“It's okay” she shrugged, moving towards the bathroom “you can stay if you want, I'll get to bed in a while”
And with that she closed the door behind her, leaving him alone in the dark.
Twenty minutes later, Kristen came out and slipped into the warm bed where the blond was lying down facing the wall.
When he felt her, Toshinori turned around and his heart dropped as he saw her red puffy eyes.
“Kristen, I'm sor-”
“Don't” she whispered as she pressed her body against his “just don't”
Silence surrounded them as the blond hugged her, feeling her tremble under his arms. But neither of them said anything, as the tears and sobs she's been trying so hard to hide from him filled the room.
“You are right” she cried after a while “I'm a selfish fucking coward”
Toshinori grabbed her shoulders and moved to face her. She tried to hide from him, but his grip was too strong.
“Don't say that, please” he begged.
“I was so scared of what would happen to Charlotte that I didn't think about what Linda could do to other people. What kind of hero does that?”
“Stop, Kristen” his voice was firm, making the girl flinch “you did what you thought was right in order to protect our friend”
She sniffled but said nothing, looking down.
“I still think that we should do something about this. Linda has to pay for what she did, but let's think about it calmly as you suggested” his hand moved to wipe the tears away from her cheeks and softly grabbed her face “I'm so sorry for calling you a coward”
“It's okay” the girl answered weakly as she closed her eyes “when we are angry, emotions get the best of us”
He chuckled, moving to place a soft kiss on her forehead “you should stop being so nice to me, you know?”
The girl smiled, kissing the palm of his hand “do you really want me to kick you out of my room?”
“No!” he answered quickly, hugging her tightly “forget what I said, keep being the way you are!”
After a while, Toshinori felt the girl relax and by the way she was breathing, guessed she had fallen asleep.
The realm of dreams got to him an hour later as his mind worked around the idea of how to face Linda and protect their friend Charlotte.
They had to find evidence and witnesses, as Kristen's words were not going to be enough proof.
He’ll look into it when everyone returns to the campus after the Christmas holidays.
But for now, he'll rest and enjoy the days that come with Kristen.
He had a really special surprise for the girl and couldn't wait to show it to her.
Notes:
Well, I hope our little friends are able to enjoy their holidays without any more problems, they deserve it...
Don't forget to give a kudo if you liked the chapter and leave a comment down below!
And as always... Have a nice day and go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!
ladyaqua03077 on Chapter 13 Tue 28 Oct 2025 05:02AM UTC
Comment Actions
ReadingMaster on Chapter 13 Mon 17 Nov 2025 11:06PM UTC
Comment Actions