The Shadowed Light

Chapter 15 - Questions And Answers, Mistakes And Decisions

Then Stain calmed down and released my brother. He stood up and then seriously looked at me. I finally could be able to stand up.
"Hey kid, don't you dare die on us all. They," he paused, "are watching you. Remember, you made a promise. So don't your dare die, you bastard."
He smirked as he jumped back onto the roof. He turned to me.
"Feel free to drop by anytime."
Then, Stain jumped off and vanished.

I sighed and rubbed the spot where I got punched.
"That idiot." I mumbled.
Asahi rubbed his head. "Ok, Izuku, now I demand answers even more."
I sighed with a small smile. "Yeah yeah. Let's go."
And we continued our way to our house.

The soul-piercing state that my brother was giving me as he sat opposite me, cross legged on my bed, made me chuckle nervously and glance away.
"Answers. Now." He simply said, and I sighed heavily.
"Ok."
I'm sorry Asahi.

You know how there are different types of people? Well, Asahi was a type that is a very good listener. For the next 30 minutes or so that passed like it was just 5, I talked non-stop, telling Asahi all he details, my feelings, expressions of other people and each and every thing that occurred. And Asahi just sat there, staring at the bed sheets, and listened quietly. Never interrupted, never changed expression, just sat and listened.
When I finished, I took a deep breath to calm my tears that were threatening to spill. Geez, telling the events that happened to someone is so relieving, but painful at the same time. It's like you're re-living the time.
There was silence, until Asahi spoke up.
"Thanks for telling me the truth, Izuku. I'm sorry for making you go through that again." He said the last part quietly, and shuffled over to hug me.
Then I broke. It's like the pent up emotions that I pushed down deep inside me from all these years, the pain and thoughts and beliefs that haunted me and that I tried to forget, exploding, and turning into a pain-filled cry and tears. Like a bottle with a fizzy drink that has been shaken in all different ways and that's been trying to hold the lid on finally gave up and released the fountain of the drink.
I hugged Asahi closer.
"It... it- it feels like I'm a curse! A curse that- that... that kills everyone who tries to be nice to me! Mom, Shadow, Sky, Fox! I-... I-I...." my eyes widened as Asahi tightened his grip on my back. I stared at the bed sheets, as I felt my t-shirt getting wet with salty tears. Not my tears - Asahis.
"A-Asahi?" I croaked out.
"Yes?" He replied in a shaky voice, "Izu, don't think that you're... that you're the only one who thinks that. I... my best friend - Mia, also got killed because of me. She... she stood up for me. Protected me. And then.. then.." he mumbled something. I didn't hear it, but I didn't need to, to be able to understand.
I hugged Asahi tighter once again, and we cried in silence, each crying out their problems into the others shoulder.
I'm sorry Asahi... I didn't realise you were going through the same thing.
I scrunched up my eyes.

From now on, we'll face everything together, Asahi.
"From now on, we'll face everything together, Izuku."

A few days past, and life started to flow normally again. Well, as normal as life or a vigilante-in-hiding can be.
"Hey Izu! Pass me an apple please." I heard Asahi say. I smiled and stood up from my desk. I walked over to the kitchen table, grabbed an apple from the bowl and through it over to Asahi, who was on his bed, and caught it with one hand without looking away from his book he was reading.
"Thanks." He mumbled, taking a bite.
I nodded and went back to my desk.

Asahi has taken a liking to the library books on languages. He's been studying English for the past 5 days, and let me say, the guy has talent. He started talking simple sentences yesterday, and already knew loads of words. Like, it took me a month to learn how to say "My name is Izuku, I am a vigilante. Nice to meet you," in English!
Asahi also took a liking to apples. That is, to green ones. And the ones that are very sour. Red and sweet ones were a big no-no, and could cause a major argument, so I ended up having to buy two different types of apples for us, red and very sweet for me, and very sour green ones - for Ash.