Feather Bound

Chapter 36

"He was a child himself, just eighteen when it happened, and he was given nothing to help him cope. They told him to shake it off. That shit happens, and so he put on a brave face and did as he was told. But he never forgot. He still sends that family money monthly, takes flowers to that girl's grave every year." You couldn't help it, tears slipping down your own cheeks as you tried to comprehend everything you had just learned. He had said that his training was rough, that he didn't want his kids to suffer the same fate, and now you fully understood why. He had been beaten for having a stutter, gone through significant trauma, and given nothing to assist him in dealing with it. It was enough to break your heart and boil your blood all at the same time.

"Something must've brought that memory back in the landslide, though it's not really hard to imagine. So many people and children were killed or missing. It was bound to happen." Before you could even respond, Haruki's phone started ringing. She frowned, pulling the device from her pocket before letting out a dark chuckle. "Speak of the fucking devil."

"Huh?" You asked, and she turned to show you the screen. You shook your head at her, not recognizing the name she was showing you, and she let out a small breath before pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Guess you haven't met him yet. That's Hawks' handler at the Commission. His job is to make sure that Hawks is doing his job. Keep him in line, I suppose. I'm going to put it on speaker, just stay quiet." You nodded, and she quickly answered the phone, putting it on speaker and laying it down on the coffee table between you.

"Hello, Mamoru," she said, her annoyance palpable, and you could hear the man on the other end of the phone let out a disgusted sounding tut.

"Don't take that tone with me. Where the fuck is he? I've been calling for hours and he's not fucking answering."

"His phone is dead or he lost it in the landslide. Y/N called me a little bit ago. He's at home, resting. He's exactly where he belongs right now, Mamoru," she answered, and you clenched your own jaw as he let out a dry laugh in return.

"Where he should be is in this fucking office, doing his goddamn JOB! I am so sick of him just thinking he can do whatever he wants. He never thinks about anyone but himself. He needs to do his debriefing with the President-"

"He needs," you asserted, cutting him off while Haruki drew in a sharp breath, her eyes widening as she observed you. "To be resting, God damn it. How dare you call and demand anything more from him without giving him the chance to come home and rest first? He's been out there all fucking week, wading through mud, utilizing his quirk to save people! Who do you think you are instructing him to do anything other than unwind after a job well done?" you seethed, unable to contain your frustration any longer. It was utterly absurd for them to expect him to plunge straight back into work after everything he'd been through in the last week. You had seen how bad he looked when he returned home, witnessed his distress firsthand.

A tense silence enveloped the room. Haruki's eyes remained wide, fixed on you as you glared down at her phone. "I won't let my boyfriend leave this house until he's fully recovered. The President will just have to wait, or you can discuss matters with the other heroes who were on the site. Besides, he's only hours away from finding out if he's going to be a father, unless you'd prefer I skip my testing today."

"No, absolutely not, Mrs. Hawks," he reassured, and you observed Haruki stifling her giggles, slapping a hand over her mouth. You shot her a smirk, raising your eyebrows, silently mouthing, "Mrs. Hawks?"

This only fueled Haruki's laughter, and she turned away, burying her face in one of the throw pillows to muffle her amusement. You couldn't help the smile that played on your lips, resisting the urge to giggle as you watched her. After composing yourself, you redirected your attention to the phone on the coffee table. You weren't stupid; you knew precisely how to maneuver them into reconsidering this entire situation. They had one goal in mind, and you intended to use that to your advantage completely.