Next To Me

Chapter 18: Slippery Rocks

~Revised 31/01/24~

"Don't ever...fucking touch me...ever again...!" Katsuki's harsh words rang themselves through [Y/n]'s mind. Her face cringed as she recalled his hunched over, pain-ridden face. Those words were so packed with hate, it made [Y/n] want to puke.

The (h/c) haired female idly walked along the beach's rocky area. Her small white shoes carefully stepped onto each wet rock. They were large, almost like pieces of debris, but their surfaces were smooth and shiny from years of being washed by sea water.

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!" [Y/n] felt herself tense up. His seething tone still fresh in her memory. She looked down at her hands, his words repeating themselves over and over again in her head. He wouldn't even let her go near him after what she did.

She recalled his face once the training was over. She could still see his wide red eyes, staring at her. He looked pain-ridden. His strong features turned sharp and angry.

HE DOESN'T DESERVE TO BE A FUCKING HERO! QUIRKLESS LOSERS LIKE HIM SHOULD JUST DIE!

Anger boiled deep in her belly.

And I'm not going to let YOU, an extra with a useless quirk, get in my way!

[Y/n] clenched her fist at her side. Squeezing her eyes shut and mentally trying to squeeze the memories to the back of her mind.

Her eyes shot open when she suddenly heard footsteps coming from behind her. [Y/n]'s head snapped back to look over her shoulder.

A lanky man, with limp dull hair stood only a few meters away. His one foot on top a rock's surface while the other remained still in the beach's sand. [Y/n] felt a cold uncomfortable shiver run itself down her arms as she stared, with wide eyes, at the stranger behind her.

Tomura froze. He stared into [Y/n]'s wide (e/c) eyes. His plan had crumbled. Sneaking up on the girl was now foiled due to her crystal-clear hearing. Ideas ran themselves a million miles a minute through his mind as he stared at her. He needed to come up with a new plan of attack. The more he looked at her the more agitated he got.

Neither of them said anything for a couple minutes.

Tomura stepped onto a large rock. [Y/n] flinched at his movement and took a small step backwards. She noticed how much taller he was than her.

Tomura's cracked uneven lips spread themselves across his face into a smile. [Y/n]'s heart rate picked up as she felt increasingly unsure of the stranger. Her eyes darted around her surrounding, looking for any other forms of human life, but it seemed they were alone.

"Excuse me," His raspy voice asked. "I don't mean to disturb your walk but I was wondering if you're a hero? I saw you save that man back there."

[Y/n] looked his face up and down. He was trying to act stand-offish but he emanated bad energy.

"I'm a huge fan of heroes," He added, taking a small step forward.

[Y/n] cautiously watched his foot move. Her (e/c) eyes never leaving his body or face. She hesitated to answer. I mean, she didn't know this creepy stranger. But maybe she was being a little too judgemental?

"Um...no. I'm not technically a hero yet..." She answered.

[Y/n] let her foot drag behind her body slowly. She felt the edge of the rock she was standing on and lowered her foot to the next rock. Never taking her eyes off the stranger.

"Not yet?" Tomura asked, taking his own, more confident steps forward.

[Y/n] lowered herself completely onto the rock behind her, noting that the bottoms of her shoes seemed to slide a lot easier on it's slippery surface.