Beautiful Disasters- Hawks x OC

Chapter 42

               "Keigo?" the haze left the brunette as she became aware of her surroundings. She was extremely confused as to why she was on the ground, pinned down by the blonde. She narrowed her eyes at him. "What are you doing?" she asked suspiciously.

He sighed in relief and leaned down, resting his head on his shoulder, panting slightly. "Thank god," he thought.

"I was trying to wake you up, but you're a really heavy sleeper," he said, sitting up.

Mariko sighed and covered her eyes with her arm. "I had a nightmare," she told him.

"I know."

"How?"

"How could I not know when my best girl's in trouble hm?" he asked.

The brunette offered him a tired smile in response and leaned her head back against the floor.

"Do you remember what it was about?"

She sighed, "I don't wanna talk about it. I've just been really on edge lately," she said.

"Because of whatever happened last week?" he asked. Keigo still didn't know what had happened.

The brunette nodded.

"You know, I don't really remember my parents that much," he said randomly.

Mariko looked up at him, "What?"

His golden irises locked with her blue ones for a moment and she immediately understood what was going on. The timing was strange, but he'd decided to share his past- the one he'd tried to reveal months before, and she hadn't let him.

"I think I was six or seven the last time I saw them," he told her.

"What happened?"

"You know that the HPSC has a training program..." he exhaled slowly. "I saved a family when I was seven. The president saw it and offered me the chance to become a hero by going there. She'd also pay for my parents' living expenses while I was there."

"You said yes," she guessed.

"Of course I did," he breathed out. "My dad was a drunkard. The only memories I have of him and my mom are of them fighting. He could never hold down a job so we were always struggling to pay the bills and cover basic needs... it was either stay there or become a hero. I didn't even care that she was threatening them. There wasn't anything to consider."

Mariko nodded, understanding him completely.

"Training there... was absolute shit. The way they taught me how to control my quirk so I could sense people... I spent months blindfolded. I couldn't take it off without facing the consequences. I couldn't see anything-" he cut himself off by chuckling slightly.

She looked up at him curiously.

"It sounds like I'm complaining right? I mean you went through worse, and at least I'm getting a pretty fair compensation. Most people don't even know you exist."

She shook her head, "I like that you're telling me about your life. I'm grateful that I get to know you better."

Those words struck a chord deep within him that he didn't think could resonate with anyone. After he'd left, his parents never contacted him. It was like they had completely forgotten they had a son. Things like that could really scar a seven-year-old; he'd convinced himself that if his parents didn't want anything to do with him, no one would. Fifteen years later though and she was right in front of him. Someone who genuinely cared about him and wanted to know him- even the uninteresting or shitty bits no one else had bothered to ask about. Not only that but she was grateful to know. His throat closed slightly, and an uncomfortable knot formed in his chest as he looked down at her.

Mariko stared at him, confused as to why he had stopped talking, and was completely oblivious to how much her words meant to him.

"Thank you Chickee," he croaked softly. He sounded like he was about to cry.

She knew how hard talking about one's past could be, so she did the only thing she could; she wrapped her arms around him, bringing him into a comforting hug.

Keigo smiled at the gesture. He knew she thought he was upset. He wasn't though. He had just suddenly become overwhelmed with gratitude and something else he couldn't quite place, or maybe he could, and wasn't ready to admit it to himself yet.