Ch.25 - Pâro
The amber Sun was casting its light rays over the mountainous fields which were separated by bushes causing a long shadow to be created, it was harmonious. The time was only about seven in the morning, though the car full of two children and a police officer had been driving for roughly an hour; their journey close to over.
The car exited the countryside bordering Shizuoka as the early morning bustle of the city was the view. Not many people were outside at seven in the morning, though there were a few heroes and early morning joggers, it felt very domestic. The two teens in the back were still sleeping deeply, not affected by the light coming through the window whatsoever.
Their soft snores and light breathing was slightly quieter than the radio, which was reporting on All Might's fight and general news. The car was warm courtesy of the humid summer Japan had been through this year, it would call for a wet winter.
Arriving at the police station no later than two hours after they had left Kanagawa, the two teens awoke at the stop of the car, sitting up groggily. Two hours of sleep was no where near what they needed, but it was something they were internally grateful for.
The two exited the car and entered the air conditioned building, the cold air sending a shiver up their spine. They were sent to sit in an office with a couch, both Katsuki and Senshi sitting down fervently.
The sofa was a brown tweed sofa, a tartan blanket tossed over one of the arms. They weren't told exactly when their parents would come, yet they both secretly wanted them to take their time; the silence they were sharing was unbelievably comfortable, and something both of them needed after such an alarming experience.
What was a pleasant experience was finding their belongings from camp in the waiting room, both wasting no time in picking up their things. Sitting on the sofa, close to each other as physical warmth wasn't the only type of warmth both of them desired, they held their bags close to them as they waited patiently; their phones having long run out of charge.
Much like when they were taken captive, nothing was said, but all was felt. Both had hair that was knotted as slightly messy, their faces with dirt (one having blood on her face still), their clothes ripped in some spots or burnt. It looked like they had just been pulled through a hedge backwards, but that experience would've been something both would've rather experienced than being kidnapped.
Katsuki's face wasn't in a frown, but his eyes were slightly droopy and low, giving the expression of 'I am fed up of this'. Senshi's face was in a solemn, small, smile. Senshi had her head laid on Katsuki's left shoulder, him not rejecting her position. He didn't know why he was so interested in her. Or why she also seemed interested in him; even if they were soulmates. It seemed as if he was always smiling with her, rather than frowning.
Though that was something he'd have to ponder on another time, as a police man walked through the door with four people following closely behind. Both Katsuki and Senshi stood up, having to take a step to steady themselves.
Senshi's parents wasted no time in scooping their daughter into a hug, and honestly, thinking about what could happen when she got home, it was bitter-sweet. Yet relishing in the moment was what she chose, because it might be one of the few she could feel this way.
On Katsuki's part of the greeting, both of his parents hugged him too; even with the complaints the boy let out. "Never do that again, you gave us a right old scare." Tantei started.
"Is Tsuki okay?" Senshi asked. One way to start a conversation I suppose, though her moth broke the hug and placed both hands on Senshi's shoulders as she looked at her daughter in shock.
"The first thing you say to us after being missing for three days, is asking if the cat's okay?" Senshi's mother asked in slightly disbelief. The six people in the room chuckled as the girl's question, even Senshi herself. "Yes he's fine is your answer."
A police officer that wasn't Senshi's father cleared her throat, grabbing everyone's attention as their hugs deformed. "I'm sorry to ruin the moment, but if the parents could sign these documents to ensure their collection that would be great."
The two pairs of parents walked away from their children, Katsuki's father ruffling Katsuki's hair as the boy himself huffed in annoyance; though Senshi secretly knew they boy was relishing in the touch.
Katsuki and Senshi picked up their back-packs, and walked towards where their parents were; them being stood at a counter signing paper work. Both escapees were still tired, their hearts heavy with the feeling of such exhaustion.
"Come on Katsuki, we're going." His mother said, the boy walking off, nodding to Senshi as a goodbye as she smiled softly at him.
Senshi's parents followed shortly after, Senshi following behind her parents as she got in the back seat of her car. The moment the final car door shut Senshi felt it, the unimaginable tension between her parents. Her mother was seething, and Senshi could tell that her anger was passing onto her father as every moment went on.
What her mother was angry about was unknown, and now Senshi realised, the unknown was her biggest fear. The villains coming was unknown, whether she was going to survive in Kamino was unknown, but one thing that had stuck with her her whole life, her parents, she never knew them. She never has and never will know them, because the people in question have ruined their chances, and Senshi could forgive someone thousands of times, but only trust them once. And unfortunately for her parents, if they were to fight today, the trust would be broken like a snapped string.
It was like these than Senshi wished she could put a wall between her and her parents, and that it were soundproof; but that would never be an option, because all she would be doing would be wasting her energy. In an attempt to save herself from the guttural tension, Senshi forced herself to sleep; something she'd been forced to practice.
She awoke minutes later as the car was driving down the road towards her house, her parents voices raising at each other by every passing moment.
********
Senshi had regret rattling through her like soundwaves through the air, she shouldn't have come here. She should have just gone to her room and gone to sleep like she so desperately desired. Heck she could've even gone to the kitchen for proper food.
But no, Senshi decided to go to her living room, which was, coincidentally, the place that her parents had chosen as their war zone. "TANTEI! YOU FUCKING BASTARD! FOR THE THIRD FUCKING TIME THIS YEAR YOU'VE FAILED TO KEEP OUR DAUGHTER SAFE!"
"AND THAT'S MY JOB NATSUKO?! SHOULDN'T YOU BE PROTECTING HER AS HER MOTHER?"
"Don't. You. Dare. Go. There."
"WHY NOT! JUST BECAUSE I'M RIGHT YOU CAN'T COPE WITH IT!"
"I CAN COPE WITH IT! BUT AS A POLICE OFFICER YOU SHOULD BE EVEN MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE MATTER!"
Senshi couldn't leave, her parents were arguing in the archway that led to the stairs, rendering the girl stuck. Not even the TV could cover this one up, Tsuki had retreated to another part of the house, leaving another gaping feeling in Senshi's heart.
But that sadness was quickly masked with hopelessness. Senshi could tell that this fight, it wouldn't end soon. (Or at all)
"HOW DO YOU THINK SEN FEELS?! HER RELYING ON HER FATHER TO SAVE HER AND LOOK HERE! HE COULDN'T EVEN DO THE FUCKING JOB!"
That hopelessness that Senshi once had, changed like a chemical reaction. The fifteen years of pent up rage had began to flow through her body like a snake's poisonous venom, her heart basked in burning fury, as her face contorted into one of absolute hatred.
The trust had be broken.
"SHUT UP!"
The room basked in silence as Tantei and Natsuko stared in an attacked shock. Senshi began to pale, but her angry face never wavered, because this, unlike the many times she'd seen her parents, wasn't a façade. This was who she truly needed to be around them.
"Tāte Senshi don't you DARE raise your voice at us." Her mother said in a conniving tone, and if looks could kill, Senshi would be dead. Senshi, in all of her dirty and ripped clothes, her blood stained face and her tired eyes that still managed to hold anger, she didn't back down. And it was all thanks to UA, her newfound resilience.
"NO! I'M NOT GOING TO BE QUIET! BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY I'M SICK AND TIRED OF THIS!" Senshi roared, her emotions flooding out like a waterfall, a tear finding its way down her cheek.
"Of what young lady?! We house you and home you, only for you to come and disrespect us?!" This time it was her father that spoke back, and for some reason, hearing the softer spoken man talk to her in such a way, sent a crack through her heart like glass.
"Me?! Disrespect you?! Are you out of your minds?! I-" The beginning of Senshi's rant was cut off.
"Senshi, if you insult me or your father one more time, you will be grounded. Quite frankly, I don't care if you just got kidnapped, I won't hesitate."
Senshi's sapphire eyes widened with enmity, her heart hurting more now than it was when she was running for her life in the forest. Her heart hurting more than when she had a panic attack after the USJ, her heart felt as though it had shattered like a glass ornament, dropped so carelessly on the floor with the same lackadaisicalness that her parents were handling Senshi at the moment.
'I don't care'
'I don't care'
'I don't care'
'I don't care'
"I suppose that's how you feel about each other, huh?" Senshi's words were quiet, but the marble floor and roof of the living room made it echo like a loud speaker. "HUH? AND IF I'M RIGHT THEN I SUPPOSE THAT YOU'VE NEVER TAKEN IN TO CONSIDERATION MY FEELINGS ABOUT THIS-"
"Sensh-"
"NO! HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT THAT YOUR CONSTANT ARGUING HAS NEVER AFFECTED ME? Because it has, more than you know..." By the end of the sentence, the hatred, anger, sadness, the tears that were spilling down her rosy cheeks had forced her voice to meekly quiet.
Natsuko's black hair was down to her shoulders, mostly formal looking, though to Senshi, it looked like that of a witch; which seemed awful considering that Senshi's hair was the exactly the same, the only difference being the length. Tantei's blue eyes, the same ones she had, have never looked so icy cold with dread, fury, and disappointment.
Senshi hated herself for what she said, and most of all, she hated that it was true. And Senshi could see, that the truthfulness to her words were horrifying to her parents. Though what was more appalling was that Senshi hadn't even told the surface of the sea of problems she had.
"I'm sick of it! The threats! The screaming! ALL OF IT! You're soulmates for God's sake! If that's the love you have for each other, then how do you think I feel when you 'love' me?!" Senshi continued, using her hands to mimic quotation marks. Natsuko looked most furious, she looked like a criminal that had all of their hard work cut short, and was furious about it.
Maybe she was the villain in Senshi's story, her father being the side-kick......
Thinking about it, they were the people who made her quiet, they were the people who never helped her to have self confidence, they were the people who made Senshi never want to be at home, though most importantly, they were the people who made Senshi fear to love.
"Tāte Senshi, go to your room, NOW!" Her mother shrieked. Though Senshi, Senshi stood her ground, her bare feet digging into the marble floor almost painfully hard. Senshi wasn't just tired of this, she was physically tired.
"NO! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME! WE HAVE SOME SERIOUS TALKING TO DO! AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO IGNORE IT! I'M GOING TO HAVE TO TELL YOU LIKE FUCKING CHILDREN!" Senshi cried out, her breath uneven and her vision blurry from tears.
Though a smash of a porcelain vase hitting the floor, ashes scattering uncontrollably on the floor. Senshi did that. She didn't mean to, her heart feeling an absolute crushing guilt. All Senshi was doing was waving her arms about desperately, in an attempt to get her point across that is.
Both parents looked even more horrified than before, now they actually looked..... sad. And it seemed that all anger and confidence Senshi had, had left her, and transferred to her parents. The girl stood pale, mouth open slightly, looking at the mess on the marble floor.
"Senshi, clean up your brothers ashes, I can't look at you right now." Natsuko said, Tantei already having left the room; his sobs obviously coming from the study. "First you kill him, now you go and wreck his ashes, some hero you are."
"I-I didn't kill-" Senshi stuttered, her tears no longer hindering her breath, but coming down silently as her face looked up at her mother's in betrayal.
"YES YOU DID! YOUR INNOCENT LITTLE BROTHER DIED SIX YEARS AGO BECAUSE OF YOU! CLEAN EVERYTHIN UP NOW!" Natsuko hollered, leaving the room hastily.
A happy ending is never a promise, it's a wish. A wish, that Senshi's once brother was never granted.
And that's when she realised that, maybe, maybe she wasn't the hero she made herself out to be. As she collapsed to the floor, she cried 'till she couldn't no more, muttering things such as "I never did it." or "Why did he have to leave me!".
The light from the Sun shone through the cracks, but not the cracks of the window. The cracks in the darkness of her heart, the cracks her family made. Crying is a nosebleed to the heart. For some odd reason, no matter how much pressure she applied to hers.... the bleeding wouldn't stop.
And as much as she tried, she couldn't fix the situation because the solution was always broken. The solution was her. And any chance Senshi had at fixing her parents relationship, or even just confession how this was affecting her, was ended, much like her once brother's life.