I had been swept up in letting Izuku make me relax and I actually could give a laugh. I think this was the least I thought about all that bad stuff in awhile. It all seemed so far off in the past and unable to drag me into the depths of my trauma, because of the smiley and giddy nature of the pro hero with his arm slung around my shoulders. He was absolutely the biggest stress relief with him just being relaxed.
"-and then Hatsume just used her flying boots to fly over the obstacle. Everyone was so surprised and she couldn't believe that they actually worked- Oh!" He had been caught up in telling me all about his friends from school.
He was so passionate and expressive when he talking about his friends, even if he would ramble it was still sweet. He pulled his arm off of me and knocked on the door.
Hesitating he looked at me and fiddled with his hands, "This is Hatsume's lab, I should warn you. She will forget about your need for personal space and-"
"I'm sure it will be fine Deku. I will be very happy to work with someone you think so highly of." I placed a reassuring hand on his bicep, and he only nodded his head as he looked at his feet. The door opened eerily slowly and the lights were dark inside. I furrowed my brows peering inside. The place looked like a trash heap.
"Deku? Did we go to-" my wrist was latched onto and pulled inside simultaneously with Izuku. The strength behind the pull made me stumble slightly. The lights were still out as I pulled my goggles off I could make out a woman with pink hair was only mere inches away from my face.
"Hmmmm." She began touching my body and was feeling me up. I was confused and looked to him and he waited, it must be a part of her greeting. Suddenly she popped up. Making close eye contact with me.
"So you can see in the dark but not with those goggles." She began talking fast and incoherently as I saw her eyes flick about.
I looked to Deku then back to Hatsume, "Should I pull my goggles back on so you have light?"
She flicked her eyes up and I watched as her eyes almost spun, "Oh it's dark? I was going through some test products, I can't tell the difference! Hehehe!" She was laughing like a mad scientist as I pulled my goggles over my eyes.
I reached over to the switch that was located by the door and flipped it on. Her lab was a mess, metal scraps strewn about, wires, tools, and so many piles of various fabrics. The walls and ceilings were covered in blueprints and some were on the floor. Off to the side was a table that was relatively clean with some stools, it was metal as well and seemed to have some hologram screens pulled up, showing the designs and measurements. It appeared to be something akin to my goggles that had some text boxes with notes on the sides of the screen.
"Wait you already started?" Deku turned looking to the woman scattering about the lab. She was concerning to watch as she dove into her heaps of presumably failed inventions throwing something's over her should while searching.
"AH HAHAHAHAHA!" She sprung up with a buckle in her hand, "I knew it was somewhere!"
She swiveled her head to her work desk as she sat down in a stool, "Of course I started! It is fascinating coming up with a proper solution to the light level issue, not to mention finally updating to those old things. What are they 13 years old!?"
I looked down at my feet as I twiddled my thumbs. No they were much older. I had been using these goggles since I was in middle school. I mean I had to replace the straps, but nothing had changed. I designed them myself since my eyes became more sensitive throughout puberty. I remembered how those kids would flick the lights off then back on, it made the pain unbearable as though they shoved my eyes into fire. Then they consistently bullied me for wearing these silly goggles.
Deku placed his hand on the small of my back, "Well then you are the inventor," he gently led me to the set of stools with kindness without looking at me.
I sat still on the stool trying not to be too nervous. Hatsume was sure pretty, her pink hair and not to mention her figure was much more elegantly than mine. I started to tap my fingers along my thighs as I nodded. Hatsume was talking fairly quickly and I wasn't sure if I was meant to understand any of it.
"Do you know what range of natural light doesn't hurt your eyes?" She was tapping something on the screen of a tablet.
Aw man is there a difference between sunlight? Artificial light is that neons or just a street light? I opened my mouth to ask then shut it.
God she's so smart I don't need to make a fool of myself. Crap. I probably have already made a fool of myself because I haven't answered. I don't want to tell her wrong though, but how do I know if I'm telling her right if I don't know what she is talking about in the first place?
Izuku touched my hand gently, I guess he noticed my fidgeting. "Don't worry she won't be mad if you don't know."
I opened my mouth and then nodded. It was hard to speak all of a sudden. I didn't want to look her in the eye. She was probably judging me, and in turn Izuku for bringing me in her lab.
"Well I mean, even if you had them I doubt they are accurate!" She quickly went to a small machine that look like a VR headset.
She quickly came over and held it excitedly. "It's my newest toy! I can get a quick read on people's eyes and needs! You don't know how many people need glasses." She moved sitting on the table in front of me. The space between her and I was quite small.
"You know I am a big fan of yours! You got me wondering," she quickly turned a dial with the gadget on her eyes, "about making structure stabilization gadgets for hero's to use when dealing with rubble. Oh! Close your eyes." I did as told and she pulled off my googles and put the headset on my head. I kept my eyes closed as she tightened the straps and made more adjustments to the mechanics.
"The light level will slowly increase until it notices the strain in your eyes. Just look around at the picture on the screen and it will do the rest!" I felt her move away and Izuku still holding my hand. Could he tell I was nervous? Probably, my hands must be sweaty.
I opened my eyes and it was dim. So this is what it must look like at night.
The picture was of Shibuya crossing in Tokyo. People had shopping bags of all different colors, the large screens advertising some random product, larger buildings with glass windows reflecting the people walking past on the sidewalks and crosswalks. The brightness of the image was slowly increasing and almost unnoticeable as I examined the small details of the picture. Some people were in street fashion, wearing bright colored clothing, some people had physical quirks like spikes on their back or had a block shaped head. Suddenly I remembered that Shibuya had some trees. My eyes quickly scanned the image looking for them.
"Woah see something of interest? The readings are noticing lots of movement." Hatsume chuckled as I finally located the trees.
There were only a few in busy intersection. Barely in the frame, the wind blowing them slightly. I recognized that as what was similar to Izuku's hair when it was night. My eyes watching as the color shifted brighter but still earthy. It was less neon than I had imagined, maybe that's because of the tinted color of those old goggles.
Green is so pretty with the light shining on it.
It was mesmerizing to gaze at, my eyes noted the color variety of each shade of green, how it looked in the shade, how it looked in the direct light, how it look within the reflection of the windows of the buildings, how it gleamed and curved. My eyes were getting dry from the light and I blinked it away. I was still enjoying this! I focused on forgetting the itch in my eyes even squinting trying to get a few more moments to see the color, the image cut off and made a ding. Then it was just a black screen I was looking at. My heart sank, if only I knew all the shades of green. If only I had more time I could see the color.
"Close your eyes and we can get these new lenses made!" Hatsume quickly began unbuckling the straps and I shut my eyes.
I just have to wait and then I will get to see everything like normal.
"Ah, don't worry you do what you need to I'll put her goggles back on for her." He sounded a lot closer than I anticipated, almost like he was right by my ear. Two walks I could distinguish. The one, Hatsume, it was bouncy and shuffled slightly. Yet, I knew it was Izuku who only took two steps. I turned towards where I heard him and the felt a rough hand guide my face straight ahead. The action was gentle as the calluses and scars of the hand tickled my cheek.
How would he have gotten in front of me if he only took two steps? Besides there's not a lot of room for him in front of me. Where was he? Maybe on the counter like Hatsume earlier? Jeez his hands are warm.
I felt his finger tips gently pull the strap around my head, barely touching my ears. The process was slow and I suppose he was having some trouble getting the goggles on. I waited patiently since it would be a hassle to interrupt him in the middle of it. I felt his feather light touch move some hair out of the way as he settled them onto my face properly. I could tell he retracted his hands and I opened my eyes. He was below eye level with me, he was sitting down in front of me, he was smiling wide with his head tilted slightly looking at me, he was merely centimeters away from touching me.
I blinked a few times. He was really charmingly good looking.
His eyes looking up with a smile, "See not so bad?" He took my hand that was on my knee giving it a squeeze.
I nodded. "Yeah, not so bad."
This was getting to be very bad.
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1860 words! Lol. Also Can we appreciate lego boy?
Please tell me I am not the only one who noticed this guy right? PROUD OF YOUR BLOCK HEAD BOY!
i feel like this charater and i are related because im a block head... see what i did there....
okay i am sad typing to nobody.
I did not make it past even freakin 29. I freakin am dumb. Yes, I am. I am too stupid.
I also didn't realize that my college schedule was fucked up. So already on the 1st day of class on Tuesday.... I didn't know that was the first day of my classes (which I literally have an email that says my classes started on Thursday) but deep breaths and by that I mean I hyperventilated, I am literally already fucking up with college but don't worry my professors already figured out I'm prone to break downs.
Anyway don't forget to show that you enjoy the story so far using votes and stuff.