XVIII: Trance
Third POV
It was quiet, but there was an obvious tension growing throughout the Bakugo household that very morning.
After showering and getting dressed for the day, Riku took a pause and stared at his best friend.
He'd done his very best to try and take Hiro's mind off it, and he was sure Hiro had noticed his efforts and put on a brave smile.
But even so.
Riku heard Hiro's silent sobs as the two of them let the silence sink in while trying to get some rest.
"Hm." Riku simpered, slipping on his house slippers before quietly exiting his bedroom.
His footsteps were quiet, with a bored look on his face as he went to kitchen to find something small to eat.
He never really had an appetite whenever he was gearing up to go to his mother's place.
Given the circumstances, maybe he could've asked to stay here.
"Young Riku," Kirishima's voice startled him from his train of thought, making the boy whip his head to the enterance of the kitchen, "Are you okay?"
"You've been staring at the fridge door for a good amount of time, now."
Riku quickly nodded, pulling out the orange juice.
He watched as Kirishima went to grab him a glass from one of the shelves, pouring the juice for the boy.
"I feel bad for Hiro," Riku started, staring at the counter as he took a sip, "He was crying when he was going to bed."
A look of pity made its way onto Kirishima's face, "Well, I hope he's sleeping comfortably now."
"Your dad and the rest of us are doing the best for his dam."
Riku slowly nodded, "How long, though?"
"Hiro came here in blood, some nearly setting so we don't know how much blood his dam has lost already so how long?"
Kirishima fell silent for a brief moment, observing how Riku chugged the rest of his drink before placing it into the sink.
"Where's papa?" He quietly questioned, a serious look in his eyes, "I need to talk to him now."
Kirishima pointed to out in the hall, "In his office."
"Shall I accompany you?"
"That's not needed." Riku answered, "Thank you."
As he walked passed the redhead and trudged to his sire's office.
He could hear a conversation just about being wrapped up in there, so he just went for it and knocked.
He could hear Katsuki tell him to come in, so he took in a breath and just did.
He could see his dad, sitting in his seat as always, and another man with short black hair and forming stubble.
"Riku." Katsuki uttered, looking down at his son before turning back to the man, "This is Mr. Tsukauchi here from the police department to aid in Izuku's search."
Riku raised a brow, giving his sire a look before Katsuki nodded.
He's one of the family spies.
"It's nice meeting you, Mr.Tsukauchi sir." Riku bowed his head politely.
Tsukauchi nodded, "You as well, Riku."
"In any case, let me get going with the information I've currently gathered and see to it that neighbor doesn't try poking around or anything," Tsukauchi added, "I'll contact you if anything."
"Thank you." Katsuki acknowledged, as he and Riku watched the man leave, "Now, I take it you aren't just here to complain about going over to your mother's later this evening?"
Riku shook his head, "If I had time to complain about that I would."
"But Hiro's dam is more important right now."
Katsuki gave him a small grin, gesturing with his hand for Riku to have a seat.
His mini-me.
"That was a nice thing you did, earlier today." Katsuki noted, "It's nice to see you care for someone who wasn't present at your birth."
Riku shrugged, "That was nice, overall, I think I made things worse."
"Had I not requested for me and Hiro to hangout more frequently, he and his mother wouldn't have been on his father's bad side so often, nowadays."
Katsuki tilted his head, "You couldn't have known."
"But I did." Riku interjected, fiddling with his sweater.
Katsuki stared at his son in silence, a bit relieved his son wasn't lacking empathy and came clean from yesterday.
"You knew? For how long?"
Riku looked up at him, his words solemn, "The day Hiro's mom told you he couldn't come because he had a doctors appointment."
"We were having lunch and I got the feeling Hiro was lying to me and after I kept pushing him he told me the truth that his dam had said no because he feared that Hiro's sire would get mad at them, and that he'd always been violent."
"His dam had tried once before Hiro was born to get away and after, but both times were unsuccessful as we can clearly see."
Katsuki let out a humph, leaning back in his chair, "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I made a promise." Riku admitted, "I knew, but at the time Hiro had started crying and told me that his dam made him keep quiet because at the end of the day, they were always going to end up coming home to Hiro's dad and there wasn't much they could do but keep quiet and try to bear it."
"He made me swear not to even tell you, and you always said that once you make a promise you have to keep it, although now that the cat is out of the bag and guilt is eating at me I don't know what else."
He pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a bit better after revealing everything,
"When I saw the blood on Hiro's clothes I started to panic, glad that he wasn't hurt, but his dam most likely is makes me think of the fact that I could've said something earlier and something like this wouldn't happen."
He looked down to his lap, surprised at the feeling of tear drops falling into his lap, "I'm so sorry, papa."
The next thing he knew?
He was being lifted.
He placed his head on his father's shoulder as he felt a hand gently squeeze him.
"You know something, Riku?" Katsuki started, his tone calm and direct, "I love the fact that you're focused, smart and reliable."
He then nudged his shoulder, making Riku look up at him.
"But sometimes, like these moments, it brings me back to the realization that you're just a kid." As he wiped the boy's tears.
"And there's nothing wrong with that before you start."
He took his seat, with Riku still sitting in his lap.
"Don't worry, it's like I told Hiro." Katsuki whispered, "I don't have any intention on stopping until we find Izuku."
"Alive?" Riku whispered, with a shaky tone as he wiped his eyes.
Katsuki looked out the window, and towards the direction of the sun that stood high.
No answer.
But perhaps that was for the best?
• • • Meanwhile • • •
The room was dark.
One of the concealed windows on the side of the home with a black out curtain.
How long had he been down here?
Izuku's green eyes filled stared at the wooden floor beneath him.
Dull, but filled with pain.
Littered with cuts and bruises on his once pale and freckled skin that hurt like hell whenever he tried to hobble.
Izuku sighed heavily, looking down to his feet that were tied together.
His wrists bonded as well.
His hands slowly reached for his hair, with his scalp and parts of his frontal lobe feeling tight with the dried blood that ran down his forehead.
He scratched his hair softly, jolting with an electric sensation as he accidentally hit a newly forming scab.
His finger hurt as he grasp onto something sharp in his hair.
Another shard of glass covered in dried blood.
He pulled it out, quickly applying pressure to stop the bleeding.
He swallowed, remembering the last time he had something real to drink was back at Katsuki's.
He then chuckled dryly at his predicament, gently patting his slowly matted and unkept hair that was being pressed against the wall.
If he were to die, right here and now, the only thing found in his stomach contents would be the acid, stale crackers, vodka and sleeping pills.
He felt so weak, that even his eyes hurt too much to cry.
Every time he even shut his eyes, he'd stop to think,
"Would this be the last time I'd be able to open them?"
He'd pinch himself on the thigh every time the horridly frequent thought of "Would that be such a bad thing if it was?"
A loud snore snapped him out of his train of thought.
There on the mattress that was once in one of the guest bedrooms, was Hiroto who was in the midst of waking up.
A bottle of vodka and a singular water bottle next to his right.
And a gun to his left that never failed to make Izuku realize that all it took was a second.
He'd be put into a trance of immediate obedience.
And the penalty of disobeying resulted in death.
But, done right and it could be painless.
Even still...
His mind was racing with dark thoughts, but there was just one light.
One thing.
One person.
Hiro.
Being in silence for so long without his darling pup drove him mad.
Did he make it okay?
Is he with Katsuki?
Did Katsuki accept him?
Has Hiro been cleaned, clothed and fed?
His perception of time had been screwed up thanks to the curtain.
As he caught himself more than once trying to soothe his aching omega by placing his arms in a holding motion and rocking them back in forth.
His eyes would be wide open as he stared into the darkest corner.
And for a moment, he could feel Hiro in his arms again.
The comforting weight of his baby in his arms as he told him everything would be okay.
But when he'd look to his arms to try and give the boy a kiss, he'd be slapped back into reality.
Everything wasn't okay.
In this state.
In this nightmarish room and hellish home.
He simply couldn't allow that.
Not while his pup was still out there waiting for him.
Izuku sent Hiro out with a heavy heart, doing his best to promise the boy he'd be right there with him.
His fingers that still coiled in his curly strands of hair gently brushed against the tiny SIM card he had stuffed deep inside the matted areas.
He watched Hiroto roll blissfully unaware on the bed.
The corner towards his right foot had a black, powered off cellular device underneath it.
He'd still have to try.
Even if it took hours, days or a week, Izuku would conjoin the two when the time was right.
A flash of blond hair and mesmerizing crimson eyes appeared in his head.
Like a dream.
Out of a hell-like trance.
He'd be freed.