"Seriously, are you feeling alright, my dude? You never go anywhere on a day off...let alone invite me along with you!" I was already regretting my decision to bring Yamada along with me, but I knew it was the right thing to do. I hadn't told him about my encounter with (Y/N) the night before, so he was grinding my patience into paste.
"Do you remember that girl we used to-"
"HOW COULD I FORGET (Y/N)?!" The whole diner turned to glare at the two of us after Yamada's uncontrolled shout, and I sank lower into my seat. "Whoops...Yeah, I remember her. How could I not? She was wicked cool!" My fingers tapped against the tabletop as I nodded in vague agreement, my eyes glancing to the clock above the register, which read 2:06.
She's late...
"I caught her last night when I was on patrol." Sensing he was about to yell again, I activated my quirk, lowering his volume.
"For real?! You didn't seriously arrest her, did you?!" The blond leaned across from his seat and I blinked, using the first knuckle of my thumb to rub at my eyes.
"No, I let her go." I explained quietly. "I don't know why, but I did."
She isn't going to show up...
The waitress brought our orders over, including a third lot, complete with a giant western style burger, cheesy fries and a tall, frothy milkshake.
"You pregnant or something..?" Even Yamada irked at the choice of food, and I rolled my eyes into the back of my head.
"Idiot. No, what I was getting at was-"
"Sorry I'm late! I, uh, took a wrong turn..." The pair of us looked up, seeing a smiling young woman, (H/C) hair swept to the side, partially covering a white blindfold.
"Oh oh oh! You got a girlfriend?!" The vocal hero slammed the table as he laughed, and I was incredibly close to just sliding beneath the table and disappearing completely. The woman tilted her head towards the sound, and her smile grew.
"Hizashi! I'd say long time no hear, but I listen to your show every Friday night! You always play some snazzy tunes, my dude!"
I watched my companion staring at her from above the frames of his shades, the cogs ticking away in his brain until everything clicked into place.
"(Y/N)!" I had to hold the table steady as he jumped to his feet, sweeping the blinded girl up into a tight hug, which had her legs dangling off the ground almost comically. "Where the hell did you run off to?! It's been years, chicka!"
"I uh, caught the attention of some people I didn't really like the look of, so I took a little trip...that turned into a long trip..." She chuckled, patting his back before he put her down. "I smell a heart attack on a plate. I'm famished!" I watched (Y/N) closely as she moved closer to the table, and I noticed that she used her feet to gain her bearings. Once the toes of her boot tapped the side of the wooden booth, she bent her legs, carefully sliding in next to me until our knees touched.
"I'm surprised you showed up." I announced, nudging her hand towards the plate when I noticed it veering towards the salt shaker.
"Honestly, so am I. Glad I did, though! Two of my favourite boys coming to see little ol' me? I'm all gooey inside!" The sound the burger made as she bit into it was almost nauseating, and I immediately lost my appetite, but there was still something so fascinating about watching her eat. It was like she hadn't had a full meal in a while.
"Shota didn't even tell me! Surprised me real good!" Yamada chuckled, digging into his own, slightly smaller burger. "Does this mean you'll be sticking around?" (Y/N)'s chewing slowed down as she pondered the question, and she lowered the burger so it was slightly touching the plate.
"I haven't really made up my mind yet. I mean, there's not much for me here. Still trying to find that one place out there that can get me on my feet."
Yamada and I exchanged a glance, and I could tell exactly what he was thinking. The way his lips pursed, and how his head bobbed slightly in her direction, it was obvious that he wanted to help her. I felt the same, deep down, but adding another big responsibility to our plates?
"Well, you've got moves, and spunk...Why not be a hero?" The blond suggested, and I leaned back into my seat, watching closely to gauge her reaction.
Snorting, (Y/N) covered her mouth, placing the final quarter of her American monstrosity back on the place and shaking her head.
"Dude, you're joking, right? I can't even eat a meal in public without looking like I'm about'a whack a piñata!" She began to feel around for her napkin, and I instinctively nudged it closer to her fingers. "See? Without a seeing eye Shota I'd be hopeless!"
She could tell I was helping her, though...
"If you were to consider, then I'm sure a support item could be crafted to assist you." I explained, shuddering as she picked up a fry, the molten cheese looking like melted yellow plastic.
"Doubt it. I've tried so many things, my guy. Sunglasses, cellophane, tinted glass, mesh...The list goes on. These puppies can fuck a person's shit up through anything." She pointed to her covered eyes, and I felt sorry for her. Life would have been tough, not being able to look at anyone.
"Come on, (Y/N)! Why not just come chat with a pal of ours?! What's the harm?!" Yamada urged her, slinging his arm over the backrest of the booth and nearly knocking an unsuspecting woman in the head.
"Arreft." The woman responded with an impossibly full mouth, and she hammered her chest as she swallowed so she could try again. "Arrest. I don't have a clean slate like you guys did. I appreciate the concern, but I'll be fine. Always am!"
Neither of us liked her answer, but unlike my associate I didn't let it show on my face.
"A slate can be wiped clean, y'know...Just putting it out there..." Yamada sighed, exaggerating his slumped posture. (Y/N) just shrugged, continuing to eat for a few minutes before she redirected the conversation.
"So, how's my sweet little Loud Cloud doing? I'm hurt he didn't come along." We stiffened in unison, eyes growing wide as we stared at each other across the table.
She doesn't know..? Of course she doesn't know...
"Uh, hello? Earth to dark parade and yell-ow brick road?" (Y/N) had discarded her food now, and she turned her head around blindly, though she somehow managed to face directly towards each of us at some points. I knew I had to take the reigns here. Yamada wouldn't be able to do it gently, but I wasn't sure if I would be any better. Sensitivity wasn't my strong suit.
"(Y/N)...A few weeks after you disappeared..." Her head immediately snapped towards me, and I wanted to disappear. Breaking bad news was one of the worst parts of being a hero, but when it was personal? It was so much worse. "...A few weeks after you disappeared...there was a villain attack...We were all on patrol...and...a building collapsed..." My entire body grew stiff as I felt her hand grab hold of my wrist, no fumbling or searching whatsoever.
"W..was it quick..?" The rattle in her voice brought back a lot of feelings I had stuffed away, deep inside. Of course, I had shed my tears for him long ago, but somehow it still felt fresh.
"I don't think he felt a thing..." uncharacteristically quiet, Yamada reached across the table and patted her free hand. We sat in complete silence for a while, and we just waited for her to speak.
"I'm...so sorry...I can't imagine how hard that must have been..." She murmured quietly, her grip tightening around my wrist for a split second before she pulled away completely. "He was an amazing guy, through and through...Uh...C..could you give me a minute..?" Standing up quickly, (Y/N) began to walk towards the bathroom, surprisingly straight for someone with a blindfold.
"Dude, we gotta take her to see Nezu. He'd give her some kind of work, for sure!" Yamada spoke up the moment she was out of sight, and I placed my head in my hands.
"You heard her. She doesn't want our help. Besides, pushing it after what we just told her might just upset her more." I explained sternly, feeling a little queasy.
Back in the day, I had always noticed how she would act around Shirakumo. Seeing them interact would push me to bury my strange infatuation with the girl even deeper, knowing there was a strange spark. If things had been different, it wouldn't have surprised me if they had ended up as a couple.
"I know, but...like...I can't just let her walk on out of here! It's our job to help people, and she's a people!" Yamada crossed his arms, and I knew he wasn't going to drop it. As stubborn, as always. When Present Mic was hounding you, you were screwed. Before I could begin scolding him, (Y/N) returned, quietly retaking her place beside me. Readjusting her blindfold and tucking a strand of (H/C) out of the way, she heaved a long, unsteady sigh.
"If you dorks can guarantee that I won't be taken into police custody...I'll meet this pal of yours..." She announced, sounding completely unsure of her decision.
"YEEEAAAAAAHHHHH!" My reflexes hadn't been quick enough to stop Yamada's shout from rattling the room, and I internally screamed as everyone shot us filthy looks. "You can count on it, (Y/N)!" The woman gave him an awkward smile, folding her arms upon the tabletop.
"Oh, I have one more condition." She began, gaining our attention. "I want you to close your eyes for a second. Both of you. I really wanna see how the pistol shrimp grew up." Contented by her decision to let us help her, I complied, and Yamada did too, without question.
"Okie dokie, (Y/N)-iokie!" I listened intently as she lifted her blindfold, and waited for her reaction.
"HOLY FUCKING SHIT YOU LOOK LIKE THE PEANUT BUTTER JELLY BANANA!"
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***
Next time: Ew, a rat***