Elusive Corruption

Reunion

The window you were sitting in front of gave a perfect view of the falling snow, which had to have been falling for a few days now. You appreciated this weather because it felt as if it made the world slow down for a while. Maybe it was the serenity that seemed to come with each falling snowflake, or maybe it was the icy chill in the wind that always accompanied it. Even though it comes around this same time every year, no one is ever ready for it until it is here.

You shift your gaze from the snowflakes to a vehicle down below that is moving too fast for the icy conditions. You felt a knot well in your gut as you realized he was heading straight towards a crosswalk full of people, and you knew there was no chance in hell he was stopping in time for all of them. The urge to leap from the window right then and there is halted when the car comes to a sudden stop after being restrained by... were those... branches?

Your internal question was answered promptly as you saw a flash of deep blue leap from behind the vehicle and rush to the person inside as his sidekick rushed to check on the pedestrians. Nishiya Shinji, better known to the world as Pro Hero Kamui Woods, was responsible for the swift action.

"Gotta get the approval ratings up in time for the Billboard Chart," you muttered to yourself, letting out a sigh of relief. After all, that was his job and not yours. Hero work requires a license, a license which you have chosen to skip testing for. Performing a heroic act in broad daylight like this could cause you more harm than the good you might bring. "What a crock of shit."

Your distaste for the way hero society functions was only one reason why you had declined attending a hero course and getting your hero's license. From a young age you were exposed to the corruption within its system, and it is part of the reason your mother moved you out here to Japan to live with your Grandmother.

"Hikari, you know your quirk could really help people. I don't know why you won't just give it a try..."

Your eyes darted to the urn sitting on your bookshelf. This year marked two years without her. It catches you off guard at times because you can still hear her voice lingering in the hallways of this house the two of you shared. The tightening in your chest suddenly halted at the sound of a door slamming in the other room, and you bolted down the hall in pursuit of whatever had caused it.

You leapt down the entire flight of stairs and within a split second you were in your living room, grasping one of your energy beams tightly. You didn't recall generating one, but then again you rarely ever do.

You hear a sharp snicker come from the unlit corner of your dining room and out of the shadows emerges a face you could make out from a mile away. A sly smirk plastered on the intruder's face proves to you that his intention was to startle you, and much to your dismay, they had succeeded. You disable your energy beam and toss it aside as it begins to disintegrate at the loss of power.

"Oh boy," the deep rasp sends goosebumps up your arm. "I thought you were really gunna swing on me this time."

"Cut the crap asshole," you sigh, "What do you want at this hour? I thought you were like a vampire and couldn't be out in the sun."

A deep chuckle rings through the room as your intruder doubles the length of his strides, reaching you in a split second.

"C'mon little mouse, I haven't seen you in weeks and that is how you say hello?"

You smirk in response as you feel his warm hand run up your arm and rest on your cheek. You feel his other arm around your back and you're suddenly tugged closer to him. He lingers an inch from your lips for a moment to take in your scent, before pulling you in and restoring the warmth that had been absent for far too long. Your arms instinctively wrap around his neck and as they tighten around him, his hands drop to just below your bottom. He swiftly lifts you off the ground and lets his back rest on the wall, enjoying every second of your shared embrace.