In a world where heroes and villains are constantly at each others throats, seemingly minuscule crimes can often be overlooked.
Yet, if only someone knew what was going on behind those closed doors, if only someone looked just a little closer at th...
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Bright blue eyes peaked out from beneath a large All Might blanket. They slowly surveyed the room, occasionally snapping back over to a corner before continuing their search.
Deeming it safe to exit, Shinjiro slowly climbed out of the bed and onto to the floor. He tiptoed past the many pro hero figurines and posters that littered his walls and approached his bedroom door.
Pressing his ear against it, he attempted to discern anything happening on the other side. Being met with only silence, he shakily placed his hand on the doorknob.
Although his parents rarely ever acknowledged him, their presence was the only reason he needed to avoid them like the plague.
Every time the sounds of a brawl echoed up the stairs and into his room, he would bury himself under all of his softest blankets with his favorite pro hero plushies and try to drown it all out. He would hum the lullabies his sister taught him, trying not to let the image of his father's enraged face enter his mind.
Still anxious about leaving his room, he grabbed the nearest figurine out of his toy box. Gripping the Hawks figure closer to his chest, he slowly opened the door. It's 'creaks' shrilly echoed through the hall, making Shinjiro wince as he peeked around the corner.
The hallway was virtually empty save for a few old family photos on the wall. He creeped out of the doorway and stuck close to the wall, still clutching his Hawks figure. He inched his way down the stairs and into the front hallway.
In the room to his right, a musty man lay passed out on an old green couch covered in countless stains, the majority of which Shinjiro would rather not know the origin of. Next to the man, was a drained looking woman who, despite only being in her 30s, had the wrinkles and eye bags of a 50 year old.
Shinjiro redirected his attention to the area in front of him. Beer bottles and containers of all kinds littered the hall. He could hear the sink running in the kitchen and pots and pans occasionally clinking against each other.
Mustering up all the courage inside of him, Shinjiro left the cover of the stairwell and coordinately made his way across the hall, avoiding the bottles with practiced grace.
Seeing the doorway in his reach, he looked up from the ground and tried to quickly make his way into the kitchen. A shrill 'CLANK' resonated from beneath him as an empty beer bottle rolled across the floor.
With no hesitation or regard for what was happening in the room behind him, he bolted for the kitchen door. His heart banged in his chest making it hard to breath and he shut his eyes tight, waiting for the sound of Taiki's heavy footsteps to come barreling toward him.
Instead, a gentle hand rested on his shoulder. He reluctantly peeked one eye open, a grimace plainly visible on his face.
Strands of alluring white hair and vibrant golden eyes comfortingly stared back at him. Shinjiro's eyes shot open and he launched himself into Ayaka's arms. She smiled and hugged him back, stroking his hair to calm him down. Eventually, Shin pulled back from the hug and gave his sister the biggest smile he could, knowing she hated it when he was upset.
