Underground Hatred - My Hero Origins (MHO)

4: Crown of Friendship

Word Count: 1947

(Kat)

 The scalding liquid slipped down her throat, sending a wave of goose bumps across her skin. A soft smile drooped across Kat's lips, her frozen solid fingers numb from the warmth encasing her the walls of her coffee cup. She held the rim close to her mouth to keep the heavenly smell close with the steam to accompany it. Her once dry lips from the biting chill of the weather outside the coffee shop grew moisturized—help from the steam that curled up and out of the small hole in the lid.

Davis sat across from her at the small table, taking some sips of his coffee as well; he almost appeared to be guzzling it down like it was the last thing he would ever drink. Kat raised her eyebrows his way and asked, "You good?"

Her words halted the man from his trance. He peeked up and placed the cup down on the table. The back of his hand wiped at his sheepish smile to get rid of the bitter liquid's remnants. "So—Sorry, I really like coffee. I don't get it often."

Kat giggled slightly. "It's okay. I've just never seen anyone drink their coffee so fast, especially if it's hot."

Silence settled over the two, simmering in their lingering conversation. Kat peeked around, watching the few people that stood in the line, waiting for something warm to cure their frostbite. There were a few high tables in the shop as well as some booths, but the two new adults sat at a high table beside a window, a little bit longer than their seating arrangement. The lights of the place glowed a warm orange; they appeared to contrast with the harsh, flashing lights on the street as the sun dipped below the horizon. A snug-like feeling held the temperature to where Kat was wrapped in a warm blanket, slowly growing warmer beneath her sweater.

"Are you from around here?" Kat questioned, trying to pick up the conversation again. She placed her cup down on the table and clasped her hands in her lap, feet swinging with the high chair's height.

"I grew up a few towns away from here." Davis's red visor took a glance down at his cup on the table, avoiding eye contact. "I moved to the city to go to Monarch Academy."

Kat's face lit up slightly. Her torso leaned forward, interested in what the young man had to say. "Oh, you go to Monarch? That's a good school—specifically if you have any quirks." Something tingled in the back of Kat's mind, her stomach dropping. Her voice lowered as she said, "Well, that's what people say."

"Yeah, that's why my parents sent me to it; they were having difficulty with helping me. They needed expert aid since they thought I had a lot of potential."

Kat attempted to lighten her tone to keep the conversation matching the environment. "What's your quirk?—If you don't mind me asking, that is."

Davis's head tilted up slightly to gaze his hidden eyes towards her. Though the room flushed their cheeks with the comforting heat, his skin added more color of bashfulness. "Just telekinesis... I don't use it often."

"That's so cool!" Kat exclaimed—but the volume came out too loud, too forced. She internally cringed, clearing her throat in the process. "That's kinda a big power, right? It has a lot of advantages?"

If Davis had noticed the awkward burst from Kat, he appeared to ignore it as he went back to his staring contest with his coffee cup. "Yeah, but I can't use it for too long or I'll get a migraine."

"That sucks. I can understand why you don't use it too much. It's probably a pain."

"Do you go to school?" Davis asked in return, his monotone upping a note to indicate that he was intrigued with the conversation; Kat's stomach dragged previously, unsure if she was creating an awkward and forced atmosphere between the two.