Switches & Spices

Chapter Twenty Six

Soon... She wouldn't need us anymore. And that scared me more than even Hotaru.

About an hour before we had to leave, I made sure to bring my charger from upstairs and plug it into the outlet downstairs. I charged up my dead phone, playing into the assumption that CommBitch had that I wouldn't spill, sending her rapid, numerous texts. Telling her that Keigo came without warning, that I didn't say anything, please don't hurt anyone, etc.

Though I knew what I was doing, it still didn't stop my heart from racing in my chest, desperately hoping that she would believe me. There was always that doubt that she would've caught onto me somehow. As much as I hated her, she was clever. I still don't think she taught me everything she knew.

I knew the frequency of the messages that would grab her attention, not sure about how I felt with the 'I know' message in response. Then, my skin crawled all over again. 'Good birdie for telling me'. I had to swallow down a full cup of Mana's tea for my stomach to not bring up the delicious food I had eaten with everyone. Chew a sliver of ginger to aid me further. Regardless, I found myself smiling as the wave of nausea disappeared.

Praising me like that meant she didn't doubt me.

Keigo, Eijirou, and Tamaki all had given me comfort and reassurance on the couch after the messages were sent and received, Keigo agreeing that it seemed she bought it, a soft dig about me being underhanded. Conniving. Which led Eijirou to talk about when I played the joke on him the first day I was at the Agency.

I, of course, batted my lashes in dramatic playful innocence, my inner brat cackling away. Especially with how fondly Ei spoke about it now, along with how Tamaki had pointed it out the night before. That Eijirou had lit up so brilliantly from the simple prank, showing more of his older, bouncier self.

Keigo grinned, eating it up, snickering at Eijirou's dramatic nature as he told the story, facial expressions and all. Tamaki even laughed quietly into my wing at the theatrics, having claimed me again for lap snuggles. My big brother fluffed up in pride, exchanging a story he had with me scaring the ever-loving shit out of him after I snuck up silently behind him, his feathers shooting and embedding into the floor in surprise as he shrieked.

I giggled into my cup as I recalled it, teasing him that I unlocked his special move 'Shitting Feathers', the trio snickering at the imaginings along with my brightened nature. Remembering the reactions made the anxiety fall off of my shoulders, able to compartmentalize CommBitch's stress source far easier.

It didn't take too long before Tama had to get up, Eijirou snatching me up for cuddles while he was distracted, my big bro laughing outright at his shit-eating taunt of a grin with added eyebrow wiggles when Tamaki came back and sulked, since Eiji had called dibs. I turned to rest my legs on his lap instead, trying to include him in the snuggles, melting in bliss as his fingers softly dug into my flesh, massaging gently. I sank into Eijirou, smiling at his warm chuckle, the large man holding me close as his chest rumbled with laughter. It was almost perfect. Almost.

I turned my phone in my hands, idly rotating it as I listened to Keigo share another story of the orphanage we went to, and the obstinate children within. Obstinate with him of course; I didn't receive much of their real sass. Maybe because I didn't sass them like Kei did, who knows!

I missed them. I missed sis. It hadn't even been two days away, but with everything happening, the lack of her presence where it 'should' be, at home, was messing with me. Even when I knew it shouldn't. She deserved time away as well, needing some lighthearted time with Bakugou.

Then there were the feelings that crossed my heart with her before; the sadness, the anger, the selfishness on my end... I wasn't sure how to voice it. They weren't positive emotions. They were still new and raw towards my sis, and I didn't like it. It made me feel like a bad sister. A horrid one, rather. Tamaki had said that setting a time to talk to her about it would be best, that he'd distract Eijirou and make sure that we had time alone.