Underground Hatred - My Hero Origins (MHO)

20: An Old Friend of Yours

Word Count: 2035

(Kat)

 The wind whipped bitterly against Kat's back as she bounced on her heels to warm her blood. Her amber eyes trailed up the tall building, glancing at the stories of each dorm. Her pink hood and orange hair stood out against the white walls that gleamed with a red sun as the fireball extinguished over the horizon. Her shadow danced at her side on the concrete, her flowing hair that grew knotted slowly creating waves with the shadow. Leaves scurried past her heels, mocking her shivering figure. Their molding figures that grew crusty as the days moved on smelled of a deep, earthy scent, one that relaxed the shoulders in the woods. It was a pleasant sunset besides the biting chill.

"Maybe there was a miscommunication," Kat murmured to herself. She glanced back; thousands of eyes pressed against her from afar. "He might've gone to my place... But I thought—"

The door suddenly swung open, revealing a disheveled Davis. His black hair was in a disorder while his clothes were slightly wrinkled. His visor was gone, intense blue eyes staring straight at Kat with the intensity that always made her freeze. Though, stuck in the gaze, she noticed his lids to be a tad droopy, like he had woken up from a deep sleep.

"S—Sorry, K—Kat," he stuttered, stepping out of the maw of the door to create a gateway to get inside. "I—I fell a—asleep somehow... I—I guess I—I'm just re—really tired."

Kat's mouth hung open, trying to find words with Davis's eyes against her. She hurried, though, to the door to escape the cold. "I—It's fine. This was really short notice anyways."

Inside, Kat glanced around. It was the middle floor where a kitchen sat in one corner, a dining table in the center, and a little living area in a separate corner. No signs of life stirred, which Kat found to be confusing. Her orange eyebrows furrowed at the sight, but she gawked at how nice Davis's place was compared to hers. Her feet slowly wandered her into the place, completely forgetting the spiral staircase to her direct left. The air was much warmer than her house could ever warm up to be. A scent of baked goods drifted through the air, like the kitchen was just recently used.

"I—I did wake up, b—but after you texted me, I—I must've gone back to sleep."

"I understand," Kat nodded, her back to Davis. She continued to study the still room, listening in to the muted conversation next door in the other dorm. "It happens. You needed the rest anyways it seems."

"L—Let's go to my room so we can talk."

Kat peered back, her body following her head. Her hands hung on to the strap of her satchel, her head bobbing. Her willpower was forcing her over the barrier of the startling gaze of Davis. "Where's your roommates?"

"I—I'm not sure," Davis shrugged. He turned to start his way down the spiral staircase, his feet slightly stumbling in his exhausted state. His head dipped a bit to avoid the stairs above. "I—I don't talk to them much. T—They're in my classes, b—but I'm busy outside of school."

Kat followed at Davis's heels down the stairs, nodding to herself. Her hand trailed along the rail to catch herself from tripping over herself: the stairs were twisting at such a sharp angle that Kat was having difficulty keeping balance. "Maybe I can meet them one of these days."

"M—Maybe."

The two made it down the stairs to the lowest level. Kat was shocked at how dark it was in the leading hall Davis followed, but she stayed behind, examining the place silently. It was a plain hall, but turned to a glass wall that held a balcony off it. Davis made his way to the nearest door, opened it, and flicked on the light inside. He walked in while rubbing one of his eyes, which Kat went into the room as well: she wished to take a better look at the balcony, but she knew other important matters came first.