Underground Hatred - My Hero Origins (MHO)

35: Tainted Snow

Word Count: 2825

TW: Mentions of Blood and Death

(Kat)

 "It's oddly quiet on the streets for Halloween eve night."

Kat peered up to Davis with shining amber eyes, a faint smile on her lips. Her heart fluttered, the butterflies making their way to their destination from her left hand: the hand that grasped Davis's. Despite the chill of the late evening, his warm hand and presence kept Kat comfortable and not huddled into her jacket.

The smell of snow was upon the horizon, heavy with the density of clouds. It was sweet to Kat, like walking into a bakery. The stars that were barely visible in the sky glimmered brightly atop her head, playing and spinning with joy. The clouds weaved with the stars, two forces of nature together. The sidewalk beneath Kat's feet was slightly slippery, but she was flying. She was soaring through the air, giggling as the wind whipped her hair. The backpack on her back that carried the light suit was never there, so unknowledgeable to her body. The world's favor played right in Kat's hands.

As Kat glanced at Davis, his red visor was nowhere to be seen. Rather, his indigo eyes were shining just as Kat's were, their power swirling within them. Tendrils of black hair tossed and turned in the breeze that rolled through the street, his cheeks and nose bright red. Life was just as prominent within Davis as it was with Kat.

"I—It's probably the storm," Davis replied, glancing towards the sky. Gray, lit up clouds shone in the sky above. "No one wants to get stuck in the snow."

"I can't believe they said three to five inches," Kat blew, shaking her head. "And before Halloween night? I wonder how that's gonna play out tomorrow."

"I'm glad we were able to get out before the storm. D—Dinner was nice."

Kat's smile grew a tad larger. Her hand gave an automatic squeeze to Davis's. "Y—Yeah, it was really nice. Thank you for taking me out this evening. I know you're busy and we're trying to stop... but I like the time I spend with you."

"I—I like the breaks we get." Something behind Davis's eyes changed, like a sorrow carried itself: sorrow of a life, sorrow of an identity. "I—It takes me away from school..."

Kat wanted to pry further, ask what brought the pain to Davis's eyes, but she kept her tongue. "Well, hopefully after we bug off anyone who's looking for the suit tonight, we'll be able to spend more time together—and this time not be in danger more than half the time."

A short chuckle jumped Davis's shoulders. He glanced down at Kat, giving her a smile: but there was something off about it; it matched the look behind his eyes. "Y—Yeah, it gets annoying after a while, doesn't it?"

A brief laugh passed through Kat's lips, but it held no source of happiness. "Yeah, it really does..."

Kat took a few more steps before her hand latched onto Davis anchored her feet in place. She glanced back, eyebrows furrowed. There, Davis stood motionless, the smile on his face wiped away. He stared at Kat, the sorrow in his eyes growing more and more.

"Hey, you okay?" Kat gently asked, taking her steps back to end up in front of Davis. Her hand moved from his hand to his jacket-covered forearm. Her heart was slowing but cracking at the same time to see him this way.

"Y—Yeah, it's just..."

"You're scared?"

Davis sucked his lips in before nodding in agreement. The facade of happiness was no longer there; rather, pain struck Davis's face, pinching his features. Never once had Kat seen the expression from him. Shock was an understatement of her feelings.