Naughts and Crosses | Dadzawa [BOOK 3]

Chapter 1 - Not Far From Perfect

"Move over." Neito grunted, elbow finding its own way to Hitoshi's ribcage and shoving. Hard.

Hitoshi grumbled something under his breath, wiggling into Hanta's space without his eyes leaving the TV screen for a second. Not a wise move.

"Woa- HEY!" Hanta huffed, removing Hitoshi's hand from where it had landed dangerously close to his crotch. "Precious cargo here. Keep your mitts off."

From the other end of the couch, Rody snorted. "Mitts. You sound like an old man."

"I'm beginning to feel like an old man." Midoriya rubbed his temples, sandwiched between Neito and Rody.

Neito patted his fluffy hair. "There there."

"Shhh!"

Jaws clamped shut upon Hitoshi's insistence, who was completely and utterly glued to the TV. Hanta was having second thoughts about suggesting Gravity Falls, but they'd blown through the first season and were now edging closer to the end of the second. It was safe to say Hitoshi was hooked.

From upstairs they could hear the ruckus of what Hizashi had informed them was 'The World's Greatest Castle Fort'. Rody smiled quietly to himself. With his brother and sister not being enrolled in school, he jumped at the opportunity for them to have real friends. Well, friend. Eri had been equally ecstatic to have other children around her age to play with, immediately taking a liking to Roro and Lala.

Rody sometimes found himself pinching himself. This was real. This wasn't just some dream too far out of reach. He'd done it. He was out of Blue Crossed's hold for good and had found a safe place to call home while he got to work setting something more permanent up. No one had said anything, but the house was simply too small for eight children. People were on top of each other more often than not, and while the family hadn't made a single one of their additions feel unwelcome, it was common curtesy not to out-stay one's welcome.

That's why Rody had picked up that part-time job at a local bar - much to his current guardians' wariness of the area. Please, Rody had survived however-many years in Blue Crossed's service, a couple of drunks and the odd creep were nothing.

Three dreary months had passed since their second grand confrontation with Blue Crossed, dumping them in the middle of March with the end of their second year of U.A. within sight. January and February had been drowned in stress for most of them. Hanta, Midoriya, and Neito studying day and night trying to catch up lost work ready for the new school year, all while Hitoshi and Rody sat back and watched. Hitoshi was yet to even start his second year, and would be doing so when the new year rolled around - granted, a year behind the others, but in the Hero Course, this time. And Rody, well, he was just going with the flow, trying to save enough money to move out with his siblings as well as finding a more long-term source of employment. It was proving tricky with his current lack of any substantial schooling.

"I don't get this show." Neito eventually muttered, startling Rody out of his thoughts.

Hitoshi grumbled something else, whatever it was making Hanta snicker.

"What's not to get?" Midoriya hissed.

"Why don't they just send the triangle back to where he came from?"

"Because the portal is broken."

"Yeah, but they could just-"

Hitoshi suddenly spun towards the confused blond. "The portal is fucking broken."

Neito blinked owlishly. "Okay."

Yep. Life was pretty good for Rody Soul these days. And the others were doing well, too.