Deja Vu| Dabihawks Book

The Boy In The Bandages

Hawks' POV

I remember something from when I was a lot younger. It was right after my dad had been arrested, and my mom and I were on the streets. I was young, but can't remember my exact age. My mom had set up a pallet on the sidewalk, and we were just another pair of homeless people, a nuisance to society. People would step past us and give us ill looks, or when my mom would ask for money, they would tell her to get a job. Little did they know, she was trying. But they wouldn't take someone who was filthy, and wore raggedy clothes. But she couldn't get new clothes, or wash up without money. And she couldn't get money without a job. See how that works?

Well, one day, my mom was more tired than usual. I told her that I would ask around by myself out of hopes that they may take pity on me. But in all reality, I was really just planning on pickpocketing people. It's not like they could need the money any more than I did. So I walked off. My mom didn't bother to watch me as I did. I remember that I would always cross the streets with no problem, yet some older people, usually the women, would give my mom a dirty look as I did. But no one interfered. I guess that says a lot when it comes to society. That's why the heroes exist, though.

I ended up at a park. There was a big field where some people walked their dogs, some people jogged on the cemented perimeter, and some people threw frisbees, or kicked around a ball. I remember that a specific group caught my eye. It was 3 kids. There was a girl with white hair, and a few red streaks. She was about a year or two older than me. There was a boy with slightly spiky, white hair with a bit of red on the sides. And then there was an older boy, around the girl's age, and he had bandages covering his skin. His hair was spiky, and it was red, yet turning white. He looked as if he were trying to force a smile on his face as they kicked around a ball. The younger boy was trying to do tricks with said ball.

I remember how the older boy, the one covered in bandages, had beautiful eyes that I could see from even this distance. I had never before seen eyes so beautiful. They were so blue. I mean, they were similar to Endeavor's eyes, but, his was a lot softer. He took the ball from the younger boy and attempted to do the same trick, only to trip over it, and land flat on his face. The ball rolled away, toward me.

It landed at my feet, since I wasn't too far from them. My eyes widened and I looked down at it. Then I looked back at the others. The boy covered in bandages was getting up, while the other two were looking at me, expectantly. I picked up the ball and walked over to them to return it. As I walked closer, I suddenly felt insecure with how raggedy my clothes were. I was painfully aware of the rips in my pants, and the scrapes on my elbows.

When I walked up to them, I handed the ball back to the boy with the bandages. Then the girl smiled at me. "Hey," she said, a smile tainting her lips. "do you want to play with us?" Her eyes never once darted down to my clothes, or the filth, or my scrapes. None of them acknowledged it. She then continued. "I mean, if it's okay with your parents?"

I shook my head. "Oh, they aren't here." I wanted to correct myself when I said "they" but then I realized that I shouldn't be telling other kids that my father was a criminal. Instead, I smiled. "But yeah, I'd love to play."

Even now, I don't remember any of their names. I just remember what the girl told me. And that day was one of the best days of my life. As I attempted the trick that they were doing, the boy in the bandages watched me the whole time. His eyes never flickered away.

The day after that incident, I was brought to a boarding school for heroes in training. I never again saw those kids. I never again saw the boy in the bandages. But I like to believe, that even now, if I ever saw those eyes again, I would recognize them. I like to believe that I would even, possibly, befriend him. There was something about him that had caught my eye. Something that was unique. The way he looked at me, as well.

Even now, as I enter the bar again, and lay my eyes upon a wanted villain, I still cannot stop thinking about that boy. The mystery that hung above the air is similar to Dabi. I mean, in the way that they never revealed anything about themselves. But then again, I should probably bury that memory deep in my mind. Because even though I said that it was the last time, when I had seen him in my bed last, I changed my mind. And I don't think I want to think about a little boy when I do this. That would just be weird.