Of Cat and Bird

Five - Home

I did my time in the hospital and Hawks didn't come back to see me. I was both grateful and disappointed. Grateful because I wasn't able to get my thoughts right when I wanted to speak. Disappointed, because I did like talking to him.

Mom helped me gather my things and I went home. Well, that would be it. My first hero encounter. And why would I expect to be friends with Hawks? He saved a lot of people every day. He didn't befriend them, he just moved on. And I was just one he'd move on from.

But... he was interested in my quirk. He must have gotten his answers since he didn't come back. Maybe the curiosity wore off. It didn't matter.

Mom drove me home and helped me to my room. I had a broken leg and needed crutches to get around. My shoulder was in bad shape too but I was able to manage things on my own.

I sat on my bed and looked down at my bag. My sketchbook was in there. It was my left side that was injured, but I was right handed. I could still draw...

I pulled my sketchbook out and walked -more like hobbled- to my desk. I set the sketchbook down and grabbed my pencil set, then pulled out my chair and sat.

I opened my sketchbook to a blank page and stared at it. How I saw myself... how did I see myself?

I grabbed my phone and lifted it to take a picture of myself. It was a side angle, I wasn't smiling, and I was looking right into the camera. Was that my usual self? I didn't know. But it would be the image I used.

I set my phone down and stared at it. I decided I would start with my eyes. This was only going to be a black and white pencil drawing so I didn't have to worry to much about finding the right shade of green.

I leaned over my sketchbook and began to draw. As I drew I noticed more and more things about my face that I hadn't before. Was my nose really that big? Were my eyes really that shape? Was this really what people saw when they looked at me everyday?

Hours later I finished the drawing and sighed as I examined it. I almost erased the cat ears and gave myself normal ears just to see what I'd look like, but then it wouldn't be me.

I'd like to see how you see yourself.

His words echoed in my mind. Was this how he saw me? I shut the book and remembered he was never going to see this book again anyway so I wasn't sure why I bothered to fulfill his request.

I grabbed another sketchbook from my small shelf of sketchbooks on my desk. It was the one I used to draw objects rather than people. My hand set it in front of me and I opened it to a blank page.

I picked up a colored pencil and began to draw, mindlessly. An hour later my eyes widened as I realized what I drew. I looked at my hand and the colored pencil I held was a dark red.

I stared at the page and the feather I drew then growled. My mind needed a distraction. I closed the book, setting it back on the shelf then put away the colored pencil.

I glanced out the window of the apartment and thought about heroes. They were out there working on a daily basis, and I was actually saved by one.

Then something came to mind. There was somebody I once knew who needed a hero, but one didn't come. I opened my sketchbook of people again and flipped through until I stopped on one person.

I stared at the image, burned into my mind. Wondering if it would be the accurate image if a hero had arrived. A tear slid down my cheek at the promise he made.

One day, Kiki, I'll marry you.

I missed him. I wished he was still here. I stared I to the smiling face I drew, and at the beautiful turquoise eyes.

I slammed the book shut and threw it onto the floor. I wanted to scream and cry. This was all because Endeavour didn't show up. He was a hero, but he didn't do his job.

Even All Might could have done something but didn't show up. And because of that, I lost the person I cared for. What good were heroes?

Hawks...

Somehow a hero saved me. It would be unfair of me to throw Hawks into that idea. Because... if it weren't for him, I'd be dead too.

"Thank you Hawks."

Actually, I'd prefer if you call me Keigo.

It really had happened. He did tell me his name and asked me to call him by it. Yet he wanted me to keep it a secret. Why me? Why would he tell me? What made him think I would keep my mouth shut with that information? Learning Hawks' first name when nobody else did was a big thing and it could really benefit me. But he trusted me.

I would keep his secret. I had no reason not to keep it. But... I didn't understand why he would just tell me. A random girl he saved.

"Keigo..." I muttered.

"Who's Keigo? Is he a new boy you're into at school?"

I gasped as I turned around and Nagisa was standing at my door. I was so preoccupied that I hadn't noticed her come in.

"No. He's... no, Keigo is nobody." I said.

"Wow, you're flustered. Keigo means something to you, doesn't he?"

"No. I was just thinking about names." I said.

"Why? You having a baby?"

"No!"

Her eyes widened and she gasped dramatically.

"Was it Hawks!? When you were in the hospital did you and Hawks-"

"Nagisa! No!" I shouted.

Nagisa began to laugh and walked in and hugged me. She smiled as she leaned back and looked at my expression.

"I know. It's just fun to bug you. But I do want to know more about this Keigo." She said.

"I told you. Keigo is nobody."

"Doesn't seem like it to me."

"Whatever. When's the Best Jeanist interview?" I asked.

I hoped the subject change would work. If I brought up heroes and interviews, it usually worked. I would never bring up Hawks with Nagisa again though.

"Oh! It should be soon. Let me check."

She pulled out her phone and sat on my bed. I hobbled up from my desk and sat beside her. She opened live tv on her phone and the channel was reminding us about the interview coming up.

"I can't wait to hear from Best Jeanist. He's so cool." Nagisa said.

"He... has a long neck." I said.

"Rude. Think he'd be commenting on your weird ears?"

"I'm only pointing out an observation. He can point out how weird my ears are. He wouldn't be the only one to do so." I said.

"Have you ever noticed how hot All Might is?" She asked.

"No. I have not. Because he isn't hot."

"What about Best Jeanist?"

"No."

She knew not to bring up Endeavour. She knew how much I disliked him. I wasn't even sure how he was lucky enough to make an appearance in my sketchbook.

"Oh! Here he is! Look!"

And then I lost her. She got stuck in the interview and smiled at her phone while I leaned back and out of boredom, grabbed my phone and began looking up pictures of Hawks online.

I wanted to get another good look at him. But that was because I planned to have my next drawing subject be Hawks. He was a hero I hadn't drawn yet, and I could add him to my book. So I had to find some good images to get to know his face. I would put more effort into this drawing than I did the one of my own face. I would be sure that my drawing of Hawks would be a good one.