𖥕 ᮔ𐌏𐌃𐌆𐌀𐌂 𖥕 - (BNHA x M!OC)

1. TRAPPED

"Get the fuck up, your next match is in fifteen minutes.",

I jumped at the harsh slam against my door, rolling on my side defensively, my eyes popping open in sudden alertness.

Oh. It's fine, calm down. My brain caught up to the situation, watching my dad turn his back and leave without closing my door, along with my smiling brother left to watch me. He always smiled, particularly at my expense.

My eyelids drooped, relaxing, as I sighed and flopped back onto my bed, trailing a hand through my hair.

It felt soft today.

My brother, Teguri, quietly stalked into my room, thin arms held in front of himself in a polite manner.

I shut my eyes with a slight wince as he sat down on the corner of my bed, his weight barely felt by myself.

"Have you healed your wounds from yesterday?", His honeyed voice was seeping with untold messages, vague changes in his intonation could mean a million different things in just one word.

Right now, he really meant, 'If you're healed then you're well enough to fight today without complaint'.

Holding back the urge to sigh again I sat up, using both my arms to support my upper body. Keeping my gaze trained downwards, I replied, "Yes, it's all healed. Thank you.", and waited for a response.

If it was a favorable enough reaction, Teguri would leave me alone to get ready.

I felt his piercing gaze searching me, looking for a crack in my facade, something to pick out, something to use. I kept my expression neutral, and head down, letting my hair fall into my face.

After a long moment he huffed quietly, grin softening into something more genuine. A look of pity grew in his eyes, and he did something unexpected.

Something he knew was unexpected.

Teguri leaned forward, embracing me in a warm hug while he wrapped his arms across my back in a tight squeeze, as if I would disappear at any moment.

I froze, every muscle in my body tensing against my will. No, I wasn't supposed to do that, I was supposed to be calm, and my body was ruining it.

Eyes widening, I tried to look at his face to read his expression, but it was buried into the side of my neck, too obscured for me to see.

He whispered, "I wish there was another way. But you know dad, he needs you. I need you. Mom would be so proud if she knew all that you do for us.", I refused to let the hurt show in my expression.

It was a well worn train of thoughts in my mind. They need you, they need you, they need you.

They need you, because they can't take care of themselves, and the only people who can help are the people that'll pay big money to see me win fights.

What hurt worse was the fact that I knew that wasn't why my brother had said it.

He was really saying, 'Get us money, because we can't get it ourselves and you know that. Mom died because of you and you're going to spend every waking moment from now on paying for it'.

My brother released me before I could even think of a reply.

Smiling sweetly, Teguri pat my shoulder before standing to leave.

His thin frame carefully made its way to my door, glancing in one last time knowingly and grinning, before shutting my door behind him.

I heaved a heavy sigh, rubbing the sleep away from my eyes as I moved out from beneath my covers.