False Reality

Let's Restart

Keigo takes a deep breath before opening the door to his own house.
Ridiculous really, he shouldn't be nervous about going home, but here he is, living with a teenager that has more issues than he knows how to deal with, and with no support from the woman who's meant to provide just that when they both need it.
Keeping his eyes on the floor as he enters, he calls out a half-hearted:

"It's me."

He shucks off his jacket, not expecting a response from within the same room as him.

"Who're you?"

"What?" He asks, looking up at her and frowning.

"I'm Y/N. Who are you?" She repeats slowly, looking at him like he's supposed to understand what's happening right now.

"Did you hit your head or something?" Keigo asks, genuinely concerned as he crosses the room to check her head.

He knew he shouldn't have sent her home alone.

"No." She swats him away, but instead of it being angry like usual, it seems more playful. "Just... play along."

Keigo blinks, his hand still raised in the air to reach for her forehead in his confusion.
She looks at him exasperatedly.

"My name is Y/N, and you are...?" She asks again, slowly as though he's an idiot.

"Keigo." He replies. "But everyone calls me Hawks."

"Nice to meet you Keigo." She says, holding her hand out to be shaken.

And then it clicks. She's 'starting again'.
His wings lift slightly as he takes her hand in his still-gloved hand, shaking it more gently than he would an adult's.

"So you're famous?" She asks, leaning back on the sofa, her wings draped over the arm of the couch like he so often did.

"Ha. Kinda." Keigo chuckles awkwardly. He always hated that label.

"Do you like it? Being famous?" She asks as he hops over the back of the couch to sit down himself.

She was trying to get to know him properly this time. He can't help but feel a little hopeful, relaxing a little more like he'd been able to do more recently with her until their most recent fight.

"It has its highs and lows." He replies honestly. "I like the free stuff, but I'm not too big on having to be careful with what I say and do all the time."

"Like not telling the old people that waste your time to fuck off." She nods sympathetically.

"I mean, you probably shouldn't say that stuff too, kid." Keigo says gently, still uncertain on how to parent her without her blowing up on him.

"It's how I express myself." She says, folding her arms over her chest and giving a small smile.

Keigo's almost startled by the complete u-turn in her mood. When he'd left her hours ago, she'd been angry, and now she was talking and smiling and being playful, like a kid her age is meant to be.
Maybe Rai's words had finally sunk in, or she'd realised that they were better being allies than enemies.

"Well, try to find a better way to express yourself." Keigo replies, trying to sound teasing, too. "There are a million words out there for you to use, why you gotta choose the worst ones?"

"Okay... how about cluck off? Y'know, cause people call us birds." She asks with a smug smirk.

Keigo can't help but find that a little funny, a surprised chuckle leaving him.

"Alright. Can't argue with that one, kid." He shrugs, still smiling slightly himself. "How'd you like living with a star then, kid?"

He tries to make it sound as obvious that he's joking as possible, but it makes him cringe a little to say it all the same.
She hums a little to herself, looking off to the side. Something tells Keigo that he's not going to like her answer, but why would he? It was obvious neither of them had been having the best time sharing a space together. To the point that she even felt the need to self harm.
Keigo's heart drops at the mere thought of it.