Comfortable Silence (Shinsou Hitoshi x Mute! Gender Neutral Reader)

Chapter 14

Shinsou's POV

He sits in a café near the school, cloudy skies as ominous as he's feeling. His fingers rap against the wooden table, eyes tensely watching the passing crowd on the other side of the cafe's window. Shinsou thinks of every possible way this conversation could go, none well, and his irrational mind yells at his knowledgeable one to get the fuck out, to stand up your cousin, to ignore that text he got the other day.

Not that he would. Shinsou knows better than to let his emotions rule this, especially in such a tense situation. So he sits and he waits, his expression only growing ever so slightly intrigued as Maiko walks through the café door, his silver-dyed hair as tell-tale as Shinsou's lavender. He watches as Maiko takes a seat across from him, coffee steaming between the two on the table. Shinsou stops tapping his fingers, laces his hands together instead.

"...Senpai."

"Shinsou-Kun."

Silence. He can hear the chatter of a group of friends, discussing hero news and tv shows. He can hear the pour of the coffee maker and the barista taking orders, calling out names. He can hear the scraping of chairs and the clinking of metal against china. 

"What did you want to talk about?"

"Y/N."

"I know that. What about them?"

Maiko falls silent again, not answering just yet. Shinsou waits. He can hear the rustling of jackets, of children begging their parents for ice cream, for the worried whispering of the weather, if it'll rain. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he's worried this conversation won't end before the pour, and he didn't bring an umbrella.

"I don't like you," Maiko says finally.

Shinsou can't help but let out a scoff. "Most people don't."

"Y/N does."

"Y/N isn't most people, are they?"

Maiko laughs to that. "No, I suppose they aren't." He falls silent again. Speaks up again, more serious this time. "Why do you hang out with them?"

Shinsou tilts his head, considers the question. "Because they're nice. And funny. And always holds a wonderful conversation or a sweet silence I can bask in. Because they like cats and I like cats, and I think they're a good friend."

"But why?" 

"...I'm afraid I don't follow, Senpai."

Maiko looks Shinsou in the eye, dark brown searing into lilac, and Shinsou wonders what life would be like if everyone were this upfront like the Suzukaze cousins, one telling him without fear that they think his smile is pretty and that he'll be a good hero, the other unashamed about telling him he doesn't like Shinsou and how he doesn't want his cousin to be hanging out with him. Easier is his conclusion. Life would be a lot easier.

"What do you get out of hanging out with my cousin?" Maiko says finally.

Shinsou smiles lightly, a rare one of mild confusion and amusement. "A good friend? Good company?"

"...Is that all?"

"Is there supposed to be more?" Maiko stares at Shinsou, guarded. "If there is supposed to be more, I would prefer if you told me, Senpai."

"No....No I suppose there isn't more," Maiko replies. "I just don't want Y/N to be around bad people."

Shinsou tilts his head the other way. "...Do I qualify as a bad person?"

"...Maybe."

"What makes me a bad person? Did I do something to hurt Y/N? If I did, I'd prefer to hear it from them."