Zero - A Vigilante Deku Story

Chapter 17 - Little brother?

POV Zero

"I'm sorry."

Zero looked up and followed the sound of the still unfamiliar voice. It had been loud and aggressive before, but now it sounded soft and a little raspy at the same time. The other boy ran his hand through his purple hair, making it stand out even more wildly.

"Fuck, I'm terribly sorry. Please forgive me." Hitoshi bowed deeply to him and Zero was amazed at his behavior. A moment ago he had been so angry to see him, and now he was remorsefully asking for forgiveness.

Zero felt guilty. After all, this was his counterpart's home, while he was merely a guest for an uncertain period of time. While bowing, Hitoshi would not be able to see the signs he was making. If he was honest with himself, he was a little afraid to use them after his previous reaction. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "It's okay." He spoke softly. If Hitoshi hadn't listened up, Zero wasn't sure if he'd even heard him. "You live here, so it's understandable you get mad when you see me. After all, I'm not..." That was all he could get out.

Zero closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was scared, nervous. If their son didn't want him here, there was no way Shouta and Mic would let him continue to live with them. "I can leave." He looked uncertainly over to the man leaning against the wall next to him. Shouta looked sad. Still, Zero managed to hold his gaze. "There's a dorm, isn't there? I can sleep there if I'm allowed to stay. I don't want to intrude or impose."

Shouta snorted. "Throw you into the shark tank of my over-excited students before you've had a chance to get used to them? Certainly not, problem child."

Hitoshi laughed. Zero's gaze swung from the grumbling Shouta to Hitoshi's laughing face. "Forget it. You won't get out of this one," the boy snorted.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Zero asked.

"If my dad calls someone a problem child, then that person is especially close to his heart and he won't stop showering them with rough affection whether they like it or not."

"Toshi." Shouta's tone was warning.

But Hitoshi remained unimpressed and grinned broadly. Zero liked him much better that way. Maybe he would be nicer to him than he had previously thought. "Don't tell me I'm wrong about that, dad?"

"Bloody problem children," the underground hero muttered to himself. "Keep it up and we won't be going shopping, we'll be practicing math and hero studies."

Zero listened up. That sounded much better than moving between countless strangers, trying to find clothes for him which didn't fit very well due to his wings anyway. "I like math," he confessed, "and I'd like to learn more about heroes."

"Nope!" Hitoshi exclaimed. "It's the holidays. We have free time and we'd love to go shopping."

"I thought so," Shouta replied, not without a certain amount of satisfaction.

"What do we need to buy anyway?" Hitoshi asked.

"Clothes, materials for school, whatever Zero likes to make this room look friendlier and maybe some furniture."

"You and papa could have warned me I was going to get a little brother. Then maybe I wouldn't have completely ruined the first impression of myself."

A what?! Zero straightened up as if struck by lightning and flapped his wings nervously. That was a joke. Hitoshi had been joking, clearly. And yet, a part of him began to circle around this idea, testing it out and tasting the thoughts which went with it. When Shouta had hugged him, Zero had felt protected. This feeling was pleasant and warmed him. Did Shouta really want to? Inwardly, Zero shook his head at these foolish thoughts. Impossible.