•Manipulation• [BNHA × Male!OC]

Chapter 82: raise your OIOIOI

My eyes widen at the duo-coloured boy before me.

"Back at the sports festival, I just forgot about it all," he muttered, "I moved forward without really acknowledging it. My flesh and blood."

'He's talking about... him and his dad...'

"I realize it all came back for me too late and you suffered because of it." his jaw clenches and his hand drops from my sleeve.

"I'm sorry"

I paused, observing the boy before me.

Then I raised a hand, resting it on his head.

He looked up at me with wide eyes. They were red, raw with anguish.

"I-uh..." I chuckled nervously. "I never really knew my father. Who knows if I have one?"

Shoto looks at me quizically.

"I have amnesia Peppermint, my memories only date back to two year ago." I force a smile on my face as I speak. "So I have no idea who my parents are, how I grew up, I don't know a lot."

"But what I do know," I move my hand down, pushing Shoto's bangs out of his face. "Is that while you can't spend the rest of your life in spite of them..."

"Being completely without them is bad too," I try to laugh but it comes out almost as a sob.

'how embarrassing...'

"Ryo-"

"BUT!" I breathe in deeply, "As long as this helped you grow, I'm okay with it."

"What are partners for?"

I grin at him but he doesn't reply.

"N-now they're probably waiting for us, let's-" I pull on his hand and try to lead him to the exit.

Instead, a soft tug from him turns me around into his arms.

-

-

-

'Ah... I've missed this...'

"Thank you... for telling me," He mutters into my hair.

"When you left, it felt like... like we barely knew anything about you at all." his hand rested on the back of my head, fingers curling into my hair.

"Back then I thought it was because I was... too weak to be your friend," he admitted, his breath shakey as he spoke. "Because we were too weak to do anything for you."

"Shoto that's not-"

"I know you have your own reasons," he cut me off gently. "But that reflection and... Katsuki's words... made me realize something."

He pulls away slightly and I look at him. His eyes are trained on mine, a certain desperation behind them I'd never seen from him before.

"I realized that- that I wanted to become a better hero." His hands moved to grip onto my arms.

"Not to spite my old man, not to take the number one spot but..." 

"for you." 

I found it hard to meet his eyes, they seemed to bore  into my very soul.

'What does he-'

"Ryo, it made me realize that I-" he grits his teeth, sucking in a harsh breath.