Past (Zankyou no Terror Fanfiction)

Chapter 1- A New Start?

AN: I'm so so sorry this took so long to upload. When I was first writing this, I had a lot of ideas for it but I wasn't sure how to connect them all, but now the story has a sense of direction. I also changed the story a little bit, so it's not entirely like the anime, also it's a modern-ish AU, starts the Fall of 2016. I hope you guys like it, and leave any constructive criticism you wish. Enjoy! :)

\\Nine's POV\\\
I hate how people have to share college dorm rooms. We have to become comfortable  with a complete stranger, become friends with them quickly, share meals, and even shower when they are still in the other room. I wish I could have a dorm all to myself. I wouldnt be in  a dorm if I had the choice, but I'd have to live out on the streets. Foster homes only keep you there untill you're 18. After that, you're on your own.

Thankfully, the foster home owners allowed me to work enough jobs so I could save up for all of this, and I suprisingly have a small scholarship as well, which actually helped me out a fuckload. I got a scholarship because the foster home's education was way too easy for me, but everyone else around me was really struggling with everything. I ended up helping out a lot of other people only with that (well, more like do their projects and homework for them), and this college really noticed that, mixed it with my shitty past and gave me a scholarship. It's completely unfair, but God did I need it.

But really, that's the closest I ever allowed myself to get with people, just helping with stupid schoolwork. This person I actually have to know on a deeper level. Maybe I'll just avoid eye contact with him and always keep my mouth shut,maybe he'll move on from me eventually... Yea, that's a good plan. Oh... Did I say too much at the start? Agh fuck I totally did... Shit... I'm really sorry... I don't want this to sound like your typical tragic shit love story where one guy is totally messed up in the head but the other guy yanks the depression  out of them and it's all la de do and sunshines and rainbows... You know what let's  just move on.

I was so happy that I got to our dorm first. I picked the bed on the left side of the room, and went strait to work unpacking. I made my bed, hung up all my clothes in the small closet, blah de blah. Sorry, I just don't like talking about things that are really boring but are completely necessary to function. They just aren't really worth talking about.

I finally finished with the boring unpacking and organizing (okay I'll admit, it was mostly organizing) and sat down gently on my bed. I still wasn't very sure how I should greet myself- if I should even greet myself to him. I didn't really have a lot of time to think, maybe only 10 seconds, before I had to answer  the knocking door. A little too slowly, it  presented a young, shorter man than me with slightly messy brown hair but very decent and polished clothing. He is carrying a box that was noticeably too heavy for him.

"Hi! You must be my new roommate!" He said with a huge smile, and with that, he almost dropped the box. I quickly kneeled down and picked it up just before it hit the floor. It was a little heavy, but not by that much.

"Wow! That's some quick reflexes!" He said. I suddenly realized this is probably the first time I've help out someone besides doing their schoolwork. Or a time I can remember, at least.

I didn't answer him, and I placed the box on his plain white bed. I couldn't see his face, but I could just feel him being a little... Concerned? For me not responding. I'm used to this kind of feeling, but usually their pissed off, not concerned . Why am I feeling a sense of concern this time? Maybe it's because he was smiling while he was greeting me?

I looked back at him despite my brain shouting at me not to, but I was right. He looked a little more concerned.

"Say uh, what's your name?" He asked. I didn't want to answer. I hate my name so much.

My name always brings me back to the night, or, a night I suppose. A night when I finally escaped, but I forgot to see... Sorry. I'm already sharing wayyy too much. Just warn me next time if I do it again.

"Uh... It's not that big of a deal" I whispered, looking at the floor. I walked back over to my side of the room as I spoke.

"Uh, it kinda is. What am I supposed to call you if I don't know your name? Man? Person? Anonymous? What if you don't like those names?"

"I don't care. You don't have to know me. We just live with each other, that's all"

I tried making it very clear that I didn't want to have friends, curling up into a ball on my bed and looking strait at the boring, plain white wall. I pretty much did something like this with everyone, it's almost like a routine by now. They all give up talking to me after the first try.

But he didn't.

"Oh come on. We should know each other! It would be pretty boring if you lived with someone who you can't talk to! Come on, all I want is your name."

"Want. Exactly. You don't need my name"

He sighed in frustration. Again, something I hear very commonly when someone is just about to give up.

Be he didn't.

"Well I do need your name. I need to know it if we are living together, and maybe if I left something here I could ask you to get it."

"By calling? Texting? How would you know if I have a phone?"

"Everyone does! Plus, everyone who has one would know those terms."

"Not necessarily. And who said I would give you my number?" I'm already getting a very tight feeling in my stomach. I don't have conversations this long. Ever. I held onto my stomach a little tighter.

He sighed in frustration again. But he continued, and I could feel him sitting down next to me since I felt the slight lump and heard the squeak only springs can make.

"Look. I already get that you don't like people too much. But hey, not all people are bad. You aren't bad. I can show you that people can actually be pretty awesome, just like you and me."

"How would you know that? You don't know what I've done. I don't know what you've done."

"We can judge for ourselves if what we have done is bad or not. Besides, the past is the past, and we can truly only judge on what you did with the lessons you learned from your mistakes. Now come on, just a name."

Damn, that was deep. Too deep. I actually thought about giving him my name this time, since he's really the first one who's tried to burst my bubble. Maybe I'll give to him just to shut him up, even though I don't really want him knowing it.

"It's... Nine" I said hesitantly. That's the first time I directly told someone my name.

"Nine? Like, the German word for no or-"

"The number" I interrupted. I've never heard that interpretation before.

"That's so cool!" He replied. Cool? Usually people say "are you joking?" or "were the people who raised you first obsessed with math?" or something along those lines... But cool? This kid is weird.

Normal people are weird.

Maybe everyone is just weird... where am I going with this?

"Aren't you gonna ask for mine?" He asked. "No, I don't need to know." I actually didn't. I couldn't care less.

"I'll say it anyways. You may not believe it but ...

My name is Twelve."