The Heart of a Hero [BNHA]

Chapter Three: The Reunion

Before Nikita knew it, the school day was over and she had missed every possible chance to talk to Shoto. Shoto's team was the only other team to finish their trial in record time, he froze the entire building in one go with his quirk and was able to walk up to the missile with no interference from his opponents. The longest and most intense battle was between Uraraka and her partner a cute somewhat fanboy-ish boy with dark green hair and green eyes by the name of Izuku Midoriya against Iida and his hot-tempered partner, a boy with pale hair and bright red eyes by the name of Katsuki Bakugo who took his role as villain way too far.

Nikita bid farewell to her new friends and slowly made her way down to the foot lockers to get her shoes so she could walk home. As she walked she mentally scolded herself for missing every opportunity to try to talk to Shoto. His father had made her family leave so suddenly she didn't even get to say goodbye. What did he think of her?

Her heart stuttered in her chest as she spotted a familiar head of two toned hair waiting by the foot lockers. Was he waiting for her? A small smile wormed onto her lips as she thought of how she used to greet him as a child and a mischievous thought crossed her mind as she sprinted toward him.

"Sho-chan!" She dove at him and giggled as he struggled to catch her and keep them both upright.

"Ah! Niko!" He struggled to hold her up as she turned to dead weight trying to smother him.

Her heart sung, he'd called her by the special name he'd given her when they were children. "You remember me!" She grinned as she headbutted him and rubbed her face against his with a giggle.

Shoto managed to disentangle himself from her and take a step away to distance himself from the spastic girl, "You're a little hard to forget." He pointed trying to sound cool and indifferent but there was a small smile threatening to reveal itself. "You haven't changed a bit." He was as stoic and reserved as always, but there was something colder about his personality now.

Nikita smiled somberly at this, "That's not true. I've changed quite a bit." Her golden gaze fell on the scar adorning the left side of his face, "You have too."

There was something morose about him now, she knew his father was awful but his mother had always tried to stand up for him and loved him dearly, she'd taken comfort in that thinking he'd be alright since he had a loving mother to balance out the terribleness of his father. "You're right. Did you and your parents move back?"

Nikita's heart wrenched at the mention of her parents. He didn't know! She knew Endeavor was made aware, there were several of her parents' old associates who worked under Endeavor at the funeral the day before, though Endeavor didn't think to show his face to pay respects to the people he once called comrades. If she thought him capable of remorse she'd have thought it was because he had a guilty conscience for casting them out and forcing them away, and possibly sending them to their deaths. It was his agency that had called them away, they weren't even affiliated with him anymore, he'd cut all ties with them to keep her away from his son. "...Just me..."

Shoto noticed the usually bright bubbly girl's hesitation and sudden change in mood. Something was wrong. "Are you headed to the station?" He asked in an attempt to offer to walk with her to try and figure out why her mood had suddenly declined, why there was so much sorrow and heartache in her cat like golden eyes.

"No. I'm just on the other side of the city, and I like walking." Nikita had always hated travel, she hated being confined in small moving spaces like cars, busses and trains.

"I'll walk you." Shoto offered as she swapped her shoes for her street shoes and put her school slippers in her locker.

Nikita accepted his offer with a nod and they fell in step with one another as they left the school. Their movements in sync, like always. When Shoto had first started practicing with his ice quirk, Nikita learned to access the snow leopard's abilities making her impervious to his ice, she could maintain a foothold and avoid any damage to her skin. They'd always worked flawlessly together, always in sync. If his father didn't think her quirk was such a lowly unworthy quirk, he'd probably have commended them on their synchronization and teamwork.