Mute

8 | Peaceful

I knocked on Emiko's front door. I was assigned the duty of bringing her to the dorms so Uraraka and the girls could dress her up. It'd only taken one picture of her smiling at me while putting on a hat for Ashido to get the idea.

A second later the door opened and I blinked at Present mic. I heard screeching in the house and winced at the pitch. Laughter filled the space.

"Hey! How are you! Are you here for Emiko?"

I nodded as he led me inside.

"Great! She should be down in a minute! I'll just-!"

"I'm going to bury you!" A feminine voice yelled. I looked up, as far as I knew Present Mic only had one female living with him. A second later my suspicions were confirmed as Emiko rolled into the room, quickly pinning her little brother under her while they laughed. Her voice was enchanting, literally. I felt the desire to do anything she wanted.

"Emiko! Stop it~!" He whined.

"Nope! Not until you give me back my phone!"

"No!" He giggled as he hid it under himself.

"Emiko! Akito! Whats up little guys! Todoroki is here to pick you up!"

Both of their heads shot up to stare at me, and Emiko quickly scrambled to her feet, looking down and shifting. Her brother, Akito, handed her the phone before bouncing over.

"Hey! You can't tell anyone you heard her talk!" He exclaimed.

"Why not?"

"Cuz she doesnt like it!"

My gaze flicked up to her, but she was still looking down. "And why is that?"

"Secret!" He beamed. "You promise? Ya gotta!"

I nodded. "I promise."

"Yay! Where is Emiko going?"

"My classmates wanted to meet her and 'doll her up', according to Ashido."

The small boy made a face. "Oh ew, have fun." he spun and bounced upstairs. I turned my gaze to Emiko, but she was still staring at the ground, her hair hiding her face. Present Mic broke the awkward silence.

"Well! It's great to know you're making friends with such good kids Emiko! I'm proud of you! Now go have fun!" He put her shoes in her hands and literally forced us outside. I waited for her to put them on before we began walking. I started to lead us to the dorms, but as we walked I wondered if that's what she wanted to do. Clearly she'd been having fun, and now she wouldn't look at me. I looked down at her, slowing my pace slightly so we were walking side by side instead of slightly off.

"Do you want to do something else?" I asked. Her head turned up and our eyes met for a second before she quickly looked away. I elaborated, hoping she might respond in some way, not just through words. "If you don't want to be handled by the girls we can do something else, or I can take you back home if you'd prefer that."

She didn't respond, and I was resolving to bring her home when she pulled out her phone, typing quickly. We stopped and I waited patiently for her to finish typing. She looked up and held up the phone, allowing me to scan the letter. She didn't want to go back home, but she didn't particularly like being dressed up by people she didn't really know. On the flip side, she'd really like to hang out with me.

My heart flared, and I felt weird. I brushed aside the weird emotions and smiled slightly. "I'll take you to lunch if you haven't already eaten, I know a good place."

She nodded, and erased her message. I was prepared to start walking, but she began typing again. I waited curiously, taking the phone when she held it up.

"Promise you won't tell anyone you heard me speak? It causes problems when people know..."

I nodded. "Sure, I promise. I won't breathe a word."

She relaxed completely, smiling up at me. Again my heart reacted, and it felt warm. I felt the need to touch her, but curbed my strange longings, instead smiling in return before leading her down a new street.

We reached the restaurant a few minutes later and I led us to a free table, handing her a menu as she slid into her seat. "Order whatever you want, it's my treat." I flashed a tiny smile and she nodded after a second, seeming to relent. I ordered Soba like I always did, and she ordered it as well.

We ate lunch in blissful silence. I'd never realized how much other people talked, it was really nice not having to deal with so much chatter. It was actually really nice, simply enjoying the meal. When we finished our waitress came with our check, flashing a grin at me. I didn't smile back.

Emiko pulled out her pad and pen, and began writing. I watched complacently, waiting to see what it was she wanted to say. I actually enjoyed that she didn't talk, it gave me time to examine her without her noticing. I wasn't superficial, but she was beautiful.

"Alright! Thank you for eating here! We hope you enjoyed your meal!" The waitress exclaimed cheerfully. Emiko looked up at her voice and stood, gathering her purse before walking with me. I was mildly annoyed, wasn't it obvious she'd been in the middle of something.

"We did."

I followed Emiko outside, she was still writing, but she had to walk much slower in order to do so. She eventually finished and handed me the pad. I scanned it quickly, noting how neat her handwriting was. The little loops and swirls were cute.

"I'm not sure, is there anywhere in particular you'd like to go?"

She shook her head and I deflated a little. I didn't want to go just where I wanted, I wanted to know where she liked to be. She suddenly began writing, and I waited hopefully.

"I heard the aquarium got a new section two weeks ago, the big crowds should be gone by now if you want to go."

I nodded. "I've never been to an aquarium."

Her eyes widened and she grabbed my hand, typing with her other as she dragged me down the street. "You've got to go! Aquariums are amazing!"

I smiled at her response. "Alright, lead the way Emiko."

She beamed up at me and slowed her pace a little so she was leading me instead of dragging. I glanced down at our hands, wondering if she'd grabbed mine on purpose or been reaching for my wrist. Either way, her hand was warm.