Vermilion Blur

(Pt. 8) Embers

~Keigo~

Keigo watched as (y/n) stood, wiping away any remnants of their panicked state. Then, finally, they wandered into the bedroom, vanishing behind the door.

His mind wandered. The feeling of his hand clamped so tightly around his throat still made his stomach churn. But, even then, it looked like a nightmare version of himself. Something that could have happened if he had taken any different steps in his life.

The scratches still burned into his memory, the red-tinted amber eyes staring directly into his soul and mind. It was the only reason he called (y/n) in the first place.

He rested his arms on his knees, thoughts coming in and out like a busy mall. Yet, he still couldn't figure out what was the cause of it.

Then, just as they walked out of the room, all the lights shut off, coating the room in darkness. The heating vent he sat next to stopped pumping the warm air, and the temperature dropped steadily.

"Oh, the power's out? Good thing I went to grab a blanket anyways. I'd figure that you wouldn't like it as cold as I do."

(y/n) knelt in front of him, throwing the blanket around his shoulders and wings. He couldn't help but study the curve of their neck and collarbone. They leaned in closer, making his heart thud against his rib cage. It was strange. Everything they did he found utterly captivating.

"Can you lean forward for a second? Promise, I don't bite."

Keigo leaned forward, his body growing hot from the proximity. "I do." Their fingertips gently threaded through his messy blonde strands, pulling them away from his forehead. A gentle kiss pressed against his forehead, catching him completely off guard. "Sure you do."

He leaned back and looked at them in shock. (y/n) scratched their cheek while looking away. "I don't have anything to offer my thanks. But as your friend, it's all I have to give. My mom does the same as a token of gratitude. I hope it wasn't too much."

His hand nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Not at all. Everyone... Expresses their thanks differently." His mind wandered towards how their body hovered so delicately over his. The urge to throw his arms around them grew in stature.

That innate urge overtook his limbs; before he knew what he was doing, his arms grabbed their waste to pull them onto his lap. (y/n) grabbed his shirt, eyes squeezed shut as they sat down.

A regretful moment of silence overtook his words. All he wanted to do was apologize. "S-Sorry, I wasn't thinking. I-"

They took a breath, resting their head against his chest. Although, he was sure that they could hear the rise in the pace of his heart. Their arms snaked around him, almost melting into a puddle. The large quartz wings slowly draped around their body, almost covering Keigo.

"It's okay. It's cold in here anyways."

Even Lumin tried snuggling in underneath the two sets of wings. Keigo's arms hesitantly rose but fell to his sides. He shouldn't drag them into something as messy as his life.

And yet, he found his arms wrapped endearingly around them. The soft thud of their heart set a part of him to rest. A piece of him that had been alert for too long. "It seems to be."

The silence only lasted for a few seconds, yet it held on for seemingly forever. It was only interrupted by Lumin. He scrambled out from the warmth of the wings. He ran up to the door, scratching and pawing at the wood.

(y/n) carefully broke the warm embrace and grabbed a red harness off the hooks. They picked up the tense puppy and slid it over his head.

"He's your service dog?"

They worriedly glanced at the door and answered softly. "Yes. He's still young by the government standard, but it takes a long time to train one." Lumin jumped from their arms and continued to scratch at the door.

A sharp ring rang through the air, yet they couldn't hear it. The headphones he lent block out any sound except for human voices. It sounded like a fire alarm, yet he hadn't heard one so different sounding. Then, a second later, it cut off.

Before getting up, (y/n)'s hand rested on the handle. They opened the door only to slam it shut. Their face melted into fear as they scrambled to snatch the puppy. They ran towards Keigo, pushing him down.

Bright light flooded over his eyes. His vision flooded with various colors before his head hit the pavement.

The mere force of the flames busted the door into pieces. His mind held still, yet his body felt loose and out of control.

"Get down!"

There was an enormous explosion. It was as though a fist of orange flame had decided to punch its way out of the main complex of the apartment building. Windows shattered. Smoke and fire rushed out. Thousands of glass and steel pieces, a deadly rainfall, showered down. Alarms - shrill and deafening- erupted. A chunk was taken out of the side and the roof of the building.

The loud sound waves escape through the sections destroyed by the blast wave. The noise had reverberated over the sleeping town as efficiently as a thunderclap, and by now, the police department's adequate would be on their way, sirens blazing.

There were now the only sounds of flames eating away at the rest of what has left of their home. The shrill sounds of people crying for help or pain echoed through the walls.

There was a loud ringing in his ears; nausea crept into his throat as he slowly began to wake up. His body ached like he had run a marathon and collapsed halfway. Keigo slowly pried his eyes open, trying to see past the blur of oranges. Something wet licked his cheek repeatedly with a slight whine barely reaching his ringing mind.

Keigo sat up slowly with his body protesting to stay down. He could see flaming red feathers and Lumin pawing at his hand through his blurred vision. A slight sparkle caught his eye, that being shattered crystal.

Lumin was no longer the snow-white puppy but was covered with ash. Lumin went to (y/n)'s side, licking their cheek repeatedly. Finally, he rolled over to shake your shoulder. "Kid. Wake up."

Keigo pulled (y/n) into his lap and picked them up by holding them underneath their legs and back. Their head was resting against his shoulder. "What a pain... Now I've got to figure out who did this." Lumin took the cue, hopped onto their stomach, and snuggled against his abdomen.

Stumbling slightly, he walked towards the sliding glass door, now shattered completely. He stepped on the broken crystal and glass pieces on his way out.

The loud sirens echoed distantly, showing the heroes and police were on their way. He glanced down at their form, knocked out in his arms. The two of them were coated in a thick layer of ash, making it hard to see the extent of (y/n)'s injuries.

Keigo's wings extended, pain laced throughout every nerve. Still, he pushed them down and took off into the air. For now, he needed to make sure that they were okay.

Lumin hopped down the moment the two landed and started to sniff around. Carefully, he placed you down on his bed. He scanned over their exposed skin, finding several burns on their legs. With a sigh, he guessed it was his turn to play nurse.

Keigo flipped on the radio, listening to the radio report on the incident.

"As of 1 am on Thursday morning a explosion took place at the Stonewall apartment complex in Hosu City. Top hero Mirko and Edgeshot are currently investigating and helping those injured or trapped." Keigo chewed his lip in thought.

"As of right now, the damage is secluded to the second floor, apartments 5-10 but it seems that it was focused on one singular part."