Learn to Live (Vigilante)

Faking it (Chapter 14)

The Vigilante disappeared like a Phantom.  Leaving me and Hawks on the roof. 

"Hawks. I'm cashing in that favor you owe me."

Hawks took a serious, "Whatever I can do. You saved me."

"Ren."

"Your new kid?"

"Yes, Ren Suzuki." I explained his past to hawks watching Hawks faces change, "But there is one more thing."

"Shota at this point I will do anything for this kid."

"It's his quirk. He was wings just like you. Different colors, of course, green and blue. But he doesn't know how to..."

"Are you telling me, that you Shota, want me to teach him how to fight with wings?"

I brought my hand to my face pinking the bridge of my nose. "Just let me finish." Hawks opened his mouth then closed it after I gave him the death glare, "He can't... fly."

"What do you mean he can't fly?"

"The reason he gave me was bogus. So I don't know."

"Reason?"

"He calmed to be afraid of heights. No kid that's willing to jump in front of a car would be held back by the limitation of being scared of falling."

"I would rather die." Hawks whispered. "That's like being held in a cage. Being able to see the sky but never reaching it." We both paused listened to the lone cars driving home from a long night. "I can do Mondays and Wednesdays. But his jobs will be in the way."

"I will handle that" I sighed, "somehow." 

"First you need to find him."

"I need him to trust me. Another thing keeps nagging at me. Nezu found a file in his information that doesn't make sense."

"You asked Nezu to look into this kid?" Hawks voice was shocked. 

"He likes him too. But we haven't been able to find out why the file doesn't match the information. Nezu is obsessed with it."

"Pour kid."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it. He's been on his own doing perfectly fine. Suddenly, by doing a good deed, he caught your attention. Red flags would have gone up if he refused to go into UA, so he was forced into it. Then he was forced into another adoption. Now Nezu is looking into him. If I was him my sweet would be dropping."

"It's a big change. I know. Plus the kid's hiding something."

"You should head home. The kid getting kicked out today. He's got no other place. Go home."

Late that night a knock rang out from the door. In front of me was the dark-haired kid, wings dragging on the ground. Ren was holding two backpacks and a duffle bag.

I took his two backpacks. Putting one on my back and held the other. 

"I don't have anywhere else to go." his voice in a dejected whisper.

"You've already got a room here."

The kid looked down. "One second..." He reached around the corner and pulled out a huge pillow. It was huge, in the shape of a cat. His face turned red when I looked at him.

"All cats are welcome here." I hid my smile while leading him down the hall. "This is your room kid."

"It's ok I just need a few days to find a new place."

"Kid." My head was starting to hurt. "You already figured this out. You are mine now. I've adopted you. This room is yours. You don't need to go find your own place." Ren looked around the baren room.  "I guess we need to go shopping for some decorations." The kid looked lost, "Well we have class tomorrow I'm going to bed. If you need me I'm two doors down. Hitoshi's already asleep he drugged himself for his insomnia." I looked at him again unable to read his expression, "Goodnight kid." 

He just stared at me and didn't say anything. 

I walked down to my room. My heart was pounding out of my chest.  I was so nervous about talking to him. I've been trained to deal with these situations, but it doesn't even compare to real life. Luckily I have already gone through this with Hitoshi, but Ren. I have a feeling he is going to be a whole different story. I not going to sleep at all tonight. 

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I just stared at him. I didn't really know what to say luckily he left. 

I am losing my mind. I am here. Here in Eraserheads house. A house with two extremely light sleepers. So I must be losing my mind. 

I laid down on the bed and sighed in disgust. It was too soft. Way too soft. I couldn't even move around I sunk into it so much. I'm bad with soft beds but a normal person wouldn't be able to sleep in this thing. I had to figure out a way to be able to sleep in this room.

What am I even thinking, why in the world would I sleep? But it doesn't hurt to lay down... I hated myself for it but I took the blanket off of the bed and looked around for a spot on the floor. Like the good slave I am. That's not why... It's just the bed isn't comfortable.

As quietly as I could I moved the bed into the corner of the room so it made the shape of a triangle on the ground between the bed and the wall. I took all the pillows off the bed and put them on the ground. I got my big fat cat and put it among the boring pillows. 

The hero had left my door open but I'm sure he has security to keep me in. First glance and I could tell the window was locked. It's not like it could keep me here but it made me uneasy. 

I kept the door cracked open. I turned the lights off, but I had excellent night vision. 

Why, why am I here? 

I really am starting to feel like two people. I'm not Ren, but I am. Ren is just a name I made up. The only thing I had a clue to my real name was zoo-zu. A pet name Master liked to call me. Maybe he literally meant zoo animal with the nickname.  

I need to get my priorities straight. I am here for information gathering, figuring out of the pro heroes operate, protecting the kids in 1-A, and learning how to fly. To do that I need to live here. Even if I am out less on patrol learning these things will help a lot of people.  All I needed to do is be my best self and no one will expect a thing, hopefully.

I got rid of my studdering. My stupid flinching has shown a couple of times, but I think I was able to hide it as anger. I also had a nervous habit of rubbing my neck. I've tried to get rid of it but I do it unconsciously. I only notice when I've already done it. 

I don't want to but I need to pretend that I'm ok with being adopted. I know for a fact that they aren't going to use me. I am nervous. I'm so nervous I can feel my skin shake. I don't know how a normal family works. What little things they will pick up on. What they do in the morning. Sure I've seen it before but it's different. What if the way I talk makes them worried? You just never know.

I do know one thing. The first step into blending into this family is being able to sleep. No matter how long it takes me to sleep I need to at least get a couple hours of sleep so Eraserhead thinks I have insomnia, not the fact that I'm a vampire. 

I laid down on my makeshift bed in-between the wall and the real bed. My cat pillow on top of me well I lay on the thin blanket. I listened to the noises trying to ignore the voices in my head. I have to be able to do this. It doesn't matter how hard it will be. I have to do it. 

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