he who said hello

flower 1

Touya has grown fond of the smaller boy. At first, he tried everything to get the kid to stop following him. He only saw the him as a burden, like a baby duck who wouldn't stop quaking. After a few days he thought the boy would vanish, but he was proved wrong very quickly. 

He wasn't too sure what changed, maybe it was just him missing his younger siblings that would dote on him. But he felt responsible for this mystery kid. Maybe it was the hope in his eyes, or the fear hidden behind it, but on that day, he swore to always protect him. No matter what.

And today would be no different.

"Hello, are you both alright?" 

Touya froze. He was so preoccupied with trying to keep them both warm without burning them that he didn't even notice someone approached them. He could feel his breathing become shallow as he pushed Tenko behind him the best he could. Did this man come to hurt them? Was he going to separate them? Millions of thoughts ran through his mind, each one worse than the last.

Almost as if Jiro could read his mind, he immediately took a step back. Raising his hands for them both to see, he gently placed the flowers on the icy ground in front of them. "I apologize if I scared you," he began. His tone remained soft. "I was walking through the park when I heard someone crying I thought, I just wanted to see if you were both okay." 

Jiro's smile never ceased as the young boy glared daggers at him. He bit back the urge to laugh at the older of the two's expression. He looked like a kitten trying to steal food. Seeing how neither of two responded, Jiro decided to keep talking. "You see that coffee shop right there," glancing over his shoulder he pointed to the store on the corner. "I own it, if you would like you two can come in for a drink and some food. All on me of course, and if you feel like leaving at any time you can. I won't stop you." Turning back to the two boys, he offered them a warm smile. He couldn't possibly leave them here without a guardian. After all, one of them looked as if they needed medical treatment for their burns, and the other was beginning to look feverish. The least he could do was offer them a warm place to wait.

Still in a state of shock, the two boys nod slowly. They didn't know that someone's smile could brighter so much in one second. Maybe it was his quirk? If so, then they should be wary. But they didn't have much of a choice on whether to follow or not, at this point they couldn't remember the last time they had something good to eat. 

Without missing a beat Jiro jumped up to his full height. Smiling down at the two he offered a hand to help them down. "Then come on! Order whatever you'd like!" He cheered; enthusiasm radiated off of him as he showed them the way. Even if he saw it, Jiro didn't acknowledge how the flower dissipated in the young child's hand. Or the sad look when he realized what he had done.

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Jiro didn't miss how protective the taller of the two was. Even with his burn injuries, he carried the smaller child the entire way to the coffee shop. He didn't he put him down until he was sure they were okay in the small shop.

'By the looks of it they've been alone for a long time...' A small frown grew on Jiro's face as he rushed off to grab them menus. He left the two in a small booth in the corner, while it was away from the door, it was the best seat to be able to look around. The entire cafe was visible from their location and hopefully put some of their anxieties as bay.

Tenko wouldn't consider himself a shy child, but after the incident his words seemed to be caught in his throat. At times he could manage a few words, and even short sentences. But that was very rare. And Touya knew that. He knew held it against Tenko, he wouldn't even dream of it. Because for the first time ever, the two weren't alone.

Jiro returned nearly immediately. His hands swiftly placed the two menus in front of them, or well modified versions. They were written completely in crayon, without any prices on them. Seeing how cautious the older of the two was, Jiro would hate to make the kid feel indebted to him. He had a sneaking suspicion that the kid would pick the cheapest item on the menu. So he went with the best option, a new menu just for them!

"I'm Jiro, could I have the honor of knowing your names?" He asked sweetly. The last thing he wanted was to scare them off. It was far too cold for them to stay outside right now.

Touya's eyes glared at Jiro as he slid a menu to Tenko. He wasn't really sure if this guy could be trusted or not. For all he knew the man could be hired by his dad or the police.

A second of awkward silence passed by before Jiro rocked on his heels. "Umm... how about this! You guys circle whatever you want and I'll bring it to you. No talking needed!" Jiro rambled out quickly. His hands patted his apron in search of crayons. He was sure he left some in his pocket.

Tenko watched with wide eyes as the male named Jiro stuck his tongue out. He wasn't really sure what to make of the whole situation. While the cozy building offered them sanctuary from the blizzard, it was still too much for him to process. He only followed because food was promised.

His sights trained on Jiro's moving hand. He watched every move his joints made when placing the crayons on the table. As if he was in a trance, he never once looked away.

A gentle nudge drew him out of his daydream. Touya's face was littered with concern as he looked down at Tenko. "Do you want to leave?" He asked quietly.

The blue haired child only shook his head. His hand shook slightly as he reached out for the crayon in front of him. What if he accidently destroyed it? Would the kind man kick them out? Would he get mad at them?

His thoughts only seemed to grow louder as he wrapped his fingers around the colorful wax. Closing his eyes in fear, he waited for the familiar feeling of ash under his fingertips.

Yet it never happened.

His eyes grew large as he stared at the crayon in his hand. All five fingers were holding it, so why wasn't his quirk activating?

A small joyous smile grew on his face as he drew little shapes on the paper, completely forgetting all about the food he was once preoccupied with.

Tenko's story will not be the same as the original, and Touya's might change a little bit. Gotta do it for plot purposes.