Lost in Paris💋 (Book 1/2 Lost and Found)

Chapter 22🕊️

She needed to fight fire with fire. Literally.

The group settled around the pond where Kara had seen the ducks. The brunette suddenly pulled out a pack of cigarettes from her purse. Nari rolled her eyes and focused her attention on the fanfic she was reading.

"Want one?" Kara handed the packet to Bakugo who eyed it skeptically.

"Come onnnnn loosen up a little!" She pushed the packet further towards him, he eventually gave in and pulled a cigarette from the box and used her lighter to light it.

Meanwhile Shoto watched the scene unfold, shocked that the blond would agree to doing that so easily.

"Kazumi, I'd ask if you wanted one but-"

"No thank you." He replied immediately, his father used to burn him with cigarettes. The memories were too painful to think about, even now all these years later.

He turned his head away from the pair, and admired the scenery. The ducks were very cute.

The faint smell of smoke and tobacco lingered in the air. It made the boy sick to his stomach. Standing up slowly, he turned to his friend.

"I think I'm gonna head home." Tears were brimming his eyes as memories of his childhood started to resurface. Katsuki took notice of this quickly.

"Hey, you okay? Why are you leaving so soon?"

"It's ok Katsuki! If he wants to leave let him." Kara inhaled from her cigarette and intentionally blew the smoke in Shoto's direction. Instinctively the peppermint took a step back and covered his mouth and nose.

"Hm looks like he can't handle a little smoke~" She teased. Bakugo glared at her.

"I'll see you later Katsuki." Kazumi turned around and started walking away. He froze in his tracks hearing the red-eyes male's laughter coming from behind him.

The tears he had tried to hold in for so long were finally set free as they rolled down his cheeks like pearly beads.

He kept walking and didn't stop until he got home.

/ / /

"Shoto! You're home already? Where's Katsuki? Is he still with-" When Rei saw her son's face she felt like her whole world was falling apart.

Rushing to his side she pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Sweetheart...what's wrong?" She asked, feeling him tremble and hiccup beneath her hands.

"Why is my heart crying too?" He asked in a soft voice, like a child's.

Rei froze. She understood.

"This is about Bakugo isn't it?" She asked, threading her fingers through his hair. She felt him nod. Letting out a sigh she knew there was nothing she could do to improve the situation but at the very least she could comfort him.

"What happened darling?"

"...I don't know. But when I see him with her...laughing and having fun...it reminds me of when I would watch Natsuo and Fuyumi play, from the balcony...then father would drag me to train..." They separated, but Rei kept her hands on his shoulders.

"Oh honey...I'm sorry." She was at a loss. Shoto was never one to have crushes or express a desire to be in a relationship. So Rei didn't know what to do.

"Mama...when does it stop hurting?" Her eyes went wide.

"He needs to learn what it means to be my successor!"

"Please stop pushing him! He's only 5 years old!"

"Get out of my way!"

That night, Shoto held onto his mom's shirt and cried. Each cry was like a dagger piercing through Rei's heart. Then, his small voice spoke up.

"Mama...when does it stop hurting?"

"I don't know baby. I don't know." And that was the truth, she had searched for the answer long before he had even been born. Now she learned to accept that it hurt. But she did not want that for her son.

She didn't know what to say, simply pulled him close to her once more and let him cry. They stayed like that for a while, eventually the boy got tired and went to his room.

Rei on the contrary knew she'd be getting no sleep that night. Not until she had answers.

What happened at the park?