-Let's Chat- (MHA x OC fanfic)

-15-

Noriko bounced on her toes, trying to reach a plushie on the top shelf.

Recovery girl.

The plushie was the perfect gift for Mizuki.

Noriko always felt she was a burden on Mizuki, and she wasn't stupid, she could see the way Mizuki hid her pain to make her happy. Noriko would never admit it out loud, but she was glad Mizuki didn't come shopping and instead stayed with Nezu and a few of the others.

Mizuki needed the rest.

Noriko needed the excitement.

Noriko never got to go out before really other than when she was 3 or 4. Back when Mizuki was still only like a ghost in the night to her. It was like one moment she had the perfect family and a little bit of a ghost in their house that occasionally would cry behind a locked door, and then the next she was stuck tormented in those walls too.

She loves Mizuki, she loves her so much and knows it isn't her fault, but there's a small feeling of both guilt and hatred in her head. If Mizuki hadn't stepped out of line she would've grown up as her parent's golden child dammit! She could've had everything if not for her! But at the same time that line of thought isn't what she believes. She doesn't hate Mizuki- it wasn't her fault and Mizuki did her best to keep her out of trouble... Noriko doesn't even really like the thoughts of that hatred when they appear. She feels guilty for having them, no matter how many times Mizuki said it was alright to hate her for it.

Noriko found herself zoning out to the stream of thoughts in her head, the Recovery Girl plushie now in her hands and her eyes filling with tears before she was suddenly scooped from the floor by a flurry of red feathers.

"You okay kid? You're tearin' up." Keigo was the one who picked her up, obviously, dropping her straight into a worried Rumi's arms.

"Yeah, kit are you good? You're shaking?" Rumi muttered to her, holding her close.

"...I hate Mizuki." She mumbled brokenly into Rumi's shoulder and neck, unable to properly express herself.

"You WHAT-!?" Hizashi was the one to respond to that, but he was quickly hushed by a glaring Shouta.

"I'm guessing she doesn't mean she hates her as a person. Let the kid talk on her own terms. She probably has a reason." Shouta spoke simply, giving Noriko a curt nod of approval to talk as they walked towards the food court, Keigo leading the charge in that direction.

"I was special to my mom and dad. I had everything and they loved me. The only thing weird was the occasional screaming behind the locked door to the basement and the sobs I heard every night that I was told to ignore.. she was like a ghost..." Noriko mumbled more of her thought process.

"She was a ghost? I'm guessing the beatings for you started and she got more and more common huh?" Rumi put the pieces together and Noriko nodded.

"As soon as I saw her face, home became scary. I wasn't safe anymore.. It's not her fault.. but it's like the door to the basement opened the door to the scary reality of my mom and dad.." Noriko muttered.

"So you hate her because she's the reason you saw how bad things were? But I'm guessing you love her because she helped save you and kept you as safe as you could be huh? It's perfectly normal to have a little resentment at your age, but as you get older we will definitely have to put you through counseling to work through those feelings." Shouta assured her that in her situation it was normal, she wasn't weird, these feelings were valid.

"And you're not a bad person for thinking that way little listener! In fact I hated Shouta for a long while because he showed me how homophobic, ableist and abusive my adoptive family truly was. He showed me that what they were doing to me was wrong and I hated him for it because I felt like I lost everything I had. But then we grew up and I found so much more, something truly real that had no hidden meaning. You're not a bad person for being upset, and maybe you and her living apart for a few years will definitely help. You'll be able to grow in a different way, like best friends instead of obligations and fear passed between you." Hizashi told his own story, Shouta falling in love with him and trying to court him in high school showed Hizashi how bad his home life was and in a way he refused to believe it at the time.

He hated Shouta because he felt Shouta had taken away his only sanctuary, but as he grew older and let himself see it for what it was, he saw the lies and bad things they did to him, and grew to be thankful for Shouta. He knew it wasn't exactly the same, but he hoped it was close enough to show he cared.

And it did- the faraway look faded from her eyes a little as she nodded, mumbling something about being hungry that made the group laugh.