The Beauty Of Falling (Mikoto x OC)

14: Masked

Petting the stray cat beside me, I looked towards some children which were playing in the park next to the bench I had gotten comfortable on.

"They're so carefree..."

Thanks to Anna's influence, Homra seemed to trust me more now, letting me leave the bar without anyone as a guardian to secure me not running away. Sighing, I watched as the kids were playing catch, running around and laughing.

Arching my brows, one of the kids had tripped, landing in the dirt as the others continued running.

"Are you just going to leave him?"

Not noticing their fallen friend, they distanced themselves further and further from him. The kid must have hurt his leg, as standing up didn't seem like an option.

Closing my eyes, I tried to ignore the scene in front of me.

"You really won't help him?"

I stood up, giving the cat one last pat on the head, as I made my way back to the bar. Staring towards the floor, I ignored the couples and adults passing me.

Walking past the entrance to the park, I glanced towards the kids once more. A single kid had noticed their friend, hurriedly running back towards him as he called out to the others. Mere moments later all of them were by the boy's side.

With a sudden gust of wind, my long, violet hair had obscured my vision, while my clothes fluttered with the breeze. Closing my eyes, I used my hands to kempt the single strands of hair back into place, until I was able to see again.

As If It only lasted a moment, the wind had died down once more, bringing the peace it had taken back with itself. Glancing back towards the kids, I had noted a change in the image.

Suddenly a single man had come into view, keeling down to the children as he pressed a band-aid onto the hurt kid's knee. Crouching down to him, the man put him on his back, carrying the smaller boy piggyback style.

"Maybe a relative of theirs?" Getting out a brown leather wallet, the man pointed towards an ice cream shop, making the kids change their frowns to smiles.

Averting my gaze, I moved on, not noticing a pair of eyes that fell onto me.

Putting a hand on my chest, I lightly frowned. "It hurts...but why?" Clicking my tongue, I tried to ignore the feeling, continuing to walk back towards the bar.

"You have no idea how lucky you are, kid."

---

Snow was lightly flying through the sky, occasionally touching my warm body and melting away. I couldn't wait to get back to the bar and get a hot drink to warm my freezing body up.

Rubbing my hands together in an attempt to create warmth, I deeply sighed.

"Warmth..." As much as I wanted to get back, there was one person I truly didn't want to face today. It's already been a week since that incident, yet I can still remember his hard and warm body pressed against my own.

We both had been avoiding each other. I couldn't even look him in the face, without being reminded of what had happened. It wasn't just out of embarrassment from me having shown myself in such a weak state to him.

I just didn't...no, shouldn't want to get closer to him than necessary. After the issue with the colorless king is solved, I'll leave. It's best to not get attached in the little time I spend with them.

Yet thinking about their cheerful faces as they sit together in the evening, drinking after another victory against some wanna-be gang, some of the boys teasing Yata again for his shyness towards women, Kusanagi getting angry at them for not being careful and almost breaking some of his glasses...