𝗙 𝗔 𝗟 𝗟 𝗜 𝗡 𝗚 （ｔｏｇｅｔｈｅｒ）

01. 𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨

How am I supposed to make it through 80 years of life when I've barely crawled my way through the first 20? When I have no idea what Im gonna end up doing for all those years. For Christ's sake, I don't even have a clue where I'm going to end up next week, not to mention in the next 60 years. Are you kidding me? It just sounds so unrealistic, living this stupid day to day, paycheck to paycheck life for as long as I live. I hate every minute of even having to think about it, it makes my stomach churn with disgust.

These warm nights sometimes make up for some of it, though the stone edge beneath my thighs sent a chill through my body and scratched slightly against my skin. The view from up here has always been amazing, the city lights always seemed to glimmer. Maybe my eyes have been playing tricks on me all this time, delusions made up by my mind to find the best in this horrible world, but I think it's beautiful. I'll definitely miss this the most.

Funny, isn't it? All the things I have in this life and I'll miss a silly skyline. But, as much as everyone says they care about me, it doesn't feel like I matter. Those little things, like not listening to what I'm saying, or not saying I love you unless I say it first, or not asking me how my day was, they get to me. Of course you'll miss me when I'm gone, but you'd get over it, wouldn't you? That's what I've always thought.

I got treated like a psycho when I finally opened up all those years ago, treated like a little glass doll who'd break if you so much as talked to her the wrong way. So I closed myself up again, acted like I'd gotten over it. They didn't notice. I struggled for years in silence, not ever wanting to be treated like that again, but for some stupid reason I was praying, and hoping, and yearning, that someone, anyone, would notice. They never did.

Maybe it was the somehow warm breeze that coaxed me over the edge, or maybe it was simply because I wanted to know what it felt like to fly. To close your eyes and feel the adrenaline shock your brain, that sinking feeling in your chest as you fall, feeling like a high. Or maybe it was because I was tired, tired of being talked over, and not feeling like anyone cares. Tired of having to listen to everyone's problems but never getting to talk about mine, having to bottle it inside and cry about it at night, and then getting mad at myself for being so pathetic. I was so sickeningly tired.

It was just a little hop over the edge, and it felt like everything I had imagined. Though faster than how I thought it'd be, I was falling. Watching as all those glimmering lights just turn it to blurs, my hair flailing as I felt the wind curve around my arms and legs like a silk ribbon. It didn't feel quite like falling, it felt like flying. What an amazing end. Any second now...... five seconds maybe? Four.... three...

two!

I jolted, my eyes flying open only to be hazed by tears. I'd been plucked from my sweet, sweet serenity, but.... I was still flying. I was being embraced, and it was almost as warm as the air earlier had been. I blinked, trying to wipe away the hazy cloud that covered my mind and get a grip on reality. All I could manage to see were hazes of red, so, so much red. Blood, maybe? No, it's moving, and the red looks fluffy...

I reached out a hand to touch the lake of red, only to have my hand swatted away by a sea of browns. Oh, right. Don't touch the red. I covered my eyes with my hands, why can't I picture anything in my mind? It feels like I can't see, everything is such a blur. Everything hurts.

"Hey..... what's your name, kid?" A voice asked.

Oh... I'm standing. So, I wasn't flying? Was that just a delusion? I peeled my hands away from my eyes, my mind finally cleared, to see a man in front of me. Oh, no we were definitely flying, and that red I saw, that must've been his wings. Gosh they're beautiful...

"Soooo, you've got no name then? Or is gawking just a hobby of yours?" The man said again, voice smooth and melting like butter on his tongue.

"Y/N Sosore....." I muttered, still lost in the intricacy and sheer amount of vermillion feathers there were, all slightly differing in size. "Uhm, what just happened?" I realized my heart had been pounding the whole time, and I was starting to feel dizzy, the adrenaline wearing away.

"Well I thought someone had pushed you off of that rooftop, but it doesn't look that way." He began, drawing back his arms that I hadn't even noticed were on my shoulders to stabilize me. "Wanna talk about it?"

I shook my head. "Oh, no... there's nothing to talk about. I just took a little tumble. That's all." I took a couple steps away from him, now not being able to even make contact with that beautiful red I had been mesmerized by mere seconds ago.

He stepped closer again, head tilting to the side. "Okay, stop bullshitting me. What's up?"

"Nothings up." I demanded. Now glancing up at his visor that was an annoying shade of yellow. Why would he need those at night....?

A heavy sigh left his lips, fingers pinching his temple. "Y/N Sosore, right? Do you have family? I'll call them and tell them what happened, then I can take you home."

"No. No family." I know exactly how'd that go. He'd call mom, she'd act all sweet and worried till she was alone with me, and then the screaming would start. The name calling. The guilt tripping.

"Well sorry squirt, but with just happened I'm either gonna have to take you home or you're gonna have to stay with me till I can file an incident report." He started wandering around the alleyway in which we had dropped, going where his feet carried him but making sure to not go too far.

"....Incident report?"

"Yeah. You said you took a 'little tumble' right? Probably means there's a serious safety issue on that rooftop...." I could sense the sarcasm dripping off his lips. He's mocking me.

"That won't be necessary." I deadpanned.

"God DAMN you're difficult. Okay let me put it this way, if what I think happened is what just happened, I'm not leaving you unattended. I've got a guest bedroom so until you start talking or give me someone else to take you to, you're hangin' with me!"

Not that again. Not the constant monitoring, being treated like a scared little puppy in need of the most tender care and affection so that it can function. I don't need that. This guy doesn't look that fast, I could probably outrun him anyways...

"No thank you." I booked it, turning on my heels and running as quickly as I could muster in these dress shoes, having almost reached the end of the alleyway.

That crimson red was in front of me in a flash. I stopped dead in my tracks, it was clear I wouldn't be able to escape it. "Hey hey hey! Did I not just say I can't leave you unattended?" He laughed.

"You're not taking me anywhere... that's kidnapping." Coaxing him would end up being useless, I knew that. But at this point I just wanted to go home, forget everything that had just happened, and move on with my life. Though, I wasn't even sure what my life would look like from now on.

"Oh geez guess that means we'll just have to become friend so that you won't press charges! Up you go now, kiddo."

God this guy just does not give up.

Those same crimson feathers I had admired earlier were now hugging my arms, legs, and feet, floating me into the air, only to be shoved into that jerkwads arms again. The feathers didn't budge no matter how much I resisted as we flew through the air. Must be his quirk...

"Oh! Right!" He piped up, mid-flight. "My names Hawks! The wing hero, pretty cool right?" He paused for a moment. "Hey! I asked you a question you've gotta answer!"

"Didn't know being a hero gave you a pass to stick your nose in other peoples business..." I whispered, making sure it was just loud enough that he could hear me.

"HUH?! SORRY?? Can't hear you it's the- THE WIND RESISTANCE- it's just so loud!!" The man, who I now knew as Hawks, screeched in my ear.

I hate this. It was momentary lapse in judgement when I jumped, thats all it was. I won't do it again. Just please let me move on, go home, and pretend like nothing happened like I always do... But deep down in my gut, I could tell this guy wasn't going to let me go.