The Wise Child (BNHA x OC)

7. Kettle

(This chapter is a little more gore heavy, so if you are someone who is easily put off by blood I recommend caution when proceeding.)

Yae was laughing. It had been a long time. Five weeks and six days, to be exact. For a moment, when she was laughing, I smiled. But then the bandages on my face crinkled on the burn, and I stopped, and I remembered why it had been five weeks and six days since the last time Yae laughed.

I slowly pulled myself upright, the giddy sounds from outside the kitchen door no longer sounding quite so nice. They sent my stomach aching. Like a hole had been dug out and my blood was gushing down like a waterfall.

When I opened the door the bright sun made my eyes crinkle, but I felt just as cold as I usually did. Or, maybe it wasn't usual. It definitely wasn't, I didn't used to feel cold. But it was hard to remember what I used to feel before mom- before the accident. So now even the sun felt cold.

"Come play with us!" Fuyumi yelled, her eyes bright and encouraging. But her smile was tense. It looked wrong on her face. I nodded and stood beside Yae, who was now wearing her quiet expression, staring at the older two apprehensively.

"We're about to play hide and seek, you up for it?" Natsu asked, crossing his arms and staring down at me with an almost teasing look.

Fuyumi slapped his shoulder and glared daggers at him, "No, we're playing tag, that's what Yae wants."

"I'm okay with hide and seek." she said. Her hands were shaking, she was nervous. But that wasn't unusual anymore. I used to be able to know why she was nervous, or if she was even nervous. Better than our mom- or, well, then any one else. Now she felt blank. Silent. I supposed this was how everyone else saw her. And that felt wrong. The hole in my stomach somehow felt deeper.

"No, we agreed to tag." Fuyumi said, her voice turning soft before sharpening as she whispered to Natsu, "We're not doing this for you, idiot." Her gaze returned to the both of us and she looked softer again, "I'll be it. Okay?"

Yae nodded, grabbing my hand and pulling me to the left as Natsu began running off to the right. Fuyumi counted loudly and slowly. It was so slow that I wondered if she was putting a full minute in between each number.

Regardless, Yae continued to pull us quickly until we rounded the corner of the house. By the time Fuyumi had begun running after Natsu we had been standing quietly for around ten seconds. She shoved me behind her, as if to protect me even though it felt silly. Her eyes were glaring harshly behind us when a sudden yelp drew my attention.

"Gotcha!"

I jumped back, having knocked both me and Yae to the floor. I was breathing heavily, eyes scanning my surroundings for the threat, ready to protect us, before I realized it was just Fuyumi.

I let out a sigh, as she ruffled my hair, "I win."

"Don't touch him!" I heard a strangled voice cry. It sounded like a wounded animal, but no, not wounded. It sounded like a predator devouring its meal. I looked back to find Yae, her eyes shut tightly, screaming at the top of her lungs. "Don't touch him! Don't touch him!"

"Yae?" Fuyumi asked, face pale, any humor drained away.

A sudden sharp spike jumped towards her, Fuyumi barely stepping back in time to avoid being impaled. It was ice, but not quite. There was something wrong about it.

    I looked back towards Yae, and I startled, stumbling towards a bush behind me, cutting my hand on a bush.

    Her hair looked red in the sun. Her shadows were always strangely red, I'd seen it before, but staring at her, looking at her like this. For a moment I could have sworn she was my father.