Chapter Text
“You can still be a hero, Y/N.”
You snort awake, body jerking as you catch the beginning sways of turbulence.
“Sensei?”
“Mh?” Tense fingers claw into your armrests, knuckles straining against the leather upholstery of the seat.
“Are you alright? The pilot just announced we’re approaching some - “.
“Turbulence. Yeah, I’m fine.”
Another jolt of your seat and body. You could’ve sworn you heard something rip under your nails.
“It shouldn’t last long.”
All you could do was aim a mangled smile to your right.
Small puffs of cool air tickled your face, blowing strands of hair around your rimmed shades as the plane’s air conditioner chose that time to kick up its power. You could feel a drop of sweat rolling down your back as your neighbor mumbles out a “I hope...”
Trying to pry a finger out of the death grip you had on the arm rest, you cleared your throat. “How much longer?” You wince at the garbled words that bubble out. Water. You needed water.
A shift to your right, and the sound of the window shade being pulled up. “Around two hours.”
Another inhumane sound gargled out of your mouth before you eventually snap your hand up from the armrest and reach out, patting at the chair tray in front of you. Tapping against cool plastic, you curl your grip around the cup and down half the water in one go.
“It looked like you were having a nice dream, sensei.” His tone faltered as you placed the cup a little too roughly against the tray.
The corner of your lips twitched. Releasing a huff, your other hand clawing at your side came up to rub at the sleep in your eyes.
Abruptly, you froze as a maniacal cackle burst out some ways behind you.
With pursed lips, you turn to your teammate. “Define nice.”
Another cackle, cut off with a smack and a “ Ofugh ”.
You heard Ara snort, and a smile creeped on your face.
To your left in the aisle, you listened as lithe steps approached, moving away from the pathetic whine in the back. The steps stopped next to you, and a cool hand clasped your shoulder. The smell of mint invaded your nose, and you turned to the new individual. “You really shouldn’t be standing while there’s turbulence happening, Mari.”
A small giggle, “I’d rather deal with it than dealing with that idiot over there,” You listen to Mari hum in thought. “Want another Xanax, Y/N?”
“I’ll be fine, thank -”
“She won’t be able to poop if you give her any more, Mari!” Another cackle bellowed out from the back.
You heard air moving past, something solid sailing over you and to the source of the noise.
Thunk
“OW! Mari why?!”
Mari sighed, and you felt a squeeze to your shoulder. “Not much longer and we’ll all be home, Y/N. Try and relax, ‘kay? I’ll deal with him.”
You brought your own hand up, patting at the soft grip on your shoulder. Directing a small smile at Mari, you nodded before feeling her hand smoothly slide out from under yours, and listening to her retreating steps.
Ara cleared his throat from beside you. “What’re you going to do after we land, Sensei?”
Humming, you leaned back in your seat. “Most of my things have been moved into my new apartment, so I’ll probably be dealing with it tonight.”
“Do you need any help?” You were already waving your hand at his words.
“I’ll be alright. Go spend time with your family, Ara. We don’t often get vacations.”
Truthfully, you couldn’t wait to spend some time alone. A night in, some take-out, moving at your own pace….just a few more hours and you’d be off this hellish contraption and face-planting on your new bed in the comfort of your new home.
“You’re free to always come over, Sensei. My sister is always happy to see you,” You heard a grumble. “She’s always asking about you, too. More so than about myself.”
You threw a grin his way. “Making sure I’m keepin’ you on your toes. You miss her, don’t lie.”
Another grumble. “Just a few more hours and I’m going to be hearing all about her new guy.”
Just a few more hours.
You tensed as another deep jolt shook the plane, and suddenly something was wetting your lap, the sound of your now-empty and misplaced cup scuttling to the side.
You released a sigh as you listened to your teammate start speaking gibberish, the sound of tissues being torn out of a box and another whoop and holler from behind you as you contemplated the offered Xanax from earlier.
Just. A few. More hours.
________
You awoke with a start.
The sound of a plane overhead tutted high above you, over the safe comfort of your new home. The accompanying sounds of stray dogs barking and howling at the object in the sky made you groan, forcing you to roll over onto your back. Your drool-covered cheek slowly unstuck from the side of your bed, and you grimaced at the sticky feeling before vigorously rubbing at it with the back of your hand. With a sigh, you lifted your head up, listening for any semblance of the time.
As if the universe heard your wishes, your phone somewhere off to your side chimed, making three small beeps before completely stopping.
Three AM.
You groaned again, head flopping back against your sheetless bed.
With some effort, you rolled back onto your side, hand flailing around for your phone on your bedside. After some difficulty, you grasped the charger and traced your fingers up to your phone, unplugging it and throwing down the wire off to who-knows-where.
You’d find it later.
The pad of your thumb spread across the small buttons of your device, smoothing over the small ridges and feeling for tiny bumps that signified your message options. A few more presses of your thumb and you tilt the phone away from you, listening to the automatic voice of your speaker listing out your choices.
“Two new messages. Would you like to hear them?” The automated voice rung out in the silence of the night.
A press of a button.
“First new message, at 9:18 PM, from MARI:
“Hey Y/N! I know you just got home but don’t forget we’ll need to have a meeting with that Detective soon! Make sure to make the most of your vacation and rest. You’re too young to get bags under your eyes.”
Your finger hovered over the delete button.
“Yeah!” Another voice was heard in the background. “Otherwise you’ll end up like Mari-”
“End of the first message. Second message, at 12:42 AM, from DETECTIVE TSUKAUCHI:
“Orchid, this is Detective Tsukauchi. Apologies for calling late, but I have new information about the mission. I wanted to let you know that our meeting will be held in a few days for the debriefing. I’ll email your team the details. Have a good night…….and welcome back to Mustufastu.”
You dropped your phone to your side, closing your eyes and sighing deeply, the smell of cardboard boxes and cleaning utilities permeating your bedroom. Drowsily, you reached up to your neck, feeling for the clasp of your support band, before clumsily turning it off and detaching it. The band was tossed to your side carelessly, and you vaguely heard the support item bounce off the bed and land on what you assumed based off the sound was a box of clothes.
No more disturbances. Just a quiet, relaxing vacation.
As you drifted in-between sandman’s arms and reality, you twitched at the muffled sound of a door opening and slamming next door. Heavy footsteps switched to the sound of boots being kicked off, before finally a heavy thud and a groan made you wrinkle your nose in annoyance. When you no longer heard any other sounds of your neighbor, you drifted off, contemplating on the thickness of the walls of your new apartment.
With a mumble, you snorted to yourself.
“Thank god for vacations.”
A quiet, relaxing, vacation.
________
Three nights later, you fall back on your butt onto your soft, carpeted, living room floor.
The heavy smell of iron permeates your senses, and you scrunch your nose as you slap your palms to the ground. Gritting your teeth, you push yourself up in annoyance, snapping your head to the direction of your broken balcony door. Wind whipped at your hair, and you could only grunt at the feeling of icy rain drops pelting your skin. With little focus, you feel your palms tingle with your quirk, and you will away your sense of touch, the pain of the broken glass biting at your skin under your palms disappearing.
In front of you, you carefully push your bare foot out and make contact with something solid and wet. You flinch away as you hear a small groan from the lump in front of you.
You didn’t need your sight to know that the figure laying on the ground in your living room was bleeding.
And dying.
Okay, maybe not dying.
At least you think so.
But definitely hurt.
The lump groans again, and you hear a shift of movement from the figure, before you hear the lump promptly and completely collapse onto your floor.
As if he just died.
A quiet, relaxing vacation, indeed.