Part Forty Four, Cardinal

                                    

                                          

The trauma bomb that was Masari seemed to really kick Kirishima down and he stayed distant from you for a few days, always in some other corner of the apartment... You left him be. Not only was it good for him to have some time to re processes her death, but you actually got to have some bodily autonomy in his partial absence. 
Well, bodily autonomy except from having access to your own quirk and the ability to go outside. 
Luckily there was a little balcony attached to the bedroom that Kirishima had left unlocked, so you assumed you'd be allowed to stand on it and take in the view. 
It was just nice to feel the sun on your skin, the gentle breeze. You could see nothing but trees for miles and a small plume of steam a few miles down the dirt road that disappeared into the foliage showed you where the onsen roughly was...
It was peaceful. Serene.
But something was bothering you.
You'd never heard Dabi mention Masari. Not once. He never gloated about killing the sister of a rival crime boss... Had she meant so little to him? A small bug he crushed without a second thought just because she owed him money? 
It didn't sit right with what you knew of Dabi... he was vindictive, cruel and boastful. If she died just before he snapped you up, then why didn't he use her to threaten you? As an example? 
No. 
Something felt wrong. You weren't calling Kirishima a liar by any means, but the whole thing felt off on Dabis end... You guess you'd never find out as long as you were lucky enough to never see him again...
You tried to push it from your mind.
It was on this little contemplative visit to the balcony that Kirishima finally came to talk to you, interrupting your inner monologue and pulling you away from thoughts of Dabi. 
'Talk' was a rather strong word for what Kirishima had in mind... He came up behind you and wrapped his arms around your middle, resting his chin on your shoulder to look out at the view in total silence. 
It was a possessive hold, one hand at your hip and the other crossed over your chest to hold your shoulder. A hold that reminded you that you belonged to him. An object.
You'd tensed at first, staying prepared for whatever he might try, but he simply watched the clouds with you for a few minutes before he let you go and tapped your ass with the back of his hand, almost playfully.
"Come on. Theres some boots downstairs, get dressed and get them on." 
~
The crunch of dead leaves under your feet was a sound you didn't think you'd get to hear again. Nor the feel of the sun on your skin through the canopy of the trees in small sunbeams that carried dust and the shadows of bugs as the occasionally darted by. 
The new boots you wore were heavy, making the perfect weight to snap the small twigs hidden under the leaf litter, bringing the faintest smile to your face. 
It truly was the little things...
Kirishima walked behind you, giving you a fair amount of space as you followed the rope trail along the deserted hiking path, letting you feel some sense of freedom and independence that you were immensely grateful for...
 There wasn't another living soul in sight for miles and the whole thing felt rather apocalyptic. Maybe everyone had just vanished, leaving only you and Kirishima left in the world.
A bird scuttled out of the branches above you, sending a few stray leaves floating down around you and you felt your guts twist at the familiar hue of its feathers.