61: 𝙷𝚎𝚕𝚙
After fixing her hair and taking her home Karon left without much word.
Nova was left alone in their house without much to do other than sleep. Her boredom led to anxiety. Thinking of everything that happened the previous day. She snuck into Karon's room, moving quietly despite the fact that she knew her guardian wasn't even home. She opened a drawer that usually held the woman's cheap cigarettes.
Nova usually wasn't opposed to swiping just one or two. But today she was a little more guilty over it. Karon had been... Nice. Or at least she had done something nice for her. It made her feel bad about stealing.
But when she opened the drawer she realized there wasn't even anything to steal. There were a few empty cartons and candy wrappers, along with other junk.
But no cigarettes.
Seems Karon had a stressful week too.
Nova slowly closed the drawer with a sigh. Rubbing her temples. She knew she was weak, but she couldn't stop thinking about it. After everything that happened the past few days she was already constantly on the edge of having a breakdown. On top of that her cravings were getting worse.
Nova bit her lip as though she could swallow down these stupid urges. As much as she hated it the amount of time between smoking and the desire to smoke again was shrinking. She could blame it on UA, but honestly it was her own fault for getting this deep into it.
She walked back to her own room and dug through a few drawers. Before pulling her jacket and shoes back on and walking out.
⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘
Nova made sure she had her phone on her this time. In case Karon decided to call her randomly. As she had done after the festival.
She walked awhile before she stopped at an old gas station. It was a little sketchy, but she didn't mind it. She looked around, hoping to find someone to help her out.
It was a process Nova had done just a few times in middle school, it was more to help out her 'friend' than herself. He was the one who even convinced her to do it.
⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘
"Huh? Why don't you do it?" Nova asked nervously, looking up at the boy. She was around thirteen at the time, he on the other hand was almost sixteen.
Still too young for cigarettes.
Salty banks was a combined middle school and highschool. Grades going all the way up to graduation. And even with all those students... This guy was the only one who didn't mind Nova's company.
"Because no one's gonna help me out." He said with a shrug, his smile was smirk-like. In a teasing way. "Except you."
"But why would he help me?" Nova asked, looking over at the guy standing outside the convenience store. He was leaning against the wall, smoking and looking around lazily. He didn't seem to be more than twenty five years old.
"Because you're cute." The older boy shrugged again at Nova's question. "I'm not."
"But what if he's a villain?" Nova whispered. He sure looked like one.
"That's even better. He won't care about the law."
"What if he hurts me?" Nova said, eyes full of worry as she fiddled with her uniform tie nervously.
The boy with her let out a chuckle. "Oh come on, I'm right here. I won't let him hurt you." He pat the top of Nova's head. "Remember what I did with those other kids who were giving you a problem?"
"Yeah..." Nova said with a small frown. "It was kinda scary..."
"Hey! I was helping you."
"I know." Nova nodded and looked back up at him. "Thank you."
"Yeah yeah, just go and ask. You don't need to be so nervous all the time." He waved off her thanks.
"Lighten up a little Kurayami."
⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘
As much as Nova now regretted that friendship. She still thought about it every so often. Now with an older perspective.
Maybe having a Thirteen year old little girl use her cuteness to ask for cigarettes from sketchy strangers was a very questionable thing to do... But Nova had followed that guy without much question at all. Which eventually led to her expulsion.
But that didn't mean she couldn't use the same methods. In fact Nova didn't even have to flirt with the men at all. Just ask politely, seven times out of ten they took pity on her. Giving her one or two, even buying her a whole pack.
They definitely weren't great people. But who was Nova to judge? She was the nicotine addicted daughter of a mass murderer. She didn't exactly have the moral high ground in any situation.
She glanced around and saw the dim light of a lot cigarette between the gas station and the building right beside it. It was just bright enough outside for her to get a good look at the man smoking it.
His appearance was notable, which was probably why he was hiding in the alley the way that he was.
His hair was dark black, spiked in a way that reminded her of Bakugou's. He was wearing just a black hoodie and dark jeans, the hoodie pulled up barely over his hair. His face...
That was the notable part.
He had large scars over his face, his entire lower jaw was a reddish purple color. He had similar patches under his eyes as well. They were stark in contrast beside his pale skin. The seam between the two types of skin was almost stitched together with metal staples.
Nova took a deep breath and slowly began to walk over towards him. He looked rather intemidating. And she wouldn't be surprised to learn he was a wanted criminal. Nova didn't have backup this time...
But she had just won the sports festival yesterday. Surely she was strong enough to defend herself if needed, right?
Nova stopped at the mouth of the alley. The man didn't move his head, but his eyes turned up to glance here way. They were sharp and blue, she found them vaguely familiar. But she wasn't sure why...
There was a long moment of silence.
Before he looked back down.
"Beat it kid." He said simply, puffing out smoke. The smell of it literally made Nova's fingers shake.
"...No?" She said. Though it was a question, she didn't seem so sure of what she was doing. She hadn't done this in a while, and when she did she had someone giving her pointers and encouragement behind the scenes.
"That wasn't a question. Stop staring." He huffed, Nova immediately averted her eyes.
"Can you... Help me?" She asked nervously.
This was such a a shitty idea. She knew that. Dangerous too. Nova had to take deep breaths of the smokey air, to remind herself why she was doing this.
"...No." He said, but his eyes started to study her harder this time. "Fuck off."
Nova bit her lip nervously. "Please? It won't take long." She tried again, reaching into her pocket and pulling the small amount of yen she had taken from her drawer. She didn't have much money, but she had enough for at least two cheap cartons.
"Do you have an actual death wish? What part of me telling you to fuck off do you not get? What type of moron kid are you?" He said, flicking his cigarette to the ground. His eyes turned into a glare. It made the blue seem even more icy and intimidating.
"...The kind that wants a cigarette?" Nova said slowly after a small flinch. She took a step or two backwards. But she had encountered people like him before, his hostility didn't actually mean he wouldn't eventually give in.
He stared at her.
"...what the fuck-" He ran a hand down his face with a pained expression. "Dear God please don't try to seduce me for a pack of damn Marlboro cigarettes."
Nova's face went bright red and she immediately started to back farther away. Yeah this was most definitely a mistake.
"...I wasn't going to seduce you... Just asking." She mumbled, ready to completely make a run for it.
"Stop." He said suddenly. Nova suddenly halted at his single word. Heart thundering in her chest.
"Awh fuck. Fine. Whatever. Give me the damn money." He said with a look of annoyance on his face.
"You will?" She asked in confusion.
"Give me the money."
"Please don't run away with it... I don't have much." Nova said as he stepped closer, hand out.
"You sure know how to pull on heartstrings." He said with a completely annoyed and sarcastic tone. Snatching her money from her hand and shoving it into the pocket of his hoodie.
Before Nova could argue he was marching away mumbling under his breath. Nova followed after a few paces, then watched as he disappeared inside of the store.
She waited outside, thinking about ditching completely. Though the man was harsh... He didn't give the same creepy vibes she was used too getting from these types of people. There were a few times when she had genuinely felt unsafe with men her friend had convinced her to talk too. Especially when they tried to get her to stay and smoke with them.
But despite his faults, her friend did always follow through with his promise to protect her from them. He didn't let them so much as touch her.
He had been a complicated individual, like her. Or at least that's what he always said. That they were alike, that's why they had to stick together.
Until they didn't.
Footsteps approached her as she stood thinking through what she was doing. Her regret wasn't quite strong enough to scare her away.
"There. Happy?"
The man was back, tossing two packs of cheap cigarettes at Nova who clumsily caught them.
"You actually..." She muttered quietly.
"Oh so now you're surprised? No thanks or anything. Figures." He crossed his arms with a glare. "Now fuck off, and don't bother me again."
Nova slipped the packs into her bag gently, as though they were precious. "Thank you. I thought you'd leave with my money."
He scoffed. "Guess you're not completely dumb. I almost did."
".. why'd you do it?" She asked with a soft frown.
The man stared for a second or two, hesitating before he cracked a smirk.
"Maybe I like the idea of helping a UA kid get into trouble."
A/N: he stole them btw.
Dabi 100% just took the money and stole the cigarettes. Also normally I wrote him to be a complete asshole in my fics (because he is) but I decided to make him better here...
Mainly because he is a complete parallel of Nova. Similar to How Shoto is but more so.
He was raised by a hero who was evil. Then became a villain.
She was raised by a villain who wasn't, and is now becoming a hero.
Ahhhh it's so beautiful *wipes single tear*
Also this chapter was mainly to display two things.
A little more about Nova's past, and the fact that she is indeed addicted to Nicotine and smoking.
Like she doesn't just smoke every once and awhile to be cool or whatever, she's struggling with something that is genuinely hard. And she doesn't have anyone to help her and support her through it.
Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: ZingTruyen.Xyz