No Good Deed Goes Uncomplicated part 5 (Patreon)

Rumi stepped outside the main entrance of Fukuoka Airport and took a deep breath, tilting her head back to look up at the sky. She raised a hand to shield her eyes from the bright sunlight, feeling the familiar warmth on her skin.

Her ears twitched as she caught a few whispers around her - people recognizing the new rising star, Mirko, the Rabbit Hero. Some were probably wondering what a fresh pro hero was doing here instead of in the bigger cities; others might've seen her recent appearances on the news about her debut stopping that convenience store robbery that had escalated.

She just grinned widely, showing her sharp canines. Well, that resulted from going all out in practice fights where she'd had to bite down really hard on opponents who thought grappling her was a smart idea.

It had been a long while since she'd been back in Fukuoka - years of hero academy grinding, grueling training sessions, licensing exams that tested every limit she had, internships under pro heroes, and finally her first official patrols as a licensed pro. The time had flown by in a blur of fights, studies, and proving herself over and over again.

But she'd made a promise, and Rumi Usagiyama didn't break her promises.

Unlike some idiot who was supposed to keep in better contact...

Time to see that twerp.

Her red eyes scanned the area before locking onto the nearest rooftop across the street. Without hesitation, she crouched into position for a second before breaking into a run. Her powerful legs launched her into the air, easily clearing the distance between the ground and the roof in one leap.

The moment her feet hit solid surface, she was off again.

Jumping from building to building, using her quirk to parkour across Fukuoka's rooftops - god, she'd missed this. The freedom of it, the wind whipping through her hair, her ears streaming behind her as she moved. 

And the best part? Now with her hero license, she could use her quirk freely in public without worrying about some uptight teacher or cop giving her shit about ‘illegal quirk usage’ or ‘public disturbance.’

Though beating up villains legally was definitely the best part of being a pro. Getting paid was nice too - really nice, actually, having a steady income instead of gambling on tournament wins - but nothing beat the pure satisfaction of landing a solid kick to some scumbag's face and watching their expression change from cocky to unconscious.

After several minutes of roof-hopping, muscle memory guiding her through familiar routes, she found herself approaching that park. She slowed to a stop on a nearby rooftop, standing there and taking in the sight.

Almost without thinking, she dropped down to ground level and walked over to the same bench where she'd been sitting that night. It looked exactly the same, weathered wood and all, though the atmosphere was completely different now - warm and pleasant with birds chirping instead of the biting cold that had threatened to freeze her solid.

She sat down, running her hand along the worn wood. This was where she'd been sitting when Kaito had found her that night. Where he'd offered his hoodie, which she was absolutely still keeping, by the way, and he could pry it from her cold, dead hands if he wanted it back. 

Where everything had started to change...

Well, it actually started back when he'd caught her before she face-planted into the pavement, but this bench was where things had really shifted.

"Getting sentimental, huh?" she muttered to herself with a slight smile, shaking her head. 

But dwelling on memories was pointless when she had a funny eyes to surprise.

She launched herself back into motion, crossing the remaining distance in record time until she finally stood in front of the apartment building. The very same building that had been her home for those crucial months - always welcoming despite its small size, always with warm food waiting and that lumpy couch that had somehow become the most comfortable thing in the world.

Her heart did a weird flutter thing as she climbed the stairs to the familiar door, taking them two at a time.

Then she stopped on the landing, hand raised to knock.

And suddenly she got cold feet.

Which was completely stupid. Absolutely, ridiculously stupid. This was Kaito and Yuki. She'd lived with them. Ate their food, monopolized their couch, yelled at their TV. 

She'd promised to visit. They were probably expecting her - well, maybe not today specifically, since she'd been deliberately vague about when exactly she'd show up, but still. Kaito was supposed to be waiting for her during these days like he'd said. 

There was no logical reason to be nervous.

So why was her hand frozen in mid-air like some kind of idiot?

What if things are different now? What if it's weird seeing each other after so long? What if they're busy and I'm interrupting something important? What if they moved on and I'm just some girl who crashed on their couch once? What if-

"Oh, for fuck's sake," she growled at herself, her ears flattening in annoyance. This was ridiculous. She was a professional hero now. She'd taken down villains twice her size, stopped robberies, saved civilians. She wasn't going to be defeated by a stupid door.

Naturally, she did what she always did when overthinking got the better of her.

She roared in frustration and kicked the door open.

"OI! FUNNY-EYES!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, storming inside like she owned the place. "I'M HOME! AND YOU BETTER HAVE A GOOD REASON WHY YOU'RE NOT WAITING FOR ME AT THE AIRPORT LIKE YOU PROMISED!"

Her ears were standing straight up at attention; her face slightly flushed.

"I BROUGHT SOUVENIRS AND EVERYTHING, YOU UNGRATEFUL TWERP! THE LEAST YOU COULD DO IS- IS-"

She trailed off as she actually looked around the apartment, her aggressive energy deflating slightly as she took in the empty space. The living room was deserted. The kitchen sat quiet and still. No sound of footsteps rushing to see who was making all the noise, no Yuki's voice calling out asking who the hell was breaking down their door this time.

Nobody was home.

Rumi scratched her head, ears drooping in confusion.

"Did they... move out or something?" she muttered to herself, wandering further inside. The place looked lived-in at least - there were dishes in the drying rack, a jacket thrown carelessly over a chair, medical textbooks stacked haphazardly on the coffee table next to what looked like case files. But no actual people to go with any of it.

Right. It had been years, not months. They weren't teenagers anymore, sitting around the apartment all day with nothing better to do. They had lives now, careers, adult responsibilities. Of course they wouldn't just be waiting around at home in the middle of the day for-

"Rumi?"

She froze completely, but her ears perked up, at the sound of her name in that voice - deeper than she remembered, more mature and confident - but unmistakably the same one that had talked her through many moments.

She turned around slowly, almost afraid of what she'd see.

Kaito stood in the doorway she'd just kicked open, those same distinctive spiral-patterned eyes wide with obvious surprise. He was carrying a grocery bag in one hand, clearly having just returned from shopping, his keys still dangling from his other hand.

And he was tall.

Like, really tall.

Rumi just stared for a long moment, her brain short-circuiting as it tried to process what she was seeing. Her eyes traveled up, and up, and up until they finally met his face. Then she gulped audibly, all her earlier bravado completely deserting her as she walked up to him and awkwardly raised a hand in greeting.

"Uh... hey-" He tried to start, a smile already forming on his face.

"HAAAA?! HOW DID YOU BECOME THIS BIG?!"

The twerp was practically double her height! She was looking up at him like she needed to crane her entire neck back just to make eye contact, and why the hell was she cursed to be so damn short?! This wasn't fair! This was completely and utterly unfair!

And much to her absolute dismay and indignation, Kaito had the audacity - the sheer audacity - to put his free hand on top of her head, clearly comparing their heights with that infuriating look of his dumb face.

Years ago they'd been practically the same height, dammit!

"You grew!" she accused, jabbing a finger at his chest which was now annoyingly higher than she remembered.

"That's generally what people do over years," he said, shrugging. "It's called biology."

"Well, you did it too much! This is ridiculous! You're like a damn tree now!" She gestured wildly at his height. "What did you do? Hang yourself upside down every night? Drink nothing but milk? Make a deal with some height-increasing quirk user?!"

Kaito just chuckled - and even his laugh sounded deeper now, which was completely unfair - and began gently rubbing the top of her head between her ears. "Good to see you too, Rumi. I missed you."

That actually felt really nice. Warm and familiar and comforting in a way that made her chest feel tight and-

No, wait! She wasn't going to let him distract her with stupid head pats!

Mirko swatted his hand away, her face heating up traitorously. "Don't just- you can't just- UGH!" She crossed her arms defensively, ears flattening against her head. "And what's with that smug look on your face? You think being tall is some kind of achievement? I could still kick your ass, funny-eyes! Height means nothing in a real fight!"

"I'm sure you could," he agreed easily, setting down his grocery bag and moving to close the door she'd violently opened. "Still breaking down doors, I see."

"It was unlocked!"

"That's not really the point."

"Then what is the point?!"

"That you haven't changed at all," he said with that same warm smile.

Wait. When had his smile gotten so... so...

Handsome?!

Since when did she think of Kaito as handsome? Sure, his face had definitely matured, gotten more defined angles and stronger features, and those spiral eyes had always been striking in their uniqueness, but- but that didn't mean- she wasn't-

"Earth to Rumi?" Kaito waved a hand in front of her face, those green rings spinning with concern now. "You okay? You just went completely red."

"I'M FINE!" she practically shouted, spinning away from him so he couldn't see her face. "Just- just hot in here! When did you guys turn the heat up so high? It's like a freaking sauna!"

"It's spring. The heat's not even on."

"Well, it feels like it is!" She desperately searched for a change of subject, her eyes landing on the grocery bag. "Where's your sister anyway? I brought her stuff too! Souvenirs from Hiroshima and everything!"

"Working a double shift at the hospital. She finally got promoted last year, so she's been pulling longer hours." He picked up his groceries again, heading toward the kitchen. "She'll be back around eight though. She's going to be thrilled to see you. Want some tea?"

"I want answers about why you became a giant," Rumi grumbled, but followed him into the kitchen anyway, her earlier nerves fading into familiar irritation. "Seriously, what did you eat? Fertilizer? Growth hormones? Did you find some weird quirk that-"

"Vegetables. A balanced diet. You know, normal food." He pulled out the kettle, filling it with water. "Unlike someone who used to survive on convenience store energy drinks and whatever she could swipe."

"Those were tasty!"

"That was terrible for you."

"I turned out fine!"

"Did you, though?" He raised an eyebrow, those spirals spinning teasingly.

"I'm a professional hero now! I'm doing great! Better than great! I'm amazing!"

"And humble too," he added dryly.

"Damn right I- hey, was that sarcasm?"

"Would I use sarcasm on you?"

"You absolutely would!"

"Fair point." He started preparing the tea, and Rumi found herself hopping up to sit on the counter - something Yuki had always yelled at her for doing. "So, how have you really been? Besides the obvious success."

And just like that, the floodgates opened. She complained about everything - the height difference (again), the fact that he hadn't met her at the airport like she'd vaguely hoped, how exhausting hero work could be despite loving it, how some of her pro hero colleagues were stuck-up and annoying, how the media kept trying to make her do interviews when she just wanted to punch criminals.

Kaito just listened to her rambling with that same patient expression he'd always had, occasionally interjecting with questions or comments, and handing her tea when it was ready. And Rumi found herself relaxing more with each passing minute, the apartment feeling more and more like home again.

"Want to take a walk?" he suggested after she'd finally run out of immediate complaints to air. "Like old times? There's still a few hours before my sister gets back."

"Sure," she said, perhaps a bit too quickly. "I mean, yeah, whatever. If you want. I've got time."

They ended up walking through the familiar neighborhood, Rumi pointing out all the changes she'd noticed since she'd been gone - new shops that had opened, renovated buildings, that one convenience store that had finally fixed their perpetually broken sign. She boasted about her hero work, embellishing only slightly about the size of the villains she'd fought and how impressive her takedowns had been.

"And then I kicked him so hard he flew backward into a concrete wall and left a dent shaped exactly like his body!" she gestured wildly with her free hand. "You should've seen it, it was amazing! The other heroes were just standing there with their mouths open like they'd never seen a proper roundhouse kick before, and I was like-"

She trailed off as she suddenly became acutely aware of something warm wrapped around her fingers.

Looking down, she realized they were holding hands.

When had that happened? 

She didn't remember reaching for his hand, didn't remember him taking hers, but there they were - fingers interlaced like it was the most natural thing in the world.

She should probably say something. Make a joke, pull away with some excuse, demand to know what he thought he was doing.

Instead, she just kept walking, tightening her grip on his hand just a little-bit.

It felt... right. Reassuring. Safe in a way that she couldn’t quite tell…

Happy.

"Anyway," she continued her story after barely missing a beat, pretending her heart wasn't beating harder, "after that the news crews showed up and wanted to interview me, but I just told them to focus on helping the civilians who were shaken up since I don't really like doing interviews and all that PR garbage."

"Very heroic of you," Kaito said, and she could hear the smile in his voice. His thumb brushed against her knuckles.

"I know, right? I'm basically the best." She grinned up at him, ears perking up with pride. "Though the agency keeps trying to get me to do more media appearances. Something about 'public image' and 'marketability.' Like I care about that stuff."

"You're plenty marketable just being yourself," he said. "Fierce, strong, unapologetic. People love that."

Her face felt warm again. "Yeah, well... I'm not changing for anyone. That's not who I am."

"I know. It's one of the things I-" He paused, then continued. "One of the things that makes you a great hero."

Rumi glanced up at him, wondering what he'd been about to say instead. 

And Mirko didn't overthink it, or demand answers, or make a scene.

She just held on tight and kept talking.