The weather had turned fairly quickly in the past few days. What would have been a downpour of rain, had it been in the warmer months of the year, was now large, silent flakes of snow that stuck to everything it touched. The city was slowly turning white, each minute passing adding another few layers to the quickly growing blanket of snow on the buildings and sidewalks.
Despite the miserable temperatures, the street and pedestrian traffic appeared unaffected. The dense population of people walking to their places of work, or simply enjoying a day on the town, was as plentiful as usual. Dozens of people carrying umbrellas or bundled up in thick coats trudged here and there, busy on phone calls or just talking with companions.
The cars on the streets were just as coated with the white stuff as the rest of the city, though traffic was forced to slow because of the icy roads. Every once in a while, you'd hear a car horn honk impatiently, or the screech of tires as someone tried accelerating too fast through an intersection.
A lone figure, clad smartly in suit and tie with a large trench coat covering the expensive material, dodged through the crowds silently. Eyes straight ahead of him and briefcase in one hand, he scanned the faces of those approaching from the opposite direction. Most didn't pay him any mind, taking him for a businessman on his way to a meeting of some sort, or meeting with a client.
Further beyond, a gap in the people revealed another man in much rattier clothing with his head bent low. His jeans were ripped in some places, scuffed tennis shoes, and a dark hoodie that had seen better days. The hood covered his head, so you couldn't quite make out his face. The man's hands were stuffed in his jacket pockets, possibly from the cold or from hiding something.
The businessman returned his gaze to the moving people, walking and blending in with the rest of the crowd. Puffs of air escaped mouths everywhere, swirling up and fading away after only a moment. He approached closer to where the hooded man was, both of them headed their separate directions, until it happened. The businessman hadn't bothered veering off course from his direction of walking, which in turn drove him straight into the shoulder of the hooded man.
They both staggered a bit, surprised at having been interrupted, and the businessman reached out in an apologetic gesture.
"My apologies, I didn't see you there." He placed a hand on the man's shoulder to indicate it hadn't been intentional. However, the hooded man, whom he could see had black hair underneath the jacket, simply shrugged out of the man's hold and continued walking forward, not having said a word.
The businessman looked back, unsurprised, before brushing the shoulder of his trench coat to straighten it out and returning to his original direction of travel. There didn't appear to be anyone who was really paying attention to their little exchange, seeing it as a simple accident the two had collided. Good. His job was done. The favor was paid.
The hooded man didn't bother looking at what had been slipped in his jacket pocket when the two men had collided, instead choosing to continue on in the direction of his temporary shelter. No one had bothered looking at him aside from bumping into the man, quickly dismissing him after a few moments. He was sure he wasn't being followed, and he'd gotten exactly what he'd wanted.
The walk to what was little more than a run-down apartment complex on the outskirts of the city limits took only another twenty minutes or so, prolonged only by the crosswalks he had to cross in order to get there. The crowds of the central regions of the city had thinned to the point where only a handful of people walked the sidewalks, and most avoided being near anyone else as they did so.
This was the old industrial section of town; long abandoned as old steel mills and textile companies of the previous decades relocated or went out of business, leaving nothing but the shells of abandoned warehouses and old worker's complexes in their wake. Crime rates were higher, but the police force didn't have much sway in these parts. Locals that risked residing in these area were criminals themselves, or had long ago given up the thought of the police being able to curb the drug abuse and violence that occurred here.
He swung a left through an alley between two warehouses. Trash littered the ground, and his feet brushed by the carcasses of dead rats and birds, no doubt preyed upon by the feral cat population running rampant around here. A chain link fence blocked the end of the alley, but it only took a few moments to scale it and drop down on the other side.
He checked his pocket for the items given to him, just to be sure he hadn't dropped them, before heading over to an old apartment complex left to rot. The entrances and windows were all boarded up, the city's original efforts to stop squatters, but no one really checked anymore to make sure the boards were tight.
He made his way to the southern face of the building, approaching one of the blocked windows. The only side that was bolted on was one of the top screws, meaning he had no trouble in swinging the board to the side to hop inside.
As his feet hit the ground, the plank of wood thumped back into place and shrouded the interior in darkness again. He took a flashlight from his back pocket and clicked it on, focusing the beam on the hallway ahead of him.
Law lifted the hood from his head and ruffled out his hair, making his way through the ruined apartments. The trash and loose newspaper that littered the ground crunched beneath his shoes. He could hear another occupant, a migrant who had a heroin addiction as he'd come to learn, moving around in another of the rooms that he passed by. They'd come to an agreement; leave each other alone so long as they didn't call the cops on one another. It'd worked out so far.
The door at the end of the hallway is what Law pushed open, revealing a semi-clean bed and a duffel bag with some ratty clothes. He closed the door behind him and took a seat on the mattress. The chill from the cold never truly left him, as the building had no heating or insulation anymore, and so he wrapped a blanket around his body to try to gain a bit more warmth.
He pulled the items from his pocket and held them in front of a beam of light that showed through a gap in the wood covering the window; pictures. Well, more accurately, pictures of faces. People who worked for Joker. Well, at least the most important ones, that was.
It had been so long since Law had been a part of the trade, he no longer knew who actually worked for who. Law needed to know where to start, and whom he should look out for. A few of the pictures, all taken from far away, he recognized as older versions of people he knew from before.
Buffalo, as he'd been known, a bigger boy who'd been rather cruel to him. Not directly, but fooling around and messing with things just enough to get him in trouble with the higher-ups. It seemed he found fun in making other people's lives harder.
Jora, a seemingly mother-like woman who was actually sadistic underneath that fake smile. Even when he was younger, Law had seen through all the sweetness, knowing what she was capable of if she happened to not like you. Her obsession with fine art was probably the reason he didn't see her often, always off to get expensive pieces from one black market or another.
Many of the others he didn't recognize, though Law had only gotten acquainted to a handful of members years ago, and Joker had a networks of hundred of people. He kept flicking through the pictures, memorizing faces, until he lit upon one that stopped him. Narrowing his eyes, he blinked a few times just to be sure, but that seafoam green hair was unmistakable. Monet.
He sat back, staring at the woman's profile taken from a distance away, obviously in the same diner where he frequented regularly. All this time, and she'd been one of them. No doubt feeding information to Joker for years. It was miraculous to think that nothing had happened to Summer thus far, if blackmailing him using her was their intention all along. Made his wonder why they'd waited to long before coming out of the shadows. A rise of anger hit his gut, and his fingers tightened on the picture.
If only he'd known. If only.
Just quickly as the anger came, it went, instead replaced by a cautious idea. His eyebrows lowered, head tilted to the side as he stared at Monet's face. Her eyes were not looking at the camera, obviously having been taken without her knowledge.
Perhaps he could use this to his advantage. It wouldn't be that hard to pretend like he wasn't aware she was one of Joker's men. After all, he hadn't known all this time. And the person he'd gotten the information from was good at what they did. They wouldn't have been caught in the act.
Law rubbed at his goatee with one hand, thinking over scenarios and what he could do to use it in his favor. An idea was solidifying in his mind, and he liked how simple it was. Perfect.
Yes, this could work. He just had to play it right.
It took a few days before Hitomi decided to tell Soma about this new development with Zoro, simply because she wanted to bring it up at the right time. Much as she wasn't concerned about the issue, Soma's opinion still mattered a great deal to her. He may be overprotective of his older sister, but if he genuinely didn't like Zoro, well…what was she to do then?
She'd just picked Soma up from school for the day and they were on their way home. Soma was playing on his gameboy as usual, allowing Hitomi to listen to the car radio in peace. She glanced back at him every so often, seeing his frown of concentration on whatever game he was currently playing. She'd been wanting to tell him the news, and she supposed now was as good a time as any. Pushing past the strange feeling of apprehension, she cleared her throat and looked at him through the rearview window as they came to a stoplight.
"Soma." She said, earning her a grunt to indicate he was listening. "I have something to tell you."
"What?" He asked, finally looking up at his sister. "It's important, isn't it? I can tell by the look on your face."
She smiled, proud of how well he was able to tell something like that. He'd certainly grown the past few years. She missed the young little brother who depended on her for everything. How time went by so quickly…
"Yes, it is important." She paused, accelerating slowly as the light turned green. "I've started dating someone."
"Who is he?"
"His name is Zoro, a friend from work."
There was a long pause from the back of the car, and Hitomi glanced back in worry. She'd expected an outburst of surprise or even anger, but not utter silence. Soma was staring out the window with an unreadable expression, gameboy held loosely in his hands.
Finally he nodded slowly, as if to himself, and turned back to the gameboy in his hands. "I see." Was all he said.
Hitomi raised a brow, focusing back on the road in front of her. "Nothing more to say about that? You've always had a strong opinion whenever I've brought up the idea before."
The younger boy shrugged, looking back up at her. "I know, but I don't want to be the thing stopping you from being happy, Big Sis. Just know that I'm going to meet this guy myself to make sure he's good enough for you."
Hitomi grinned. "That sounds more like what I know of you." She returned her eyes to the front of the vehicle, mind concocting a brilliant plan. "Why don't we invite him over for dinner tonight, then?"
"Hmph. Fine with me. He'd better not eat any of my leftover ice cream, though." And with that, he went silent again. That intense concentration returned, his fingers tapping away at the buttons on his gameboy. Hitomi felt a little better about everything, that conversation now out of the way. Soma's reaction had surprised her a bit, but at the same time was entirely within his personality. He'd grown up, alright. More than she'd noticed up to that point.
With the snowy weather, it was a bit longer of a drive home, but before long the silver-haired woman pulled into their usual spot among the parked cars. They exited the vehicle, careful not to slip on the icy patches of the concrete.
Soma went on about how this one girl at his school kept trying to be his girlfriend, and about how he had tried avoiding her all day. It seemed Soma's curse of being a natural ladies man everywhere he went carried through even at school. They conversed about what he could do to fix the problem, walking up the steps to their apartment, when Soma interrupted the conversation to glance at the neighboring door.
"Big Sis, where did Summer go? She hasn't been home for a few days."
She only hesitated a moment before responding with a small, forced smile. "She went on vacation with her boyfriend. That's why she asked us to take care of Max in the meantime."
He looked at the door for a few more moments, before nodding slowly. "Ok, well I hope she gets back soon."
"Me too." Hitomi said honestly, allowing a wince to escape through her expression. The living room behind the curtains was dark, and uncharacteristically silent. She didn't like it.
Soma started walking again, snapping her out of her funk. They stopped in front of their door and unlocked it, stepping inside to the darkened interior. Hitomi flipped on the lights, placing her bag and keys on the kitchen table as Soma ran to his room to dump his school stuff.
She grabbed her phone and scrolled through her long list of contacts to the very bottom. Tapping Zoro's contact file, she brought the phone to her ear and waited as it rung. While waiting, she toed off her shoes and tucked them into the basket by the door, feeling relief as her feet were no longer restricted into the tight wedges.
Soma ran back into the living room and jumped on the couch, turning on the tv with the remote. Hitomi walked back into the kitchen to put distance between her and the noise in the living room. Finally, the ringing stopped and a familiar male voice answered.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Zoro. It's Hitomi." She said, unable to help the small smile lifting the corner of her lips. "I was calling to see if you were working tonight?"
He paused for a moment. "Uh, no. It's my usual night off. Why?"
"Well, I was wondering if you'd like to come over for dinner. I'm making…Italian." She decided there and then. From the couch, she heard Soma's 'yes!' of excitement.
"Yeah, sure. What time were you thinking?"
"Well," she paused, looking around at the kitchen with signs of anything being cooked, "give me about an hour and I should have something ready. Come by around 5?"
"That works, and uh…is Soma going to be there?" The slight fear in his voice as he asked was almost comical, but Hitomi was just able to withhold the laugh that threatened to burst forth.
"Of course. Is that a problem?"
"No, no! I just wanted to make sure." He hurried to correct the misunderstanding. "I want to make a good first impression, is all."
Touched by his thoughtfulness, Hitomi chuckled softly. "You don't have to worry so much about that but…be prepared for anything. Soma is hellbent on making sure you're a worthy boyfriend."
"That's not very reassuring, you know…"
She laughed again. "I'll see you soon." She bid, and he said his goodbye as well. Hanging up the phone she went to the fridge to see what she could prepare in an hour.
Within the hour, Hitomi had a nice Italian meal finished and ready to be served. Manicotti and stuffed mushrooms right out of the oven, and some wine for her and Zoro. Soma grabbed one of the cans of ginger ale that Hitomi kept for special dinners like this. The younger boy helped to set the table for three, arranging it so that two of the chairs faced directly across from each other. She had no doubt who those two chairs were intended for.
Hitomi changed from her work attire into something more comfortable, a simple, blue blouse and breathable jeans. She also took the time to clean the living room of some of Soma's games, vacuuming just so it didn't look so dirty.
"This guy better be worth all this work you're doing, Big Sis." Soma had commented seriously, causing her to chuckle.
A little before 5, there was a knock on the door. Hitomi straightened from the counter to answer it, but before she could Soma rushed over and threw it open without care, confronting the man on the other side with hostility.
Zoro took a step back in surprise, eyeing the shorter boy with a mixture of fear and determination. Soma, in turn, held his head up high with a confidence all his own, examining the man who dared try staking a claim to his sister.
"You must be Soma. Hitomi's told me a lot about you." Zoro started after clearing his throat, managing a pleasant smile through the tense moment. The younger boy didn't even attempt to return it, arms crossed stubbornly as he stared up at the taller man.
"And you're Zoro. I've heard about you too." He threatened ominously, as if there were some secret he knew about. "You're the one who thinks he's good enough for my sister, huh?"
Zoro opened his mouth but couldn't quite find the right words to say. However, Soma didn't give him a chance to recover, holding three fingers.
"There are three rules in this household. One," he switched to pointing a single finger, "you don't touch Big Sis. At all. Two, no swearing. And three…don't touch my ice cream in the freezer."
Zoro sweatdropped, torn between taking the kid completely seriously, or as a joke that he was supposed to laugh at. From the stern expression on his face, he was willing to bet it was the former, and so he nodded along obediently. "Got it."
Finally relenting, Soma stepped inside and headed towards the dinner table, allowing the green-haired man to actually come inside the house. Hitomi stood in the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of the wine that sat on the counter.
"Hello, Zoro." She greeted sweetly, stepping around the island to instinctively welcome him with a hug. However, she stopped short, glancing over at Soma who was now seated at the table. "Ah, I would hug you, but it appears that we have a chaperone for the evening."
Hitomi turned to regard her brother, who peered at the two of them through squinted eyes. "I'll be watching like a hawk." He promised.
"That's alright. Wouldn't want to break the rules." Zoro smiled, admiring the way her hair fell slightly out of the bun she'd pinned it up in. The silver-haired woman moved to place her wine on the table, walking back over to the counter to reach for the second glass.
"Would you like some wine?" Hitomi asked, waving him away when he tried to follow. "Go sit down and I'll serve dinner."
"Sure, I'd love some." He replied, doing as she told and took a seat across from Soma. The younger boy took out a pen from nowhere, writing on a stack of papers that Zoro now noticed was there.
"Hmm…" The boy hummed to himself, intently writing something that Zoro couldn't see. Swallowing nervously, the green-haired man tried reading what Soma had written, but he covered the paper before anything was discernible. "It's rude to watch people while they write."
"Oh..sorry…"
"Soma, be nice." Hitomi called from the kitchen, and he reluctantly shrugged.
"Hmph. This doesn't put you off the hook." The boy tucked the paper he'd been writing on in his lap, away from Zoro's line of sight, and looked back up as Hitomi came back to the table with her companion's wine glass in hand.
It took a few minutes for her to serve the dinner on three plates, but before long the three were seated comfortably around the table, taking the first few bites of their dinner. Silverware clanked against the sides of ceramic plates, and the tv quietly played sound from the living room.
"This is fantastic." Zoro complimented, pleasantly surprised by Hitomi's cooking skill. Not that he thought she'd be a bad cook but…it tasted absolutely delicious, more so than most home cooked meals he'd had in his life. "Where'd you learn how to make this?"
He could feel Soma's stare directly across from him the entire time, but he tried to ignore it. If the kid was trying to make him sweat, he had another thing coming. Zoro was not one to be scared away so easily. He'd already decided the silver-haired lawyer was someone worth the trouble of gaining Soma's approval for, no matter what he had to do to get it.
In response to his question Hitomi smiled, finishing a sip from her wine.
"My aunt traveled around the world for awhile, picked up quite a bit about different cultures' cuisines. I learned a lot from her." Hitomi admitted, cutting up one of the mushrooms on her plate.
"Really? Does she travel for work?" He inquired.
"No, my uncle does. He's a musician in a…reasonably popular band." She finished cryptically, grinning despite herself. "She goes with him when they go on tour occasionally."
"That's…not what I expected, honestly." He chuckled with a smile, catching Soma's eye accidentally. The boy didn't look too impressed with Zoro at all, and the green-haired man swallowed. Things didn't appear to be off to a good start, despite his best efforts.
"Big Sis, when can I start the test?" The boy interrupted, looking to his older sister. She sighed and rolled her eyes.
"If you want to ask a few questions now, go ahead, but wait until after dinner for the rest, that way we all get a chance to eat."
Zoro tried gleaning something from Hitomi's body language and facial expression that would give him some clue as to what he was in for, but neither she nor Soma gave any sort of indication he could go on. The boy brought out the paper's he'd been writing on previously, setting them on the table beside his plate.
"Raise your right hand." The boy instructed, staring at Zoro expectantly. The man glanced at Hitomi, but she only nodded for him to go on. The green-haired man did as told, waiting for further direction.
"Now, repeat after me: I, Zoro, promise to answer all questions truthfully." The boy paused, waiting for a response.
"I, Zoro, promise to answer all questions truthfully." He repeated, one side of his lips twitching upwards in an amused grin.
"Soma, you do know Zoro's supposed to place his hand on a bible while he swears the truth, right?"
"Oh…" The boy seemed to deflate a bit, before shaking his head to continue. "Doesn't matter. He'd better not lie, or I'll make him regret it."
"I won't lie." Zoro promised, and Soma stared at him for a moment.
"Alright, then we'll start with the first question." At that, Zoro lowered his hand back to the table, picking up glass of wine to take a sip. "What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?"
"Umm…strawberry."
Soma immediately shook his head, crossing something off on the paper. "Tsk tsk. Big Sis hates strawberry ice cream. We're already off to a horrible start, pal."
Hitomi couldn't hold back the chuckle as she ate her meal in peace, watching her two companions with amusement and intrigue. Not even she had seen the questions Soma had prepared for Zoro. The green-haired man sighed, feeling like he was in for a lot more than he'd anticipated.
"Have you ever gone skydiving?"
"Yeah, once."
"Hmm. Recklessness…Big Sis doesn't like people like that." Soma muttered. Scribble.
Hitomi only smiled, allowing her brother to continue his 'interrogation.'
"Do you use a towel when you come out of the bathroom?"
Zoro frowned, glancing over at Hitomi who conveniently found something very interesting in her food. "…Yes?"
"…huh."
Scribble, scribble scribble.
"If you found $100 on the sidewalk, what would you do?"
"Keep it, but that doesn't mean-"
"Greed isn't attractive." Soma whispered to himself, writing something else on the paper. Zoro rubbed at his forehead. You just couldn't win with this kid.
"Favorite flavor of instant ramen?"
"…" Zoro thought about it longer than he normal would have, trying to gauge what answer wouldn't result in a scathing comment from the boy. "Pork."
"So does that mean you are a defender of animal cruelty? Do you enjoy the thought of pigs in distress so that your ramen can taste like their flesh?" Soma stared at him, unblinking.
Despite knowing it would do no good, Zoro tried defending himself. "I didn't-"
"Big Sis loves animals. She could never tolerate someone who enjoyed abusing them."
Scribble.
Zoro bit back the urge to say how unfair this whole thing was, reminding himself once again that this was just a kid he were dealing with. Plus, yelling at her little brother was probably no way to get on Hitomi's good side.
"How often do you brush your teeth?"
Zoro quirked a brow, now just trying to get through this crazy test before he was accused of anything else ridiculous. There was no way to win here. "Twice a day."
"Only twice?" Soma narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously, pen hovering over a spot on the paper.
"I guess…? Isn't that the average?"
"I see."
Scribble scribble, scribble scribble.
The sound of the pen scratching paper began to sound a little more daunting than before.
"Which is better between Marvel or DC?"
Ah, a more innocent question. "Marvel." Zoro answered with confidence, thinking that the smaller boy was probably more enthralled with the action-packed superhero movies that were all the rage these days. Marvel seemed more his age's style. Besides, he himself much preferred large-scale fighting scenes rather than gritty and confusing storylines.
Soma sighed deeply. "Just because they have more movies out right now doesn't make them better. DC has much more complex themes below the surface. I'm disappointed." Scribble scribble.
Well, there went that assumption.
Every time he tried to catch Hitomi's attention, she seemed to purse her lips and look away mischievously, not giving away any answers. And there went his last lifeline for guidance. Seemed he was on his own now.
"Are you afraid of spiders?"
"No." He replied honestly. For once, his response wasn't met with a hasty negative comment. Instead, Soma slowly nodded his head.
"There's one redeeming quality about you, at least. I don't like spiders."
Soma wrote a few more things down on his paper, before Hitomi stepped into the conversation once more, shooting Zoro an appreciative look he couldn't quite interpret. "I'd say that's enough for now, Soma. You can ask the rest after we finish eating."
"Alright."
Hitomi helped ease the silence that settled by asking Soma about his day and if he had any homework. The boy talked for quite awhile, much more forthcoming with information to his older sister than to what was effectively a stranger in their household. Though, Zoro did appreciate getting to know a little more about Soma. The more he could make the boy comfortable, the more he was likely to get on his good side.
They ate the rest of their dinner without much incident, and Zoro helped Hitomi put away the dirtied dishes. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Soma write something else down, staring at the two adults intently. The green-haired man couldn't help but feel his every move was being watched and analyzed.
"You don't have anywhere to be tonight, do you?" Hitomi asked after they'd finished cleaning up. She smiled expectantly, while Soma scowled a little from behind her.
"No, I can stay a little longer if you'd like."
"That's great! Soma, why don't you finish your homework now. You can play video games afterwards."
"Ok…" The boy skulked, heading off to find his backpack. He disappeared around the corner, leaving Zoro and Hitomi in the living room together. Once the younger boy was out of sight, Hitomi stepped closer and wrapped her arms around his neck, causing him to pull her closer.
"I'm sorry Soma's giving you such a hard time. He's just…"
"Overprotective?" He guessed, and she nodded.
"Yes, but he means well. It may not look it, but it seems to me that he's warming up to you."
"Not to be rude, but I don't really believe you." He winced, recalling all of the glares and huffs of superiority Soma had been sending his way during dinner.
"It'll take some time. He hasn't had to deal with this situation before. And…to be honest, I think he's afraid you'll take all my attention away from him."
Zoro cocked a brow and tilted his head a little, realizing that the both of them had started swaying side to side, slowly circling the spot where they stood. "Why would he think that?"
"He was an only child, so he's used to the attention. And after his parents died…" Her voice got quiet as she looked down the hallway Soma had gone. "I think he sees me as all he has left."
The both of them went quiet for a moment, Hitomi staring down the hallway with a sad expression, and Zoro staring down at her. There was so much he admired about her. The way she held herself in such high esteem, the way she took on responsibility without breaking a sweat. It didn't surprise him that her dedication and attention to Soma's feelings were just as high a priority as the cases she took on at work.
"It doesn't bother me." Zoro admitted with a serious expression. He leaned in to kiss her chastely, pulling away after a moment. "I'll answer any questions he has if it makes him more comfortable about all of this."
"I really do appreciate how considerate you are when it comes to him." She said, smiling up at him softly. "I think having you around will help him as well."
Before either of them could say anything more, they heard Soma returning from his room down the hall. They both pulled away, as quickly as if they'd been caught in the act of doing something naughty, before Soma could see them. The boy walked over to the couch with a backpack and books in hand.
Hitomi was about to join him on the couch to help him, but the ringing of a phone stopped her. She sighed, walking over to the side table where her purse was, digging around in it to find the ringing device. Zoro stood awkwardly at the counter, unsure where he should be.
She saw the caller ID and shook her head. "It's the office, so I'll have to take this. I'm sorry, but could you help Soma with his homework for a little while? I shouldn't take too long."
"Oh, yeah…sure." He agreed, watching as she answered the phone in her usual even tone.
"Hello?" She moved off down the hall to speak in private. "Yes, this is Hitomi…oh yes, thank you for getting back to me…" The rest of the conversation faded away as she shut the door to her room, leaving Zoro alone with the younger boy on the couch.
He cautiously approached the couch, gazing down at what Soma was working on. "What homework do you have?"
"Math." Soma responded in a monotone, frowning with concentration on the page in front of him. It was filled with tables and divisions and fractions of all kinds. Zoro had always hated math, but that didn't mean he was bad at it.
"Is it hard?"
"Kinda."
"Would you like some help?" He asked, moving to sit beside the kid on the couch.
"You're only offering because Big Sis asked you to." He said in a pout, eyes never straying from the page. Zoro didn't know what to say to that, and Soma apparently wanted to end the conversation there. The older man looked around the room, trying to find the best words to say to the kid. He wasn't making this easy for him, but after talking with Hitomi, Zoro wanted to try his best to ease a few of Soma's worries.
Deciding that he'd get straight to the point, Zoro moved to crouch in front of where Soma was sitting, allowing him to meet the boy at eye-level. "Look, Soma, I know you don't like me too much. If I were in the same position, I'd be feeling the same way as you do."
"You don't know how I feel." He glared, trying to ignore Zoro as best he could, but the green-haired man wouldn't let that happen.
"Ok, you're right, I don't. But that's not gonna stop me from trying."
There was a pause, as Soma either didn't know what to say nest or simply didn't want to. Zoro carried on regardless.
"I'll tell you honestly. Your sister is an incredible person, and I really like her. I want to get to know her, and you too. But that doesn't mean I'm going to push you two apart or cut you out of the picture, ok?"
Another silence persisted between the two of them, but Zoro wanted the kid to understand what exactly this relationship would mean. The last thing he wanted to happen was him harboring this resentment because they never bonded.
"Your sister can date anyone she wants, at any time. I can be replaced by any number of guys and the situation could remain exactly the same. But Hitomi will always have you, Soma. To her, you're irreplaceable. That's not gonna change, and I'm not going to get in the way of that either."
"How do I know you'll keep your word?"
Zoro smiled. "I took that oath before, didn't I? I wouldn't lie."
"…what do you like about Big Sis?" He asked quietly, some of the hostility ebbing away.
"I…" He paused, looking for the right way to describe someone like her. "She…Hitomi is everything that I'm not."
The boy frowned, head raising to stare at him. "What do you mean?"
Zoro shook his head ruefully. "I'm the muscle-head that dropped out my senior year of high school because I didn't like it. Never went to college, worked dead-end jobs for awhile. Finally got one that payed well enough for an apartment. I've never had an idea of where I wanted my life to go, other than going to the gym to work out."
The man smiled, eyes far-away. "But Hitomi…she's intelligent, worked her way through law school because she knew that's what she wanted to do. She's got that drive to succeed in life, and won't let anything get in her way."
He was surprised to find Soma smiling as he described his older sister. It fueled him to continue, glad he'd finally found some common ground they could start to bond with.
"Big Sis is pretty amazing." The boy agreed, and Zoro chuckled.
"The fact that your sister doesn't need anyone, and then realizing that she wants to be in a relationship with you just because that's what she wants…that's more motivating than you understand. It gives me a reason to be better."
"Alright, alright…anymore of that and I might puke." Soma criticized, yet even though the words were harsh, he said them with a grin on his face, eyes still on his homework. "I'll give you a chance, but don't think that means you completely pass my test. We've still got to go through the rest of the questions. And…" He trailed off, staring past Zoro into the room.
"…and?" Zoro raised his eyebrows expectantly.
"You'll still have to prove you're worthy."
"How would I do that?"
"I challenge you to a duel of laser tag. If you beat me, I'll consider letting you date Big Sis."
Zoro reminded himself that Soma was still just a kid, after all, and smirked at the boy's challenge. He stuck out his hand to shake, and the boy took it eagerly. "Deal."
"Before all that," a female voice interrupted behind them, causing them both to look towards the hall where Hitomi emerged, "somebody has to finish their homework."
"This guy keeps distracting me!" Soma pretended to complain, turning his head back to his page and focusing on the problems. Zoro felt a lot better after their talk, and left him alone, joining Hitomi for some more wine at the counter.
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