The Boys - Let Me Show You A True Hero!

A quick fluff to tide you guys over, because this was originally supposed to be fluff/slice of life. 

And show how close he's gotten with her before finishing Noir's arc! 

Also don't complain about having too much Noir! I know I kinda zoned in on him! 

But this is my story! So, I can do what I want!

Enjoy! Please leave a comment if you want more! The next chapter will be up soon!

Chapter 23

They shouldn't be doing this.

Was the thought that was going through Noir's head as he walked down the busy street filled with people as he got dragged along by Kimiko. 

It seemed a celebration was happening in the city, what they were celebrating was anyone's guess because Noir couldn't care enough to know.

How she managed to convince him to go was a mystery to him, he just couldn't seem to say no to her.

Black Noir adjusted the simple hoodie over his head and the black scarf around his neck, ensuring the shadows covered most of his face. 

He didn't need much of a disguise, no one really paid attention to him anyway or believed the fact he looked exactly like the world's greatest hero.

But tonight wasn't about missions, Vought, or bloodshed.

Tonight, he was just… him. Whoever that was.

Kimiko walked beside him in an oversized denim jacket, a beanie, and a large black scarf. Grinned up at him.

She tapped his arm excitedly before signing,

"Where first?"

Noir simply shrugged.

He wasn't sure where to start. He had never done this before wandering the city without a target in mind, without a mission dictating his every move.

But Kimiko was different.

She saw the world through fresh eyes, eager and curious, and tonight, she had decided they would experience it together.

She grabbed his wrist and led him forward, her energy infectious. Noir let himself be pulled along, the emptiness of his usual life lifting ever so slightly.

Their first stop was a street food stall.

Kimiko eagerly pointed at the sizzling skewers, her eyes wide with anticipation as a tiny trail of saliva appeared on her lips.

So, he ordered four of the skewers and handed the old woman a hundred, shaking his head when she tried to give him back the change. He had more than he would ever need and didn't want to carry the coins.

She smiled at him and happily took back the money.

"I hope you two love birds have a lovely night~!" She told them and her smile grew wider as she watched Noir hand Kimiko her skewer, and she couldn't help but notice how adorable they looked together.

Especially since Kimiko's excitement was evident as she bounced on her feet while receiving a skewer.

Noir had never really paid attention to food before, he ate because he had to, not because he enjoyed it.

So, he simply decided to hold on to the rest in case she wanted another one down the road.

…But when she took a bite of her skewer and gave him a wide, delighted smile while giving him an expecting look, he hesitated… and then took a bite of his own.

The explosion of spices and heat was unexpected but not unwelcome as he took another bite, this time notably a larger chunk of the skewer was gone.

Noir found himself nodding in approval at the surprising taste, which made her beam even more.

Kimiko giggled at his reaction, bumping him playfully.

They soon wandered into a claw machine arcade just as they finished with their snack. Kimiko was instantly enthralled, pressing her hands to the glass and staring at the stuffed animals inside. She turned to Noir, determination in her expression.

She pulled out her hand causing him to raise a brow.

"Money."

Noir blinked, then nodded. 

Seeing as the machine only took fives, tens, and twenties, he took out two twenties for her.

She smiled in delight, grabbing the notes and making a beeline for the nearest change machine.

In the pale glow of the buzzing neon lights, Noir watched as she tried several times to feed the machine her notes. Each time, it spit them back out at her, leaving her more and more frustrated.

He shook his head in amusement before stepping up beside Kimiko and taking the stubborn note from her hands. With smooth deliberation, he straightened it out on the edge of the machine before feeding it back into the slot.

The machine gulped down the note happily this time, spewing out a shower of shiny coins that Kimiko hastily chucked into a nearby coin pouch.

Noir couldn't miss the triumphant smirk she wore as she angled her body towards one claw machine in particular – one filled with a rainbow assortment of small stuffed cats.

Her first few attempts were far from successful.

The stubborn claw grazed past her target each time, nudging it just slightly off but never clasping it completely.

But Kimiko was nothing if not determined as she pushed in coin after coin, growing more focused with each failed attempt. Noir watched from his spot behind her, a faint semblance of a smile hidden beneath his scarf.

After nearly ten tries, Kimiko finally managed to snatch up a small black cat by its head. It hung precariously from the claw's grip as it moved slowly towards the exit chute. 

Kimiko held her breath while Noir simply watched as the stuffed animal dropped abruptly back down with the rest.

Kimiko jerked back as if the machine had physically slapped her, a small soundless gasp escaping her lips.

Kimiko released an inaudible groan of disappointment, her shoulders slumping. She turned to inspect the pouch for more coins, there was only one left before she had to go exchange for more. 

Her lips began to quiver as she muttered a silent prayer under her breath, the fierce determination in her eyes replaced with sad smile.

Noir pushed away from where he leaned against the wall of the arcade, blue eyes finding Kimiko amidst the pulsating neon lights.

He read defeat in her body language and decided that he couldn't let that stand.

He approached her, gently took the last coin from her hand, and turned towards the claw machine that had defied Kimiko time and again. 

Behind him, Kimiko watched with wide, entranced eyes filled with anticipation and faint sparks of hope.

With an air of confidence, Noir slipped the last coin into the slot. The claw machine hummed back to life, its mechanical arm hanging over the sea of rainbow cats like a vulture waiting to strike.

Noir's fingers danced over the controls as his gaze zeroed in on his target, a small black cat lying near the top of the pile, its twin button-like eyes reflecting back at him through the glass pane.

His mind calculated angles and trajectory as though it was a high-profile investigation case he needed to crack, rather than a simple toy in a claustrophobic box being manipulated by an unforgiving metal claw.

Then suddenly decidedly, Noir moved.

His touch was confident but light on the control stick. The claw mirrored his movements swinging smoothly across stuffed felines. As he pressed the button, his heartbeat went quiet in his ears.

The claw descended on its target, grasped onto the cat's head… and failed to grab hold.

…Noir refused to turn around.

He could feel the silent laughter radiating off of her.

SMASH!!!

The sound of glass breaking could be heard around the arcade, and an uninjured hand reached inside, ignoring the game's mechanics entirely, and plucked out a stuffed black cat.

Kimiko's eyes widened before she burst again into silent laughter while taking the cat from him and hugging it close.

She grabbed his hand and gave it an approving squeeze before quickly dragging him to the next adventure.

Noir quickly threw a large wad of cash at the machine and an apology note that he carries around with him in case he ever breaks anything on accident.

They ran out of the arcade as if they were being chased, with Kimiko laughing all the while.

They soon stopped by a drink shop with the black-haired woman having stars in her eyes at the type of drinks they serve.

They tried bubble tea for the first time, which Noir found oddly soothing despite the weird texture of the tapioca pearls. And Kimiko simply glowed in happiness while greatly enjoying her sweet drink.

They sat on a park bench together, watching street performers dance and sing for an adoring crowd of tourists.

Kimiko clapped enthusiastically while Noir simply nodded in silent enjoyment.

At some point in the night, she dragged him to a photo booth, shoving a pair of silly sunglasses onto his face and removing their scarfs to show off their face.

He hesitated, but when she smiled up at him, expectant and puppy-eyed, he relented.

The flash went off as she stuck her tongue out with a wide smile, flashing peace signs. Noir stood there, expressionless as he allowed her to do whatever she wanted, but something inside him warmed at the sight of her smile.

By the end of the night, Kimiko was carrying her cat plushie, her hands stuffed into her jacket pockets.

She looked up at him radiating happiness, and signed,

"This was fun."

Noir nodded.

"Let's do it again?"

A pause.

Then another more confident nod.

Kimiko grinned, then, on impulse, grabbed his gloved hand and squeezed it briefly before dragging him along once again.

Noir followed along, processing the unfamiliar feeling growing in his chest with each passing second he spent with her.

…This woman was dangerous.

But Noir didn't mind, he could get used to this strange feeling.