MINUTES

Panic

'He's alive…'

Her heart slammed against her ribcage as she took the stairs three at a time.

'He has to be…'

Startled voices called out behind her. She knew she shouldn't be running. But how could she not be? Her eyes frantically scanned the door signs as they sped past, until finally...

403: Todoroki S.

Her hands gripped the door frame to halt her momentum. Before she could catch her breath, hands landed on her shoulders, pulling her back.

"Ma'am, you can't go in there." A nurse from inside the room shut the door once the woman's hands were removed.

She struggled weakly against the man's grip, trying desperately to reach the door. To reach him. "I have to see him," Momo rasped. "I need-"

"You have to wait, ma'am. He's not stable yet."

His voice was soft, full of sympathy. But those words…

"He's not stable."

"H-he's… Oh, God…" If it weren't for the man's grip on her arms, she would have collapsed as she felt all her strength leave her.

HOURS

Numb

Words echoed in Momo's mind as she watched the slow rise and fall of his chest. The doctor had explained everything to her, but she could only remember pieces.

"A villain attacked…ambush…"

A single tear landed on the hand she held. She brushed it away absently, barely noticing how the wetness caused his ring to sparkle slightly.

"Electric quirk...high voltage…"

A sob tore its way through her soul.

"Heart stopped…"

The tears returned in force as Momo buried her face in the pillow next to the sleeping form.

"Your husband may never wake up…"

DAYS

Routine

A soft ringing cut the air just moments before a hand pressed the button to kill the sound.

Momo made her way through the motions. Shower, brushed teeth, dress for the day. Step into the kitchen and make breakfast. Eat, drink, wash the dishes.

This was the easy part. She could do all of this without thinking. After all, she'd lived alone for nearly 2 years before he…

She closed the cabinet and moved to the living room to grab her work bag. No different than normal.

Except…

Her gaze shifted, landing on the briefcase laying on the desk. It was closed. Just how he'd left it.

Her body moved against her will and she stumbled across the room. Her hands fumbled the combination on the clasps.

"Our wedding day. Nothing else seemed right."

Click

The briefcase opened. She knew what was in here. She'd been the one to organize it while she waited for him to return. Notes from meeting a the agency, plans and tactics for dealing with various types of quirks. Building plans for possible villain hideouts. Everything was still in its place.

Even the picture.

"Then in that case, maybe you should keep this in there as well."

Her fingers trembled as she slid it from its pocket, her free hand wiping away the tears threatening to fall.

A boy with white and red hair dressed in a simple tux, a soft smile playing across his features. A girl with black hair spilling down her back, white dress twirling around her as she gazed back at him. A bride and groom, ready to start their happily-ever-after.

Her heart shattered all over again.

WEEKS

Friends

Momo shut the office door behind her gently, letting out a soft sigh before turning to set the lock into place. Shouldering her bag, she set off down the hallway, doing her best to return the smiles of those around her.

'I may be broken, but the least I can do is pretend to be strong.'

Her thoughts were interrupted briefly as she was forced to take a step back, narrowly avoiding being trampled by to blonde blurs chasing each other. A soft smile forced its way to her lips as Bakugou's profanities and death threats faded, along with Kaminari's pleas for help.

'Some things may never change.'

The elevator chimed, kicking her back into autopilot. It wasn't long before she found herself walking out into the late afternoon sun.

This was the hard part. Every day she would make this walk, letting her body take over so she could mentally prepare herself.

Not that it ever helped

Checking in at the hospital never took long. Nearly the whole staff knew her by now, and not just as a pro hero. With a visitor's badge in hand, and after a few steadying breaths, she stepped into the elevator.

"It probably won't surprise you, but Bakugou almost killed Kaminari today." She took his hand in hers, absently playing with his ring. "They almost ran me over while I was on my way here."

She knew it was her imagination, but she almost could see Shoto smile at the thought.

"But anyway, I figured we could pick up where we left off yesterday," her hand reached for the book laying on the table by the bed. It took only a moment to find where she had stopped reading the day before. She cleared her throat, then began to read aloud.

Momo let herself get lost in the moment, the words on the page pulling her away from her broken life and the still form of her husband. She no longer heard the steady beep of the monitor, nor the chatter and noises from the rest of the ward.

She didn't hear the door open, nor the soft footsteps approaching. It wasn't until a small hand laid itself on her arm, causing her to jump slightly.

The world stilled.

Momo had feared this would happen. Day after day she'd practiced her facade in front of the mirror, perfecting her smile to hide the agony in her soul. The last thing she wanted was for her friends to see and worry.

Especially not her.

Tears slowly came as she gazed into the lavender eyes of her best friend. The book fell to the floor, forgotten in the moment.

"Momo…" Jirou's voice was little more than a whisper as she saw the facade fade away. She reached out and wiped a tear from the widow's cheek.

The touch was all it took to break the spell. Momo's sobs echoed in the small hospital room as she clung to her friend. For the first time in weeks, she didn't have to hide. She could let go of the fake smile, the practiced strength, and just be vulnerable. Her friend's gentle embraced echoed the words she didn't know she was longing to hear.

"You're not alone…"

MONTHS

Comfort

"You're strong, Deku." Quiet though it may be, Momo could distinctly hear Bakugou's words from where she stood, just outside the door to the viewing room. "You'll make it through this."

"You're strong, Momo. You're the strongest person I know."

She twisted her ring on her finger as Shoto's words echoed in her mind.

The door opened in front of her, pulling her back to the present. The blonde man paused and met her gaze. "Your turn, Ponytail."

Her eyes followed him as he made his exit. She couldn't help but marvel at the brief interaction. Bakugou cared about Izuku, that much was certain; she'd known this since their time together in school, even though he had tried hard to keep it hidden. But now, with three words, he'd told her so much more.

"You know what he's going through right now. You're the only one that can really help him here."

Momo reached for the door handle, but hesitated. Now was certainly not the time. Not with everyone else here. She knew what to do.

She needed to wait first.

The sky was clear, save a few wandering clouds. A gentle breeze played through the grass and scattered trees, carrying with it the birdsong that signaled the end of spring. None of these did anything to lighten the mood of the small group, come to mourn the loss of their friend, coworker and, for one among them, spouse.

Slowly, the group dispersed. Heroes and sidekicks alike offered words of comfort and encouragement to their green-haired compatriot before taking their leave of the cemetery. Within minutes, Momo was the only one left.

She could see the mask he wore, plain as day. The practiced smile, the tears held back. But more than that, she could see his pain.

"Your turn, Ponytail."

"Izuku…"

ONE YEAR

Hope

'It's a good feeling, not being alone.' Momo shared a smile with Izuku as they left Ochako's grave. He was obviously still hurting, not that she could blame him.

The two heroes walked side by side down the sidewalk, following the familiar route towards the hospital. "Y-you know?" Izuku mumbled, "I think this is getting a little easier…" His eyes met hers and he smiled back. "I have a lot to thank you for, Momo."

She put her arm over his shoulders, giving him a brief, friendly hug. "I could say the same, Izuku."

They continued in silence, opting to take the stairs upon reaching the hospital just to prolong the friendly atmosphere. The doctors and nurses greeted the two as they traversed the hallways and they both smiled in return.

403: Todoroki S.

Izuku turned to Momo. "I'll grab us some coffee." She smiled and thanked him before stepping into the room.

Sinking into the chair by the bed, Momo let out a sigh. The softly beeping heart monitor, the steady breathing of her husband. Everything was as it always had been.

"We're here, love." She took his hand, just as she had hundreds of times before. "Izuku and I just visited Ochako. I can't believe it's been a year already." A sad smile formed on her lips. "He says he's getting better, but I still…"

Her voice failed. Something was wrong.

Well, not wrong.

Different.

Her gaze fell on his face and her heart leapt into her throat.

'He's smiling…'

"Mo...Momo…?"