Summery: When that one person you want to hold in your arms and cherish forever is the very person you can never touch again.
"Well," Mitsu-chan huffs as she claps her hands on her hips and surveys the now empty apartment. "Now that those boxes are finally packed that's about it. My boys should be back soon with the truck and we can finish loading everything into… Inko-chan?"
Inko tries to smile, but its a weak attempt and doesn't fool her best friend one bit... Not that Mitsu-chan is usually fooled by her smiles, especially as of late.
The blonde women's brow knits together and a frown draws the corners of her mouth down. Inko knows she looks like a mess, she is trying to keep the tears in and stop shaking. It's not working.
"Alright," Mitsu-chan folds her arms over her chest and raises an eyebrow. "You were reasonably fine a few moments ago, what's wrong?"
"He's gone." Inko sobs. "Izuku is gone and he can't ever come back."
Mitsu-chan's face grows darker, but her eyes have softened. She moves over to where Inko is crying on the floor of her kitchen and reaches a hand out to awkwardly pat Inko on the back. Mitsu-chan is not a touchy feely person like Inko is. She doesn't do tenderness or comfort. But she is trying and Inko loves her friend for it.
"You already knew that." Mitsu-chan says. Inko knows she doesn't mean to be insensitive.
"I-I know. B-but i-its just that I s-suddenly fe- feel like he's here r-right now. Like I c-could j-just reach out a-and hold him a-again."
Inko is frustrated with herself. She's already gone through all of these emotions when they packed up Izuku's room. Everything had been so Izuku that she could not help but feel like he was there with them.
Now, now she had just been cleaning the kitchen one last time when a sudden presence so achingly familiar had crashed in upon her. Her knees had buckled and she had collapsed to the floor weeping.
Regret and grief gather in her chest until Inko feels so burdened and weighed down by her emotions she might be crushed.
"Come on." Mitsu-chan's voice is uncharacteristically soft as she lifts Inko off the floor. Inko only notices now that her hands are reaching out as if she were hugging someone small to her. It almost feels like she really is, like her little boy truly is in her arms right now cuddling against her as he did when he was younger. Its like he really is here with her.
Inko lets her arms drop and sob's harder. Mitsu-chan leads her to the couch and sits her down before joining her. Strong arms wrap around her and Inko begins crying into her friends shoulder. "I'm sorry," she tries to say but her words gets pretty muffled. "It's been three m-months and I really sh-should be over c-crying!"
"Hey, hey. It's fine Inko-chan. Go on and cry. There is nothing wrong with crying."
Inko sobs harder even as gratefulness wells up in her chest. Mitsu-chan always knows what to say and Inko is thankful for that.
They sit their for a while, Inko crying and Mitsu-chan holding her. The blonde women is Inko's anchor to reality right now.
Something changes in the atmosphere and the overwhelming feeling of Izuku is masked by a chilling stillness in the air that reminds Inko of death. A shiver runs down Inko's spine, but though it hurts she welcomes this knew feeling. It reminds her that Izuku is really gone, that the whole in her heart is justified and she isn't going to look up and suddenly see her baby boy coming around the corner smiling like the sun and excitedly talking about heroes.
Inko thinks that knowing her son is dead is better than forgetting for a moment that he's not, that the world isn't broken, only to be disappointed when Izuku doesn't appear before her eyes.
"It's okay Inko." Mitsu-chan says when Inko's crying quiets down. "Things won't be so hard in your new home. That's why your moving. To start over. Izuku wouldn't want you to be sad forever."
No, he wouldn't. That is what finally convinced Inko to move. She could never be happy here where everything- the park bench where they used to sit and feed the ducks together, the streat corner where he would stop and wave to her up on their balcony before disappearing around the bend on his way to school, the convenience store were he would always buy his hero analysis notebooks- would only remind her of what she lost.
"I'll miss you." Inko sniffs, rubbing at her eyes.
"Hey," Mitsu-chan grins. "You can't get rid of me that easy. We'll still see each other. There's no way I'm leaving you on your own for too long. No telling when I'll barge into your new place to make sure your taking care of yourself. I know where you live, after all."
Inko laughs, wiping the last of the tears from her eyes. "What would I do without you Mitsu-chan?"
"Ha!" Her friend laughs and stands up, a confident gleam in her eyes. "Probably just fine, to be honest. You may have everyone else fooled, but I know you Inko-chan. Your a tough bitch like me! I've seen you face down that villain of a husband you had with just a spatula! I know you can survive even this!"
Inko blushes at Mitsu-chans language, but she's smiling again, for real this time. It still hurts and Inko knows that it will always hurt- but she will keep moving forward.
Because that is what Izuku would want for her and she is going to do everything she can to honour his wishes.