The moment the words were sent was the moment I regretted my decision. I stared down at my phone in disbelief. I…I told him I loved him. We'd never even used the word 'love' before when talking and here I was blurting it out. God! What was he going to say? Would he reject the confession and push me away, would he accept the confession and return my feelings? My head began to swim as I stared at my phone in anticipation. Anticipation…that remained for a while. I waited for a few minutes, those minutes ticked by into hours, and I still remained with my phone in hand, tightly clinging to it as though it were a life line.
When it did vibrate, I panicked and jolted as I flipped it up to my face to look at the screen. The disappointment that washed over me could fill a room. It was my father. -That bastard still there? We need to talk a family.-
I gave a groan. Of course Toshinori wasn't going to message me back. I dumped my feelings into the open, he's a Pro-Hero. This was a stupid mistake. I messaged my father back as I grit my teeth. -All Might is out saving people and being a Pro-Hero. I'm alone right now.-
As I waited for my father's message to come through of whatever he was going to say to me, I turned on the T.V. The news immediately came up as images of villains and heroes fighting was shown. One such hero, All Might, standing there strong and confident as he gave that horrible, annoying laugh of his. I didn't curse though, I simply watched. Perhaps the only way I would be able to see him after dumping my feelings on him was going to be through T.V. My phone gave another chime as I was wrapped up in my thoughts and focus on Toshinori. -Your mother and I are coming over to see you then.-
Another sigh left my lips as I nodded and gave the simple answer of "Okay." I really didn't want to deal with my parents right after telling my boyfriend I loved him out of nowhere. I wasn't supposed to be the cheesy clingy one, that was supposed to be him. He's supposed to be the one who confesses being in love at an awkward time and stuff, not me. So why did I? I mean…I thought about my feelings towards Toshinori. I thought of his appearance and while it made me smile and blush, those feelings were not as deep as moments where he protected me, or moments I saw him protecting others with a smile on his face. Bright and radiant. Those moments…made me l-l-love him. T-Those moments where he demonstrated how kind and considerate he was to others.
I wrapped my arms around me and bit my lip as I tried not to cry. I was going to lose him now because I was sick, possibly dying, and confessed to loving him. What a burden that would be on his already burdened shoulders as a Pro-Hero. Great move. I stayed curled up into myself until I heard a click. I looked over at the door and say my father and mother step inside. As they came over to me, I uncurled myself and looked at them. "Hey Mom, hey Dad."
My father took to standing next to me as he offered the seat to my mother. He looked at me and sighed. "You look a mess Ayano. Did that bastard fuck you up?"
I caught a quick glimpse of my mother slapping my father's stomach as I shook my head carefully. "No…I just…don't worry about it. All Might is a great guy, but I'd rather not talk about that right now Dad. I don't think you guys left your Caribbean cruise to come talk to me about my dating life."
My mother chimed in before my father got the chance. "We're worried Honey, you were in the hospital what, five six months ago, and now you're back again. You have that white scar line across your neck. Honey…we're scared. What has been going on."
I gave a hearty sigh as I weakly pushed myself up. As I did so my father came over and assisted me, being gentle, but firm. Once I was properly sitting up in my bed, I focused on both my parents. "Well…five to six months ago was when my apartment burned down. I…I went back in to save a child that was trapped inside the building. No one else was going back, so I did my best to get the child out." My parents seemed as though they wanted to interrupt, but they continued to let me talk and share my story. "Well, All Might came, and the rest for me was a blur. All Might told me I passed out in the fire and he brought me to the ambulance that sent me to the hospital."
My parents ever focused on me never said a word, they merely nodded, but I could see the worry behind their eyes as I told my story. "A couple weeks later, I was released and All Might allowed me to stay with him, and Dad before you lose it, he was a gentleman and took the couch, he let me sleep on his bed. Not once have we slept together." My father was still seething with rage, but he was containing it pretty well when I told him that Toshinori never once slept with me in a sexual manner. "Anyway, I got upset with All Might one day, we had a bit of an argument, so I left. While I was wallowing in a park nearby, a villain came and was holding a child hostage. I agreed to make a deal with him and he could hold me for ransom. He agreed, but he still dug his knife pretty deep into my neck."
I put a hand to my neck as I remember the villain holding me in his clutches and the anger that was behind Toshinori's eyes that day when he saw me. I know that I was cut, but I never really knew how deep until Toshinori started taking care of me. My father brought me out of my memories with a question. "What about now? Why are you in the hospital now?"
I bit my lip and looked down, a cough following soon after as I went into one of my coughing fits. My parents worried incessantly as my mother offered me tissues. As I coughed and my mother and father coddled me, I think is when my mother noticed it. "Blood…"
I heard my father speak up, but I wasn't sure what was happening as my coughing kept me pretty occupied with my eyes shut. "What Mika?"
My mother's voice was shaky as she spoke. "T-Takeo…O-Our little girl is…coughing up blood…"
I winced as my father yelled. "What?!" I could hear him storming towards the door as I help out my hand in a desperate attempted to stop him. I wheezed and rasped as I reached for him. "Dad…s-s-stop. T-T-They…t-the doctors k-k-know."
My mother patted my back as I gasped for air and finished up my coughing fit. "Honey, please…try not to talk, just let it pass first."
My father halted and walked back over, sitting on the edge of my bed as my mother rubbed circles on my back and occasionally patted it for good measure. A few minutes went by of silence, except the sound of me expelling the crap in my lungs, before everything was quiet excluding my wheezing. I gave it a moment before I spoke. "I-I…I-I'm here because I…I have lung cancer. The fire…there was asbestos in the fire and I breathed in a lot of the smoke when…w-when I gave my handkerchief to the k-kid I was t-trying to save."
My parents stared and I thought my father would start to yell but he stood, walked over to me and hugged me. "Ayano, you stupid, reckless idiot of a daughter…" He just held me in the hug as my mother continued to pet my back.
I started to hug back, feeling the well of tears come up as I bit them back as best I could. I spoke into my father's stomach. "I-It's just S-Stage I b-but I have to g-go in for s-s-surgery and c-chemotherapy…a-a-and possibly r-radiation. I-I'm so scared."
My father remained firm and strong. Resolute…almost like Toshinori as he held me against him. "Shush Aya, shush, everything is going to be okay. You'll be okay. We're here for you, all right?" He released me and lifted my head. "We'll be here as long as you need us to be."
I nodded as I rubbed tears from my eyes and coughed a bit. "Y-Yeah."
My father gave a smirk and grinned. However, those dulled grey eyes looked so pained and worried as they focused on me. "That's my girl." My father turned his attention to my mother. "Mika, why don't we go talk to the doctor's about payments and treatments for Ayano. Just so we can get more information." He looked to me with knowing eyes. Dad always knew when it was best to let me process and calm my tears. I hated letting other see me cry.
My mother complied as my parents left together and let me compose myself. I sat there, my breath wheezing and a bit struggled as I tried to even it out. I placed a hand to my chest, attempting to breath as normal when I noticed the light on my phone blinking. Who could possible…Toshinori! I reached for the phone and flipped it open in a panic. He messaged me back! As I read the message though, the control I was attempting to gain over my tears and breathing was lost to me as I began to become a disheveled mess once more.
-I love you too Ayano.-
