All Might 18 -Mirrors
Toshinori was furious. Furious with the situation, with the villains, with Endeavor, with himself. He was frustrated, feeling powerless. His pregnant wife was forced to step into a full on battle while he essentially sat on the sidelines.
He ran as fast as he could through the hospital, twisting and turning down the halls, dodging nurses and patients.
"Toshinori, slow down!" Present Mic called from behind, still in his civilian clothes, as he followed his friend through the hospital. "You're gonna hurt someone!" Toshinori kept running. He almost couldn't hear him over his own thoughts. How could he just leave his wife alone? Yes, she was a hero, yes she could defend herself. But she was pregnant, and these villains lately were getting more and more powerful.
He skidded around the corner and looked at the room numbers as he passed them. He almost missed the room he was instructed to go to. Once he found the door, he paused, waiting for Present Mic to catch up. Suddenly, he was almost too scared to go in. What would he find? Would she be like how he found her last time? Toshinori listened and looked around. The emergency room was busy with new patients flooding in from the attack. Medical staff worked quickly and hustled about, moving patients to and from their rooms.
Present Mic caught up and leaned on his friend, trying to catch his breath. Toshinori looked at him and once Present Mic straightened up, Toshinori opened the door and stepped into the room.
Toshinori stood in the doorway to the hospital room. It only had one occupant at the moment and she was sleeping quietly. Aurora Borealis lay in the hospital bed near the window, covered in bandages and wires. Her hair was a tangled mess on the pillow and bruises bloomed across her face.
He came as quickly as he could, as soon as he heard the news. His heart was racing in his chest and he could hardly breathe. He blamed himself for this. This could have been prevented. Toshinori stepped closer, quietly and pulled a chair closer.
Before he sat, he set the vase he had with him on the small bedside table next to her. In it, were her favorite flowers, carnations, ranging from bright yellows and oranges, to the dark velvety reds. And of course, a few of the soft pink ones she adored littered the assortment. He had grabbed all the colors he could find and put them together himself.
He sat there, looking at her as she slept. He had seen the fight that did this to her. Aurora had stood her ground, her aura keeping the villain's quirk at bay. The distance her aura covered, along with the intensity, meant it was incredibly taxing on her. She had to keep it at bay long enough for back up to arrive. They didn't come quick enough and she had to find a way to maintain her aura and fight off the villains that attacked.
They beat her into the ground, and then some.
However, her efforts had managed to stall long enough for help to arrive. None of the civilians she protected were hurt. He had watched the recordings of the fight with a mix of regret and pride. He was proud of her and how far she had come and how hard she had fought. Toshinori couldn't help but regret his absence. If he had been there, in Japan, maybe this wouldn't have happened. If he had been there, maybe he would have been able to help her.
He was brought out of his thoughts as she stirred. The light that flooded in through the windows made Aurora squint and she began to wake up. Her face throbbed and her body felt like lead. She grimaced and squinted, letting her eyes readjust to the light.
It was incredibly bright in the room and she grimaced. Aurora stirred more when she felt a large, rough hand gently cover hers. She rolled her head slowly to the side and her eyes snapped wide open. He could hear the harsh intake of her breath and her aura flared out defensively, reflecting colors of unease, anxiety, and loss. She had looked at him for no more than a second and he could see the tears building in her eyes.
Aurora tried to sit up and Toshinori stood with a soft chuckle, gently pushing her back down.
"Easy, easy." He told her softly, "you've really been through it." She said nothing in response and could only stare at him. He sat down and rubbed his hands on his thighs nervously as her aura died down. "Are you hungry? Do you need anything?" He asked her awkwardly.
Aurora stared at him for a minute before he shook his head to himself with a small humorless smile.
"Water." She croaked out. She cleared her throat as he looked at her. "Water, please." He nodded at her.
"Sure thing."
"Aurora," He breathed as he looked at her. She smiled weakly at him from her seat on the bed. She waved at him lazily as he and Present Mic stepped into the room. She looked exhausted. Her face had been wiped clean but there was still some blood on her clothes and in her hair. Toshinori walked over to his wife and embraced her gently. "I was so worried. I saw what happened on my way over."
"I'm ok." She mumbled as she wrapped her arms around him. "I'm tired and sore, but ok." He released her and looked at her.
"Are the doctors done with you?" He asked her nervously, "Is the baby ok?"
"The baby's fine. That was the first thing I asked them to check." She assured him. "Still waiting on some head scans though." Aurora admitted with a chuckle.
"I'm surprised your brain isn't scrambled by now." Hiazshi joked as he stepped closer. She laughed quietly at him and reached out, gently grabbing his arm.
"Thanks for being here." She told him and he waved her off.
"Eh, don't worry about it." He said with a smile and pointed at Toshinori. "This one needed a lift anyway." She chuckled and leaned into Toshinori's chest and just breathed. She was exhausted. Between what she felt with the Nomu and being tossed around like a rag doll, she was surprised she was able to put up as good of a fight against Stain as she did. It wasn't her best work, in fact it was sloppy and just unhinged rage. She shook her head gently. There was one more thing she had to address.
Aurora sat up and looked at her husband. He met her gaze with a quirked eyebrow, knowing she had something to say. Her stomach dropped. How would he take it? How would he react? She was still struggling to wrap her head around it.
"What's wrong?" He asked her quietly, sensing her apprehension. She took his hands in hers.
"I don't know what happened, or if it's even true." She began and took in a deep breath before dropping the bomb. "Zoe's escaped. She's out there, running loose." The room was silent. Aurora kept talking. "I was asked by a reporter, they wanted to know if her escape had anything to do with the attack tonight. So it's known, just not very publicly. Someone must have leaked it." She sat and thought. Aurora stared out the window, thinking. "I just don't get it." She mumbled.
"What?" Hizashi asked.
"Endeavor knew." She explained, still looking out the window, trying to piece things together. "How did Endeavor know but no one told us?" She asked. "Who else knows and why are they trying to hide it?" She asked and looked at her husband and their friend. "Why didn't they tell us?" She asked. Aurora's glance shifted between Toshinori and Hizashi. They both stood there, letting her look at them. Hizashi seemed preoccupied with a spot on the wall and Toshinori just looked at her, not saying anything. She could feel it, the unease. It came from both of them.
Aurora scrunched her eyebrows and looked at both of them slowly. Her stomach sank. Hizashi couldn't bring himself to look at her. Toshinori stood there, looking her dead in the face, waiting for the inevitable.
"You knew." She whispered, the puzzle pieces falling into place. Over the past however long, Toshinori had been a bit more on edge around her. She chalked it up to the baby. All the meetings with Nezu and the police. All the awkward explanations. The feelings of unease and guilt. Aurora looked at her feet. She should have known. She should have pieced it together sooner. "You both knew."
"Yes." Toshinori confirmed calmly. He had warned Nezu of this. She wasn't stupid or oblivious. She had noticed right from the start and hadn't said anything. She trusted him to tell her if it was important, to talk to her about things. She had trusted him and gave him space, and he broke that trust. He could see the hurt and anger in her aura radiating from her slowly.
"Who else knows?" She asked. Toshinori watched as the red and blue in her aura mixed and began to blend into the sickly black he hoped he would never see again.
"The four of us know." Hizashi spoke up, referring to Aizawa, Midnight, himself, and Toshinori. "Principle Nezu told us right after it happened. I think the police are aware."
"It had been decided to keep it as quiet as possible." Toshinori explained to her. "The less people who knew, the less likely it would be the press would get wind of it, though it seems the inevitable had happened." Aurora looked up at him, as pale as a ghost.
"And yet, no one thought to tell me." She told him, her face firm and intense. He couldn't answer her. He knew better. Every ounce of his being told him to tell her, but he didn't.
A soft knock came from the door and a nurse stepped in. The three of them looked to her and she almost seemed startled at the sudden attention. She cleared her throat. Almost immediate, Aurora pulled her aura back in.
"I hope I'm not interrupting." She spoke gently and lifted the folder she had. "I have the results of the scans. I would like to go over them with you. All of the doctors are assisting emergency situations." She explained.
"I understand." Aurora nodded. "Is everything ok?" The nurse nodded.
"Aside from some bumps and bruises, there isn't anything but the concussion to worry about." She explained. "It should heal with rest and some mild pain killers. We recommend plenty of rest. We have a note for you to give to your agency if you need it." Aurora walked over and took the note and the clipboard. "If you just sign out here, you're free to go."
"Thank you." Aurora said. She quickly signed the papers and handed them off to the nurse before stepping out of the room leaving the nurse with the two men. Hizashi and Toshinori shared a look and swiftly exited as well, giving the nurse a polite "Thanks." And "Excuse us. The nurse stood in the room and she heard the men calling for Aurora down the hall.
A figure stepped out from behind a bed curtain and the nurse's image flickered briefly before fading away, the clipboard and folder clattering to the floor.
Aurora stood at the terminal, nervous and checking her watch anxiously. The plane had landed and deboarded. Where the hell was he? Was she at the right terminal?
It had been about a month since she had last seen him in the hospital. He had only been able to spare a few days, and he spent every moment he could by her side, not that she was awake for most of it. He promised her, before he left again, that he would come back in a month. They had been planning this visit since then.
Aurora was an anxious mess. What does she do? What should she say? She was lost in thought and anxiety and didn't notice her aura starting to glow.
Toshinori ran around the corner, his heart pounding with excitement, his bag over his shoulder. He had been looking forward to this visit ever since he left. He had been so eager to see her again. He rounded the corner and saw her standing there, in the crowd and he froze. Her hair was brown with lavender highlights. She wore a simple cream sweater and black skinny jeans tucked into furry boots. She was looking at her phone but she looked up, feeling eyes on her, and spotted him. Toshinori could only stare. She looked different but still as beautiful as he remembered. The softer colors looked as good on her as the dark ones.
Aurora turned to face him fully. He was bigger. He was always tall and had been building muscle all she knew him, but he seemed to have filled out even more. His hair was as blond as ever and his green cargo pants almost clung to his thighs. He was all muscle and she could begin to see definition through his shirt. Somehow, his letterman jacket still fit him. She smiled slightly and waved at him. They both had changed over the last few years. How would the other take it?
Toshinori grinned and jogged over to her, dropping his duffle bag and picking her up in a hug. She wrapped her toned arms around his neck. She had also built up a small amount of muscle, mostly in her legs. He breathed her in and a sudden pang in his chest told him why they had lost contact. It hurt being so far from her.
After a few moments, he released her and set her back on the ground, he noticed her blush but didn't say anything.
"You, um, you look good." She told him, almost unable to meet his eyes. She looked at his bag and pointed. "This all you have?" She asked him.
"Yep." He confirmed and picked it up. "It's all I really need." She watched him as he threw the bag over his shoulder again and his shirt rode up just a bit. Her blush deepened and she looked at him.
"Ok, then let's get going." She said almost breathlessly and turned away. "No need to stay here." Toshinori knew exactly what was going on and needed to taunt her further. He crept up behind her and leaned into her ear, whispering.
"Thanks for picking me up." He told her and she almost jumped out of her skin.
"Of course, you're my guest." She explained hurriedly and walked quicker. "Once we drop your things off, we can grab something to eat. I don't really have much at home."
"Sounds good to me." He said, standing up. "American food is good, but I miss the food here."
Toshinori followed her up the steps to her apartment. She had moved out shortly after he left. She flipped on the light and he looked around. It was a pretty simple layout but she had a lot of plants.
"You sure you're ok with sleeping on the couch?" She asked him. "You can still get a hotel room."
"Nah, this is fine." He assured her. "Cheaper this way." He wasn't exactly hurting for cash.
"I'll go grocery shopping later. Let me know if you need anything." She offered. Aurora gestured down the hall. "The bathroom is that way, to the left."
"Mind if I use it, freshen up?" He asked.
"Go ahead." She assured him. She watched him disappear into the bathroom and moved into the hallway. She opened the hall closet and pulled out an extra pillow and blanket. Aurora dropped the things on the couch and checked her phone. The group was planning on meeting up for dinner later once everyone else got off work. She sent a message in the group letting them know he had returned safely. She promised to keep them updated.
Toshinori soon joined her in the living room with a smile.
"You ready?" She asked him and the two left. They walked in silence for a while, neither really knowing what to say. They hadn't spoken in over a year at least, aside from the planning for the last month. How long had he been gone?
"Welcome back." She told him, finally breaking the silence.
"Thanks, it's good to be back." He told her.
"No one was stopping you from visiting." She pointed out calmly but immediately regretted. "Sorry."
"No, you're right." He told her. "I should have visited sooner, and I should have kept in touch." Toshinori looked at her as they walked. She wouldn't meet his eyes and just looked ahead.
"I'm sure you had your reasons." She told him. "Besides, we were all really busy getting started in our new jobs. It's been a bit of a struggle adjusting and finding specialties that suit us. For a while, none of us spoke."
"What happened?" He asked. She shrugged.
"We were all just so busy." Aurora explained. "Honestly, I thought I wouldn't hear from any of them again, so I started building my own friend group from scratch. It was alright, but it wasn't the same."
"What changed?" He asked, wondering why.
"Hizashi had just started his job with his radio show and it gained success quickly. He wanted to celebrate and invited us to one of his house parties." She laughed, thinking back. "Well, it was an apartment party but it was loud, rowdy, cops were called." Aurora paused before starting up again. "It was almost like old times again. We realized how lonely we had been and we starting hanging out again. It started as a once a month thing, but we all see each other more often then that. But we always make sure we do dinner at least once a month."
"I'm glad to hear everything worked out." Toshinori said, relieved his old friend group was still together.
"Yeah." She breathed. They walked in silence for a brief while longer. "So, you seeing anyone?" If Toshinori had been drinking anything he would have spit it out. Sure it was only natural to ask that, it had been a few years, but he was still unprepared. He stuttered and stammered.
"Ah, no." He finally admitted after collecting himself. "Not for a while now. How about you? Seeing anyone?"
"Not anymore." She admitted casually.
"What happened, if you didn't mind me asking." He prompted, ashamed at the relief that washed over him. He shouldn't care. They were just friends now.
"I dumped my fiancé a few weeks ago." Aurora admitted. Toshinori stopped walking. Aurora managed a few more steps before stopping and looking at him. "What?" Toshinori could only stare.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked her.
"Why should I have?" She asked. "Would it really have mattered? We hadn't spoken in years. I didn't think you cared."
"Aurora…" He trailed off. She was right. They hadn't spoken up until recently. They were friends, but they weren't close anymore. "Sorry."
"Not your fault." Aurora assured him.
"What happened to him?" Toshinori asked her.
"I spent a week in the ICU after my last battle." Aurora told him. "I'm still on medical leave, not quite back up to fighting yet." She paused and looked at him. "I had only been in the hospital for a day when you visited. Other than our friends and few of my coworkers, who else visited me?"
"I don't remember." Toshinori told her. "I was only there for a few days."
"You had traveled all the way from America to visit me." She pointed out. "You and I hadn't spoken or seen each other in years. Yet, you still came back for me. You stayed for a few days just to make sure I was ok." Aurora paused and let him absorb the information. "My fiancé at the time, was only a city over." Toshinori's eyes were wide. "If he didn't care enough about me to visit me, then he didn't care enough about marrying me."
"Aurora…" Toshinori looked at her. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't be." She assured him and gave him a smile. "Besides, I should be thanking you. The whole relationship was turning into excuse after excuse, on both of our sides. I think you just opened my eyes to it. So…Thank you."
"Aurora." Toshinori repeated and they stopped walking. She looked up at him, almost hopeful for something. He faltered. He wanted to tell her, he needed to tell her. But what good would it do? It would just hurt them both again. She deserved better than that. "Why don't we go to the ramen shop we used to like?" He recovered. "It should be right around the corner."
"Oh." Aurora acknowledged the sudden shift in conversation. "Um, sure! Sounds good to me."
Sorry its so short but welcome back! Let me know what you think!