Flawed
Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia.
Warnings: Abuse, Violence, Trauma, Hurt/Comfort, Self Harm, Suicide, Death
Pairings: Midoriya x Bakugou, Midoriya x Todoroki, Midoriya x Sero, Bakugou x Kirishima, Kaminari x Shinsou, Kaminari x Jirou, Jirou x Ashido, Asui x Uraraka, Shindou x Nakagame, Shindou x Amajiki, Togata x Hadou
Plot: Midoriya makes a decision to end his life, and is offered a chance to begin a new one.
Ch 04: Flight
Eri arched his brow, leaning a little closer to Todoroki's side, reaching out to lace their fingers together gently. "You don't have to talk to him again if you don't want to. You don't have to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable or upset."
"I know, Eri. It's just…" Todoroki let out a shaky little breath, reaching up to press his palm against his eyes. "It's Suneater. It's not just anyone. He's…he's amazing, he's one of my idols. The fact that he even wants to speak to me again after I just up and left like that-"
"You didn't do anything wrong, Shouto." Eri whispered gently, squeezing his fingers tightly. "If he says anything about it, I'll-"
The computer chimed suddenly, cutting off Eri's words, and Todoroki leaned a little closer to the pair of monitors standing before him, his eyes flitting across the incoming messages.
/SE: I'm sorry about what happened before.
/SE: I genuinely had no idea that someone would send a link like that.
There was a pause, and then the chat bubbles started up again.
/SE: Are you okay?
/SE: If you need more time, that's alright.
/SE: We don't have to play anything tonight.
/SE: Maybe we could just talk?
Todoroki sniffed and let out a shaky exhale, ducking his head, thinking about what he wanted to say in reply. Eri watched over him worriedly, allowing Todoroki the time he needed to sort through his feelings. He shifted forward to card his fingers through Todoroki's hair, rubbing small circles against his scalp soothingly, his gaze tender beyond words.
Finally, after what felt like hours, Todoroki lifted his head and started typing.
/PM: Eri mentioned what happened in my personal life?
The reply came a few moments later.
/SE: Yes, he did.
/SE: I can't begin to imagine what you must be going through.
/SE: I'm so sorry for your loss.
Todoroki relaxed back a bit, resting against Eri's side, then his fingers began drifting across the keys once more.
/PM: Who was it that you were looking for?
/PM: That user - Cellophane?
Midoriya arched his brow, worrying his lip, Amajiki pausing to meet his eyes.
"What can I tell him?" Amajiki asked, watching Midoriya carefully. "Should I say that he's a friend?"
"No, I don't…" Midoriya exhaled roughly and reached up to card his fingers through his dark hair, tugging at his messy curls lightly. "I don't want to lie to him about what's happening, but the truth will sound insane!" He shook his head, hiding his face with his hands and reclining back against the couch again. "I don't know what to say…"
Amajiki watched Midoriya with concern, arching his brow a bit before returning his eyes to the conversation before him. He considered for a moment, then said in a hesitant tone, "Do you trust me to handle this interaction by myself?"
Midoriya shifted his hands away from his face, giving Amajiki a worried look. "I…I trust you, I just…" He let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't know where to go from here. I feel so lost…"
"Alright." Amajiki gave a little nod, offering Midoriya a gentle smile. "Leave this to me." He reached for his mouse, clicking through a few menu options before repositioning his laptop, angling the camera towards his face. "If we're going to make this work, he needs to trust us. Both of us."
Midoriya's eyes widened and he inhaled a sharp breath, stammering out a worried exclamation as the video call connected.
"Hey," Amajiki greeted with a small wave of his fingers, "I thought it might be a bit easier for all of us if we were to talk about this face-to-face. I don't want anything to be misconstrued via text." He paused for a moment, glancing between the two boys watching him from the other side of the screen, offering them both a warm smile. "Is it okay with both of you if we continue on like this?"
Eri frowned a little, looking to Todoroki, leaning a little closer to whisper under his breath, "Sho, are you sure this is okay?"
"Yeah." Todoroki breathed, lacing their fingers together and squeezing gently. "Yeah it's okay. I'd like it if we were able to talk a little more."
"Okay." Eri agreed, squeezing back his fingers and fixing Amajiki in his sights.
Amajiki waited until he was certain he had their consent before he spoke up again, reclining back a little with a quiet sigh. "To answer your question from before - the person we're looking for is Sero Hanta." He glanced towards Midoriya briefly, who was just out of sight of the camera frame, reaching over to rest his hand atop Midoriya's leg gently, giving him a reassuring little smile.
Eri noticed the movement, and the way Amajiki appeared to be looking at someone off-screen, asking hesitantly, "We? Is there someone else with you right now?"
"There is." Amajiki agreed with a little nod, turning back to meet Eri's eyes. "Before anything else is said, I need to ask you something."
He leaned forward again, resting his elbows against his knees, folding his fingers and glancing away in thought. He considered his next words carefully, and then he lifted his gaze to meet Todoroki's eyes.
"The topic I need to discuss with you is very…sensitive." He offered Todoroki an apologetic smile. "This is going to be a difficult conversation, and I'm worried what your reaction might be. So, I want to ask you now, while we're still at the start of it - is there any reason you believe that I would lie to you?"
Todoroki blinked in surprise, arching his brow a bit and shaking his head. "No? Not really. I mean…what would be the point of that?"
Amajiki nodded his agreement. "I have no reason to try to deceive you. I have no reason to manipulate you in any way. With that being said, the circumstances we have found ourselves in are…" He let out a soft breath of laughter, "…unbelievable, to say the least."
He squeezed his crossed fingers, pressing his lips to his knuckles briefly before starting to speak again.
"The video that was linked before, I watched the entirety of it. The person in the video is the person we are searching for, Sero Hanta." He paused to look between Eri and Todoroki before continuing on. "While the scenes are difficult to watch, I can assure you that he does not kill himself in the video. Something…happens in the final moments. Something that's hard to describe without seeing it for yourself."
He unfolded his hands, shifting to sit up a bit, gesturing lightly as he spoke.
"I do not wish to upset you by asking this, but I was hoping you might consider trying to watch the video again. I think it will help you understand what's happening. The truth of it all."
Todoroki watched Amajiki with a concerned expression, not fully understanding. "You…want me to watch it?"
Amajiki nodded slowly, still watching Todoroki with a calm, even gaze. "If you think you are up to it, yes. I honestly believe that the rest of what I need to tell you will make more sense once you've watched it in entirety."
Todoroki paused, glancing away, Midoriya's heart twisting tightly in his chest. He leaned forward a little, saying to Amajiki in a hushed tone, "It's okay, really. He doesn't have to-"
Amajiki met Midoriya's eyes, asking softly, "Do you know of any other way to help him understand?"
Midoriya looked towards the laptop, watching the screen with concern, worrying his lip for several long moments before eventually shaking his head. "No, I just…I don't want him to be upset. I don't want him to be hurting because of me…"
"Trust me." Amajiki said softly, rubbing over Midoriya's knee beneath the blanket bunched around their waists. "Let Todoroki decide this for himself." He returned his attention to the two watching him once more, elevating his voice enough that they could hear him clearly as he spoke. "I won't force him to do anything he doesn't want to do. I leave this decision up to him."
Todoroki and Eri exchanged a look, then Eri pinched his brow and asked, "What does any of this have to do with Todo anyway?" He leaned a bit closer to the webcam, adding in a defensive tone, "You just showed up to one of his streams randomly, messaged him out of the blue-" He shook his head, his concern for Todoroki causing defensive anger to rise up within him, his cheeks already starting to flush.
Before he could continue, Todoroki opted to speak.
"Alright." He said softly, giving Amajiki a little nod. "If there's something in that video you say I need to see, then…" He met Eri's eyes, shrugging lightly. "I have no reason to distrust him. Why would he do anything to purposefully hurt me? It doesn't make any sense." He held Eri's eyes, adding on quietly, "He's a pro gamer. We could record these conversations, share the private video chats between us with the world. He wouldn't risk something like that for no reason."
Eri looked as if he had more to say, but simply frowned and exhaled an irritated snort, falling quiet again and allowing Todoroki to do as he liked.
Todoroki gave Eri an affectionate little smile, then returned his attention to Amajiki before giving a nod. "Okay. I'll watch it. Can you send me the link?"
The website took a few moments to load, and then it began streaming the same video as before, the four of them watching it simultaneously together.
Midoriya stayed where he was off screen, away from the direct line of sight of the webcam. Amajiki shifted a little closer, taking his hand, lacing their fingers gently.
"It's okay." He whispered gently. "It's alright. Just breathe."
Eri was in a similar position with Todoroki, holding his hand tightly, watching as the scene played out before them in what felt like slow motion. There were several moments of silence, and then everything changed the moment Todoroki heard Sero say Midoriya's given name.
"What is this?" Todoroki murmured, his brow pinching. "What is this? What is this?"
Amajiki was quiet, simply watching Todoroki's reactions, Midoriya's fingers trembling within his grasp. Eri was watching the recording with wide eyes, barely breathing, leaning a little closer to the screen to take in every detail. As Sero lifted the gun, Todoroki's grip on Eri's hand drew impossibly tight.
The shot fired, Sero rising from his seat, the gun falling from his hand with a clatter and skidding across the floor. Todoroki wasn't fully crying, not yet, but there were tears gathering in his eyes, pooling against his dark lashes. Midoriya felt as if he couldn't breathe, anxiety knotted tightly in his chest.
Amajiki looked to Midoriya, smoothing his thumb against the back of his knuckles gently. Sero called out again, begging Midoriya to answer him. Then, he was apologizing. Promising he would try to live without him.
Once the video finally ended Amajiki started to speak once more.
"Todoroki."
He nearly flinched at Amajiki's voice, hot tears falling silently down his cheeks.
"Can you tell me what this means to you?" Amajiki asked evenly, arching his brow while watching Eri and Todoroki carefully, trying to read their expressions.
"What's the date?" Eri murmured under his breath, shifting forward to take over the keyboard sitting before the monitors. "The date…the time and date stamp should be here…"
Todoroki was crying quietly, sniffing and pressing his hand over his mouth, his entire face flushed. He tried to catch his breath, but the tears kept coming. It tore at Midoriya's heart.
"Shouto…" Midoriya whispered, pressing his fingers against the gauze padding his chest, rubbing over his sternum tentatively. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry you're hurting…"
His words were too soft for anyone other than Amajiki to hear, and Amajiki rubbed Midoriya's leg soothingly for several long moments before trying to speak with Todoroki again.
"I know this must be painful for you, but I need you to tell me what you can." He waited, giving Todoroki time to collect himself before daring to press further. "Can you tell me about the loved one that you lost?"
Todoroki lowered his hand slightly, his voice trembling as he forced out, "H-His name was Midoriya Izuku. He was…" Todoroki let out a hitch of breath, a sound caught between a laugh and a sob, "He was amazing. He meant so much to me. He killed-" Todoroki ducked his head, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably. "He killed himself."
Amajiki listened intently, absorbing everything that was said. "How long ago did it happen?"
Todoroki hiccupped softly, wiping away his tears with the back of his hand, biting at his bottom lip while trying to even his breathing. "It's been almost…" He coughed lightly, shaking his head. "It's been nearly three months now."
Amajiki considered the timeline he knew of. How long it had been since Shindou's transplant surgery, compared to Midoriya's suicide. It was indisputable. They matched perfectly.
"Okay." Amajiki breathed out, taking a few moments to prepare himself before asking Todoroki gently, "You may not know such details, so please forgive me for asking so much of you, but do you happen to know if Midoriya was an organ donor?"
Eri was typing quickly, searching through the site, inserting passages of code to gain access to the details he needed to determine the origin of the video post.
"I don't…" Todoroki sniffed a little, shaking his head slowly. "Honestly I don't know. I'm not sure if Izuku was driving yet. We hadn't…" He arched his brow, tears gathering in his eyes once more. "We hadn't really spoken in a while. After he moved away we sort of just…drifted apart…"
"If you had to make an assumption?" Amajiki asked, waiting patiently for Todoroki to reply.
Todoroki shifted uneasily in his seat, then let out a deflated rush of air. "Umm…I don't know for sure, but I think that…if it were up to Auntie Inko, then yeah. Yeah, she probably would have donated Izuku's organs." He nodded a little as he met Amajiki's eyes. "She would have wanted to help as many people as she could. Especially after what happened."
Amajiki nodded as well, offering Todoroki a soft smile. "Thank you for telling me that. Thank you for sharing that with me." He paused, glancing towards Midoriya before asking evenly, "Would it be alright if I told you about someone I lost? Someone I care about, and miss very much."
Eri let out a victorious little bark and jabbed his finger at the highlighted text along the edge of the website, whispering roughly, "This! This timestamp says the video was posted a week after, but the original time and date are here." He tapped at the screen again, Todoroki blinking at the neon text, his eyes widening at the date.
"That's-"
"The morning after Midoriya's suicide. Before dawn." Eri took Todoroki's hands again, squeezing them both tightly. "I know you don't always believe, I know my practice isn't always the easiest to understand, but this means something."
Eri took the mouse in hand, moving the video marker backwards several minutes before pressing play again. Sero laughed incredulously, grasping his forearm, lifting his bruised wrist for all to see.
"These? These marks have been reported for centuries when making contact with the dead. Especially when interacting with vengeful or restless spirits." Eri reached up to grasp the crystal medallion hanging from his neck, his red eyes boring into Todoroki's. "Shouto this feels…real. This doesn't appear to be doctored in any way. I don't think it's a fake. I think-"
"It can't be. It can't be." Todoroki whispered, shivering and shaking his head.
"Todoroki." Amajiki tried again, drawing the younger boy's attention. "I need to tell you everything. There's more."
Todoroki nodded, blinking slowly for a moment before asking, "You said there was someone you lost?"
"Yes." Amajiki said softly, casting his gaze slightly to the side, thinking for a moment before continuing on. "I'm not sure if you would remember, it was years ago. There was someone I streamed with for a while, when I was first starting out? His handle was Grand." Amajiki glanced towards Midoriya briefly before focusing on Todoroki once more. "He was my boyfriend at the time, Shindou You."
Midoriya's eyes widened a bit, his breath catching in his throat. He knew Amajiki and Shindou must have been close for him to be here, doing all that he was, but he hadn't realized the depth of their relationship.
Todoroki nodded a bit before replying hesitantly, "I think I remember him. You two had a bad breakup didn't you? He stopped gaming with you after that, so we didn't really see him again."
Amajiki smiled fondly, then nodded. "A few months after our breakup, Shindou started seeing someone new. A fellow musician by the name of Nakagame Tatami. They've been together ever since."
Eri was typing again as Amajiki spoke, running a search for the names he'd mentioned before. "Shindou You and Nakagame Tatami…" He drew back a little, gesturing towards the search results that popped up on the screen. "It looks like they're both musicians in an orchestra." He scrolled slowly, his eyes darting across the text that appeared below. "They're apparently a big deal. Look at all these news articles about concert venues…"
Amajiki waited a moment to ensure he had Todoroki's attention before beginning to speak again. "Shindou has had a heart arrhythmia since he was a child. As he progressed through his teens and early twenties, his heart problems began to worsen to the point that he needed a transplant. About three months ago, Shindou finally found a match."
Eri's breath caught in his throat, and Todoroki shook his head. "I…I don't…"
"I can't explain it." Amajiki said quietly, his brow pinching a bit as his voice wavered. He paused to collect himself, wetting his lips, then started again. "I can't tell you what happened, because I don't have all the answers myself. All I can tell you now is what I know."
He looked to Midoriya, taking his hand.
"While Shindou was still recovering from anesthesia, he had another arrhythmia. He flatlined for much longer than most can endure and come back from, but the doctors managed to get his heart beating again, and since then he has been recovering steadily under Nakagame's care."
Amajiki was trembling, and Midoriya squeezed his fingers, shifting subtly closer, his eyes glassy with unshed tears.
"Eight weeks passed after his surgery before she reached out to me, and what she told me didn't make sense." Amajiki let out a shaky exhale, looking between Eri and Todoroki as he spoke. "She said that since Shindou had awoken from flatlining, he had begun to claim another identity. As if he had returned to this life as someone else."
"You're saying…" Eri whispered, holding onto Todoroki's hand like a vice. "You're saying that you think Shindou You is…"
"Izuku?" Todoroki asked, and his voice was absolutely broken. "Izuku? Izuku?"
Midoriya's breath hitched and he ducked his head, pressing his hand over his mouth, his shoulders jerking with his sobs. Amajiki watched him quietly for several long moments, then leaned a little closer and asked gently, "Is there something you can say to him? Something that only you would know?"
Midoriya clutched his hand against his chest, his heart twisting and aching. It felt as if his stitches were ripping, as if he were being torn apart.
"There's this-" He paused to take a shuddering breath, coughing and blinking to try and clear the tears from his blurry eyes, "There's this beach, we went there all the time when we were kids. It was our place, our place to be together."
Todoroki could hear him, leaning closer to the monitor as he asked in a trembling tone, "We buried something there. Do you remember?" He reached out and touched the monitor, wishing more than anything he was actually there, that he could actually see who Amajiki was talking to. Eri watched him with teary eyes, reaching out and cupping Todoroki's shoulder, rubbing small circles with his fingertips while reminding him to breathe.
Midoriya laughed and nodded, sniffing and fighting to even his breath so he could speak clearly. "Yeah there was that…that big piece of driftwood that washed up after the storm. We drug it up above the tideline, and dug a spot just underneath. We filled it up with all sorts of stuff. Books, shells, trinkets we found that were left behind…"
"Oh my god. Oh my god." Todoroki laughed through his tears, ducking his head, Eri pressing close against his side. "You sealed those library books in ziplock bags and shoved them in that stupid box-"
"Hey I worked hard on decorating that!" Midoriya sighed teasingly, his tone soft and light. "I used my favorite stickers and everything! We had to go back to the arcade to get more, remember?"
"Yeah," Todoroki laughed, nodding his head. "Yeah, I remember." He let out a choked laugh, his breath hitching on broken sobs, Eri rubbing his back gently.
Midoriya smiled and laughed again, nodding and reclining back against the pillows, kneading over his aching chest. "I'm so happy you're okay. I was so worried about you, Sho."
Todoroki's laughter quieted along with Midoriya's, and after a few moments of silence Todoroki lifted his head and asked hesitantly, "Izuku? How could you…why did you…?"
He'd expected this. He'd known that, should Todoroki somehow believe him, that it was really him, he'd have to answer this question. He took Amajiki's hand, holding on tightly, and then carefully he leaned a little closer to the camera and caught Todoroki's eyes for the first time.
"I'm sorry." Midoriya said softly, arching his brow, tears trailing down his cheeks. "I wish I could tell you something that would make some kind of sense, but none of it mattered really. It was just small, insignificant things, all adding up into something monstrous and overwhelming." He shook his head lightly, breathing out shakily and hiccupping before reigning in his breath, reaching up to wipe at his flushed cheeks. "I was…sad, and lonely…"
He dropped his eyes, crying quietly while clinging to Amajiki's hand like a vice.
"At the time, it felt like…it was the only thing I could do." He looked up to meet Todoroki's eyes again, his tone breathless and desperate. "I made a mistake. A horrible mistake. I never meant to hurt you, I didn't realize…" He offered Todoroki an apologetic smile, laughing weakly, his face a runny mess. "I didn't realize what it would mean, what it would mean to the people that were left behind…"
"Your mom." Todoroki hitched out, tears spilling down his cheeks. "Izuku, she's heartbroken. You have to talk to her-"
"I know that! I know!" Midoriya wailed miserably, hiding his face with both of his hands. "I don't know how! How do I make her believe it's me?"
"We tried to contact her." Amajiki said quietly, rubbing up and down Midoriya's back, "That first night, when Midoriya woke up in the hospital after the transplant surgery. The first thing he tried to do was call his mom."
Eri was crying too, sniffing and covering his mouth with his hand, resting against Todoroki lightly. "Oh god, Todo. We have to do something. We have to help them."
"I n-need to find Hanta t-too." Midoriya managed to stutter out, his chest heaving as he fought to catch breath. "He almost k-killed himself that night-"
"Were you really there?" Todoroki asked, his eyes wide as he wiped at his cheeks. "That video, that was real?"
Midoriya hummed a soft affirmation, gingerly meeting Todoroki's eyes. "Sero he's…he's my boyfriend. It's long distance, we've never met, but he means a lot to me. I want to make sure he's okay."
"We weren't able to find any of his previous handles, even after Midoriya logged in under his own account." Amajiki sighed quietly, relaxing back a bit, offering Midoriya a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, we'll find a way to reach him." He looked to Eri and Todoroki, his expression soft. "I'm so relieved you're both taking this so well. We thought convincing his friends would be the hardest part."
Eri let out a soft amused sound, smiling up at Todoroki fondly. "I'm sure he's heard stranger things than this with all the time he's spent around me."
He reached for his crystal again, clasping it against his palm tightly.
"I'm in contact with several deities within my own personal practice. I'll admit I'm not well versed as a medium, and contact with the dead is still rather frightening to me, but I've had otherworldly encounters since I was very small. I believe what is happening with Midoriya now is very, very real." He looked up at Todoroki, offering him a little smile. "I'm sure that, given your conversation, there's no doubt in Shouto's mind that you are who you say you are."
"I believe it." Todoroki whispered with a nod. "I know it's Izuku, he even looks the same. Like he would once he's all grown up…"
Amajiki appeared surprised at that, asking hesitantly, "Would you be willing to share pictures with me? I've never seen what Midoriya looked like before."
Midoriya grinned sheepishly, reaching up to card his fingers through his dark hair. "You think so too? I thought maybe it was just me. With green contacts and some freckles, I can definitely see a resemblance. It's uncanny, isn't it?"
"Your mom sent me a bunch of photos after the funeral." Todoroki said quietly, typing for a few moments before sharing the files, Amajiki reaching for his mouse to open them.
Midoriya watched Amajiki quietly, taking in his expressions as he looked through various photos of Midoriya when he was younger, some with childhood friends, some with him and Todoroki, and others at the beach with what must have been several family members.
"That's my mom." Midoriya whispered sadly, his eyes brimming with tears again. "I saw her, before I was with Sero. I saw her crying at the altar. She put my picture beside dad's."
"I'll try to call her." Todoroki said gently, his face scrunching up a bit. "I've been meaning to check on her, I just…I haven't been in the right headspace to call."
"It's okay." Midoriya sniffed, breathing in and out shakily, pressing his fingers against his chest. "Thank you, Shouto. For believing me. For trusting me."
"I missed you." Todoroki whispered tearily, his eyes beginning to overflow. "I missed you so much. Where are you? Are you in the city?"
"We're several prefectures north of Midoriya's home town." Amajiki replied evenly, pulling up a map to show Todoroki their current location. "You don't live in the same town, right? Where are you and Eri now?"
"Here, by the sea." Todoroki circled a southern prefecture along the eastern coast. It was quite a distance further south than Midoriya's home.
"I want to see you." Midoriya pleaded softly, shifting closer to the camera, leaning in to touch the screen between them. "I want to…I want to hold your hand. I want to hug you. I don't want to hurt you, Sho. I just, I really miss you. I miss you so much."
Todoroki was already nodding, reaching out to press his fingers against his monitor too. "I want that too. I want to see you. Not like this. I want to see you in person."
Eri bit his bottom lip, thinking for a moment before asking, "Would your dad give you money to visit him? Maybe if we say we want to visit his grave?"
"I don't know." Todoroki hung his head, his fingers curling against the monitor. "He wouldn't let me go to the funeral. I don't know if he'd let me visit now…"
"I can pay." Amajiki spoke up, all eyes turning towards him, Midoriya sniffing and reaching for his hand worriedly.
"Are you sure? You've already done so much, I don't want to…" He pinched his brow, his fingers trembling, "…to be a burden to you…"
"I want this." Amajiki said calmly, smiling and lacing Midoriya's fingers with his own. "I want to help you. I want you to be able to reunite with Todoroki." He turned his attention to the two across from them, asking, "If I pay for your tickets, could the two of you meet us in Musutafu?"
Eri's eyes were wide, and he nodded, looking up at Todoroki with a little smile. "Yeah, that might work. If the tickets are already paid for, your dad doesn't have any reason to refuse, right?"
"Where would we stay?" Todoroki asked hesitantly, "I'm not sure if Auntie is feeling up to hosting right now, especially if we just showed up…"
"Let me take care of that." Amajiki gave a little nod, meeting Midoriya's eyes. "You three need to focus on how to find Sero, and how to contact your mother." He paused for a moment, thinking to himself, then asked gently, "Is there anyone else you want to speak with? What about your friends? Your classmates in Musutafu?"
Midoriya blinked slowly, considering Amajiki's offer, his brow furrowing as he replied softly, "I don't…I don't know…"
He thought of Kaminari, Shinsou, and Kirishima. He thought of Bakugou, the way he'd broken down when Midoriya had witnessed him before.
He met Amajiki's eyes, giving a little nod. "There might be someone. I just…I don't know what I would say to them right now."
"There's time." Amajiki said gently, giving Midoriya a little smile. "You think about that, and I'll arrange our tickets. Are you feeling well enough to fly?"
Midoriya nodded, his heart fluttering in his chest, and Todoroki let out a breath of excited laughter, Eri grinning impishly at his side.
Soon, he would be with Todoroki again. Together, they would find a way to reach Sero.
With Todoroki at his side, he would muster the courage to speak face-to-face with his grieving mother. He didn't know exactly what to say to make her believe, but he knew once Todoroki was with him they would be able to make her understand.
"Thank you." Midoriya whispered, and Amajiki hummed quietly, squeezing Midoriya's hand.
"Talk to Todoroki and Eri about whatever you like, but try to rest while you can." He said gently, shifting the laptop closer so Midoriya could speak with them while reclining back against the couch. "I'll grab your next round of pain meds, and then I'll speak with Nakagame about our flight."
Thanks for reading! More to come!