Chapter 20: Healing takes time

Deku's eyes flew open, wide and unfocused, as he jolted awake with a gasp, clawing desperately at his throat as if fighting for each breath, every muscle tense and quivering. His gaze was fixed straight ahead, yet he seemed to be staring through me, his eyes vacant and unseeing. I called out his name, trying to pull him back from wherever his mind had been trapped.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Deku snapped to attention, sitting up abruptly. His trembling voice was barely above a whisper as he uttered the words "I thought I'd never see you again". The words hung in the air, laced with a raw vulnerability that caught me off guard.

Before I could even process what was happening, Deku descended into a violent coughing fit, his whole body shaking as he desperately fought to catch his breath. Instinctively, I scanned the tent for another water bottle, but found none. Cursing under my breath, I moved to retrieve one from his bag, which was sitting just outside. But the moment I tried to get up, Deku's hand shot out, gripping mine in a vice-like hold. "No, please Kacchan, don't leave me!" he pleaded, his eyes wild with a terror I'd never seen in him before.

What the fuck had he seen in that nightmare that left him shaking so badly? Two days ago, I would have shoved him off without a second thought. But something in his desperate, haunted gaze made me pause. Softening my tone, I gently pried my hand free and hurried to retrieve the water, my mind racing.

I could see the violent tremors running through his hands - he looked like he might drop the damn bottle. So instead of simply handing him the bottle, I guided it to his lips. He gulped greedily. I know all that vomiting from earlier has left him dehydrated, but at this rate he's going to make himself sick again so I snatched it away with a scolding.

Hoping to distract him, I asked "When did you learn it?" The words 'I want to know their meaning' were silent. I have been thinking a lot about those choice words he used earlier. Aunt Inko would be delighted to find this new progress. I would like to record that moment - the look on her face would be priceless. I could already picture it - her jaw dropping, eyes widening in disbelief. It was going to be the highlight of the day, maybe even the week.

But the moment the words left my mouth, Deku's eyes went wide, his breath quickening into panicked gasps as he started rambling. Shit, wrong move. Clearly, those words had held a different meaning in his dream. Cutting him off before he could spiral further, I barked, "Enough. Just Shut up. You don't wanna tell me? Fine. Just wait till I tell Round face how eloquent you are. Then, we will see how many members stay in Deku Squad" That's a bit low even for me but I think it would be just the thing to snap Deku out of his state.

Deku blinked up at me, confusion etched across his features. "What do you mean? Ochako san already know about my backflip. She was there. What will you tell her? Why will my backflip affect my friends?" he asked, his voice small and uncertain. I stared at him, equally bewildered. I groaned internally. He is still thinking about the dream.

"What... Never mind, Forget it." I muttered. "I will search it up later on internet and I will certainly pay you a visit with my video recorder on standby. I am thinking of calling All Might too." I thought that would be the perfect pick-me-up, given how much Deku idolizes the legendary hero. But to my surprise, my words didn't have the intended effect. Instead of perking up, Deku just looked down dejectedly, his expression crestfallen. Ugh, what am I supposed to do? I am really trying here. Why can't he just cheer up already?

Then he looked up at me with this sad, longing gaze and asked in a small, cracked voice "Will you really come to my home?"

"It's been ages since you last..." he trailed off, his voice barely above whisper, and I felt a twinge of guilt in my chest. We used to be so close when we were young, but I hadn't been the best friend to him since...let's not think about that right now. The tent doesn't need two mopping heroes at the moment. Just one is enough.

"Of course I will," I replied. "I can't let an opportunity like this pass me by." I said with a smirk. Deku's face lit up with a cautious smile, but then he quickly asked, "Promise me?" Ugh, stupid nerd. He don't even know what I am talking about.

I rolled my eyes and snapped, "If you ask one more time, I'll change my mind!" But the panic in his voice as he frantically apologized and begged me not to do that just made me feel even worse. Sometimes I really do want to punch him, you know? How many times does he need to hear the same thing before it sinks in?

But then his whole demeanor shifted as he started rambling. "I would love to welcome you and All Might and whoever else you invite," he said, his voice taking on a dreamy, almost reverent tone. "You can invite your school friends as well. I w-won't complain. I promise." He paused, then tilted his head to the side, a puzzled expression on his face. "What opportunity are you talking about?"

Finally! Now, we are asking the right question. I couldn't help but let a smug grin spread across my face "Why, the nice words you so kindly barked earlier, of course," I replied, my tone dripping with sarcasm. "I'm going to make sure everyone hears about how our dear Mr. Green Angel has such an impressive vocabulary." I watched in satisfaction as Deku's eyes widened in dawning realization, his expression shifting from puzzlement to sheer shock before finally settling on an unmistakable look of embarrassment. He opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, sputtering like a fish gasping for air, and I couldn't help but feel a surge of triumph.

Good. Now that he stopped shaking like a leaf, I decided to refocus our conversation on the task at hand. "Now, do you know where exactly we are?" I asked. Deku quickly regained his composure and replied, "Yes, we're on Kinnigan Hill, working on our assignment." I nodded, satisfied. "Excellent. Now, enough of this whining - are you ready to take a look at that last scroll? I'm positively dying to see what crucial information it might hold to help us get out of this mess."

Without waiting for a response, I turned and headed out, confident that Deku would follow. After all, when it came to uncovering secrets and solving mysteries, the guy was like a bloodhound.

Soon enough, Deku came out of the tent as I rummaged his bag for the scrolls. These scrolls were a bit different from the other ones. These were made of the finest, smoothest cloth, and I could feel the rigid paper hidden within, secured with a delicate golden thread. I flipped them over and handed one to Deku which had his name etched into the material in elegant calligraphy. When I found them on that cliff, I saw that each one had a name on it. That was the reason why I wanted to read it together with him. Perhaps to take a peek at his document as well.

Without a moment's hesitation, we both unfurled the scrolls simultaneously, the parchment unraveling to reveal the most official-looking document I had ever seen. Emblazoned at the top was the unmistakable seal of U.A. Academy, signifying that this was our formal recognition for completing our second year of heroics training. As I scanned the elaborate text, I felt a swell of pride - we made it through another grueling year, and this scroll was proof of our hard-earned achievements. The certificate is signed by all of our teachers...except for Aizawa-sensei. That is why we still need to report back to him to have our assignment officially marked as finished.

I watched as Deku's emerald eyes welled up with tears of joy, a broad smile spreading across his face. He let out an emotional laugh, tracing his fingers over the calligraphic letters of his name, as if he could hardly believe it was real.