metamorphosis | various bnha

3.4 - headache

"I think she's in her room," she replied, tapping a finger on her chin. Uraraka then pointed down the hall. "The seventh room to the left, I'm pretty sure. What do you wanna talk to her about? You look... out of it..."

"Oh." Does he really? "I just– I need to talk to her about something really important."

Uraraka's eyes slightly widened. What could be so important? "Oh, I see. Um, well, good night, Deku-kun!"

"A- Ah, good night...!"

Izuku stood in front of the door Uraraka said was yours. He wondered why you were dorming alone and not with the other girls. He hesitantly knocked on the door, to no response. He knocked again, and pressed his ear to the door, hoping to hear your breaths on the other side or something. He could hear small sniffles, which made his heart clench. His scarred fingers wrapped around the cold doorknob, tentatively twisting it, but not yet pushing the door open. To his surprise, the door was not locked. You must've forgotten. "I'm coming in," he announced, opening the door.

You wiped your nose and eyes at the same time, using three of your arms. The fourth was holding onto your phone. You didn't make an effort to stand up from the corner of the room. "Hi," you awkwardly said. "I'm sorta crying right now, so, like–"

You would've thought Izuku used One for all at how fast he was by your side. The door slammed behind him, and he fell to his knees and wrapped two arms around you. "D- Don't cry, [nickname]," he whispered into your neck.

You wrapped one of your arms around him. "My head's been hurting, Zucchan. I don't know if I wanna be a hero anymore," you said in a low whisper, as if the very idea was taboo, and you would be thrown into the slammer if someone heard you say that. Maybe Nezu would put you in jail. You think he's suspicious of your allegiance, or something. Just a hunch. You felt like a real fraud. You were here, not even sure if you wanted to be a hero anymore, while people like Shinsou were stuck at home. It's like you stole this opportunity from someone.

His eyes widened ridiculously at your words, and he let go of your body. "[nickname], you can't..."

"Fuck you mean I can't?" Your tone was quiet, trying to suppress the frustration in your voice. "I just... I don't even really want to become a hero – it was just a dream stupid little 4-year-old me had and I didn't know what else to do when I woke up."

"It's not stupid."

"Yes, it is, 'Zuku," you slightly laughed, because it was silly. It was silly that you ever thought you could become a hero. You felt so close to that goal, but really, you're so far away.

He looked down at his freckled knees, which were folded against his chest. His fingers fiddled mindlessly with the hem of his cargo shorts. "But I believe you can do it."

"But my heart's not in it."

"If you leave UA, I leave UA," Izuku suddenly said, still staring intensely at his knees. He would never have gotten to where he was now if not for you. He truly did believe that.

You were silent, processing his words. Your head whipped to the side to stare at him in disbelief. He's joking, right? "Why? It's your dream, isn't it? To become a hero? You don't mean it do you?"

"It was yours, too."

"Yeah, when I was a kid. Everyone wanted to be a hero when they were younger."

Izuku fell silent, and you didn't think he was joking anymore. He tried to change the topic. "But, um, you... What did you mean by what you said to Kouta? When you said he reminded you of yourself, I... It confused me, because, uh, when I look at Kouta – you two just seem so different, and I tried to understand your thought process as to why you would say that, but I- it just doesn't make sense. Kouta's so... you know, he's like Ka-" he stopped himself from uttering the name, knowing he could be a sensitive subject for you. "He's rude, and you're... You're the opposite."