Ticked Off [Boku No Hero Academia]

47: FABLE

She let out a laugh as she was carefully placed back on her feet to raucous applause. "That was so much fun! I can finally have a dance partner!"

*

Aizawa had announced the school culture festival and opened the gates to hell by giving the kids free reign on ideas. They eventually decided on a dance under the lead of Ashido, to a song guided by Jirou. Since Izuku was still catching up on schoolwork with Ochako, Tsu, Eijirou, and Tokoyami after they'd missed a lot of classes due to the work study, Ashido couldn't drag him into helping her teach the amateurs.

He went with Aizawa and Togata to the hospital to visit Eri, upon her request. The doctors and nurses who had been tending to her lingered nervously in the doorway, cautious of another relapse. Aizawa merely leant on the doorframe with crossed arms. Izuku grinned at him before sitting down on one of the stools by the girl's bed, Togata settling down next to him and looking far too big for his seat. Eri was kneeling in the middle of her bed in a hospital gown, hands balled in her lap, bare arms displaying pink scars.

"Hey, Eri-chan!" Izuku greeted happily.

"Good to see you again!" Togata added with equal enthusiasm.

"This whole time, even when I had a fever, I was thinking about when you rescued me, Deku-san," Eri spoke up softly, looking far too tired for someone her age, and it broke his heart. "You were really scary..."

Togata's gaze snapped sideways to stare at the boy. Izuku tensed up, guilt piercing through him.

"...but not scary like Overhaul-san. It was different. You made me feel safe," she confessed, staring at her lap. "You and Lemillion-san make me feel safe. But... All of you were injured badly because of me."

Izuku barely let her finish speaking before vehemently shaking his head. "Not because of you – because of Chisaki. And any injuries he gave me, you Rewound with your incredible Quirk, so you stopped me from being injured. You stopped Nighteye-san – the man with the glasses – from being injured too!"

"Because of me, you all suffered..." She whispered with tears welling up. "I'm sorry..."

Her eyes were distant and averted, and he cautiously reached forwards, placing his hand on the edge of the mattress in her sight before slowly reaching up to clasp her hand. She didn't jolt at the touch, but also didn't look up. Izuku scooted his stool a little closer until his knees touched the bed, and he carefully raised his other hand to cup her face and gently brush a thumb over her cheek, and for a moment she met his gaze in a trance.

"My Quirk hurts me when I use too much power, but thanks to you, I was able to use 100% in that fight with Chisaki. You say I rescued you... But you saved me, too, Eri-chan," Izuku said, regretfully withdrawing his hand when she turned away from it.

She dipped her head further, fists clenching tighter. "It... It was my fault that you lost your power, Lemillion-san..."

Togata placed a palm on her head, leaning forwards with a kind smile. "Eri-chan. Midoriya-kun is right. No-one thought they were suffering. This is what we all think: 'I'm glad Eri-chan is okay!' There's no point apologising to someone who doesn't exist. Don't worry about it. Everyone fought because they wanted to see your smile!"

He let his arm drop and settled back in his seat. Eri paused for a moment, mouth opening strangely, then she reached up to tug at her cheeks, pulling her lips into a forced smile. She slowly lowered her hands back to her lap, trembling lightly with tears glittering in her eyes as she stared down guiltily.

"I'm sorry... How do you smile again...?" She murmured.

Izuku's heart utterly shattered. He pivoted in his seat and sat down on the mattress next to her, making it dip enough for her to lean into him. She didn't move away, and instead reached up to grasp a fistful of his shirt, turning to hide her face in his blue hoodie.