A few days later, Katsuki was healed thanks to Recovery Girl's efforts. But Ochako was sleeping a lot every time Katsuki tried to visit her. Her recovery process was taking longer since her wounds were nearly critical. Not as bad as Shoto's and Momo's.
When he walked in to visit once more, Ochako's eyes opened up while he went to sit next to her bedside.
Before letting her talk, he spoke in a low and husky voice, "Hey, pink cheeks."
Ochako smiled weakly. She grabbed the guard rail on the side of the bed to help herself sit up easier. "You're ok. What about the others? And the villains...did they get defeated?"
"Tell you that later." He tapped her hand lightly. His eyes shown remorse. "I need to tell you something." Before letting her speak, he hung his head down low. "...Sorry..."
"Oh...um...is this about that argument?" She grabbed his hand and lifted it. She held his hand with both of hers. "Yeah, I probably shouldn't have gotten so emotional either. We were both really stressed out that day. I think that we were all just scared, you know?"
"Don't you dare blame yourself for that." He started to stare at her. "It was all me. I shouldn't have said any of those things."
She started to sweat nervously. Her voice rose a little. "That's true...but I'm not mad at you. You do go a little overboard sometimes, but I would take that any day over you being hurt or upset. I'm mostly just glad that you're alright."
She waved one of her hands around. "That doesn't mean I'll let you boss me around though. I'm not a pushover and you know that."
"I know, I suck at putting my words across." He started to ruffle his hair angrily. "I just- tch.. I didn't want anything to happen to you. It bothered me so much with that thought. I didn't know what to do. And then you really did get hurt. You would have done better if I wasn't stupidly arguing with you."
Ochako relaxed when he spoke. She stared at him with fondness. It gave her a warm feeling in her chest to see him talk like that. Without thinking, she said something really sudden. "You're a good person, Bakugo."
It had been a few days since the fight happened. Remorse was good when healthy, but knowing Katsuki, his thoughts were probably eating him alive the entire time. Ochako didn't think that he deserved to suffer like that. After all, his harsh words were the product of that fear that she would get hurt. His fear ended up coming true in the end, so why should he be treated harshly? Wasn't the guilt that he already felt bad enough?
In extreme cases, it was different. But it was obvious that Katsuki had a good heart underneath that tough exterior. Maybe he just needed someone to let him know that he was a good person more than anything. It's not like he had ever heard those words before.
"Yeah, right. How can I be?" He shook his head. He recalled Satoko's speech with everything. It had also got him thinking too. He still suffers from an immense amount of guilt with All Might's retirement.
But then there's the thought about how messed up this society is. Katsuki wouldn't think highly of others unless they proved themselves strong. Satoko didn't even want to be a hero and she did all of that because she didn't care about a title. She cared about lives.
It made Katsuki second guess his goals. Of course, he still wants to be above that dang 'Deku' for being the best. The most irritating part was Satoko was kind of similar in that aspect.
Except she was protecting the villains along with the heroes. How could someone possibly do that? Katsuki always looked at them less than humans.
The whole event was a bit life changing. It keeps making him ponder. The shame increased more seeing Ochako hurt like that.
"I should have done more for you." His voice started to crack.
She shook her head. "You didn't have any control over the things that happened out there. Me getting hurt wasn't your fault. I noticed that the bandages I had on when I was heading to the ambulance weren't fresh. So the doctors couldn't have done that. You helped me, didn't you?"
"They're idiots. You could have gotten an infection!" His voice rose a little from the thought of it. "You could have died and they wouldn't have batted an eye!"
His fists trembled. "Those..."
He kept cursing. Before she could speak, he continued, "That loud mouth."
He was meaning Satoko.
"I hate to admit it, but she brought up good points. Why didn't I see it before? Why am I so...?" He couldn't even find the words for the last question. His anger wouldn't even subside. Sure, he is strong but not strong enough.
He has more to learn and he hates that fact.
"It's not only you." Ochako looked away sadly. "I never even considered those things before. It's probably because we all look up to the heroes so much that we didn't think about the fact that they're humans too. They're just as capable of doing bad things as anyone else."
"Yeah..." He had a shaky sigh. He wasn't convinced with himself that saying sorry wasn't enough for this. To show he really cares about her.
No.
He likes her. Embarrassing and terrifying to admit it. This isn't like him.
Would she push him away? Without a word, he started to lean forward. His brows knitted as he placed his lips onto her forehead.
Actions can speak louder than words. This is a way he can express himself better.
Her face heated up. She was shocked by the way that he was acting. Her hands went to the sides of his face. "I love you too."
His face poofed into a flustered mess. He backed away from the sudden confession. "God, you just had to go ahead and do that."
He couldn't look at her in the eyes. His heart was madly fluttering. There was a shy grin that he couldn't remove. "Well, you're mine now. You'll have to deal with it."
She smiled warmly. "That's fine by me."
..
"How are you feeling?" A nurse asked. She stood in the doorway of the hospital room that Shoto and Momo were in. "Can you talk any easier?"
Shoto nodded.
The nurse chuckled. "Why don't you try saying something?"
Shoto felt a burning sensation in his throat when he did try to speak. He attempted it nonetheless. "...Will Momo wake up soon?"
He woke up the day after it happened. He chose to sleep most of that day though. It kept him from feeling any pain and allowed him to not face his feelings on what happened.
"She doesn't have an infection and the surgery went well, so she should be up anytime now," the doctor explained. "I'll leave you alone for now. Remember that if you need anything, just push that button."
He watched as she left the room. With a sigh, he laid back down. His eyes were constantly fixed on Momo's bed.
Endeavor knew that he would want to see her. He had it requested that they weren't separated when they reached the hospital.
(Maybe I should rest again...) Shoto decided. He started to close his eyes. He didn't want to focus on the constant pain in his chest. He would push it down and ignore it. That was always easier.
Momo was stirring in her unconsciousness. Her vision was blurred a little bit. Her memories were fuzzy.
The last thing she remembered was going to aid Shoto. The painful memory bled into her mind.
(Is he...?)
Gasping from her realization, she moved abruptly up in panic. She wasn't aware Shoto was in the room with her. IV was hooked up into her arm, along with a heart monitor. It was apparent she was in state of shock. A slight whimper came from her mouth.
(How could I do that to him?) She couldn't help him. She felt like she was just dead weight just to faint like that.
Shoto's eyes shot open. He sat up again in his bed and looked over towards her. "Momo...you're awake."
Momo moved her head towards the direction of his voice. She saw it was him. "Shoto... You're alive...!"
She noticed how he was wrapped up. Again. He had a severe case of injuries.
What had happened while she fainted?
"Again... I couldn't do anything to help you... I apologize..." Her eyes were wet.
His expression had a hint of sadness. He hated to see her blame herself for something that wasn't her fault. He turned so that his feet were on the floor beside his bed. "It's not your fault. Anyone who was targeted by that attack had a low chance of being able to dodge. The only reason that I wasn't out of the fight quickly was because All For One didn't target me throughout the entire fight."
"Then why do you look like that?" She shook her head. "I was incapable of doing anything. Why was I even there when I couldn't have done anything?"
She felt like she was dead weight. Her lack of confidence was starting to resurface. "I'm not skilled enough to go into big battles like that. I would only hinder everyone."
She felt like she made things worse just the fact she was there.
"You're one of the strongest in our class. That's probably why they chose you to go," he stated. "These wounds aren't from All For One. They're burns...from my brother. He is significantly weaker than All For One, so if I was targeted by him I'm sure that I wouldn't have lasted long either."
She doesn't believe she's as strong as the others. Shoto is just so kind to her. She appreciated his statement to make her feel better.
Her forehead creased. That's right. That man is his brother. She looked towards him with concern. "How... are you feeling? I know this must be hard for you."
He looked down. He was familiar with all sorts of negative emotions. He knew what it felt like to be depressed and anxious. He wasn't sure what the feeling was that he had though. "They have me on medicine so that the burns don't hurt as badly. But...my chest hurts. I haven't been able to stop thinking about what happened. I have experienced this kind of feeling before, but it has never lasted longer than a day."
"Your chest pain is possibly more of an emotional reaction compared to something physical." She replied sadly. "I....can't imagine what you're going through. I apologize that I wish I had more of something to say... Do you have any updates on what had happened to him?"
"He got arrested and they confirmed that he is my brother. I haven't been able to see him yet though because I haven't left the hospital," he responded. "I was told about the conditions of our classmates as well. Midoriya and Bakugo are fully healed other than some scars. Uraraka is still here recovering because she was badly hurt too. I heard...that Bakugo cried a lot when he wasn't able to see her. I suspect that he has feelings for her."
"I see..." Momo paused a moment. Thinking about how even Ochako was injured too, she was unaware it was when she was trying to help Momo.
It's better that Momo doesn't know that part as she's already beating herself up over this whole thing. She still wanted to see Ochako after she's all healed. "I'm glad she's alive... And that Bakugo cares for her a lot."
That was surprising to her too, but it was becoming obvious how he has been acting around her.
"What is your brother's sentence?" She struggled to ask for a moment.
The pain in his chest worsened for a second. It felt like a fire had been set in his chest, only to disappear seconds later. "They won't tell me that part."
Momo lowered her head down. She feels like she's making things worse by talking about the topic. "I'm sorry to hear that..."
"Is...it alright if I go over to where you are?" He asked. "I would like to hold your hand."
"Are you sure you would want to move right now?" She looked concerned. "Should I go to you instead?"
"You shouldn't be moving with your injury. I'll be fine coming to you." He stood up from his bed. His legs themselves weren't hurt, but he did feel dizzy. He had to pause so that he didn't become too lightheaded. He looked a little frustrated. More than anything, he was determined to reach her.
"Shoto, don't-" She was about to move to get up herself, but made a very brief sharp pain come from her back in that angle.
"I'm ok," he insisted. He made it to the side of her bed and sat down beside it. His hand reached for hers as he rested his head against the side of the bed.
Physically, he was incredibly strong. His emotions were what tended to hurt him more than anything. He hated feeling weak.
Momo lightly squeezed his hand. She tapped her shoulder with her other. "You can rest your head against me. I won't mind." She wanted to bring him comfort since he's pushing himself.
"Will that hurt you?" He asked. "I don't want to cause pain to you."
"It's fine. I want to be close to you." She insisted.
Shoto finally got up and moved so that he was sitting on the bed with her. He was extremely careful, making small movements so that he didn't shift the blankets too much and cause her any possible discomfort. He even hesitated for a few more seconds before he placed his head onto her shoulder. "You're sure this doesn't hurt?"
"I'm fine. I'm more concerned with you." She reassured. "Are you hurting any?"
His warmth was rather comforting to her. It melted away any displeasure she had.
Shoto didn't want to admit to being in pain. He had that subconscious fear that he was being weak if he was open about it. He pushed those feelings away though. He knew that Momo wouldn't see it that way. "A little. It's not as bad as it was a few days ago."
"I'm glad you're getting better at least." Her hand caressed his in a loving manner. "...What has become of that lady? Satoko?"
"She will be living with my family for the time being," he said. "My father told me that she was in a relationship with Toya."
"She is?" She asked. The Todoroki family seems to be very complicated.
There is so much trauma. Hurt. It was so deeply rooted. The pain of the memories can never fade away.
She couldn't even fathom what Satoko could be feeling with someone she loves being in jail. She dreads even being away from Shoto.
Momo realized Shoto had stopped responding. He drifted off into sleep. She smiled warmly and kissed the top of his head.
"I will always support you, Shoto."
...
Days before Satoko started stay with the Todoroki family, she was in the hospital.
Unable to visit Dabi in her condition. She wouldn't wake up at all, but the doctors reassured she will be able to.
Hawks sighed as he was heading towards the jail for visitation hours.
Because he loves Satoko, he can't imagine what Dabi is feeling without seeing her. In addition, Satoko would be pretty angry if no one had the audacity to update Dabi.
(She'll probably feel angry with herself for not being here...) He thought.
Opening the door, he could see Dabi's eyes flickered from hope to seeing Satoko, to utter disappointment.
Dabi felt a pang of sadness. He longed to see Satoko more than anything. There was a little bit of fear that he would never see her again. He masked it by glaring to at Hawks. "I still wish that I had killed you. Are you planning on taking Satoko from me now?"
"Woah, now." Hawks put on a smug expression. "As much as I would like to, she wouldn't choose me anyway."
That last part made him feel pained a smidge. But then he put on a serious expression. "I don't even want to be here, but I'm doing this for her sake. Do you want to know her condition or not?"
"Of course I do, you crazy chicken." He rolled his eyes. "I just figured that you would tell me anyway, so I didn't bother asking."
"Haha. You both call me 'chicken'. You two are alike." Hawks shrugged. He noticed Dabi glared to get to the point already. "She's... ok now. That's the good news. But she had a collapsed lung due to the stress of her quirk. She's lucky that she even survived."
It is that possibility that Satoko's willpower is what keeps her going. Now, that Dabi is someone she loves, she is internally fighting to just see him.
"She hasn't woke up though... When you were taken away, she was fighting to be ok. I could tell." Hawks sighed. "Once you were gone, that's when she collapsed."
Dabi had trouble maintaining eye contact with him. He was filled with so much hatred at the fact that he had to ask things from Hawks. Even though he could act tough, Hawks could ultimately decide whether or not he listened. "Make sure that I'm able to see her sometime soon. I would burn down every building in this city if it meant that I could see her one last time."
"You can't really do that anymore. I don't have to make sure of it." Hawks's turned his back on him. "She... You know her. She'll probably come as soon as she wakes up." He started shaking his head at the thought. That woman was crazy when it comes to pushing herself.
"One last thing." He looked back at him over his shoulder. "Don't think I'm doing this for you, but I will help get you out of here faster."
Little does Dabi know, there has been a major uproar with the news station. Satoko's speech somehow got leaked along with numerous things from the whole event.
It caused people to even talk about Endeavor's case. There's a major mistrust in heroes.
Change. It's definitely trying to come.
"...Thanks," Dabi said reluctantly. He felt strange even saying that word. He couldn't remember ever saying it before without being sarcastic. "Don't try to give me some stupid speech about how you're not doing it for me. You already said it once, so you can keep your mouth shut."
"Yeah, yeah." Hawks was already heading to leaving. He did the zipped lips gesture. "I wasn't planning on it. Maybe we can truly be buddies when the time comes."
The last sentence was more like a sarcastic joke. He didn't want to be friends with Dabi, but he does want to be civil because of Satoko.
Dabi watched as he walked away and the door was closed. It left him with a sickening sense of emptiness. He couldn't wait to get out and see Satoko again.
...
A week later, Shoto was finally discharged from the hospital. He said goodbye to Momo and started to walk to his house, but then he spotted Satoko. He picked up his pace to catch up to her. "Did you leave the hospital today too? My father told me that you would be staying with us, but he didn't mention how bad your injuries were. I thought that maybe you left already."
It was strange. As soon as Satoko woke up, Endeavor was present. He mentioned offering her shelter for the time being.
'You do know everything about me, don't you?'
That's what Endeavor asked her. He wouldn't even blame her if she decided to decline his offer.
'I won't be around you if it makes you uncomfortable. But... Toya's siblings... They would like to meet you.'
Satoko ended up accepting his offer for the time being. Once Dabi is out of jail, she would want to be with him.
Of course, she was stopped from leaving the hospital right away. Hawks ended up intervening and telling her everything he told Dabi.
The most annoying part was news reporters were flooding the hospital on all the days she was unconscious. The staff had to turn them away. Luckily, there wasn't anyone out as she was leaving today.
She does want to take that to her advantage, but right now, Dabi is her priority before anything.
"Unfortunately, I wanted to leave sooner." Satoko sighed, a little annoyed she couldn't. But she knows if she DID force herself to see Dabi when she wasn't healed better... He would probably be upset at her. "I'm going to see Toya firsthand."
He nodded. "My sister called me this morning. She was wanting to know if you would like to go at the same time as us. I wanted to talk to you anyway. To thank you for helping me."
Once again, he had permanent reminders of what happened. There were scars covering most of his face and neck. He still kept pushing forward though. Even when it hurt.
"Yes, of course." She replied. "If it's ok, I'd like to be alone with him today. Tomorrow would be better for us to go possibly."
She thinks Dabi needed a heads up on that too. He is very sensitive whether he admits it or not. Being a trauma survivor, behaviors are hard to predict. Sometimes one needs a mental preparation for such things.
Not only that, she hasn't met his sister or other brother just yet. She just knows of them.
She paused a moment and looked down. "I'm sorry that he hurt you. I know he has a lot of issues, but if you had seen the times he talked about you with me... There was pain in his eyes." She then looked up. "I know it doesn't justify his behavior. You and him suffered from your father... I really understand that feeling."
His expression saddened. "I am going to try talking to him about what happened. He might still hate me, but he is my brother. He...is a lot like me anyway. If I didn't meet my friends when I did, I would have been just like him."
"I don't believe it's hatred towards you, but more like complicated jealousy." She responded. "He wanted to hurt you to get to Endeavor. I think, deep down, he doesn't want to do that to you. It's hard for me to put into words, but he was always suffering. Masking his pain. Blinded by hatred that he couldn't see what he was doing to others."
"The way that you talk about him makes it seem like you know him a lot better than anyone else." Shoto felt a little bit jealous himself when he said those words. He wanted to be close to his brother, but Satoko ended up knowing him better than he did. He didn't even know her, and yet she was basically family. He didn't feel anger towards her though. If anything, he was actually glad that someone understood Dabi. "I'm glad that he's not alone."
"He won't be anymore. I won't let him." Satoko then had a sincere and sad smile. "I know you'll get to know him too. I'll help you with that. Anyways," She waved a piece of paper that Endeavor gave to her. "I have your address so.... I'll see you later?"
It felt weird for her to be living with a family. But she lived with the villains. They basically became her family too. It was a strange feeling.
"Yes. My sister is making a big dinner later, so I hope you will join us for that." He waved in an awkward manner. "See you later."
"I definitely will be there." Satoko waved back and left.
(Family...)
Food...
It is such a bittersweet feeling, but she is welcoming it into her heart.
....
Satoko's heart pounded as she headed towards the visitation door. She was planning on visiting everyone today.
She missed Dabi, but she can't imagine how he has felt waiting for her like this. The cop there told her the visitation time has limits. Once the limit is up, they would need to stop talking.
The door creaked open, with Satoko stepping in. There, behind a shatter proof glass wall with a seat in front of it, was Toya. Door closing behind her, she ran up to him without sparing a moment.
Her hand pressed against the barrier between them. "Toya... I'm sorry I couldn't visit you right away." Her voice cracked. She felt ashamed that from the moment she woke up, she couldn't see him.
She knows Hawks told Dabi her condition, but she still has her own battles of her mind when it comes to her own body's limits.
Toya approached the glass and pressed his hands against it too. He smiled, but the look of sadness in his eyes was still present. "I hope you know that I would have been angry if you tried to come while you were still hurt."
It was his way of trying to comfort her again. He felt so much agony inside, but he hated to see her upset.
The wall that separated them felt like a means of torture. She was so close to him. He felt like he should be able to reach out and touch her face. Maybe even kiss her. He couldn't get his hands any closer to her than they already were though.
"I know, but I like keeping my promises." She smiled sadly in return. "You told me to come visit you daily, but I already failed to do that... But I'm doing that now that I'm ok."
Like it was even her fault to begin with. But knowing how Toya wouldn't have liked that anyway, it made her feel a little better about it. "I hate the fact I made you wait."
Yet she still considers him despite that.
"You really have trouble telling when something is your fault and when it's not, huh?" He blew a puff of air out of his nose in a tiny laugh. "Update me on everyone. I could only get so much out of the chicken. Obviously he is fine and you're doing better now. What about Shigaraki and the other freaks?"
"I guess." She snorted at his ironic use of Hawks's nickname. "We use the same nickname for him, huh?"
They both smiled at each other.
It was a little humorous. They really are alike in many ways. She then continued, "I'm not sure. I'll be visiting them next after you. I wanted to see you first before everyone."
She recalls how he acted when she talked about Shigaraki with him. How angry he had gotten.
That definitely was jealousy. It all made sense now.
She wanted to reassure Toya. "I don't want you to worry about me talking to Shigaraki." She looked at him in his eyes. "My feelings are only for you."
"I'm going to trust you on this one, Doll. Don't disappoint me." His fingers pushed against the glass a little without him thinking about it. He felt like he might lose his mind if that barrier wasn't removed soon. He wanted to really feel her. To hold her close and be sure that she was his forever.
Her head rested against the glass. It was painful for her too. She can only imagine the feeling of his warmth against her. "The last thing I ever want to do is hurt you."
A thought came across her mind that he is now quirkless because of her. She's wondering how he's feeling about that. "I'm not sure how you feel without having a quirk now, but... the thought of losing you.. I couldn't do it."
"I felt free for a minute," he said. "Quirks are what caused my family to be messed up in the first place. I thought that I would hate not having a quirk, but now I almost wish that everyone was quirkless."
She was glad to hear him say that.
"I lived my life thinking I was quirkless. I trained my body to gain more strength that way." She sighed. Her face looked up at him while it was close to the glass. She wishes she could touch his face.
Having quirks...
"You are right about that. I feel like society wouldn't have become this way if not for quirks." She shook her head. "Even my quirk, the doctor warned me that I shouldn't use it on so many people anymore."
The thought of her coughing up blood comes to their minds.
"We can't do anything about quirks now that they're a natural part of the human body." He sighed, his eyebrows furrowing in frustration. "Tell me...did Shoto make it?"
"He did. We both got discharged from the hospital today." She was trying to figure out how to put this in the right words to say. "I'm... temporarily staying with your siblings until you get out. They didn't want me to live on the streets anymore. Especially since I'm a part of your life."
She mentioned how Endeavor approached her also. He said he won't go near her if it makes her uncomfortable. "He won't visit you either because he knows how you feel, but... I'm leaving everything up to you. Whether you feel comfortable with me staying there. Whether you'd want Shoto and your other siblings coming to see you. I won't force anything on you, but I do know this would be good for you all."
"It's better than you living on the streets. But if anyone tries to hurt you, leave immediately, ok?" He asked seriously. "My siblings can come, but mostly just because I have something that I want to tell them."
"I will. But you know me, I'm strong." She promised. "I will refer your message to them-"
"It's time." A cop spoke up. Those words made her sadness come back.
Toya backed up away from the glass. He gave a small nod. "See you later then?"
"Yes. Every day." Satoko's eyes got glossy a little. Slowly removing herself from the glass, she wouldn't stop looking at him. Even as she was heading out, her gaze wouldn't leave.
That look in her eyes told Dabi that she was genuine. She truly loved him. He couldn't understand it, but he was glad that she returned his feelings. It did hurt him though that he couldn't be with her.