All Tsuyu ever wanted was a trickle of peace.
Ironic, isn't it?
Because Tsuyu is also in the most chaotic class in U.A this year.
With the villain attack pinpointed at them.
Well, Tsuyu never said she wanted her life to be peaceful.
She just wanted peace.
And being a hero would provide that, right?
Her little siblings always saw her as a role model.
Her younger brother would sit with her, and gently smack at her shoulder and laugh, before saying, 'That did nothing?! One of these days I'll get stronger than you! Just you wait.'
And when he gets upset about it, Tsuyu feigns pain and begins to writhe on the couch until he feels bad and gets her a cup of water and a slice of that cake in the fridge.
.
So yeah, her life was alright. Tsuyu was content with it.
Until she found out she wasn't.
Tongue sticking out, her eyebrows knit together in confusion. Wide, dark eyes staring down at her sheets. She cradles herself with her arms, her nice, warm, stringy sweater dousing her with a little bit of comfort. It's hard though. With the blanks in the air, the glum that weighs over everybody, and how nothing cheers anybody up anymore, Tsuyu is restless.
Even Ashido doesn't try to change what happens. Even Ashido knows she'll never change anything. And if Ashido can't do it, nobody can. If Midoriya can't smile, nobody can. If Bakugou couldn't bear his own life, nobody knew.
Tsuyu's supposed to be a hero. She was supposed to care, she was supposed to notice, but... she didn't know a lot about Bakugou, did she? The first time she saw the name, the first thing she thought was Isn't Bakugou that model's name? Obviously going back to Mitsuki. She wasn't so enamored with the fashion world, she just knew the very basics.
God. Mitsuki was practically a fundamental in the fashion world! Her name's known everywhere in Japan.
But Tsuyu knew for a fact, that she would just rather avoid Bakugou. He was loud, abrasive, and mean. Uraraka had come to her after the sports festival, hugging and clinging to her clothes and sniffling into her shoulder with this grateful smile. Tsuyu was confused, was she happy with her loss? Obviously not if she was crying so much, but... what was it? The people that surrounded Bakugou shared a part of the boy's oddness it seemed. Tsuyu wouldn't be able to understand that.
But then again, Bakugou was attractive in his own way, the way he was just so full of life. Ready. Vigorous. Every part of him moved with force, claiming and screaming that he wasn't something be reckoned with, so it couldn't end like this, body wrapped underneath sheets on a stretcher. A tuft of ash blonde hair that looked so murky now. If Tsuyu saw his eyes, what would they look like?
Dead? Void of emotion, or would they cling to the feeling he felt seconds before he had crippled in the bathroom. Shit, that's so disgustingly morbid... it's hard to pause this train of thought, especially since Tsuyu has even thought to herself that if he had died in the girls' washroom, Tsuyu's not sure she'd be able to step in there without seeing spiky hair lurking in the shadowed corners, fried from a scene she never even got to witness. She already feels the hysteria breaching the air.
Mandatory therapy is put in session by teachers. Perhaps to avoid more incidents like Bakugou's.
Bakugou's friends are breaking slowly, so compressed amongst themselves lately.
Her friend group with Iida, Uraraka, Midoriya, and Todoroki feels strained. Especially with Iida, if Iida's even friends with them anymore. It seems like the anger had nowhere else to flare except the navy blue haired male, with his story.
Why didn't he do anything?
He could have...
It's useless to blame anything on him.
...
✧.*
Weariness roots her to the ground, she flips her long tied hair behind her shoulder and knocks on the door gingerly.
Usually, the voice responding would be bright, fast, and quick, but it's not that anymore. It's tired, 'Yes, who's there?' it nearly comes out like a mutter.
Tsuyu wonders why everybody didn't realize Iida would take this so badly. Maybe because they're all stranded in their own pain, and the glare of their suffering has become blinding for the select few that it clotted everybody else's rationale. Tsuyu's upset, but she's always been reserved and tucked away. Stuffing her emotions in her room and occasionally with others. It's just... she's always been the bigger sister. The bigger sister can't cry, or else everybody else worries.
'It's me.'
'Who?'
Did she sound so different? 'Tsuyu.'
'Oh, the door's open. You can enter.'
Hand moving the door knob, with a gentle turn, she pushes the door agape, peeking inside the room. Iida's across the bed, body outstretched to all the corners of the mattress, with this hopeless expression placating his face.
'Why are you here?'
'Uhm,' she opens up her arms, in the way a nine year old might imitate a gliding bird. Slowly nearing the bed, openly. Iida looks at her with a following gaze. Finally, he realizes what she's offering-- a hug.
The class president turns his head to her, hopeless expression morphing into pain, and then, his bottom lip quivers, and he sits up. Straightening himself to the best of his ability, and just staring at Tsuyu. As if waiting for her to suddenly retract away and run off.
Silence cracks into the air around them. Then finally, with an ugly sob, one that people would think Iida incapable of making, he accepts the hug unswervingly. Sobs choking out of his mouth, it sounds like Tsuyu's suffocating him with how much he needs to breathe as he cries.
Her hand attentively moves to his locks, rustling the unkempt blue hair, fingers lacing between strands. Tsuyu lets Iida let it all out, with dismal quiet, she doesn't seem to have any problems with his venting as her hands roll through the boy's convoluted hair.
'Everybody's been so harsh with you, it's not fair.'
Just another smothering sob as an answer.
✧.*
Soon enough, the two are seated on the bed. Tsuyu presents the enveloped letter to Iida, 'Do you still have yours?'
Weakly, Iida nods.
'Did you read it?'
Shaking his head with a sniffle.
'...You're still not ready?'
He shakes his head no yet again.
A moment of silence, 'You should read it. I'm not forcing you, but it... might help.'
Another quiet pause. Then Iida gets up, he goes to a shelf. Tsuyu looks to him, and watches as he pulls out the envelope with the letter.
'I... Y-You'll be...' Iida's question is cut off by a sniffle.
'I'll be here,' Tsuyu reassures, carefully opening the envelope. Iida looks a little more sure, something a little like wet resolve making his eyes rigidify slightly, evincing part of his former self unknowingly.
Charily moving to the bed, Iida plops down timidly beside Tsuyu. There's gratefulness in his eyes, and he has a bashful expression on his face.
'I'll go first.'
'Okay.'
Tsuyu looks at the letter, feeling Iida look over her shoulder like a little brother. Maybe that's what she always thought of the boys in her friend group as, little brothers. Todoroki, Midoriya, and Iida. It was nice to comfort them. Tsuyu liked comforting people.
It was heroic and peaceful.
With a deep breath, she began, 'Hi froggy or Tsuyu, or Tsu, I'm writing this at night... I wonder what time it is for you guys now. You guys have probably already gotten over it. I don't see why you'd be reading this at all...
'I really wish this could have ended differently. But it didn't. I don't know what to say to you, we never talked too much. I guess I thought you were a little cool at times, the poison part of your quirk is... fuc... freaking admirable.
'You should work on it more and strengthen it. Bye, I guess.'
Iida gazes over every letter, even the ones Tsuyu's already read. Bakugou sounded so awkward and ... weird. Does he not know what to say to them? If he acts so bashful and sheepish, perhaps it won't be so bad to ... read the letter.
Tsuyu looks to him with eyes that are barely insistent. More encouraging, trying hard not be pressuring, but you can see the curiosity gleaming her inky gaze.
Pulling out the letter from the envelope with utmost care, it feels so real and solidifying. The first time he just looked at it. Nothing else, just watched it without reading the words. Like he didn't even know Japanese with the amount his head was buzzing.
'Okay...' he watches at the first letter, 'hi. It's me. You should have come to the bathroom that night...' his eyes widen, he looks to Tsuyu who stares with a calculating stare that looks a little burdened, '...I-i...' he continues after clearing his throat, '...Um... you told everybody about the letters right? I know you're not the biggest fan of me, so take this with... a grain of salt-'
It's so terrible. Iida chokes a little.
Tsuyu looks a little surprised at the words.
'You don't... have to- have to read the rest- I'm trying to make all these letters at least three paragraphs...' the gulp Iida takes feels like it might choke him, 'I'm sure things could have ended diff-di-..differentl...differently-- j-j-just c-comfort the p-people...' he's tearing up again, 'th-that'll need it. You... You're the class president.
'S-sorry if I-...' Iida stops himself from reading the agonizing letter, hands planting behind his glasses, rubbing his eyes, as if to rub away what he read. This hurts so much.
'...It's not your fault.'
'But I'm supposed to be the class president.'
'It's--'
'I-i-i sh-should have do-done something! I'm- I- I f-failed!' Iida wasn't done, 'I-I- cou- could have d-done better!' his cries grow in volume and pain, 'I l-let everyone down!!'
'You can't be perfect,' the hurt in Tsuyu's voice is evident.
'B-but I have to be... decent.'
'...You didn't know...'
'I- I... I should have guessed- j-just because he- he was Bakugou I...'
Tsuyu didn't stop him this time, maybe he needed this.
Words: 1666
A/N: quarter nbwdlm (no beta we die like men).