~~~
Akira is greeted by a smooth, white ceiling and the smell of flowers. She turns her head to the large glass window beside her, taking up the entirety of the wall, the sun peering through a haze of anxious, grey clouds.
"There you are." Kira turns her head to the other side, spotting Mr Aizawa. "It's about time you woke up."
"Mr Aizawa?" She frowns, her throat rough and parched.
"What am I supposed to do with you?" He adds with a deep sigh.
Kira starts to regain the comfort of consciousness, looking around at her surroundings frantically, before sitting up abruptly and patting down her arms. "Where am I? What's going on?" She blurts.
"Relax," Aizawa says, stepping forwards. "You're in the hospital, where I can keep an eye on you." He looks at her for a moment, as if analysing her. "It seems to me like you have everything under control now."
"Hospital?" Kira breathes out heavily. "Why here?"
"Well, I have to stay close to Eri," her teacher explains. "You remember her?" Kira nods. "Her Quirk is more dangerous and unpredictable than yours, if you can believe it."
"Right..." Kira whispers, before her eyes widen and her head snaps up to Aizawa. "What day is it!? I'm supposed to be at the provisional license exam!"
Aizawa tries to halt her panic with two raised palms. "Given the nature of everything that happened, UA has been excused. But, just this once."
"But... what happened?" She asks, relaxing slightly, but completely confused. "The last thing I remember was... feeling my Quirk start to cool down and- how did I get here?"
"From what Present Mic told me, you collapsed at the scene. You burnt Bakugou pretty good too while you were at it."
"What? I did?"
Aizawa sighs heavily. "Look, I don't know all the details, but he was the one to bring you in here. Seems like you owe him both a thank you and an apology."
"Yeah." Kira scoffs. "I owe that to everyone."
"Seeing as you're fine now..."
Aizawa turns to leave but Kira halts him, her legs scooting off the hospital bed. "Wait! What now?" She wonders. "I'm clearly a danger. You should quarantine me like Eri."
Her teacher hesitates before turning back to her. "It's not out of the question," he replies truthfully. "Your Quirk was... ten times more powerful than the last time this happened. Or, so I've been told..." Kira nods sadly. Part of her wanted Aizawa to disagree with her. "However," he adds and Kira looks back to him slowly. "Just because your Quirk is strong, dangerous and unpredictable doesn't mean we're going to give up, Kiriya. Just like Eri - her Quirk is probably far more difficult to control and understand, but no one is giving up. So, you shouldn't too."
Kira ponders on Aizawa's words, his meaning, his sincerity. "You're right..." She whispers. "Eri's faced a much harder life than mine."
"Now, she's not accepting any visitors at the moment, as she still poses a significant threat," he starts, crossing his arms over his chest. "But, as I'll be there to erase her Quirk should anything go wrong, would you like to see her? Would that give you peace of mind?"
"Yeah, I think so." Kira nods.
Aizawa returns the nod and so she follows him out of her hospital room and down the corridor, her bare feet padding on the ground, echoing through the vacant building. It seems as though this floor was especially quiet - must have something to do with Eri's capabilities. Kira smoothed down her blue hospital gown as Aizawa stopped outside a room. He sent Kira a look, but she couldn't place the meaning behind it and he let himself inside Eri's room.
She was small, sat up in her bed with a tray of food and was especially gleeful to see Aizawa return, her face lighting up at his presence. On the end of her bed was a young boy, with sandy coloured hair and dark eyes. He looked familiar.
"Eri," Aizawa says, his voice unnaturally soft. "This is Akira Kiriya. She's come to see how you're feeling."
"If it's easier, you can just call me 'Kira'," she says to Eri, cautiously stepping into the room.
"I know you," Eri responds meekly. "I've seen you before."
"This is one of those so-called heroes that... helped out when your Quirk was out of control," the boy says almost reluctantly to Eri, before glaring at Kira. "Aren't you?"
The memory swamps her mind, that day when Kira discovered on the news that Kirishima was badly injured and being taken to the hospital. She flew out of the dorms with zero hesitation and Bakugou was there. Suddenly, they were running hand-in-hand towards the hospital. They both witnessed Eri's devastating Quirk and the boy's one too. He was able to stop her power, but only after Kira and Bakugou were able to break the glass separating them. His Quirk could only be used if he was touching Eri.
"Of course," Kira mumbles. "You two were in separate rooms and..." she trails off, looking back and forth at the kids. "And your Quirk-"
"Yeah," the boy interrupts. "I stopped it."
"Lucas also has the ability to cancel Eri's Quirk, though it's a much more dangerous method," Aizawa explains from behind Kira.
"It's worked well enough so far," Lucas argues. "I still don't think we really need you." He glares intense daggers at Aizawa, though Kira doubts that's enough to deter him.
"And he's still learning to socialise," the teacher adds, choosing to disregard any intended hostility.
"Where's the other hero?" Eri finally speaks up again, tilting her head gently to stare behind Kira at the door, as if it's about to open again.
"Who?" Kira wonders. "Do you mean Midoriya?" It makes sense that he's the one that Eri's decided to seek out, seeing as he was such a pinnacle moment in her rescue.
She simply shakes her head, her delicate, silver hair falling across her features.
"I think she meant the loud, mean one that was with you at the time," Lucas clarifies.
"Oh." Kira frowns. "You- you mean Bakugou?" She's confused why Eri would be interested in him when he never returns the feeling. "He's... he's not here. He must be back at the dorms."
Lucas shuffles on the hospital bed, so he's facing Eri directly. "I don't know why you want to see him, Eri," he says. "He's not a nice person."
"But, he helped save me," she replies timidly, before looking up at Kira. "Like she did."
Kira shakes her head quickly. "Oh no, I didn't-"
"Yeah, she didn't," Lucas argues sternly. "I did. It was my Quirk that stopped your rewind."
"But... she and the mean boy helped... you."
Lucas appears stumped by her phrasing. After all, it is the truth. An embarrassed pink twinge dots the boy's cheeks and he turns his head away slightly. "Yeah, well that stupid hero isn't here anymore."
"Anymore?" Kira repeats and the boy looks to her.
"He was here a few hours ago," he explains. "I went to get Eri some water because apparently the nurses here are just useless and I happened to walk past your room. You were sleeping and he was sitting by your bed."
Kira blinks at the boy, as if she may have heard him wrong. "He was?"
"Bakugou was the one to carry you inside," Aizawa states. "In fact, he was adamant on it."
"He was calling you all sorts of crude names though," Lucas adds. "I don't think he likes you very much."
"Yeah?" Kira scoffs. "Well, I know I deserve it and so much more."
Akira spent a little more time with Eri and Lucas until Aizawa was able to drive her back to UA. The ride was eerily silent, though Kira didn't expect someone like Aizawa to engage in small talk. When the car finally pulled up outside class 1A's dorms, the early winter sun was setting already, casting a cool glow across the horizon. The school and the dorms being on top of the hill had its perks.
"Kiriya," Aizawa's low voice speaks up. "We've arrived."
She blinks rapidly, when she realises she's been staring out the window at the dormitory for the past few seconds. "Right, sorry," she replies, but still doesn't make any inclination of leaving the vehicle.
"Kiriya..."
"Mr Aizawa," she says shortly, spinning away from the window. "I think... I need answers," she tells him.
"Answers?" He repeats, narrowing his eyes at her slightly.
She nods. "I'm just confused, is all, sir," she starts. "Why haven't you told anyone about my father - that he's still alive? Why have you not been... punishing me for my faults? I've acted rashly and without permission. I've gotten people killed. I'm reckless. I jump in without thinking."
"What makes you think I've kept this to myself?" Aizawa counters. "Personally, I believe you're dangerous. Perhaps on the same level as Eri. You need serious, vigorous training to stop your Quirk from going out of control in the future. No more holidays; no more weeks off. However, Principal Nezu and the other teachers have decided to keep you here at UA, where you can train, instead of quarantining you like Eri. So, your classmates aren't the only ones you need to show your gratitude towards. All Might, Midnight, Nezu - you better not let them regret it."
"But... what if it does happen again?" Kira says quietly, looking down at her hands. "What if I can't stop it?"
Aizawa pauses, seemingly without an answer. "I suggest you start getting serious about your training."
Kira nods slightly, before exiting the vehicle. Aizawa speeds off, as he needs to hurry back to Eri and Kira finds herself staring up at the dormitory for what feels like the thousandth time. Every look she's given her home has had a different story behind it, different emotions. She just had to head inside and face her classmates, simply praying that they don't perceive her differently as well. The last thing she would ever want is to scare her friends away, for them to stare at her with fear in their eyes.
Kira breathes out heavily and pushes the door open, revealing all of her friends gathered in a huddle in the main area. They were eating cakes and drinking tea and Kira found herself frowning at the scene. When suddenly, Toru's voice startled just about everyone there, Kira included.
"Oh my gosh!" She squeals. "You're back! You're back! You're back!"
There's the rushed clutter of crockery and suddenly Kira's surrounded by her classmates, worry and relief etched on their faces. They weren't keeping their distance in fear like Kira assumed they would. It seems like they were afraid for her, not of her. Kira's eyes widen at the words, remembering what Bakugou said to her before her world faded to black.
"I'm not worried because of you. I'm worried about you."
Her eyes find him as her classmates bicker and dance around her to get her attention. Someone's yelling questions in her ear. Someone's shaking her by the shoulders. Momo's offering her some soothing tea. Sato has a plate of chocolate cake - her favourite - wafting under her nose. But, through the arms of her enthusiastic classmates, she finds Bakugou, his body turned away as if he's disinterested, but his eyes are sly and narrowed as he observes her in the centre of the circle of lively students.
The questions start to blur into focus and Kira has to force her eyes away from Bakugou standing away from the ruckus, blinking quickly to concentrate on coherent sentences.
"Are you okay?"
"You seem kind of spaced out."
"Would you like some tea?"
"How about some cake?"
"Your Quirk went absolutely insane again!"
"Guys..." Kira finally speaks up and everyone silences instantly. "I'm- I'm sorry." She slowly bows her head, feeling her guilt well up in her gut. "I'm sorry for putting you in danger and for making you all worry." She looks up slightly, noticing everyone's stunned expression. "I'm going to work really hard to make sure that it doesn't happen again. I promise."
Kira watches her classmates share knowing, almost proud glances with one another before they all simultaneously ambush her and before she knows it, she's being suffocated in the world's biggest hug. Everyone's cheering, welcoming her return and wishing her luck in the future to control her Quirk. She finds herself welling up at this sensation, her anxiety washing away as everyone finally peels away and Kira wipes her tears away with the back of her hand. She's overjoyed that they didn't resent her or fear her. She doesn't know if she could keep on going if they looked at her differently.
It made her realise how much she relied on her classmates, her friends. Her family.
"Thank you, everyone," she says, unable to stop herself from smiling. "But, there's someone else I need to speak to."
Everyone seems to understand her immediately, as they part like a magical sea, offering Kira a straight path to Bakugou. He seems to notice the gesture and looks perturbed by it all, glaring at all of the students with murder in his eyes. Seems like everyone knows about their convoluted connection now, even if Kira and Bakugou will never be able to understand it.
Kira walks up to him and it looks like he wants to run away. She wondered if she should let him - save this discussion for another time. She hesitates before him, looking up at his almost embarrassed features, but his eyes remain strong, burning with a red passion as he stares back at her unflinchingly.
In the corner of her eye, Kira can spot her friends lurking within earshot, eager to hear any details and so she shoots a glare at Mina and company, before using that irritation to grab Bakugou by the elbow and pull him towards the lift. He doesn't seem to complain about her grip, but of course isn't happy about it either. They stop just beside the lift, where Kira releases him.
"You don't want to be here, do you?" She says, not with anger, but with a sort of sorrow. "Here's the way out." She nods her head at the lift beside them.
He looks up at it, but doesn't move to leave. He would never have been waiting for her to return if he didn't want this conversation.
"I heard you got hurt because of me," she adds.
Bakugou seems to return to normality as he scoffs harshly at her assumption. "I didn't feel a thing."
Kira looks away sheepishly. "You shouldn't have approached me the way you did, especially when I'm in that state."
"Aren't you listening, you idiot?" He snaps. "I said it was nothing."
Kira looks back and her eyes move over his body - he doesn't appear to be badly hurt. Recovery Girl's Quirk is excellent at healing wounds, but sometimes when the injury is too great, it takes extra time, but here he is, standing before her without a scratch.
"Besides, it wasn't the first time something like that has happened."
"Right." Kira scoffs lightly. "Even though my Atomic power is extremely dangerous and superheated, for some reason, you keep coming into contact with it. With me." They stare at each other for a few seconds, before Kira clears her throat and pulls her eyes away. "Thank you," she murmurs. "Thank you for carrying me into the hospital and for staying with me."
Bakugou tenses at her final words. "All I did was leave you there," he replies quickly.
Kira smiles up at her classmate. "Of course."
She doubts Lucas was lying about Bakugou watching over her while she slept off her injuries, especially seeing as he mentioned him muttering unintelligible curse words at her while she was unconscious. That seems like Bakugou to her.
"Well?" Kira raises her brows, before gesturing to the lift. "Now's your chance to make your escape."
Bakugou grunts his reply, before leaning past her cheek to press the button. The lift dings its arrival, the metal doors sliding open. He steps inside and when he turns to her, he seems a lot calmer than he was a few minutes ago. It looked like he was going to run away and never leave his room again. Just as the doors were about to close, Bakugou's hand slams in the middle, very nearly trapping his hand and Kira's eyes widen in alarm. He shoves the door back open with slight exertion, the lift groaning defiantly.
"I wasn't going to say anything," he says, leaning on the lift door slightly. "But, your dad was looking for you earlier."
Kira steps forward anxiously. "You... you spoke to him?"
A slight hesitation. "Yeah."
"Why wouldn't you tell me?"
"Because I don't trust him," Bakugou replies confidently. "And I don't want-"
He holds his tongue, narrows his eyes as if he's arguing with his own thoughts and finally allows the lift to close with a relieved groan. His eyes avoid hers as the lift doors shut and Kira watches the lights above climb and stop at the fourth floor.
Seems like her father needs to see her.
~~~