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Akuma's father was at work, due to be home later in the evening, her mother was in the kitchen humming along to the music lightly playing from the record player and Shiro, her little brother, was rummaging around upstairs the last time she'd heard from him. Meanwhile, the pinkette had been expected to sit and rest yet, she couldn't help the pull to wander into the kitchen walking past the couch. It felt like it'd been so long since she got to stand alongside her mother, helping her cook quietly, or just sitting in the kitchen listening to her parents talk about anything and everything. Having been bed-ridden the entire time stuck in a hellish place Akuma couldn't bring herself to sit idly while such familiarity resided just in the room over. So, much to her mother's surprise, the pinkette meandered up gently nudging into her side as a silent, off-handed indication of a hug (a familiar gesture she'd done when first welcomed into the Moriko family). The red-headed woman peered down at her, hands occupied but she leaned in to press a kiss to the crown of her head and a gentle bump of her hip in return.
"Can't sleep?" Nanako maintained a soft-spoken tone to match the music that chirped in the air, dancing its way into the gaps of silence playing its role of background noise. Giving a small hum in response, the older woman studied her daughter for another second. Noting the tiredness in her eyes, circles outlining the usually bright jade-hues, and how her lips were pressed tightly with the occasional clenched tension in her set jaw. Small indications paired with the lack of a eye contact, verbal response or reasoning to her question had alerted to the woman that Akuma was at a point where she didn't feel like speaking. The nonverbal aspect to her daughter wasn't unusual, in fact it was very very common. Lately she had grown out of her constant silence, but there were points where Nanako could see it settle in her expression and the force Akuma would attempt to put on herself to give a proper response. Due to her being away at school now bound to the dormitory, it had been a while since the woman has seen her daughter like this, but it was also not unexpected after the strain and anxiety she has been put through. She didn't have to say anything though, because her family would understand they always did and Akuma knew that. So Nanako did what she always had, she simply pressed on without missing a beat, "I'm making fried rice for lunch today. Shiro's been craving it all week." it was simple and light conversation. No true meaning or purpose behind it aside from mindless noise that Akuma nodded quietly at. Eyes still trained on her mother's hands as they cut at vegetables.
Footsteps rhythmically tapped along the wooden floor accompanied by the younger male's voice. " 'kuma, your phone was ringing." the interruption didn't phase either of them, her gaze finally tearing away from the cutting board to glance over as Shiro came waddling up beside her in the same manner she'd done to their mother. Her head tilted ever so slightly in an inquisitive tilt which prompted the boy to read said messages. "Kaminari sent a few messages about being glad you're home then talking about something that... Ashido and Todoroki did?" the boy considered the messages as pointless chitchat, not important as he scrolled onto the next and seemed to perk up ever so slightly at the familiar name, seemingly eager with the idea of the blonde coming over (this was another way he could learn who Akuma was). "Bakugou asked if you were home, he says he's coming over!" Now that was a message that seemed to gain everyone's attention. Akuma tensing ever so slightly, yet also a moment of confusion of why he'd ask if she were home. Did he not get her text message? Meanwhile her mother chimed in with a pleased tone, "Oh how sweet! I'll have to make some more rice then for company. Ask him if he'll be staying for dinner too, I have some thawed beef that'll be perfect for stew." Shiro had already begun typing before the pinkette even uttered a word, "It looks like your message didn't send earlier 'Kuma, I'll let him know. "
It wasn't unusual for Shiro to handle her phone like it was his own, and typically she didn't mind at all. There'd been nothing for her to hide anyhow, not anything that she wouldn't have shared with Shiro eventually. Yet, she reached for her phone with her free hand, "I'll text him " Akuma wasn't sure if she wanted him over. Part of her (her heart specifically) jittered at the idea that he wanted to come see her. Adored with the idea of his company in a place where she could feel safe and more herself. Yet, the other part of her that was tired and still slightly guilt-ridden wasn't particularly fond of the idea. Maybe she just wasn't ready... wasn't ready to have him here in another place where she was just as vulnerable. Easily she took the phone from her brother who slipped a soft 'oh' only to see that he'd already sent his message: 'Kuma's helping mom cook, she's sorry her text didn't send but mom's making lunch and wants you to stay for dinner. Here's our address.' Now if she tried to backtrack and tell him not to come, there was no way she'd be able to convince him. Even his message alone didn't seem to give much room for argument (just like in the hospital). Quietly reading the message again and the unsent one above that, the pinkette briefly wondered if she really was bothered by the idea of him coming over or was she just nervous? Nervous he might see something that she wasn't quite ready to show.
"Can't sleep?" Nanako maintained a soft-spoken tone to match the music that chirped in the air, dancing its way into the gaps of silence playing its role of background noise. Giving a small hum in response, the older woman studied her daughter for another second. Noting the tiredness in her eyes, circles outlining the usually bright jade-hues, and how her lips were pressed tightly with the occasional clenched tension in her set jaw. Small indications paired with the lack of a eye contact, verbal response or reasoning to her question had alerted to the woman that Akuma was at a point where she didn't feel like speaking. The nonverbal aspect to her daughter wasn't unusual, in fact it was very very common. Lately she had grown out of her constant silence, but there were points where Nanako could see it settle in her expression and the force Akuma would attempt to put on herself to give a proper response. Due to her being away at school now bound to the dormitory, it had been a while since the woman has seen her daughter like this, but it was also not unexpected after the strain and anxiety she has been put through. She didn't have to say anything though, because her family would understand they always did and Akuma knew that. So Nanako did what she always had, she simply pressed on without missing a beat, "I'm making fried rice for lunch today. Shiro's been craving it all week." it was simple and light conversation. No true meaning or purpose behind it aside from mindless noise that Akuma nodded quietly at. Eyes still trained on her mother's hands as they cut at vegetables.
Footsteps rhythmically tapped along the wooden floor accompanied by the younger male's voice. " 'kuma, your phone was ringing." the interruption didn't phase either of them, her gaze finally tearing away from the cutting board to glance over as Shiro came waddling up beside her in the same manner she'd done to their mother. Her head tilted ever so slightly in an inquisitive tilt which prompted the boy to read said messages. "Kaminari sent a few messages about being glad you're home then talking about something that... Ashido and Todoroki did?" the boy considered the messages as pointless chitchat, not important as he scrolled onto the next and seemed to perk up ever so slightly at the familiar name, seemingly eager with the idea of the blonde coming over (this was another way he could learn who Akuma was). "Bakugou asked if you were home, he says he's coming over!" Now that was a message that seemed to gain everyone's attention. Akuma tensing ever so slightly, yet also a moment of confusion of why he'd ask if she were home. Did he not get her text message? Meanwhile her mother chimed in with a pleased tone, "Oh how sweet! I'll have to make some more rice then for company. Ask him if he'll be staying for dinner too, I have some thawed beef that'll be perfect for stew." Shiro had already begun typing before the pinkette even uttered a word, "It looks like your message didn't send earlier 'Kuma, I'll let him know. "
It wasn't unusual for Shiro to handle her phone like it was his own, and typically she didn't mind at all. There'd been nothing for her to hide anyhow, not anything that she wouldn't have shared with Shiro eventually. Yet, she reached for her phone with her free hand, "I'll text him " Akuma wasn't sure if she wanted him over. Part of her (her heart specifically) jittered at the idea that he wanted to come see her. Adored with the idea of his company in a place where she could feel safe and more herself. Yet, the other part of her that was tired and still slightly guilt-ridden wasn't particularly fond of the idea. Maybe she just wasn't ready... wasn't ready to have him here in another place where she was just as vulnerable. Easily she took the phone from her brother who slipped a soft 'oh' only to see that he'd already sent his message: 'Kuma's helping mom cook, she's sorry her text didn't send but mom's making lunch and wants you to stay for dinner. Here's our address.' Now if she tried to backtrack and tell him not to come, there was no way she'd be able to convince him. Even his message alone didn't seem to give much room for argument (just like in the hospital). Quietly reading the message again and the unsent one above that, the pinkette briefly wondered if she really was bothered by the idea of him coming over or was she just nervous? Nervous he might see something that she wasn't quite ready to show.
With his mind constantly running a mile a minute, feet moving beneath him without missing a beat, Izuku realized that he'd spent so much time thinking about texting Kanae rather than actually texting her. Emerald hues fixated on his lit up screen in between his rummaging for clothes, in between his fast trek down the stairs, skipping a few steps to get him closer to his destination. His nerves had thrown him off track, leaving all of this out of order. What he should have done was text her he should've texted her the moment he woke up but he'd been unsure of bothering her so early. He didn't want to accidently wake her if she'd been sleeping, but he also didn't want to bombard her with a message amongst their other peers knowing that they were all aware of their classmate's discharge today. It'd been his way of giving her some space, even if it meant fleeting glances at his phone ever minute, or sudden jolts and scrambling to fish his phone out of his pocket at every notifying buzz that only led to disappointment. He should have texted her... but he didn't. He didn't text her then and he didn't text her now. Not as he walked to the train station pondering on what to say, pondering on if he should even be there right now to her house, pondering on if she'd even want him there in the first place probably not..
Izuku wasn't blind to the shift occurring between the two. He was used to her distant behavior, used to the way she often tried to isolate herself and steer away from their classmates. He understood why now. The more he had learned about her, the more he understood the reasoning behind the way she acted yet, simultaneously there was the part of him that was desperate to try to create this bond between them that seemed unable to grasp that concept. Unable to grasp the suffering she'd endured as a child that led to this distrust. There was still so many chunks out of her life that was a mystery to the juniper male (Like who really was that girl in Kanae's room that day and what did she want? What did she have to do with her?) that might fill in more of the pieces that made up the dark haired girl. Yet even knowing all this, he couldn't help the twinge of familiar pain buried deep behind it all. Pain that he tried to ignore, had been ignoring for most of his life. The kind that wondered why he wasn't good enough, why that no matter how hard he tried it just wasn't enough? He couldn't fault her for the weariness she held towards him. The way she seemed on edge when he was near and more-or-less distrusting of the kindness he tried to display. She was tolerant, yes, but that was the extent of it. At first she had offered him empathy, seemingly proceeding to calm the juniper's nerves when the accident had first occurred, but then the panic attack came... and suddenly it was like he'd been the one who pushed her off the edge. As if he had personally hurt her with his very hand.
It'd all been a scramble of stress and emotions between himself, Kanae and her family.. He just hoped that her being home would lessen that. Maybe it'd bring some sense of comfort to the tension she held within herself. A sense of familiarity. Izuku had hoped that'd be the case, and he held that same hope when stepping off the train, and continued to hold it as he spotted a small grocery and opted to pick up a snack or two for them. Maybe she'd eaten already or maybe she didn't. Either way it almost felt like a peace treaty if anything. Sort of a gift as a mixture of; glad you're home, hope you have a speedy recovery, also please don't be upset I showed up unannounced I just couldn't figure out what to say so I gave up on it and now I'm here and I have gifts or something of the sort. Either way he felt better with the idea of buying her something, having grabbed a few drinks and fresh, hot steamed buns all neatly wrapped and warm for them to enjoy together if she wanted. It was also a pleasant distraction for the racing thoughts in his head and equally racing heart in his chest, nerves still twisting at his fingers that gripped the plastic bag in hand.
Izuku had spent the last few minutes of his walk telling himself that it was going to be fine. Trying to calm these thoughts of his and assure himself that if he could visit her every single day at the hospital then this would be no different. Except when he knocked on the door and was met with that same nettled look in her eye, Izuku realized that it truly was no different. It was no different than the look Katsuki would give him when he would run up to the blonde and be scowled at, dismissed and berated. It was no different from when he offered to help his childhood friend only to be shoved away and practically spat at. It was no different than the look of confliction and disgust that dug claws deep into his chest and left the broken, quirkless boy within him trembling and racking with shattered sobs it was all so familiar because he had dealt with it for years. Even now as he was growing and progressing, reaching for his dreams. He still had to endure the strain of the relationship that connected him to Katsuki. Having to carefully piece whatever was left back together so he could continue to grow from it. She looked at him as if his mere presence wounded her.
Swallowing thickly, Izuku took in a deep breath and held up the plastic bag in his hand. " I-I brought food.." that'd been his ice-breaker and while he was more confident 50 seconds ago that it'd be a good one, now he was feeling much more small standing before her gaze. " So-sorry I didn't text you f-first... I figured you'd be home and I thought that coming to see you would be fine " part of him nearly stammered that he could go home if she wanted, the impulsive reaction to try and be as accommodating as possible even if it meant retreating back, but he didn't. As much as it nearly bubbled up and slipped out, Izuku bit his tongue and continued to stand there willing himself to keep his eyes locked onto hers. He didn't want to leave her and quite frankly he felt as if she was more likely to tell him to leave if he offered it. (part of him also thought back to the hospital and her sudden break in composure when he said he would leave if she wanted... it was that reminder that made the words curl up in his mouth). He wouldn't let that happen again.
Izuku wasn't blind to the shift occurring between the two. He was used to her distant behavior, used to the way she often tried to isolate herself and steer away from their classmates. He understood why now. The more he had learned about her, the more he understood the reasoning behind the way she acted yet, simultaneously there was the part of him that was desperate to try to create this bond between them that seemed unable to grasp that concept. Unable to grasp the suffering she'd endured as a child that led to this distrust. There was still so many chunks out of her life that was a mystery to the juniper male (Like who really was that girl in Kanae's room that day and what did she want? What did she have to do with her?) that might fill in more of the pieces that made up the dark haired girl. Yet even knowing all this, he couldn't help the twinge of familiar pain buried deep behind it all. Pain that he tried to ignore, had been ignoring for most of his life. The kind that wondered why he wasn't good enough, why that no matter how hard he tried it just wasn't enough? He couldn't fault her for the weariness she held towards him. The way she seemed on edge when he was near and more-or-less distrusting of the kindness he tried to display. She was tolerant, yes, but that was the extent of it. At first she had offered him empathy, seemingly proceeding to calm the juniper's nerves when the accident had first occurred, but then the panic attack came... and suddenly it was like he'd been the one who pushed her off the edge. As if he had personally hurt her with his very hand.
It'd all been a scramble of stress and emotions between himself, Kanae and her family.. He just hoped that her being home would lessen that. Maybe it'd bring some sense of comfort to the tension she held within herself. A sense of familiarity. Izuku had hoped that'd be the case, and he held that same hope when stepping off the train, and continued to hold it as he spotted a small grocery and opted to pick up a snack or two for them. Maybe she'd eaten already or maybe she didn't. Either way it almost felt like a peace treaty if anything. Sort of a gift as a mixture of; glad you're home, hope you have a speedy recovery, also please don't be upset I showed up unannounced I just couldn't figure out what to say so I gave up on it and now I'm here and I have gifts or something of the sort. Either way he felt better with the idea of buying her something, having grabbed a few drinks and fresh, hot steamed buns all neatly wrapped and warm for them to enjoy together if she wanted. It was also a pleasant distraction for the racing thoughts in his head and equally racing heart in his chest, nerves still twisting at his fingers that gripped the plastic bag in hand.
Izuku had spent the last few minutes of his walk telling himself that it was going to be fine. Trying to calm these thoughts of his and assure himself that if he could visit her every single day at the hospital then this would be no different. Except when he knocked on the door and was met with that same nettled look in her eye, Izuku realized that it truly was no different. It was no different than the look Katsuki would give him when he would run up to the blonde and be scowled at, dismissed and berated. It was no different from when he offered to help his childhood friend only to be shoved away and practically spat at. It was no different than the look of confliction and disgust that dug claws deep into his chest and left the broken, quirkless boy within him trembling and racking with shattered sobs it was all so familiar because he had dealt with it for years. Even now as he was growing and progressing, reaching for his dreams. He still had to endure the strain of the relationship that connected him to Katsuki. Having to carefully piece whatever was left back together so he could continue to grow from it. She looked at him as if his mere presence wounded her.
Swallowing thickly, Izuku took in a deep breath and held up the plastic bag in his hand. " I-I brought food.." that'd been his ice-breaker and while he was more confident 50 seconds ago that it'd be a good one, now he was feeling much more small standing before her gaze. " So-sorry I didn't text you f-first... I figured you'd be home and I thought that coming to see you would be fine " part of him nearly stammered that he could go home if she wanted, the impulsive reaction to try and be as accommodating as possible even if it meant retreating back, but he didn't. As much as it nearly bubbled up and slipped out, Izuku bit his tongue and continued to stand there willing himself to keep his eyes locked onto hers. He didn't want to leave her and quite frankly he felt as if she was more likely to tell him to leave if he offered it. (part of him also thought back to the hospital and her sudden break in composure when he said he would leave if she wanted... it was that reminder that made the words curl up in his mouth). He wouldn't let that happen again.
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