What Could Have Been (vigilante deku)

60

That moment when you laugh really hard but you're sitting against a wall and you bang your head really hard. So hard you give yourself a headache but you're also too embarrassed to ask for pain medicine bc if you tell your family why, they'll forever hold it against you 🙂

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"Do you want to talk about why you did it?" Minato asked quietly as he sat beside Jr in the open field. They had lost track of how long they had been there, but neither cared.

They enjoyed the comfort that the wilderness provided so early in the morning. The sun had risen and was present above them, offering beams to warm their slightly chilled skin from sitting in the damp grass.

The fireflies had disappeared into wherever they go to during the day, yet they stayed.

"I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to." Minato added quickly, not trying to make it seem like he was threatening to do something if Jr didn't say anything. "I don't expect you to, but just..know that the offer is open. Like..if you need someone to talk to, I'll listen and-" he was rambling so he bit down hard on his tongue to stop himself. 

Jr didn't respond, he just laid down on his back and stared up at the clear blue sky. There were no grey clouds or rain. There was no sound of rushing traffic.

He was at a different kind of peace. He had nothing around him. Nothing that could push him over. He just had the beautiful sight that nature willingly gave.

His heart wasn't as heavy as it was that night. He didn't necessarily regret what he wanted, but he felt like he was beginning to not feel the same way about life as he did before.

It was too early though and his wounds were still wide open. Minato couldn't tell, but questions just opened them further. As if a doctor, instead of closing it, was sticking something inside it to inspect it.

Minato was smart enough to read that so he decided to silently scold himself and will himself to shut the hell up.

Jr was gathering courage. The courage to express his feelings. He had never been good at that since he never had someone who was completely willing to listen.

His heart pounded as he pondered if it really was best to talk about everything. About what he's gone through. About the personal pain he inflicts upon himself. About his constant overthinking and downgrading.

He didn't get the chance really think into the subject because Minato's phone ringing frightened them both. The sudden sound echoed in the clearing, scaring off some birds a few feet away.

Minato reached into his pocket and cursed when he saw his dad's contact. He had forgotten to leave a message that he was leaving.

He pressed the answer button and pressed a finger to his lips, signalling for Jr to be quiet.

"Hey dad!" He answered, trying to be as casual as he could.

"Minato," Aizawa grumbled from across the line. "Where are you?"

Minato cleared his throat, plucking grass from the ground anxiously as he built up a lie. "I left for school early."

"Bullshit." Aizawa said, catching him straight on the lie. "Did you forget I teach at your school, dumbass? You're not the hell here. Where are you? You weren't home this morning and you're not at school."

"I-" he started but couldn't form a lie.

Aizawa sighed. "You know what, just go home. I was going to take the day off so the two of us could hangout anyways. As long as you're not breaking the law or doing drugs I really don't care where you are."