Muted Voices (A BNHA/MHA x OC Fanfic)

Chapter 67: Healing

Koto's POV
(Tuesday the 23rd)

The sound comes out as a barely audible croak, but it undeniably came from my mouth.

"Koto?" She asks, cocking her head to the side. "I haven't seen you in forever. Why are--what brings you back?"

She shuffles her feet, pretending to look busy, looking at the drinks, but I see that way she awkwardly glances my way. However, there's only one thing I can think: I just spoke.

"Look, I heard about what happened to your parents," she continues. "And I'm sorry. I mean given the circumstances, it was a little hard, but I mean nobody deserves to lose their parents like that. So I'm sorry you had to go through that."

I blink at her for a few moments before trying to summon whatever was inside of me that spoke, but it refuses. All I can make is a tiny whine. Her eyebrows furrow together and I resist the urge to scream with frustration.

Where did you go?!? You let me say one word and now you're gone?!? I mentally scream at my voice. Come back!!

Kati seems to sense my rising anger because she tries to casually take a few steps back.

I sigh and just use my illused voice, "I came back to visit their grave."

Her breath hitches, seeing me use my quirk again. "Oh," her voice squeaks. She takes another step back. "Well I should leave you to it, then."

"Wait," I illuse, stopping her in her tracks. Her big doe eyes watch me with trepidation. "I'm sorry."

She doesn't respond, instead looking away.

"Can we talk about it?" I ask.

"Will you use your actual voice?" She asks, trying to keep the trembling out of her voice.

"I can't."

She turns around and places her items on the counter, handing the man at the register a few bills before walking out. I hurriedly follow suit, running after her. Before she can get to her car, I catch up to her.

"I can't because I haven't spoken a word since the accident!" My illused voice exclaims. She tries to skirt around me to get to her car.

"You're lying, you just spoke!"

"I know! And I don't know how! It's not doing it anymore! But please!" I beg her, taking another step closer. She watches me with apprehensive eyes. "I really didn't want to hurt you and I'm sorry. I mean..." I shift my feet awkwardly. "...I guess I did sorta want to hurt you if I'm being terribly honest."

She immediately turns and tries to unlock her car door.

"Wait! Please let me finish!" I fight the urge to rip the keys out of her hand, knowing she would never listen to me if I did that. She pauses, one leg in her car, and looks back at me.

"You have thirty seconds," she replies cooly, putting her sunglasses on.

"I was so stupid! I really didn't like you and I guess I took that as enough of a reason to justify what I did. I know we never got along very well, but I always took it too far. I recognize that now. And I'm sorry! I realize how wrong it was for me to do that and I never should've. I'm not trying to justify it, because I can't! It's a horrible thing for me to try to justify! I'm just trying to say that since then, I've felt bad for it, okay?"

She sighs and glances at her feet, stepping back out of the car. "You broke my arm," she says with a wobbly voice.

"I know."