Gravity Calls - EraserJoke

003

"S-Shota?" Emi stuttered.

Aizawa stared through her with his barely opened eyes. Only now he recognized who she is. "Fukukado," the man muttered with his raspy voice, struggling with his short breath, causing his breathing mask to cloud. "You're alive," he continued a moment after. 

She wanted to ask him what happened but knew she shouldn't. The man is struggling just to reply her greetings. Emi pulled a chair next to his bed to sit on as silently as she could-the way she thought he'd prefer. She held her breath as Aizawa's hand slowly reached for his breathing mask-taking it off. 

"What are you doing?" Emi stuttered. "It's alright," Aizawa replied with a soft smile, "How are you? It's been so long." Without it on, he can surely talk much better-although it doesn't change how terribly sick he looks. "I should be the one asking," she replied. "Better," he replied, grinning. Emi stalled the whole time, trying to process everything in her mind. Not getting a reply, Aizawa uttered, "Your turn," with the least breath he had left as he pulled the breathing mask back to his face desperately. Emi slightly moved willing to help but he laid a hand gesture saying 'I got this'. 

As he settled, "I'm okay," she uttered. For a moment she noticed him staring deep in her eyes as if pleading her to keep talking, so she did, "I'm actually living one of the best year of my life as a teacher and spend the rest of it visiting the hospital." Aizawa faintly nodded. "There's this boy named Kaneko Akiyama I've been visiting for a while. He's a good boy, I bet he'll be the happiest boy alive if he knew you're a hero," she continued excitedly. Aizawa softly smiled causing his much paler skin to gleam in her sight. God, her younger self would kill just to see him smile like that. "Then bring him here someday," Aizawa slowly muttered through the mask. Emi's eyes widen, "Are you serious?" she wasn't expecting Aizawa to let her bring some random boy to his room-at least the Aizawa he knew wouldn't let her. He grinned then faintly nodded. 

They fell silent the moment after, enjoying each other's company. "Emi," Aizawa called as his index finger tried to reach for her hand laying on the bed-but failed. Emi turned her face immediately towards him. "Can you keep talking-" he muttered, "-about the boy?"

Emi blinked questioningly, "And why is that?" 

"You smiled a lot when it's about him," he closed his eyes as if waiting for a bed time story. 

Emi can feel the warmth in her cheek-not that Aizawa can notice with his eyes shut. Emi hummed as she started thinking on what to say. 

"Neko-chan is a very sweet boy-" her words were distracted by Aizawa's smirk she noticed. "What?" she asked as she squinted her eyes. "Neko-chan? Really?" he replied with his eyes shut still. That sure is a very cute nickname for an adult to say.

Emi rolled her eyes, "It doesn't matter."

"But his parents died in a car crash months back," she uttered downcast. "Now he'll be staying in the hospital for who know how long since after the accident he started getting seizures and it's only gotten worse. The doctors still couldn't conclude what it is exactly but thought that he might wreck a nerve since his symptoms isn't very common."

"You still there?" Emi asked. She shouldn't keep talking if he's asleep. Aizawa hummed. "Anyway, he love onigiri and he wanted to be a hero," she continued.