Between Illusion and Erasure

The calm before the rainstorm

                                      There is no triggers on this one, but the title is a warning.
                               Thank you, Slipsy (CallMeCase), for being my beta reader and editor.


There were many things your newfound lifestyle had brought you; friends, opportunities, growth... What it didn't bring you, however, was time to rest. At least not often, even during things like winter break, there was work to be done.

So, when you were awakened by the sound of the doorbell being rung relentlessly, it wasn't exactly pleasant; there wasn't even time to decipher between what was real, what was a memory or dream. Soon, the sound started to overlap itself, and as you left your comfortable bed — bandages sliding off your arm — quickly being met with the cold embrace of reality, you wondered if it was possible to become insane by the sound of something.

"Give me a minute!" You screamed at the person beyond the door, and for a second, the bell stopped. Only to start back up once again in a matter of seconds, "Fucking, Jesus..." You muttered, being met by Midnight and Mic outside as soon as you opened the door. Not a strand of hair out of place between the two of them.

"Dude, why are you shirtless?" Were the first words Mic spilled out, looking over you head to toe, "Don't tell me ya forgot we were getting lunch today."

"Good morning, Yamada." You grumbled, going back inside the living room as they entered the house, "I didn't forget, why are you here at ten in the morning?"

"L/N," Midnight chimed in, leaving her high heels by the entryway. She carefully laid her hand on your shoulder, her tone changing to worry. "It's two in the afternoon, are you good?"

"There's no way it's two already." You looked back at her, moving your hair out of the way. Her expression was serious, with a hint of concern in her furrowed brows. "Oh, God. You're not joking, are you?" You whispered, causing her to break into a fit of giggles.

Mic had already made himself at home, throwing himself at the sofa. He made a small attempt to play with Tuxedo — who left in disgust the same second he reached out. You made your way to the kitchen, sluggishly re-heating some old coffee in the hopes it would snap you back into consciousness. Midnight sat in the stool by the countertop, observing you from afar.

"Where's Aizawa?" You asked, propping yourself up in front of Midnight, taking a sip of the coffee.

"I thought you'd know." She teased, a smile plastered on her face, "Considering how close you two have gotten."

"What... do you even," you paused, trying to process whatever she said, "You know what? It's too early for me to guess what you mean, man."

"It's not early at all!" Mic finally quipped in, teasing you as he sat back up — legs still propped up in the armrest, "Why does your cat hate me, by the way?"

"He doesn't hate you, specifically." You answered, finishing the coffee and leaving the mug on the countertop, "He hates almost everyone, tolerates me, and loves Aizawa, and that's only because he fed him tuna every single day before I got him here."

There was still some teasing from the two of them that you didn't fully understand, so you decided to go and take a quick shower. Maybe that would fully wake you up, make you understand words once again. Yet, it didn't, and you found yourself fresh out of the shower, towel around your hips, fighting for your life while trying to bandage up your arm once again.

It wasn't the fact you could only use one arm, that had honestly become really easy in the last few days. The fact you just came out of a very steamy shower also wasn't an issue, the disconnect was due to your head simply not being able to understand how bandages were supposed to work, and the cherry on top was that you somehow had managed to drop it on the ground about a thousand times.