Izuocha's Love Stories

2 - IF I CAN'T SAVE YOU...

By 90 eyes

It was a cold, wintry afternoon. Sunday afternoon, mind you. Midoriya had only just started to stroll around the city with some of his friends, and they had all managed to keep warm in their ways. Tsuyu Asui was too busy hibernating to come out and join them. The aim for this day was to hit about every tourist spot, because you got to find something to do on a Sunday, and then they would wind it down with some hot chocolate and Takoyaki. At least that was the plan.

By the time they hit Yoyogi Park, all was going to plan. What they were going to do was sit on a bench and admire the scenery until it got too cold for them to do so. They found a bench. They gathered around it. That's when he came. Not far from where they are, a man who appeared to be missing a hand was frantically and aimlessly running about, scaring off everyone around him. Those who couldn't get away on time would dissipate into dust if he ever got close to them. Naturally, this sight triggered Midoriya into action. The young boy wouldn't take seeing random strangers disappear into thin air, at the hands of a strange man who was one incident away from being labeled a villain or criminal. He got up and ran towards him but froze on the spot. Suddenly, he was standing still like a deer in the headlights. As much as he wanted to stop the madman from wreaking further havoc, he couldn't help but ask himself so many questions. Just how powerful was this man? Could they even stop him? What would he do to them? Were they that weak?

Unfortunately for Midoriya, his foe had already slipped past him. His friends were still laughing amongst themselves, unaware of what was going on around them. He wanted to warn them, but he knew his efforts would be all for nothing. At the same time, he sensed that someone was missing. Maybe they knew what was up. By the time he came around and snapped out of his existential crisis, they were gone. Now all he could do was save himself and...
'Deku, are you OK?' Uraraka cried out. He wished he had the time to appreciate the speed at which she got up and ran for it.
'I don't know,' he answered. 'Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. We just have to get out of here, we don't know what he can truly do.'
They were already starting to know. Before they could leave the premises, Uraraka charged at him. This was not like her, Midoriya thought to himself. He knew what she was trying to do, yet he still chased after her, fearing the worst. The roles were reversed. While she would be concerned for his safety, now he was concerned for her safety.
'Uraraka!' he yelled. 'It's not worth it! Just turn around!'
'Don't worry, Deku,' she said. 'I'm just creating a diversion. When I touch him, this leaves everyone with more time to escape.'
'But I don't want to lose you! I can't lose you now!'
He dived and tried to get her out of harm's way. By the time he leaped forward, he couldn't feel her. He felt nothing but air. His eyes widened at the prospect of his friends disappearing from his life. It was like watching them dying, but this feeling was even worse. Once again, he felt weak, helpless, and defeated. He hadn't lost the battle, but he was losing the war. If he couldn't save those who were close to him, how could he save himself? The next time he looked up, he was at the mercy of the man with the invisible hand. He was in a position to fight back, but his efforts would be futile. He could simply do nothing but accept his fate. The man's arm geared itself. He made his move. Before he could hit him, Midoriya woke up with a jolt.

He was back in the safety and comfort of his room. On one hand, he was relieved that it was only a nightmare. On the other hand, the prospect of what he had seen in that dream shook him. Yes, it with another bad dream, but it just felt so real. Like he was stuck in a lose-lose situation. Normally, he would just head back to sleep and shrug it off. However, this time was serious. So serious that he left his room, opened Uraraka's bedroom door, and jumped on her bed. It was the least he could do since he now understood how she felt whenever he put his life on the line. It was things like these that brought a new dimension to their growing relationship, deepening it further. Even if he still couldn't sleep, the warmth of her hand on his shoulder reminded him that it will eventually be alright. As long as they were both alive, he still had her and she still had him. And that was all that mattered.