Izuocha's Love Stories

33 - STERILE CONFESSIONS

By Olivialefleur

The sharp twang of antiseptic and floor cleaner wafted heavy in the halls; an uncomfortably familiar scent of late. She strode purposefully forward, counting the room numbers, her feet carrying her to the place her mind already was. Room 333. It was a room that she knew by heart, one that she had spent quiet hours examining, when she wasn't examining the unconscious form of her friend.

Was that room 341? Whoops.

She spun on her heel and marched back to room 333. Deku's room.

Her hand was already on the door handle before she was able to get a grip on her muscle memory. This wasn't like the other times. This time he was awake! She pulled her hand away and smoothed the front of her skirt. It was just Deku. She'd been waiting for what felt like ages for him to wake up so she could see he was okay. And so she could tell him what an idiot he'd been.

Her enthusiastic knock echoed down the hall, making her wince. The motion deepened further when Deku's muffled, "Come in!" was loud and surprised. With the courage instilled by a long deep breath, she pulled open the door and stepped through.

The evening sun shone orange through the large window opposite the door, its light adding color to Deku's still-pallid features. His mop of tangled hair was still its usual mess, but the back had been flattened by his extended rest. His dark freckles stood out even more than usual across his nose as it wrinkled up into a welcoming smile.

"Uraraka?" he said, his voice surprised and...nervous? "You're the second person to come visit. I only woke up this morning."

"I was already on my way," her treacherous mouth divulged before she had the chance to moderate herself. He didn't exactly need to know she'd been here almost every day. She didn't want their time together to be any more awkward than it was already going to be. She grabbed a nearby chair with practiced ease and pulled it up to the edge of his bed and dropped down into it.

"Thanks for coming," he said, leaning back against the raised back of the bed with a tired sigh. "It's never much fun to have to just sit in here by yourself."

She had to bite her tongue against the sharp retort that was trying desperately to escape. She knew full well how depressing sitting in a silent hospital room could be.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," she replied instead. There was safety in the norms of expected conversation. No awkward questions, no angry rants, which meant no guilt when his big sad eyes inevitably followed.

She didn't know what his Quirk really was, but she was beginning to think its sole ability was to upend her expectations. Instead of the cheery smile and reassurance that was meant to follow in their well-rehearsed script, he ducked his head, his messy fringe shadowing his eyes.

As though the moment had never happened, the smile returned as bright and beaming as ever.

"I'll be fine," he said, lifting one arm to flex for reassurance. She saw the wince in his eyes and watched the smile grow wider. "It'll just take a little bit, but I'll be back to it in no t-time-"

His words stuttered to a halt as she stood from her chair and leaned forward, one arm propping her up on the bed. She held a single finger out, and gently rested it on his pale cheek, just next to the edge of his frozen grin.

"Don't show me that," she murmured, feeling her own pleasant smile leak away from the corners of her mouth. "You don't have to be a hero in here."

What little blood he had left colored his cheeks, bringing them momentarily back to their usual healthy hue. Any other day she would've been thrilled. Or terrified. She wasn't sure which. The smile fell away from his face like the foundation of a building. Bits and pieces of it seemed to drop away, eventually taking with it the entire facade, leaving behind nothing but the broken and battered remnants that sat in bed in front of her.