MHA: Harbinger of Fear - Male Reader x Midnight

Part 28

Late at night, on the very same day, Y/N noticed something was amiss. It all started not long after he got into bed and shut his eyes.

The warmth beside him was gone, and a small peep at the open bathroom door at his side told him something was up.

Slipping out of bed, he made his way downstairs where he saw an intruding light in the darkness.

Nemuri was looking through the fridge, moving slow and quietly, even taking long, deep breaths.

Reaching to the very top of the fridge, where a small stash of bottles were hidden, Nemuri pulled one loose, only causing a tiny ring of colliding glass.

Turning around, she flinched with a frightened gasp, scared by a hand enclosed around the bottle.

"What are you doing?" Her husband murmured.

The pro-hero sighed as she let go of the bottle, dejected when caught in the act. Narrowing his eyes, Y/N inspected the bottle's label in the blinding light.

Sake...

"This isn't going to help anything." He told her with a gentle tone before putting it back in.

There was no frown of disappointment on his face, nor a syllable of sternness uttered. Only a warm and comforting aura.

With a slight rustle of clothing, Y/N pulled her into a tender hug before asking.

"What's going on?"

With her ear to his chest, Nemuri listened to the calm beat of his heart and the occasional breath of air he took in and exhaled.

"I just wanted a little drink." She whispered.

He sighed knowing she was a happy type when drunk, but he also knew there was something else to it.

Getting silence in return, she wrapped her arms around him and continued.

"He looked so... tired."

Ishii. Of course.

Once again, Y/N experienced a beat of anger in his heart. However, just as fast as it came, it settled.

"He used to be so quiet... He even lost weight."

"Are you thinking of hearing him out?" Y/N asked.

"I don't know... probably not. But I want to at least know what he wanted. Maybe it was important."

"Hmm..." Y/N grunted in agreeance.

"I know when mom was sick, she wanted to settle everything with everyone. Maybe that was it... maybe he's—"

"—I doubt it." Y/N sighed. "If Ishii was good at something, it was opening his mouth. He would have opened with that."

"Yeah..." Nemuri muttered. "You're right. Maybe I'm just—thinking too much."

"Sleep on it." He rubbed her back with slow, little circles. "Tell me how you feel then. And we'll deal with it."

Shutting her eyes, Nemuri nodded, feeling content with that plan.

"Okay?" He asked, seeking reassurance.

"...'Kay."

________________________________

It was the beginning of another long day, and Y/N spent the early blue of it sprinting down the beach, crossing one tree after another, and one city block after another.

His bruises still ached, but he knew it would bother him if he missed out on such an important activity. And just like before, like every morning he was here, his mind was clouded, nearly drowning him.