Catch Me If I Fall [BakuDeku]

Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Silence.

Calm and serene inside the endless void that was his mind. It was dark all around, not a trace of light in sight. Everything was peaceful. It felt...relaxing. Why?

He had no track of time. What day was it? How long has he been in there?

For some reason, he didn't really care for those questions. He welcomed the numbness that embraced him, enjoying the feel. No jarring thoughts, no pain, no nothing. Just complete and utter peace.

Was this what death felt like? Has it finally caught up to him and claimed his broken soul to rest? Did his ongoing misery finally come to an end? Where was he?

His eyes looked onto the never-ending nothingness—as if staring deeply into an endless abyss. His body felt weightless; floating in the middle of it. There was no sense of direction. No telling north from south, or east from west. It made him wonder if he was hit with some sort of isolation quirk. That would make sense...right?

Then that would mean that he was not dead. If that was the case...he had to get out of there!

His eyes frantically looked around, searching for something, anything at that point. The darkness began feeling unsettling, spreading a bad feeling through his senses. Whatever peace he had felt within the abyss was replaced by worry. And what made it worse was that he couldn't seem to remember anything. No matter how hard he tried to recall anything, his mind came up blank.

Random flashes shot through the seemingly empty void he was in, catching his attention. They were sudden images, although they were blurry. He tried to make sense of them, but before he could even do so, they disappeared. It was beginning to frustrate him.

Until he felt pain.

His whole body felt on fire, starting from his side. It caused him to gasp, eyes shutting tightly shut at the feeling. It burned through his system like wildfire shooting through his veins. What was happening?

"You have to stay strong, Izuku," his mother's voice whispered, making him open his eyes wide. Her ghostly figure approached him, her eyes the kind jade shade he missed. Her gentle fingers graced his cheeks, thumbs caressing his skin. "You still have a fight to win."

A crack of light seeped through the darkness, a soft voice beckoning him to it. He looked at his mother, alarmed. She smiled at him, pulling his head down to land a loving kiss on his forehead. "You will be in pain, but it won't last. Hold on, baby."

The burning sensation continued to spread throughout his body, and suddenly, he became painfully aware of the abrupt noises that filled his ears. There was a rapid beeping next to his ears, then a jumbled, hectic voice.

Then came feeling. He felt the coldness and the fabric of the sheets and bed cover as his fingers grasped them. Something covered his mouth and nose. Some kind of mask, he figured. He could feel bandages wrapped around many parts of his body, the very same parts that ached and burned in pain.

His breathing became frantic as more cracks of light tore through the fading darkness. His mother's eyes never left his, a small smile gracing her features. Even when he felt himself being pulled away, she kept her gaze steady. "I couldn't tell you this before, but I love you so, so much, Izu. Always remember that."

Her words made his chest feel heavy with emotion. The honesty behind her jade irises and loving smile made him feel something he'd thought was long gone. He felt loved. The motherly love he thought he lost the moment he told her his secret.

A scarred hand reached out to her, longing to hug her and tell her he loved her back. But the more he reached the faster he was pulled. The darkness shattered completely, a bright light deeming him blind. The smell of chemicals and alcohol slapped him hard as his eyes shot wide open.