Snow Capped Hearts- A My Hero Academia Fanfiction (Iida x OC)

Internships (Day 4)

*Iida's POV*

I don't remember falling asleep. I wake up before anyone else does. Midoriya and Todoroki are silent. They're still sleeping, or at least pretending like they are. I glance down at Jade. Even in her slumber, her face is scrunched up in worry. 

A lump forms in my throat. She clings onto me because she thinks I was innocent in all of this. What would she do if she knew the truth? 

I can feel the spot where her tears wet my robe. She's been crying even in her sleep. 

Her breath hitches. "Tenya, go back to sleep." She wiggles closer into me. 

"How could you tell I was awake?" I whisper. 

"I just felt it. Go back to sleep." She falls back asleep.

I want more than anything to hold her. Even to just put my hand in her hair or on her back. To do something to let her know I'm here. 

I can't see the clock. I don't know what time it is, but it's still dark outside. I let my head fall back on the pillow and close my eyes. The worst part is not being able to tell Jade the truth. She deserves that at the very least. Even if it changes how she views me, I need her to know what I did. I won't deserve her forgiveness or acceptance, but if she gives me either, I'll be beyond lucky. 

The first rays of sunlight peek through the window. I open my eyes. Jade is still clutching me. 

"I don't want to go." She tightens her grip on my robe before relaxing it. 

"You have to." I whisper. "It'll be okay." 

A man that I don't recognize enters the room. "Ms. Cooke, are you ready to leave? Jeanist is expecting us." This must be the sidekick Best Jeanist sent with Jade to ensure that she comes back. 

She slowly pulls herself from me and wipes her eyes. "Yeah, give me a minute." 

"Thank you for coming." I sit up too. 

"Any time. But don't do this again." She laughs, grabbing my face. 

"I don't intend to." I smile. 

She strokes my cheeks with her thumbs before she grabs her bag and follows the sidekick out of the room. I can't take my eyes off of her until the door closes. 

I can see Midoriya and Todoroki share a glance with each other. Let them speculate. I have Jade. 

***

*Jade's POV*

Back at Jeanist's agency, I quickly change into my costume in the bathroom. My eyes are red and puffy. My cheeks are swollen too. It's so painfully obvious that I've been crying all night long. 

When I return to the room, Bakugo is pulling his gauntlets on. He looks up like he wants to say something snarky, but when he sees my face, he stays silent. 

"So you've decided to return." Jeanist says when we meet in his office. "I was wondering when you'd come back." 

I stare blankly ahead. "I'm here now, aren't I?" 

"We're doing strength training again today." 

That might not be so bad. It might give me something to focus on besides thinking about Tenya in that hospital bed. 

"But first," Jeanist, as usual, needs to talk a lot, "let's take a moment to talk about the incident last night in Hosu."

I try to let my mind go blank, but all I see is Tenya, bloody and beaten by that criminal. The fear and anger he must have felt courses through me too.