Seraph - Katsuki Bakugo

t w e l v e

Everyone was in high spirits at the end of class that day. Everyone, so it seemed, except Iida. As they walked from the classroom for their next class, Reigen caught herself up to him. He wasn't holding himself any differently than normal-- Reigen wasn't even sure if he really was down, but it was the vibe she was getting from him.

"Iida?"

"Ah, hello, Tanaka. How are you?" She smiled at him, her heart sinking a little when she looked into his eyes. Such pain.

"I'm doing well. How are you doing?" She knew about his brother, of course, but until now she didn't feel it was right for her to step in with him.

"As well as I can be." It was a good answer, not too positive so it would seem obviously fake, but not a cry out for help in any means.

"Truly?"

"Yes," he said, giving her a small smile. Her own smile faltered, and she locked her fingers together as they walked.

"Listen," he looked down at her, a polite curiosity on his features. "I know we don't know each other that well, and that's my fault. I kind of have a habit of latching onto the people I find first, I guess. But I can tell that you're hurting. If you don't want to talk about it, I understand. I just want you to know that, even though we don't know each other well, I care about you. Midoriya and Uraraka do, too. So many people in this class and outside of it. We don't want to see you hurting. Please, if there's anything we can do to help, ask."

He had stopped walking, Reigen stopped right next to him. He was looking away from her, and when he met her eyes, he smiled.

"Thank you."

She nodded, still a bit unsatisfied. Still, she couldn't think of anything else she could say in order for him to want to talk.

Suddenly, a horrible jolt came from her stomach and she immediately turned and paced to the nearest bathroom. Before she could even lock the stall door behind her, she vomited. Luckily, she managed to get it all in the toilet, but just barely. As she coughed, she thought about the look that Todoroki had given her when she told him that she was alright.

She thought briefly about going to him. Actually going to him. She wasn't sure of all of the atrocities that he had been through or how similar their situations actually were, but she knew he understood more than most. Really, she could tell him. What would even happen?

Then she thought about explaining everything-- seeing the look on his face when she went over instances of physical, emotional... Sexual abuse. Every moment that made her fear what her father was truly capable of-- and there being a possibility that she could fall back into his hands.

She thought back to the years of wanting to run-- to take her brother and just go. As much as she despised the idea of leaving her mother, she had become a husk of the person she had been. When she broke down to her mother about wanting to leave, somehow her father found out.

And really, the only reason she didn't end up running away was because of her brother. Every plan, every almost-attempt only led to a rationalization that it would just be better if they stayed, at least until she became an adult.

She handled the brunt of the abuse, anyway.

As Reigen wiped her face with the back of her hand and stared at the vomit that was a result of her extreme anxiety; she felt her eyes begin to burn.

How many people were in the same situation as her? Feeling as helpless as she did? Even as a hero, she wouldn't be able to save them all. She knew this, but she also knew that if she helped people feel safer... Maybe they would be more likely to seek help?