The Burden of Time [Aizawa x OC]

- twenty -

Stand Still's POV:

An hour later, I was being led through the winding hallways of a local hospital by Aizawa, who had - thankfully - remainied silent since we left UA's campus. Feelings of embarrassment were still seeping through my body regarding the aftermath of my panic attack. My brain continued to revisit how gentle he had been, how worried he was for me.

A brief lapse in control caused me to unravel in front of him in ways I had not since my parents were murdered. Ways in which I had never unraveled in front of anyone before. Tonight, Aizawa saw me at my worst. With a cursed artificial quirk that is controlled by my breath, that I couldn't control. That even he couldn't control with his quirk.

I felt like a failure. A failure at being a professional hero, a failure at wielding an incredibly powerful quirk, a failure at controlling myself and my emotions, and a failure as a partner. If I had forced July to sleep, if I had taken his shift tonight instead so he could do so, if I had been more vigilant and demanding... a better friend... I wouldn't be walking the halls of a Japanese hospital to visit my partner who had been shot.

We rounded another corner before nearing a nurses station. Aizawa removed one of his hands from the pocket of his jumpsuit and placed it on the small of my back. The gesture shot an overwhelming mixture of embarrassment, comfort, and nervousness through me. I tried to focus on not vomiting from nerves.

"We're here to see pro hero Uncle Sam." Aizawa told the nurse.

"I'm sorry," The nurse began, her voice sympthetic. "We can't let you back without their given name, date of birth, and place of birth. Our policies have gotten more strict since fans have snuck in to see All Might while he was recovering."

"July Johnson. July 4th, 20XX. Washington, D.C., United States of America." I blurted out, feeling the hand on the small of my back give a supportive tap. I presented my hero identification badge provided by America.

The nurse took it out of my hands, scanning it. Her eyes widened before she bowed deeply. "Pro hero Stand Still, please forgive me. Had I known that it was you-."

Behind the nurses station, several medical professionals gasped in surprise. Several whispers and giggles filled the otherwise silent hallways. "Pro hero Stand Still? Of America?", "We haven't had anyone this famous since All Might was here!", "She's the artificial quirk user, a medical anomaly.", "Do you think I could ask her for an autograph?", "Do you think she would let us do a scan on her?", "I had no idea that Mr. Johnson was her partner, but it all makes sense now. I should've put two and two together."

I tried to ignore the whispers as best I could, but it was obvious that Aizawa was over hearing them too. His lips were hardened into a thin line, his eyes glowering over toward the group of medical professionals. I nudged him in a playful way, trying to get his attention away from them. I was used to the whispers and curiosity of the general public. When he looked down at me, I offered a reassuring smile before turning my attention back to the nurse.

"You're just trying to do your job, there is no need for apologies." I tried my best to sound calm. I truly meant what I said and I wanted to make sure it sounded authentic. However, the mixture of emotions continued to swirl around in my body and the longer it took to see July, the worse it felt. I just needed to see him and then I could deal with everything else later. I needed to confirm for myself that he was okay.

Standing up from her bow, a grateful smile graced the nurse's lips. "I will lead you to Mr. Johnson's room."

Aizawa and I followed the nurse the entire way down the hallway and to the left, before she stopped just outside of a room. The nurse bid us a goodbye, saying something about giving us time alone, for which I was thankful for. I slid the door open, revealing a resting July.