hypnotic [k. bakugou]

vii

now playing: hurts like hell by fleurie

izumi stood hesitantly at the doors of the infirmary. the day was young, dew covering her sneakers from the grass and the sun yet to be fully in the sky. looking around softly, she pushed the doors open the rest of the way and shuffled in. izumi turned her neck to the sides to look for recovery girl, or anyone for that matter. seeing no one, she made her way around the room in search of a certain bed.

she saw it, in the corner of the room. the curtains were lightly drawn but there was a gap between the fabrics. she could see him as he rested.

"oh! izumi," recovery girl murmured from behind the younger. her voice made izumi jump. "i should have known that you'd be here sooner than later." she smiled, walking up to izumi's side. "you may go visit him if you'd like. he is resting, so it's best you don't wake him. but i imagine you'd just like to sit with him, hmm?"

izumi flicked her eyes over to recovery girl's for a moment and offered a sheepish nod. recovery girl gave her a quick pat on the lower back and pushed her to walk closer to the bed. "and remember dear, you're still on vocal rest. maybe after your visit i can see how you're healing up."

with that, recovery girl left izumi, going to the back of the room and exiting. sighing, izumi pulled up a chair to his bedside and looked at him. just for a second. his black hair was brushed out of his face, but there wasn't much more to see. his body was covered in bandages and cotton, all white and fresh. he laid still on his back, his chest moving ever-so-slightly. as her lip wobbled, she tucked it into her mouth and reached back to her ponytail. she slowly let her hair down and grasped the small, black hair tie between her fingers. izumi lifted his wrist and slipped the hair tie on it, a green strand still attached to it.

izumi looked over her shoulder to make sure she was still alone in the room before turning back. "that's yours," she murmured, the scratchiness of her voice wasn't as painful to listen to as it had been the day before. she ran her fingers over the hair tie one last time before straightening up in her chair. "i'm sorry i took it. i didn't know i could... but i just wanted to get to you. you had me so worried.

"you can't just... do that, shouta." izumi closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. she licked her dry lips, feeling her throat aching. izumi scooted her chair closer to his bed. "you can't throw your entire life in someone else's hands like that. i know you are a hero and that is your literal job but what good is saving us when you aren't saving yourself? i don't want you to be so careless... but truth is i can't even call you that because you saved everyone. each and every one of us kids got out. but you almost didn't, and that's my issue, because some people here still need you around." izumi took a breath again, flicking her eyes over her shoulders to look out for recovery girl. she would get an ear-full if she was caught speaking. "some people like... me. i still need you. i still need your patience a-and i still need you when i go under in training. i still need you to teach me and look out for me and to have me.

"please, do not do that again. i'm not ready to lose you to such violence, or lose you at all." izumi felt her lip quiver the longer she confessed to him, even if he wasn't listening. she brought one of her hands up to her eyes and rubbed them until they were raw. she sniffed as she slipped her left hand into his; his hand cold to the touch and limp. "you did an amazing thing, shouta. i'll give you that. and yet, while it was heroic, not all heroism is reckless. listen, i have no right to be mad at you. none at all. which is why i'm not." izumi offered the smallest of squeezes to aizawa's hand, hoping for only a moment that he would give one back. "i want to be. i wish i was mad at you. so i could label the feelings i have swirling around inside of me right now but i know it isn't anger. or rage. not even close."