Destined To Be: Izuku x Ochako: Quirkless AU

Chapter 46: A Balancing Act

Eri waited out the clock. Seconds, minutes, and eventually hours passed. The world had begun to slow down. Hurried office workers taking the train home, overworked parents driving back to feed their children, even teenagers and young adults outside of clubs and bars eventually found their way into a building, whether it be to a dance floor, bar, or back home, expecting a killer hangover in the morning.

Eventually, the ambient city noise vanished, and the house went silent. Even with the thin walls, she couldn't hear Izuku or Ochako, knowing at this point that they were fast asleep.

Stepping out of her room, she turned behind her, taking a step to see if Izuku's light was off. Her placement was off, leading to the sound of a shrill creak filling the hallway. If it wasn't for the pin-drop silence, she wouldn't have even heard it, but after calming down, she carefully descended the staircase and left the house, locking the door as silently as possible.

Descending another set of stairs, she got out her old earphones, trying to untangle the jumbled mess of wire, getting more and more frustrated with each flight she walked down. Even after stopping at the bottom of the staircase and taking another minute to carefully try and loosen the tightest knots, it was just too difficult.

Sighing, she carelessly shoved them back into her hoodie pocket, undoing the considerable yet fruitless effort she had just put in.

Nevertheless, she wasn't affected by the momentary failure.

Breathing in the fresh, nighttime air, she felt at peace, despite the tiredness and all of the emotional rollercoasters of the day.

She wasn't bound by any strings and finally felt free.

Swinging her leg forward, she started to walk, slowly at first, letting the entire day sink in.

Her previous sleepless night of wandering her hometown, the sights she saw, and all of the things she didn't see. It stuck in her head, each image vivid and crystal clear.

Each vending machine looked different when it wasn't bathed in the rays of the sun. 

Every building she once admired under the daylight now had a completely different feel.

Bike racks, convenience stores, even streetlights had a different hue when under the moonlight.

Slowly but surely, she acclimated to her new surroundings. All the excitement of the visual differences wore off, as she looked around, only able to hear a couple of cars still whizzing by in the distance. 

Her mind shifted back once again to the rest of her day, the faces of her teachers sticking out in the muddled mess of her memory. 

In every single class she had, she had received some comment about Izuku. As if seeing her last name was the only reason they had to praise her score, obviously only after a direct comparison. 

She couldn't help but admire her big brother. He'd enrolled in high school mere months after their mother passed, yet he found the motivation to not only survive, but thrive. 

She had every advantage possible, a room of her own, friends and adults to help her, and most importantly, time.

Time to adjust to her new reality. Time to get used to the life she had after she'd lost her mother. Time to accept what had passed and to move on, taking a new step forwards every day.

Yet... she still felt like she was behind. Hell, she knew  she was behind. It was painfully obvious that despite all of the support and faith Izuku had in her, she just... couldn't be the person he envisioned. 

Her heartbeat thumped in her chest harder and harder, as she could almost hear it pounding. 

She had to calm down.