Compulsion

Chapter 45: The Simple Act of Caring

TRIGGER WARNING: BODY HORROR

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Mina flinched when the door to the apartment slammed shut. She said, "Hey, Midori-", stepping out to see the arriving pair. Though, she found her voice dying on her tongue when she saw the looks on their faces.

It started with concern. Inko pulled her son towards their living room, setting him down on the couch. "Mom, I'm fine," he insisted. His mother ignored his words, moving to pick out a first-aid kit from the kitchen. When he opened his mouth, she shushed him - quickly and with a firm look.

Then, Mina realized how disheveled Midoriya looked. His uniform was all out of place, stained with patches of dirt. His cap was crumpled in a ball beside him, charred and flaking. "What happened?" she asked.

"Nothing," said Midoriya.

"He was attacked," corrected Inko.

"Attacked?"

"It wasn't that bad," he told her before turning back to his mother. "I'm fine."

"You burned your hand on that hat, first of all."

Midoriya repeated, "Mom, I'm fine-"

Mina reached out her hand, putting another foot forward. "Mid-"

"IT'S NOT!" finished Inko. "And I've had enough of hearing otherwise!"

Mina flinched, retracting her hand and stepping back. "I shouldn't get involved...," she thought before she noticed how stiff Midoriya became. His head hung, defeated, as he submitted to his mom's care. She applied ointment to his palm before wrapping his hand with a bandage. "Was it that bad...?", she pondered.

Inko let out a breath before raising to her feet. "Ashido?"

"Yea-Yes?"

A few things flashed over the mother's face: embarrassment, shame, and guilt before she offered, "Why don't you have a seat at the dinner table?" She gave a look to her son. "I'll have dinner ready soon."

Mina nodded, "Okay..." She walked beside Inko for a few steps before slipping into a chair at the table as Inko stepped into the kitchen.

The only noise that filled the increasingly small apartment was the sizzle of oil and the shift of a pan. Mina felt the need to fix her collar and meddle with the hem of her skirt. Pins and needles jabbed at her shoulders as her arms were held close to her torso. She peered over her shoulder at Midoriya.

Something was on the tip of her tongue. "I don't want Inko yelling at me..." she thought before she shook her head. "What am I thinking...? I can ask how he's doing... Right...? About what happened..."

As her eyes refocused, she saw how tense he was. She noticed how his hands twitched. His discolored thumb rubbed into the palm of his uninjured hand. His fingers wrapped around the thumb, gripping so tightly that his knuckles turned white. As he released, flexing his hands, he rocked back and forth, and the more she watched the more she seemed to tune in to him. Specifically, she started to listen to his breathing - how fast it was becoming, steadily.

Mina started to stand before Midoriya's hand moved to his chest - a flash of... discomfort or confusion across his face. The self-soothing rocking shifted to an unstable wobble. His eyelids fluttered and his skin began to redden. He scratched at his forehead as he tried to stand. However, as he rose, that wobble followed him; it rattled his balance. His foot caught one of the legs of the couch, causing him to topple forward.

Mina moved without a thought, stepping into his path and letting him fall into her. When he went practically limp in her arms, she shifted her hand to turn his head. "Midoriya!?" His half-lidded eyes were hazy and his quickened breathing fell to a labored pace.