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———————————————————— (i can't find season 6-7 hawks gif that fit the chapter lol! but maaaan he is HOT!)
𝐲𝐨𝐮
somehow, every day blurs into the next—an endless loop of lab work, fleeting moments of progress, and the weight of everything we've lost. sleep is a distant memory. i can't even remember the last time i closed my eyes and didn't dream of things falling apart.
but today, something shifts.
standing over my workstation, i peer through the magnifying lens at the faintly glowing vial. it's small, fragile enough to shatter between my fingers if i'm not careful, but it's there—a fragment of the organic material that makes up eri's quirk. weeks of painstaking work, countless hours, and finally, a breakthrough.
fucking finally.
"just a tiny piece," i whisper, trying to temper the flicker of hope in my chest. "but it's something."
the words feel hollow even as i say them. progress is progress, but the silence that follows leaves room for my thoughts to wander. deku's blood sample sits untouched on the counter, and every time i glance at it, worry twists in my stomach. he's out there somewhere, pushing himself too far, refusing to come back to ua, and i'm here—watching from the sidelines.
his blood sample will finish soon, i need a bit more...
what if something happens to him?
my nails bite into my forearm before i realize it.
"y/n, stop."
mei's voice pulls me back. she's beside me now, her hand wrapping gently around my wrist, prying my nails away from the red marks already forming on my already scarred skin. her frown is rare, a stark contrast to her usual wide grin.
"you're scratching again," she says softly, a tone she reserves for moments like this. "what's on your mind?"
i look away, my voice barely above a whisper. "deku. he's still out there, and—"
"and you're driving yourself crazy over something you can't control," mei interrupts, her grip tightening for emphasis. "you're already doing everything you can, y/n. stop punishing yourself for things that aren't your fault."
her words strike a nerve. i swallow hard, fighting the sting of tears.
"he's shoto's friend, mei," i murmur. "how can i just sit here and wait?"
mei sighs, letting go of my wrist to pull up a stool beside me. "i know you care about them, but stressing like this won't help them—or you. you've got to give yourself some grace. you're not a machine, no matter how much you try to act like one. they'll bring him back, i'm sure of it."
