Need You (ShinDeku)

Ch. 111 - Creep

A/N: going shopping is exhausting as is, but it's hell when you're running on nearly zero hours of sleep and your shopping partner is fueling your stress levels by acting like paranoia incarnate.
Have fun reading!

Midoriya POV

     "I need to use the bathroom."

     We had been in three stores, and I had made a lot of decisions- about paint and bedsheet colors, about rug sizes and shapes, and at least five other things that I couldn't recall at the moment as my brain felt like it was splitting open. Midnight said we were only halfway done, and Shota would not stop scanning as if we were infiltrating a villain base. He wasn't even being discreet about it.

     "We're by the food court, there should be a bathroom there. It's still a bit early for lunch after our late breakfast... Why don't we take a break and get ourselves something to drink?" Bless her for trying to keep everything light while Shota acted like we'd get jumped any minute but Midnight must've picked up on the way my shoulders were tight with stress, or the fact that I've been leaning on my walking stick more than normal, otherwise there's no way she would be trying so hard.

     Or perhaps she didn't notice those things and she only wanted a moment to talk to Shota alone seeing as he was still acting uncharacteristically stressed, but she wouldn't get that chance. When we arrived at the toilets, he followed me into the short line. It's really crowded in this part of the mall.

     I assumed my guardian needed the bathroom as well but he merely stood by the sinks, surveying the room. Now, usually this type of action would have my embarrassment through the roof, because what on earth? Not even a bodyguard would follow you into the bathroom like that just to keep watch. He looks like a creep.

     Unfortunately, that embarrassment was far overshadowed by the implications of Shota clearly feeling like he couldn't let me out of his sight for even a moment. Am I genuinely that unsafe right now?

     I let out a shaky breath as I stepped up to the sinks to wash my hands, watching through the mirror as people moved up in the line. My headache was getting worse and I couldn't stop my thoughts from racing as Shota and I walked back towards the food court.

     "...Shota?" His name came out much quieter than I'd intended, but he immediately turned to me nonetheless. It was almost impressive that he'd picked it up over the sounds of people talking, food being prepared, and order buzzers going off.

     "Doing alright?" He seemed to deliberately soften his voice, and forced his posture to relax a little as well. It wasn't helping though, with the conclusions I was drawing in my head. I wasn't sure why else he would be acting like this.

     "Did that man... Shigaraki, did he escape again?"

     Genuine surprise filled his face at my question, but it didn't make me feel much better.

     "No, of course not. Everyone involved with what happened to you is locked somewhere very secure, very far away," he told me fiercely. "They won't ever get anywhere near you ever again." I made sure of it, he seemed to be saying.

     "Then..." my brows squished together as I wracked my brain for any other reason he might be acting like this. "Why have you been so... tense today?"

     He spared a moment to glance around again before turning his attention back to me. "That's nothing for you to worry about, kiddo. I promise you're safe, you just focus on having fun and picking your room stuff."

     I think I felt my eye twitch and my headache flared up a notch. That did not make me feel any better about the situation.

     It's not like I could push any further though, and we were back at the table Midnight had found for us. I sat down rather forcefully as Midnight smiled at me, gripping my pant leg and taking a deep breath.

     She slid me a bottle of water and said something about taking our time, to which I nodded and pulled out my phone.

     I got all the way to Hitoshi's contact before I realized what I was doing and I stopped, exiting out of the messaging app.

     You don't need to bother him right now. He can't do anything for you anyways, let him enjoy his summer and a bit of time away from you.

     I dragged a hand through my curls and it snagged painfully near the bottom, reminding me yet again that it had been months since it had been cut.

     I redirected my hand to smooth over my now-rumpled school pants instead.

     "Are you feeling alright, Midoriya?" Midnight asked gently.

     It took a moment for the words to register. "Hmm? Yeah, I uhm- I'm good." I spared a short glance at Shota, but didn't look at her.

     "Mm hmm," she agreed slowly, as if asking is that right?

     I let a short breath out. Shota hadn't touched the coffee Midnight got for him. There were a lot of people in the food court. The lines to some of the restaurants collided and overlapped with each other, and every table around us was full.

     I took a few deep breaths before I spoke again. "Shota?" There was something I couldn't quite help in my tone that made it sound a little desperate. "What happened?"

     "Nothing happened, kid." He drops a hand on my head, fluffing up my hair.

     I shrink under the weight of it, and my shoulders start to bunch as heat builds behind my eyes.

     He stops, hand sliding to rest on my shoulder as he notices my change in expression.

     "What's wrong, Izuku?" He leans closer, worry suddenly evident on his face.

     "I don't know," my eyes flit around the food court again with something bordering on desperation, "I don't know, you tell me," the pain of my headache sharpens in my forehead and I know my eyes are teary.

     Why is he acting like this? As if the whole building is filled with people that could turn hostile at any moment? As if the second he lets his guard down I'm going to get snatched?

     "Oh, kiddo. Nothing's wrong. Everything's alright, I'm sorry. It's okay, I promise." It was still strange hearing these types of words from my teacher, but that isn't what I'm focused on right now.

     "So then why-" I can't finish my sentence, bringing my arm up to wipe my eyes with my hoodie sleeve. Why are you doing this?

     He seems caught off guard by my reaction, and it doesn't take long for him to make a decision on what to say.

     "There was a big court hearing today, that's all."

     A beat passes as I process his words. "W-what?"

     "Monoma's trial. Nothing happened, kiddo, I'm worrying over nothing, things that won't happen." He rubs my shoulder and I hunch forward, making an ugly face to try to stop the crying. That was it?

     I think I might have grabbed onto his arm, and then something like his shoulder, and before I knew it he was rubbing my back in small circles and I was clinging around his torso, hanging off of my seat.

     "I'm sorry, kid," he says again, and then after a long pause, "you must be exhausted too, I shouldn't have taken you out while you were missing sleep and I was on edge. I think we both need some rest, huh?"

     I don't bother with an answer, trying to regulate my emotions. My mask gets wet and stuffy with my tears, and it's made worse by my heavy mouth breathing when my nose gets too runny to take in proper air, so I pull it down to rest on my chin while my forehead rests against Shota.

It's all I can do to form one coherent thought while a tidal wave of relief washes over me. I'm such a crybaby.

1309 words.