Need You (ShinDeku)

Ch. 127 - Updates

A/N: I was so wrong about having more time... but it's alright now that I know I'll work around it. Do you all like when I do chapters in POVs that aren't our MC? Is there anyone you'd want to see a chapter from? Sometimes I regret not writing this in 3rd person haha.
Have fun reading!

Midoriya POV

     The next morning I'm up later than usual, having slept nearly 12 hours following our exhausting evening yesterday.

     Hitoshi on the other hand, is up earlier than myself and has clearly been productive in the time it has taken me to become conscious enough to wander into the kitchen. He's dressed and washing a mug in the sink, his duffel sitting slumped against the wall by the front door. My eyes stay locked on it for a few seconds too long.

     "Morning," he greets, like he's not about to leave me, but after seeing this scene I'm reminded that he's going home today and I won't see him for a couple of days. I'm much more awake now, feeling like I've been dunked in a cold bucket of dread.

    "Good morning." I force a neutral tone, sitting down on one of the barstools. Hitoshi turns on the kettle and pulls out a new, dry mug along with the box of tea he brought with him when he first arrived. I take a calming breath, watching him silently.

     "Can I get you some breakfast? There's some muffins leftover, or I could attempt some eggs. Can't guarantee they'll be any good, of course."

     "It's alright, I'm not really hungry." My voice falls a little flat.

     He hums in response. He hasn't turned to face me yet.

     "How are you feeling from yesterday? You slept a lot." As he speaks the water finishes boiling so he picks up the kettle, slowly pouring it over the teabag. "Sore at all?"

     "Not as bad as I thought. I'll be used to it in a few days, though."

     He turns, bringing the mug to me.

     "Yeah," he agrees, "but be careful anyways. Listen to your body." I choose not to respond to that.

     "When are you leaving?" My question cuts through the conversation, and there's a sort of stillness afterwards that's amplified by the lack of response.

     My gaze settles on the untouched mug of tea before me, following the wisps of steam that rise as the water slowly darkens.

     I guess I didn't manage to keep my tone as light as I'd hoped, or maybe it was the fact that I'd completely derailed the careful conversation, because I could feel him watching me closely while he considered his words. It wasn't fun, because we both knew he was trying to figure out what to say that would hurt me the least.

     He couldn't exactly lie though, and we'd already agreed on him leaving today. Usually I liked the gentle care he treated me with, but now I could feel my face getting warmer in a humiliating way. This wasn't nice. It was awkward and embarrassing and I felt like... crap. I didn't want him to be carefully choosing his words to try to avoid me going into a breakdown, begging him to stay.

     "I'll be fine. I was just curious." We both know it's a lie but that just means there's no pressure to hide that fact as I continue to avoid his gaze and my shoulders curl in.

     "An hour, give or take," he finally responds, stepping closer. "But I could wait until Aizawa wakes up, if you wanted."

     "No," he shouldn't have suggested that, because it was so tempting to latch onto the offer. It wouldn't make me feel better anyways, and when the time inevitably came for him to leave I'd just be waiting for him to offer to stay again. Just a little longer. Until we leave for training. Might as well just train together. It's so late now, one more night. Maybe until our second joint lesson of the week, because why make the trip twice? "You need to get home. I've kept you too long anyways. I'm sure you have plenty of explaining to do to your parents."