Hidden Potential

XVI : Decision

A/N: Erhk sero is so OOC and all but listen the guy's not in a right state of mind alright don't @ me ya'll

The walk to the infirmary was terribly uncomfortable. Hanta was desperately crying the whole way, being practically dragged by Aizawa while you were lagging behind, unable to even look at your boyfriend as he wept.

Even after Recovery Girl had tested Sero in all sorts of ways, she had apologized to you, saying you three had to wait in the same room for a while because she needed to leave to get the results.

Luckily, before she did so, she had met you in private so you could explain to her what had happened. Even though you were still shaking from the shock of having your boyfriend attack you like he had, Recovery Girl was relieved to hear that you were somewhat safe. She had also been immensely thankful when you said you wouldn't sue the school for anything, seeing as it may not be directly Hanta's fault.

But the waiting was the most torturous thing you had to live.

Sure, you should be glad that Sero wasn't aggressive anymore, but seeing him as broken and out of it as he was right now, you still weren't enjoying it. He had been begging for you forgiveness and begging for you to talk to him for the last five minutes, continuing even after Aizawa had threatened to expel him if he kept pressuring you. You doubted the teacher actually had the power to do so in this situation. The boy was so shaken up that he wasn't thinking straight.

Your heartbeat picked up as soon as the school nurse entered the waiting room with a file in hand, which she gave to Aizawa. "It's a quirk." She announced. You let out a breath you didn't even know you were holding in. So it wasn't Sero's fault. "According to what miss (L/N) said, the man had the ability to alter someone's behaviour by touching them. With the results I got, it makes sense."

"Can you get rid of it?" Your homeroom teacher asked. The nurse nodded before turning to Sero and sternly asking him to follow her out so she can administer the treatment.

"Are you okay?" Aizawa asked, his tired eyes boring into yours, which certainly still held a certain degree of fear in them.

"Yeah. Things could have turned out way worse, I guess." You replied, breaking the eye contact to stare at the floor in front of you. "I should be glad, but I'm not... I feel terrible."

"Don't be. What you went through was terrifying as it was. You shouldn't feel grateful to have been put through that situation, even if there could have been a worse outcome." The adult told you. "You're excused from class tomorrow. I'll make sure you receive tomorrow's homework, but I don't want to see you in school. I want you to take the day to cope and assess. If you think you need help to cope, please tell me as soon as possible." Wow. In this very moment, Aizawa sounded really fatherly. It was nice to feel like someone cared for you right now. You knew that by tomorrow, everyone would be made aware and they would all worry for you too, but right now, having an adult care for you in the middle of the night was what you really needed.

"Thank you, Mr. Aizawa." You muttered, blinking back the tears threatening to spill. Although you were able to suppress them, the shakiness of your voice most likely gave you away. You felt your teacher's hand on your shoulder and accidentally flinched.

"Take care of yourself."

You nodded and rose your head when Recovery Girl walked back in with Sero, who was still sniffling and avoiding your gaze. The boy sat back down next to Aizawa and the nurse pulled up a fourth chair to sit in it. Here comes the explanations.

"The quirk young Sero was inflicted with was a Behaviour Quirk." She started. "To be more specific, it's a quirk that, if in physical contact with the victim, causes the worst in them to arise."

"The worst in them?" You asked, getting a hint of what she was trying to say. You just... You didn't want to believe it.

"Yes." She apologetically confirmed. "The quirk doesn't force the victim to act a certain way. It simply takes over and brings out the worst in them. In Sero's case, it was possessiveness and jealousy. It's now back where it is now, deep in the back of his mind, and it will probably never resurface again. When the effects activated, it caused his mind to dissociate from his body. In those moments, it feels like he's watching from a third person perspective and has no control over what he does. From what (L/N) told me, it seems a rough shock to the head might be the way to bring one back."

"Thank you." Aizawa said, also speaking for the two speechless teenagers by his sides.

So even though Hanta technically wasn't at fault for his actions, he still... he had the potential to do it, it was just hidden deep down within the confines of his mind. In a way, it was like saying the quirk gave him a boost of... maliciousness to do the things he did.

This was scary, even for you. You knew full well that Hanta wouldn't dare to do these things to you while sober and himself, but still. It was scary to know that deep within him, those thoughts still occurred.

What would happen to your relationship now that this all went down? You love him; you adore that boy and he most likely loves you too, but just looking at him makes your heart race and send adrenaline through your veins. And not in the good way, either. You could practically hear your fight or flight reflexes yelling at you when he was near.

You had a decision to make. And it wasn't a good one. Thinking about the confrontation that had to come with it made you uneasy. It made your heartbreak.

As you left the office, you couldn't help but shed a few tears as you walked through the empty hallways of the school.

Aizawa placed his unoccupied hand on your shoulder. "Put yourself first, (L/N)." He probably had no idea of the effect that did on you, but it made your silent crying intensify tenfold.