Something Further than the Universe

Chapter XVI ~ Lost in Outer Space

A/N: Hi, all! I hope winter break treated you well. Anyway, here's the new chapter. Not too much action, but a lot of problem solving, feelings, and dialogue. I hope everyone likes that kind of stuff. Action might be a little on the down low for a while, especially after this most recent chapter.

With midterms coming up at school, the next chapter might take a little while longer to finish than I'd like. I have to make sure I do well on those, and being a freshman, it's a given that I'm pretty nervous. I've never had a big test like this before. There was really only one in eighth grade.

I'm really proud of this chapter. Let me know what you guys think through a comment! I read every one. Once again, thank you all for reading. <3

~+~+~

When the elevator doors opened up, Asui was the first to get off, Jirou trailing just a few faint
footsteps behind. Halfway down the hall was Uraraka, hiding her face behind her bangs as she hurriedly slipped through her dorm room door, trying her best to be sly, not to be seen by anyone. But that wasn't stopping Asui, an Asui so overly adamant and overcome with emotion that she'd do anything for her friend as she knew she needed her now, needed her more than ever. She knocked and knocked and knocked until her knuckles hurt, turning white around the edges and beginning to blister bright red, the pain almost unbearable.

"Ochako, ribbit, we just wanna talk. It's me, Tsuyu, and Kyoka's here too. We don't know what's going on, either. We're just here to help, ribbit. Please, you seem upset."

Uraraka buried her face in her bed sheets, Asui's prodding almost painful to hear. She wasn't ready to open up. She was confused, alone, unsure of anything she felt, unsure of anything Izuku felt. Was he just playing around with her, or was Mina the one making the mess?

Of course, she'd never expect something so vile, so heartless out of such a sweet boy like Izuku. He was her ride or die, her day one, whether he was in love with her or not, and she wouldn't have it any other way. One of the kindest boys she'd ever met, she'd never imagine him doing such a thing.

And so this entire ordeal came as a bit of a shock to her.

"Ochako, open up, will you? We're here for you, you know. We just wanna make sure you're okay." It was Jirou this time.

So, her desire for answers too strong, she hopped up out of bed and let the two of them in, tear-soaked eyes gone from once-prettily-white to deep red.

Asui didn't hesitate to hug her, and it was at that moment that Uraraka let it all out, the little hiccups to the big cries and the wailing, Asui's favorite pair of pajamas stained with salty tears that'd inevitably ended up trickling down the side of her shirt in consequence of going out of her way to comfort her. But she didn't care, and neither did Jirou, as she joined in immediately after, bringing Uraraka in close.

Jirou was conflicted, unsure of what was the right way to feel. Part of her thought she should have been downstairs with Mina, comforting who was one of her best friends, but she wasn't exactly sure what was going on between her and Izuku—especially after that kiss—and even though she loved Mina, she had a feeling she was the one who fucked it up. She really did have a tendency to do that. She didn't try to, and she was an incredible, vibrant kind of person, but she couldn't keep a secret to save her life, nor could she hide her feelings forever, often letting them slip far too early resulting in a crisis such as the one befolding before her.

"I don't understand," Uraraka started, a stutter bubbling up in the back of her throat. "Why'd Mina have to do that? Couldn't she have just kept quiet?"