On The Inside

Stay Alive

"Midoriya, you alive?" Eijiro rasped.

His only response was a dry cough.

It wasn't the best response, but it was response enough.

Midoriya was still alive, and that was more than enough for him.

Eijiro burst through the doors and sprinted down the stairs. He came to an abrupt stop at the bottom of the stairs. He set his friend down on the floor.

The halls were dark, seeing as it was after hours, but that didn't take the fear away. The sounds that came from Midoriya were more than enough to shatter his heart.

His breathing was raspy and incredibly slow. Every now and again, he would let out these weak moans and groans.

Eijiro pulled out his phone and turned on the flash.

Midoriya hissed as the light hit his face, "So... bright," His words sounded slurred, "T... it off."

"Sorry, man," He apologized as he angled the light away from the boy's face, "I-is this any better?"

No response.

Eijiro shifted closer to his friend. He set his phone down so that the flash was still on. He quickly removed his winter coat and draped it over his friend's shoulders.

Midoriya blinked a few times. He was still shivering. His breathing was still slow, but it didn't sound as rough.

Midoriya sat up after a while. His expression was dazed and confused. His head gently rocked back and forth, almost as if he would fall over.

Eijiro held his shoulders firmly as his friend started to fall forward.

Midoriya's head jerked up. His eyelids were drooping, and he was clearly fatigued. A dark shadow was cast on his features. He stared blankly down the empty hall as if he were looking for something that wasn't there.

His trembling hands took off the heavy coat and set it down on the floor.

"Midoriya," Eijiro started as he grabbed his coat, "Keep this on. You're freezing cold."

He mumbled something as his eyes closed.

"What was that?" He asked as he draped his coat over Midoriya's shoulders again.

He moaned as he stood up, the winter coat falling off once more. His legs were shaking violently. He pressed his back up against the wall.

Eijiro shot to his feet. He held Midoriya's shoulders tightly, pinning him against the wall so that Midoriya wouldn't collapse.

"L-let..." Midoriya couldn't finish his sentence. He fell forward a little.

In an instant, Eijiro let go, allowing Midoriya to fall onto him. Midoriya was still cold, but it was almost as if he didn't care.

"Slow down," He warned calmly, "You need to rest. You shouldn't be moving around so much."

"Take... to the... roof..." He moaned groggily, "P-please..."

Eijiro hugged Deku tightly, "I can't, Midoriya; you're freezing. All you're wearing are sweats, it's snowing outside, it's below freezing, you can't even stand up straight, and you're trembling. You were probably standing outside way longer than you should've. If I let you go back outside, you'll probably freeze to death."

Midoriya groaned and buried his face in Eijiro's chest. His fluffy hair tickled Eijiro's chin.

Midoriya wouldn't survive in the cold weather, and he knew it. Eijiro had hoped his friend's suicide threats were just a bluff, but no. He was dead serious.

It was tough to believe, but it was the only possible explanation.

Midoriya's body went limp for a few seconds.

To Eijiro, those were the longest seconds he had ever experienced.

His friend was limp in his arms. Eijiro didn't know whether or not Midoriya was breathing. Eijiro didn't know what to do.

Did he check for a pulse?

Did he check for a heartbeat?

Should he try to wake him up?

Was he even alive?

What should he do?

After what felt like an eternity, Midoriya finally got up.

Yes, he was still leaning up against Eijiro, but that didn't matter.

Eijiro's heart practically lept into his throat. He could've kissed Midoriya then and there. He was just so happy Midoriya was okay. Not to mention how he was starting to warm up.

"Are you alright?" Eijiro asked frantically, "Wha... did you just... oh my... Midoriya, you had me so worried."

Eijiro put a hand on the back of Midoriya's head and dug his fingers into his hair.

Midoriya gasped shakily before pushing away from Eijiro, nearly tripping over the coat. He swayed a little bit. He eventually fell over, barely catching himself on the wall beside him.

Eijiro grabbed his arms, "Careful."

Midoriya cleared his throat and snatched away. He took a few shaky steps back.

Eijiro quickly grabbed his phone, aiming the light at his friend.

Midoriya hissed before disappearing into the stairwell. His loud, clumsy footsteps echoed the empty halls.

Fear swelled up inside Eijiro. Midoriya was headed for the roof. There was a strong possibility he would take the jump this time.

He turned off his flashlight and shoved his phone in his pocket. He took off in a sprint after Midoriya.

His coat laid forgotten on the floor. He knew he would come to regret it, but it wouldn't matter if Midoriya ended up killing himself.