Butterfly [ ON HIATUS/MIDORIYA ]

016. madness.

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"WHO was that?" Wada's voice had a small bite of hostility. I shouldered my purse, giving him a light smile.

"Work friends! We decided to get together finally after everything," I said, moving toward the kitchen.

"I've been waiting for you. I even got home early to surprise you!" He said, following me. "See?"

I didn't even notice the flowers that laid on the counter. I couldn't help but smile. Then I realized, they were without water, their stems were cut. He— he knows I don't like that. They were dying as they laid on the counter.

I felt arms around me and he smiled into the crook of my neck. "You're my girl, you know that."

"I know that," I said, holding on to his arms from the front. He was acting so strange, not at all like he usually did.

"(y/n), I know you're lying to me."

The words dropped in my stomach, and suddenly his arms didn't feel as loving as they did a couple of seconds ago.

"I know you went out with that hero. He won't leave you alone, will he?" Akinari's voice had a strange inflection. Is he actually jealous? He's never here. How did he even know?

"He's just a friend," I said quickly. He let go of my body and I turned to face him.

"That's what they all say."

His eyes looked different. They were almost glowing. I took a step back, leaning against the kitchen counter. He looks like he's in pain? Is he okay? What's happening?

"Honey, what are you even saying?" I asked, exhaling through my words and shaking my head.

"I'm messing everything up. You— you're going to leave me, aren't you? That's what you're going to say?"

Akinari's eyes frantically looked between his hands and myself. I began stepping toward him, taking in his paling skin and his darkened eyes. He looked sick, like when I first left the hospital. I felt my eyes narrow, lifting my hand gently. I pressed it against his face.

"No, no, I'm not," I said softly, seeing the darkened veins around his eyes. I ran my finger along his cheek, caressing it. "Are you sick? Are you okay? Please tell me where this is coming from."

The darkness in his eyes began to melt away as he stared into my eyes. It only lasted for a minute though. They reverted and he broke away from my touch. Akinari began to pace back and forth, speaking to himself.

"Honey, please! You're scaring me!" I called out to him, watching his hands shake. He whirled around, his chest heaving. I felt frozen, just as I had in the firestorm attack.

"You—" he pointed at me. I backed up against the wall. "You can't see him anymore."

"Wh-what?" I couldn't believe what I was seeing and hearing. The whole room felt a sting of electricity, like there was a lightning storm approaching.

The lights in the room were flickering quickly, like we were in the middle of a power surge. I looked around me, then back at the man I loved. This isn't like him— what happened to him?! His shadow grew against the continuing flicker of lights. My hands were shaking out of fear.