Coming Home. Bakugou x Reader x ???

46. Unconvinced

A/N for anyone who started this book prior to March 20th: Eventually things are going to get much more mature (you know, sex, gore, and rock and roll - that's how it goes, right?) and, I just can't keep writing the characters like they are the same age as they are in the manga/anime in these types of situations, so I've aged 'em up! NOTHING ELSE IN THE STORY HAS CHANGED! Just didn't want people being confused if they see 'college' instead of 'high school' or '18 instead of '16' and the like. Happy reading!

AIZAWA'S POV

"Since this jackhole isn't of any help," Hizashi says after the tension subsides, "we should reason our way through the problem and come up with some viable options." Nezu and I nod absentmindedly as we each think of a way to fix the damage.

"If the issue is a divide in her mind, then the simplest solution would be to make her mind whole again," Nezu says after a few minutes. "But exactly how we do that, I'm not sure. I suppose we first need to figure out where she is conflicted and help her reason through those problems until either she or her quirk shift their views. Perhaps therapy would be benef-"

"I don't think therapy will work out the way you are envisioning," I interrupt with a grimace and Hizashi nods in agreement. "The last three therapists we sent her to to help with the loss of her parents and her nightmares all ended their services within two weeks."

"Two of them actually quit the profession entirely," Hizashi supplies. Nezu looks confused, but I wave him off.

"We were never given explicit reasons why, but after the third one, no other therapists in the area would see her." I smile sadly to myself as I think about (y/n) trying to convince me to stop worrying about her, telling me she had never been so happy or felt so safe and loved in her life; that she was fine. She wasn't fine. She pushed herself past her breaking point every day, doing everything she could to occupy her mind. I can't remember the amount of times she passed out from exhaustion, how many times we had to take her to the hospital because she had no stamina left for Recovery Girl to be able to use her quirk. She never slept. When she did, it was brief and almost always ended in screaming and crying, at least for the first few years.

"It was actually a huge relief when she met Bakugo," Hizashi says quietly, and I focus on the present once more. He grins at me reminiscently before continuing. "It was like everything that was wrong with her just disappeared." Hizashi's eyes widen slightly, and I can almost see the gears turning in his head. He's right, of course. Sure, they trained for hours a day, but it was still a shorter amount time than (y/n) would normally train. Add in actually eating, healthy communications with another person, and getting a full night's sleep after the first few months, and she was practically a new person. But the direction Hizashi is going is not one I want to entertain. I shake my head.

"Come on Shota," Hizashi says exaggeratedly. I shake my head again. "I understand your hesitation, but you've already acknowledged that (y/n)'s situation is barely similar to her mother's anymore." Nezu looks back and forth between the pleading Hizashi and me, still shaking my head. "This is likely the biggest conflict she has anyway. You know as well as I do that she's in love with him, but between her telling herself that she doesn't want to ruin her relationship and you telling her that she will go insane if she follows her heart, she'll never be able to reconcile those opposing thoughts." I sigh loudly and hide my head in my hands.

"Is that really a risk you would be comfortable taking, Mr. Yamada?" Noburu asks, and I feel my anger flare.

"Do you have anything else to tell us? Any other information to offer?" I ask him.

"I have told you everything I kn-"

"Then why are you still here?" Noburu closes his mouth, opens it again, but seems to not know what to say. "If you have nothing more, you should leave and let us discuss how to fix the mess you and your handler have created." Noburu's face contorts with anger, but I turn away from him, more than ready to be rid of him.