𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐞

Ch03

Vrrr...Vrrr...Vrrr...Vrrr--

Izuku stirred from within the sea of comforters that seemed to swallow him whole, fishing around for his audibly vibrating cell.

When he eventually got ahold of it, he answered in a more groggy manner than intended.

"Izuku Midoriya speaking. Who is it?"

"Midoriya! Why do you have a phone? Is it not to make and receive calls from people who care about you? People who are worried sick when you pull these sorts of stunts?"

Izuku felt the ghost of a headache begin to form at the base of his skull.

"Iida. Good morning to you, too."
He rolled over, moving the phone away from his ear to prepare for what followed.

"Good morning? Is that all you have to say for yourself? You've had everyone scrambling for any means of contacting you! Not to mention Uraraka's been sulking by herself in her apartment for the past day, and she hasn't said anything justifying such a reaction! Only muttering your name between sobs! What on earth did you do to her, Midoriya?"

Izuku sat in silence to process what Tenya had just said.
For a second, blue-haired individual thought he hung up on him.

"I just...Told her how I felt."

"Which entailed?"

Izuku honestly couldn't remember. He only recalled getting unnecessarily stern with her company and asking her to leave, basically extinguishing any iota of hope left in his life.

His mind began to wander. How easy would it be to fall off the face of the earth right then and there?

"Hello? Are you listening to me?"
Tenya's stern tone cut through Izuku's haze as if it were wet paper.

"I'm here."
Izuku responded in a deadpan tone.

"You know what? I think you need this. I think you need to be left to your own devices until you realise that you need your family sooner or later...And I hope you get it sooner."
With that, Tenya abruptly hung up on his end.

The sudden hum of the dial tone both relieved and shocked Izuku. Tenya really must've been at his wit's end if he was going to hang him out to dry like that.

But deep down, Izuku knew that there was no good coming from pushing everyone away. Of course he knew that.

But then what was this sickening feeling he got whenever persons he knew were around him?

Was it because they were pitying him? Treating him differently from before? Constantly acting as though they had to walk on eggshells with him when all he wanted was someone to be open with?

Was it because...They reminded him of Katsuki?

He couldn't say for sure.
Izuku was certain about one thing, though.

The greenette buried his face into the beige comforters, groaning in defeat when the scent that wafted up from the material both calmed his nerves and broke his heart simultaneously.

There was no way he was going to fall off the face of the earth anytime soon;
not when the sheets still smelled like Katsuki.

...

"So I take it you are not happy with your current circumstances?"

Izuku rolled his eyes, wishing he could flip Shoto off in person. This man was either pulling his leg or was slower than a slug on a scorching sidewalk.

"Wow, how observant. Anything else you wanna add, Sherlock?"

"Listen here. I'm not even supposed to be talking to you right now.
Tenya's ready to smite anyone who has mercy on you because he thinks you genuinely need a lesson from all this--despite me telling him that leaving you in the dark would only lead you further astray.
It's like my degree in psychology means nothing to that man."

Shoto audibly sighed on the other end, followed by soft rustling shortly after.

He was probably taking a rest. And by the sound of his current circumstances, he probably needed it.

"...I know...I just...Really don't want to be alone with my thoughts right now."

Which was true.

Izuku knew if he had a moment of silence, he was either going to think about Katsuki, or how angry he was with the world--how angry he was with himself.

Shoto exhaled.
"I know, Mido...I know. Things are just...Tough over here. Uraraka took a sick leave from her agency, and she's only talking to Tsuyu at present. Everyone else has been trying to go on with their lives as normally as possible."

Ah. Ochako.
Izuku still felt little remorse about that whole ordeal. He still loves and cares for Ochako like a sister, but they really did need space--for both of their sakes.

"Sho...Am I being selfish?"

"With Ochako?
I don't think so. I think that what you did was the best chance at salvaging whatever sanity you may or may not have in that little-big brain of yours.
I also think that Ochako acted quite selfish when it came to you if anything. Since adolescence. But I figured she eventually grew out of it in her adulthood. Guess you proved me wrong. But in general...That's up to you to decide."

Izuku cocked a brow.
The hell was that supposed to mean?

"For me to decide? What the hell are you talking about?"

"That right there. I'm talking about how much you refuse to accept change. You haven't gotten past the events that took place two years ago, but you as a person are still changing. Your time with Bakugo, time spent alone, even talking to me right now all have an impact on your character. If you refuse to accept the change occurring all around you, then you'll only end up curling in on yourself in the end because of the overcapacity. And considering all of the lives you've touched, and all of the people who need you...
People like Tenya, Uraraka...
Me...Then yeah, that might be considered selfish.
But only if you don't get up and move forward with your life."

Izuku--for the first time since Katsuki was alive--was stunned silent.

"I...Hello? Midoriya? Are you still there?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm here Sho..."
The greenette brushed aside the sweaty curls that obstructed his vision.
The room was progressively becoming warmer.
Smaller.
Stifling.

"You want honest advice, Mido? I suggest you find a hobby; an outlet. More than one, even. You said that aside from patrol the agency has been slow? Go on runs. Get a yoga group. Go skydiving--money isn't an issue."

Izuku sat, dumfounded. He couldn't possibly face anyone after what he said to Ochako. He also still wasn't forgiven by the eyes of the public to go strolling around town.
...But that didn't matter.

The worst thing that could happen is a couple of awkward no's from his friends and upturned glances from strangers.

He could do this.

He could turn his life around.

He wasn't stalling any longer; waiting for a saviour that didn't exist. He had to be his own hero.

And he was going to be damn good at it.