Another Kind of Hero

10

(Deku's POV)

Everything felt fuzzy. My head, my thoughts, the air, it all felt fuzzy. Unreal. Like it was just a dream. I was vaguely aware of the fact that I was on a bed, but I couldn't really process anything else.

Light shone uncomfortably into my eyes as I finally found the strength to open them, and I found myself somewhere unfamiliar.

I sat up and nearly knocked into someone sitting beside me. It was the boy from the store, Shoto Todoroki. His lip was busted and his nose was clearly broken, but he was still unnervingly pretty. I tore my eyes away from him and took in my surroundings.

I was in a small, traditional style room that was about the size of my in bedroom. There were no decorations anywhere in the room, other than a few photos on the desk across from where I sat. It seemed almost impersonal, like a hotel room.

The boy-Todoroki- stirred as the door opened and Sora stepped in, meowing impatiently to be fed. He seemed surprised to see me up.

Small wonder.

"Ummm... Hi?" He said nervously. "Sorry I brought you here without your permission, but you were kinda... um... How should I say this uh-"

"Beat to shit?" I grinned. He laughed, nervously

"Took the words right out of my mouth. I patched you up as best I could. You were pretty beat up though, especially with all those burns on your face-"

I didn't hear the rest of what he said. I didn't hear anything but the ringing in my ears. He had burnt me. He had burnt my face.

Shit

Shit

Shitshitshitshitfuckfuck fuck!

My heart sank. I wanted to throw up. My shoulders were covered in small burn scars, barely noticeable since I was so pale, but on my face? Mom would panic. I couldn't tell her about what Kachaan had done. Not now. Not after a this time. No. No I couldn't.

No.

"Will it scar? I said, talking over Todoroki. I didn't care that it was rude, had to know.

"Huh?" He seemed surprised by my interjection.

"Will. It. Scar." My voice was sharp with desperation and so much fear. "Please. I need to know."

His face softened. "No, it won't scar. Its mostly healed already. You won't end up like this," He promised, pointing to the large scar across his left eye, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Sorry, that was rude," I said, after I stopped laughing. He grinned and told me it was fine.

"Honestly, I prefer that to pity. Pity is less entertaining," he smirked.

Oh god that smirk.

Fuck.

"U-umm... Thank you. What's your, uh, your name? I don't think you ever told me." That's something your supposed to ask people you didn't internet stalk and research for two days, right? He gave a good-natured grin and we exchanged names.

"OK Midoriya, I'm not gonna ask why you're so beat up, but you have to let my sister drop you off." I must have looked surprised, for he continued

"She gave me strict  orders to keep you resting until she got back."

"When will that be?"

"In an hour or so.

" OK, as long as its not the whole day I'm fine." He looked around awkwardly for something for us to do.

"We don't really have much in the way of entertainment here, sorry."

"Its fine, really. Talking has been entertaining so far, but a boring person like me probably isn't much help with that." He laughed at that.

"Boring? You're the most entertaining person I've ever talked to!"

We chatted for the rest of the time his sister was gone, about nothing topics and our favorite superheroes.

. . .

After getting a final checkup and fresh bandages from Todoroki's sister, Fuyumi,  she insisted on driving me home, despite the fact it was only a fifteen minute walk to the apartment complex.

"You really didn't have to do this. I'd be fine walking, it's not to far-"

"Are you kidding? It's no big deal. I didn't go to nursing school just to let my patients with that level of beating walk themselves home!"

I hated the reminder of how thoroughly I had been fucked up earlier. How am I going to explain this one to mom? I wondered  vaguely, trying not to be sick all over the relatively fancy car. it was quite the challenge thanks to the dizzying mess of anxious thoughts swimming in my head. 

We pulled to a stop outside of my apartment building only a minute later. I stepped out, thanked Fuyumi again, and prepared to explain what had happened to to my mom.

. . .

Explaining took longer than I had expected, since Mom was crying and fussing over me so much, but eventually I just told her it had been some older kids from the local high school who'd screwed me up. She was surprised when I told her the boy I met at the store had been the one to find me, but seemed relieved when I confirmed that his sister had apparently gone to nursing school. 

"A girl so good at nursing should come work with me! Tell her that if you see her or her nice brother again, okay?" I laughed and agreed as I walked to my room. 

After successfully not getting killed by my cat, I managed to get to my bed and flop down lazily. 

God my ribs hurt. 

On the bright side, school started the next day. I would be starting the year off right, with bruised ribs and a solid three panic attacks in one day. 

Hooray?

(Hi everyone! Ray here! Sorry for not posting in so long, I've been struggling with finding motivation lately and I think the others forgot about this thing. Still, better late than never? Sorry it's shorter than ususal too, But we're moving on to the second ark now so yay! Thanks for reading!)