Rising Stronger [Sequel to When the Strong are Weak]

11

Uraraka

She stood in the doorway, mouth agape in shock at the disaster that was her friend's room. A room Uraraka admittedly hadn't seen the inside of in over a month. Guilt further soured her mood. If only she had been more observant or asked more questions or just listened better maybe maybe she could've prevented this.

Uraraka tiptoed carefully into the room realizing quickly how cold it was despite the summer heat. She threw the veranda door open letting the heat blast her in the face before taking a seat on Y/N's bed. A slight breeze pushed threw the door gently tugging at the papers that littered the floor and the photo that adorned the desk.

With her throat tightening around a sob Uraraka sighed loudly. Her lip warbled dangerously as tear filled her eyes. She will be fine. She has to be. But the look on Mr. Aizawa's face and the way Hawks worries his lip filled her with unease.

"You'll chew right through your lip if you keep at it."

"Todoroki!" Uraraka shot to her feet at the sound of his voice. Her eyes found that familiar splash of red, white and green always together. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Making sure you're okay," Deku replied with a small smile. "You've known her the longest so you'll be taking this the hardest."

"Besides Bakugo anyway," Todoroki nodded as he glanced around Y/N's room. "There's a lot going on here."

"She seemed fine," Uraraka drooped into a crouch to pick up a few sheets of paper. She squinted at the sheet trying and failing to make out anything coherent. Y/N had rewritten over every line on the page front and back making it impossible to tell what was on the document. Another sheet had scribbles and nothing more, as though her pen kept dying on her. Another still had drawings but of what was unclear as well. Uraraka almost laughed at that. Y/N never was good at drawing.

"I think Hound Dog and Mr. Aizawa should see these," Deku murmured. He was looking over a few papers himself.

"She never missed anything," Todoroki whispered from in front of the desk. Uraraka saw his fingers dust across the photos but he didn't pick any up. "These all must be of Asher. Look, birthdays, holidays, I assume vacations or, at least, trips to the beach. Even first days of school."

"Every major event and everything in between," Uraraka nodded as she stepped up to the desk. "She told me one day after Asher had gone back to his place that she did it so when he learned they were related he could see how much she loved him from the very beginning."

The three stood in silence for a while, each taking their time to look over the photos. Finally, Uraraka pulled herself together enough to pick up every scrap of paper on the ground. She was putting them all I to a pile on the desk when her phone went off.

"It's from Kirishima," Deku lobbed the phone across the room to her.

She glanced at the message and typed back a quick reply. "He found Bakugo and is bringing him back after he's cooled down some," she explained.

"Was he at the cemetery like you thought he would be?" Deku wondered.

"You mean like I knew he would be," Uraraka nodded. "Don't let on that you know or that I told you, but Bakugo goes to Y/N's mom's grave sometimes to talk things over. After she broke up with him and work studies started up again, he says it's the easiest way for him to feel close to Y/N."