Y/N kept her hands to herself while the boy sitting beside her whimpered. So much for not being a baby, huh? She wanted to mention how hypocritical it was of him, but when she arrived to the playground and saw him crying, Y/N decided it was best just to keep her mouth shut.
The two of them sat in the slide while it rained and the quick droplets falling from the sky made a reiterating sound against the top. From the exit hole, she watched the water slide off the top and fall down onto the ground outside. It was quite a lot of water.
The boy's hands clenched around his knees as he drew them closer. "S'plosion-boy," she mumbled, "are you okay?" "F-fuck off," he softly berated. Sitting side by side, the warmth between them was comforting. He had been fine the day before, but it seems that today had just not been his day. Y/N wondered what to say to get him to calm down. "When I was little, my neighbor had this really cool quirk," Y/N quietly began to speak, "she could grow little flowers just by touching the ground." She looked over at the tears continuing to fall from the boy's face. "We'd spend a long time playing outside, growing flowers and stuff. I used to be really sad about not being able to do anything nearly as cool as her. I'd cry and cry, so she'd grow me little daisies."
The boy sniffled, "why-why d-daisies?" "They're my favorite." Patting her legs back and forth, Y/N continued, "I remember getting really mad at her whenever she complained about her quirk being weak or whatever." She stuck her feet up, "it's like, you at least have a quirk. Be grateful." Y/N raised her hand and began to wipe his face from tears. He flinched as her soft touch. "But I think I get it now." His face was now clear, just pink from her closeness and her eyes red from his crying. "You don't have to explain yourself," she told him, "okay?" "It's nothing," he pushed her hand away, "don't-dont do that."
Y/N lowered her head, trying to look through the small holes in the tube, only big enough for a small child to stick their hand through. She reached out, letting the rain fall onto her fingers. "We might be here for hours," she mumbled, wiping her hand on her shorts, "should've checked the weather before I snuck out." Sniffling, the boy crossed his arms. "You snuck out? I didn't take you as someone who did that." "What sane parents would let their quirkless daughter go out alone at night?" "I-I-I don't know!"
She slid further down, her feet on the ceiling. "Aren't you sneaking out too or do your parents know you come here?" Sliding down with her, he sighed, "Yeah, I sneak out too." "My parents would probably barricade me if they knew I was coming here." "Why do you come here?" He looked over at her, "why don't you just cry at home?" Y/N turned her head to him, the both of their noses only an inch apart. "Probably the same reason as you," her voice quiet, "I don't want anyone to know about it."
He avoided eye contact with her, but his nerves trembled just knowing that she was still looking at him. "Crying isn't weak," she said, "but the reason I cry probably is. I don't ever want my parents asking about it." She finally looked away from him and the two of them returned to their common silence only filled by the pattering of the rain.
Y/N's chest tightened and she felt the fluttering breaths that drew her tears. He watched them fall and he felt his stomach twist at the sight. "No wonder it's hard for me to believe in myself," she sobbed, "all I do is tell myself lies." Y/N cried, her face burning with the pain. Her cries echoed around them and drowned out the sound outside.
"I tell myself lies too," he confessed, making her take in a long deep breath. "I think we all tell ourselves lies to make us feel better." Y/N groaned. "Screw that shit." She kicked at the ceiling. "For once I'd like to be told the truth, but I know it ain't fuckin happening." He shoved at her shoulder. "You already proved one lie wrong, what's the big deal?" Lowering her feet, she sighed loudly. "I beat you once, buddy, and it was dark, and you were probably tired, and-" "Don't fucking do that," he chuckled, slapping her arm, "you got me. It was surprising."
Looking at the rain still falling outside, Y/N shrugged, "my parents made it sound like it was impossible for me to be good. I guess I just find it hard to believe." "That's the start," he gestured, holding up his pointer, "in order to believe something, you gotta let go of lies. Doesn't matter who said em. Doesn't matter how many. They were lies and you can't go doubting that."
Crawling over him, Y/N sat at the exit, holding her hand out to feel the weight of the rain on her fingertips. "No one has ever given me an opportunity," she said, her back towards him, "people give me a passing glance. People assume things. People tell me things without questions." She turned her head to give him a smile. "You surprised me, ground zero. You gave me a chance."
