AMATEURS [Tenya Iida x OC]

Chapter 27 - The One Where Shit Hits the Fan

-

As the day crept closer, looming like death on the horizon, Peri caught herself becoming more unfeeling. More disconnected. Bottling up the fear, stoppering it deep down and pretending everything was fine, just fine.

How could she just leave when she felt like she belonged at U.A. High more than she ever had anywhere else? How could she fly away when she had Tenya? Tsu? Midoriya, Ochaco, Momo... Everyone. Not only did she finally fit in somewhere, but going home meant facing her parents, facing her brother, facing her imminent engagement.

Having that talk.

She wasn't sleeping. Her nights were spent awake, baking and singing, trying to work through her anxiety. Peri had no other way of conveying to her friends how much she would miss them, so she made them food... cookies, breads, pastries, cupcakes, strudels. Anything and everything she could think of. It was never enough.

School was awful. Peri tried to focus, kept doing homework. Her grades were tracked all the way through to her last day. But with each passing school day, the less she cared. She didn't want to be a hero. She wasn't as good as her friends. They were stronger, faster, more courageous than she was. Peri just wanted to curl up on the floor of her dorm room and never leave.

They couldn't force her to go...

Right?

-

The last week swept in, inevitable and unfeeling.

On that last Monday, Peri didn't even brush her hair, but put on her uniform anyway, trudging to class before any of her friends were even awake just to soak in more memories. More independence.

More time.

Tsu wanted to say something, but she knew this was a sort of grieving process. Peri finally fit in somewhere - finally could be herself with them - and now it was being torn away. Tsu lingered nearby, ready to catch the tears and console her closest friend. She didn't want Peri to leave either, but Tsu would never say so.

What good would it do?

-

Tenya was at war with himself.

No one had good advice to give, plus most of his classmates hadn't broken up with anyone before. Everyone he asked for advice from said that they should try a long distance relationship, make it work despite the eight hour time difference. Despite the possibility that her parents might still force a quirk marriage on her.

Mina confided in him that she could see them getting married after high school.

But... something didn't feel right.

To Tenya, Peri needed to go home unhindered, independent, free.

A clean break from everything here.

Including him.

-

After school that day, he caught up to her walking back to the dorms and steered her toward their favorite willow tree. Lead-hearted, Tenya swallowed against the pain in his throat, and began. "Peri, I... I don't know what to do."

Wading against her grief, Peri reached out and took Tenya's hand to comfort him. "How can I help, love?" she whispered. She ran her thumb over the back of his trembling hand, lingering on his knuckles. Bump, bump, bump, bump. He soothed her by just existing.

He couldn't make eye contact. The tears were already there, lined up and ready to fall at the slightest of prompts. Tenya didn't want her to see that this was killing him. That this was for her own good. For her best interest. "I need to break up with you," he said, trying to keep his voice steady.