the day it stopped raining | midoriya izuku

14 | embraceful clouds

TOKYO
15°C
MODERATE RAIN

The living room was empty when Midoriya flew onto the balcony.

Although it's normal at certain times, the back of his head was telling him: Ah. Could it be because of what happened yesterday?

He'd never seen her cry like that. Still, he doesn't remember if he'd ever seen her weep because of the rain. A flawless disguise to extinguish the pain on anyone's faces.

Midoriya didn't bring anything besides himself, though he thinks he should've dropped by Neoma to grab a drink for her, but couldn't bring himself to face the people involved in causing Masuyo to act like that. Then again, he doesn't really know her yet. Not too far, not too close. A wary distance that's suitable for her and perhaps the both of them. For his sake.

He walks into the apartment, taking off his shoes and unzipping only the top part of his costume. The black shirt underneath was slightly wet, but it's dry enough to move around comfortably. He looks around the room—same old, same old. There are some trash and clothes cluttered at odd parts of the flat, and Midoriya solemnly wonders if he could help her clean one day. He's never seen Masuyo clean anything even though when he came over sometimes, but he knows she has a reason. Some subconscious reason.

"Masu-chan?" He calls out. No answer.

As if he knew where she is, he guides himself to the master bedroom.

The spacious room was dark as storm, the daylight softly touching the crumpled sheets on an unmade bed, barely filtering through the white curtains when the rainy light can reach so much. Midoriya's eyes naturally spot the figure hidden underneath the blankets, her burgundy waves cascading from her shoulders to the mattress. The soft rain, to no surprise, disrupts the peace of silence, but it only makes the situation feel alive.

It's cold. Just barely. There's a small gap from her window, the wind blowing the curtain slightly. It reaches the side of where she lays, and it also managed to reach his damp shoulders. Midoriya almost shudders.

He wears a heavy look, almost pity because the atmosphere of the room seems so... lonely. He could feel it just by looking at her back, and this time, Midoriya starts walking to the other side of the room to meet her eyes that matched his.

Longing.

That's what he saw when he finally reached her.

He probably knew what that was, but he's not going to say it out loud.

"Masu-chan?" His voice is soft when he speaks as if he's talking to a fragile girl, scared to break her.

Her eyes flicker towards his, breaking her trance from the window, emotionless, but her eyes spoke a thousand words that Midoriya will never in his life decipher.

"Hey."

It's a hoarse whisper. He could hear the exhaustion in her voice. From what? Crying?

It breaks his heart more than it should.

"How are you doing?"

"Fine."

He knows she's not.

"Have you eaten?"

"No."

"Do you want to?"

"No."

"Do you need anything?"

"Yes."

"What do you need then?"

"You."

Midoriya blinks.

Then sputters. "W-What?"

Midoriya watches with doe eyes as Masuyo groggily sits up on the bed, leaning against the headboard. The dark circles underneath her eyes were prominent against the dimmed light, and it made him sigh knowing that she was sleepless through the night alone.

She lets out a big sigh, as if she was letting out the tension that bides on her tongue. It's shaky and tiring. It's as if Midoriya could hear how mentally exhausted she was. Masuyo closed her eyes when she did it, then it flutters open the moment she turned his way. Midoriya couldn't ignore the jitters crawling on his neck.

"No one's hugged me like that before. In fact, I didn't think I need one until yesterday."

There's the same longing look in her eyes when she spoke, and Midoriya was torn between almost tearing up or holding himself back.

"Your arms," she points out. Midoriya stares at them. "You must have been so kind as to fight the battles you couldn't win on your own. To create scars as a sign that you'll never let anyone suffer."

Masuyo leans her head back onto the headboard, looking up to the ceiling.

"Your fingers are crooked, yet they can still touch someone's heart. Your arms are covered in sacrifices, yet they're gentle when they envelop anyone quivering in misery."

Her emerald eyes glossed, and when she looks back at Midoriya, the tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Is it okay if I have another hug today? The next day, and the day after tomorrow, and so on?"

Midoriya's heart swells with emotions he couldn't describe, and a sob breaks through his lips when he broke free from where he stood, immediately enveloping Masuyo in his arms. Masuyo weakly wrapped her arms around him, but her fingers gripped onto his shirt tightly.

It's a cold hug. Logically because Midoriya's sleeves were still damp and the window is slightly opened. But the warmth shared between the two was eminent and desperate. He could feel her tears soaking his shoulder, but he didn't mind. He's gone through it when his mum saw him in his worst state at the hospital.

Masuyo eventually gave in to her feelings and broke into sobs—muffled and raw as if yesterday wasn't enough. And it made Midoriya think: Was everything ever enough?

Their embrace tightened as they cried—Midoriya didn't know why he did too. Was it because he got emotional as well? Was it natural? But he didn't really know her yet. Does he deserve to see her like this?

"Yes." He answers to both his thoughts and Masuyo's plea. "Yes, you can."

__________

hello there. after 3 months of school torture I finally have the time and motivation to write. as you can see this chapter (in fact, every chapter) is self-indulgent because writing is a way to cope with my mental health. hence projecting my depressed ass onto masuyo while midoriya is my comfort character. it's 3:36am as I'm writing this while listening to ew by joji. yes. I'm sad. because I know people will never treat me right irl. oops got a little personal there. 

anyways! thank you for sticking with me ever since day one! :D <3