From Distant Lands - A BNHA Fanfiction

Chapter Forty

Later that day, I get my first visit from Recovery Girl and, as promised, I'm finally discharged from the hospital, well on my way to being healed. According to her, leaving there with a wrist brace, a couple of busted ribs, and a few cuts and bruises is nothing short of a miracle.

"Are you sure you can't just heal me up a little more? I promise I'll sleep it off" I say once we're back in her infirmary. The old woman frowns at me, a disapproving look in her eyes.

"Kaida Ito, if you don't get out of my office" she warns. I laugh a little, wincing at the pain in my side. Yikes. Yeah... broken ribs suck.

"Okay... just a few days, right?" I ask her, earning a sigh.

"A few days" she agrees. I nod and take my leave then, hoping the next few days pass by quickly. I hate being injured, but I have to admit... having a little down time has been kind of... nice.

On my way back to the dorms, it's late afternoon and a light cool breeze flutters through my air, making me shiver a bit. I wrap my arms around myself, surprised by the sudden skittishness I feel. I've never been the type to be scared to be alone, but... I walk a little faster, feeling like I have eyes on me from every direction. What the hell? I've walked this path a million times, alone or not, I've always felt safe here. Still, the tension in my gut is undeniable and the pain at my side isn't helping anything. I try not to walk too fast, afraid of what might happen if I over exert myself, but the panic of being by myself is an intimidating beast. Suddenly the wind sounds like Juro whispering my name and the feel of it against my skin reminds me of Hiroto's eyes, staring up at me from the floor. Every cell in my body screaming at me in that moment... kill her, kill her, KILL HER. My quirk wakes up within me, the urge to defend myself too strong to ignore... where are they?

"Kaida, whoa! Hey, are you okay?" I'm startled back into my own skin when I bump into Kirishima, eyes wild.

"I um, I don't..." my voice trails off, heart still racing even though I realize the danger was all in my head. Kirishima looks at me with concern and I finally see that he's not alone. Kaminari, Ashido, and Jiro all look at me in concern and my face heats.

"Ah... I'm sorry" I say sheepishly, forcing myself to smile.

"You looked really freaked out" Ashido says, worry written all over her face. I laugh a little, wincing again at the pain in my ribs.

"Yeah... sorry. I was kinda lost in thought" I admit, scratching the back of my neck. Damn it... I have to keep it together.

"Want us to walk back with you? It's no trouble" Kirishima offers, the kindness in his expression making my heart squeeze. I give him a thankful smile, but shake my head.

"No that's okay. I'm just a bit tired. I'll catch you guys later" I reply. The four of them seem hesitant, but they don't fight me on it and when I start for the dorms again, I push myself to stay focused. Nothing is happening, no one is here, I am safe, and when I finally make it back in one piece, I breathe a sigh of relief, the tension in my stomach releasing ever so slightly. Home.

I take my time going inside, climbing up the stairs slowly and smiling at the memories I've made here. With my friends... with Shoto and Katsuki... it's weird to me to think of them both so fondly, but I can tell the difference now between the two and it still fills me with warmth to remember where I've come from. Inside, I walk towards the stairs and pause still, absorbing every familiar thing I can. The kitchen where I stole yogurt with Shoto and finally got to see my father, the bathroom where Katsuki defended my honor, and the hall where Iida called me out. I can't help but to dwell on all of these memories after spending so much time thinking I'd never get to make any more of them. I was so sure I'd either spend an eternity getting tortured or I'd die just to keep Juro from getting what he wanted, that standing here now is surreal. The moment I saved Katsuki from his grasp... that was the moment I accepted my fate and now, I feel like I've gotten a second chance. I go upstairs, still replaying the last several months in my head, and as I finally make it to my room, ribs aching from the effort of climbing stairs, I look up to see Katsuki standing at my door, staring at me. I freeze, time slowing and heart racing. It feels like it's been a life time since I've seen him... even longer since I've kissed him, or talked to him, or seen him laugh.