Work Text:
Momo’s hand found its way to her head. Her fingers combing through her hair with faltered grace. She worked on detangling her ponytail-free hair, fingers carefully navigating the thick environment to avoid forcefully tugging her roots. Once she reaches the end, she sections her hair again and repeats the process, hands massaging her scalp lightly before starting another set. Her side bangs fell by her shoulders, sometimes tickling her exposed skin when she moved to a more comfortable position. Momo ran her fingers through her hair one more time until the result deemed her satisfaction.
A heavy breath escaped her lips. She leaned her head against her chair, eyes observing the ceiling. Her office was dim, taking a turn than her usual approach for lighting. She preferred having most of her lights turned on, the brightness enough for a kind approach but less to completely blind visitors. Though she liked her office bright at working hours, she tends to make it dimmer as soon as her work piles up. These were also the times where she plays soft, classical music. These conditions help her work to her fullest, comfortable, and she dare say, cozy.
This week though, anything had been less than cozy for one Momo Yaoyorozu. She was stressed. People on the streets don't notice the decline from her usual demeanor. She doesn’t want them to notice. Momo didn’t want more people worrying about her and asking her to take a break and if that means hiding her growing eye-bags with excessive make-up and faking her smile, then so be it. She was trained with that stuff anyways, she practically grew up knowing to present an empty facade.
Momo’s co-workers noticed though. She didn’t miss their pitying glances when she walked by them. But in her office, Momo was as bare as she could be in public. Here she could pace around the room in stress, she could messily read and read the piles of articles and reports on her desks, here she can work herself out with Denki as they both comfort each other. And that’s what she was doing now. Staring at her ceiling, tracing the lines that decorate the wood above. Massaging her scalp as she tried to shoo away an upcoming headache. She wonders if make-up could even cover her state. She wonders if she should follow the advice of many and take a break.
Momo almost entertains the idea. Almost. Instead, she looks back at her desk and lets her eyes linger on a certain article. The piece of paper sits at the bottom of a pile of papers. The papers stacked each other so that only a portion of the article can be seen. Momo wasn’t the luckiest, once her eyes caught sight of the article’s front page, she froze. Her gaze wistfully lingered on the piece of paper. Against her will, she carefully extracted the article, trying not to topple over the stack of papers above it. Momo knew that this wasn’t the best idea, the least she could do now was stare hopelessly at the piece of paper. She couldn’t stop herself, her hands working on autopilot delivered the paper right in front of her.
The headline of the biggest topic this week displayed in big, bold, white layers. The words piercing her heart, breaking its soft tender fibers.
"BREAKING NEWS: Pro Heroes EarphoneJack, Cellophane, Uravity, and Ingenium reported to have gone missing during their rescue mission in Miyagi Island"
Below the headline, paragraphs of the situation were placed.
"September 15 20XX ー In response to the appearance of a new Yakuza in Miyagi Island, four Pro Heroes were sent to scout the island. Unfortunately, during their scouting mission, a power plant 'mysteriously' exploded and the mission was quickly transferred into a rescue one. Many civilians have been rescued and sent to rescue centers. Before back-up was sent, a villain attack was announced by the Pro Hero, Ingenium, through his ear-comms before they were forcefully cut off from communication.
It has been a total of three days since the Pro Heroes were last seen and heard. Many reinforcements have been sent but they either haven't left the island or their deceased bodies were washed off in the sea. After the deceased bodies were found, smoke rose from the island, covering it from sight and our helicopters were forcefully thrown off the parameter by a strong gust of wind. Up to this day, the wind was still not rid off, instead, going stronger and fiercer each day. Last night, around midnight, an enormous thunderstorm also covered Miyagi Island and rained lightning upon it.
Within the city, other Pro Heroes and detectives have come together to find a solution to this problem.
We still have no updates or communication with the missing heroes, namely, Ingenium, Uravity, Earphone Jack, and Cellophane. Citizens have begun theorizing the possibility of dea-"
Momo tore her eyes off the paper. Tears lined her vision as she tried to focus on anything else except the words she just read. The possibility was large, she knew that, but she refused to believe it. She couldn't bear the thought of Kyouka, her Kyouka, dying without her by her side. Momo calmed herself, not wanting to spill tears in her workplace. She ran through her breathing exercises. She had plenty of time to cry at her ー their ー apartment when she went home. She didn't want to cry when she's supposed to be looking for Kyouka. With that, she slowly calmed down and got rid of the nasty voices in her head. She could hold the tears a little bit longer.
☪
Momo lazily placed her shoes by the doorstep.
“I’m home!”
She shouted in the empty apartment. Half expecting Kyouka to answer back. Instead, all Momo got was the silent hum of the fans turning on. She sighed. Even back when Kyouka was here, Momo would always arrive home earlier. Kyouka worked more patrols in the night, her work blending in with some underground Heroes ー namely, Mindjack and Eraserhead. This was precisely the reason why Momo learned and became an amazing cook.
Momo smiled, reminiscing about her and Kyouka’s first few months living with each other. Momo made her way through their bedroom, footsteps light.
There were times though, that Kyouka made it home before she did. If Kyouka wasn’t playing with her instruments, she’d be sleeping. Or if she was in the mood, Kyouka would be the one to cook. Momo always tried her best to be as quiet as humanly possible when that happens. She doesn’t want to startle Kyouka out of her playing or her sleeping. Deep down, she knew it was silly. Kyouka’s quirk relies on her superb hearing abilities, and after high school she had improved a lot, catching even the faintest of sounds from meters away. Even if Kyouka couldn’t, for whatever reason, hear her footsteps, she’d hear Momo’s heartbeat or the way Momo’s clothes would sound like with her walking. Another good thing Kyouka had improved with, using context clues. Momo could list all of Kyouka’s strengths but she would pride herself on not being caught once. (Although she thinks that Kyouka is either too deep in her playing or purposely ignores her. She doesn’t know which ones worst)
The door to their bedroom creaked open revealing a dark, empty room. Everything was the way Momo left it. The books were still evenly placed on the shelves, the lamp hadn’t moved an inch, the sheets showed no crease that weren't there before. It was perfect. Too perfect. The neatness of it all was off-putting for Momo as she steps in and turns on the lights. If it wasn’t for Kyouka’s instruments and records, Momo would have thought this was her bedroom back in her manor. She would have thought that Kyouka wasn’t here at all.
Momo set her bag down on her desk and slowly made her way to the bathroom. Once inside, she almost collapsed to her knees. The bathroom smelled of Kyouka. Her shampoo. Her soap. Her perfume. Her lotion. Everything. Kyouka’s scent mixed harmoniously with Momo’s scents. This time, Momo didn’t stop the tears from falling as she showers with Kyouka’s necessities.
When Momo came out of the room, she was basically a taller, neater, version of Kyouka. She had worn Kyouka’s oversized shorts and hoodie. Her head nuzzled sadly on the thick fabric of Kyouka’s hoodie, seeking her lover’s comfort and warmth.
In pure wishful thinking, Momo hoped that while she cooked her dinner, Kyouka would come through the door and wrap her arms around Momo’s waists as she prepared their dinner. She wanted to hear Kyouka’s voice again, feel Kyouka’s head nuzzled in her neck. She wanted Kyouka to whisper sweet nothings in her ear and pepper her with sloppy kisses. She missed scolding Kyouka into cleaning herself and messing around with each other in the kitchen as they eat and clean. She missed cuddling on the couch, her head in Kyouka’s lap or Kyouka’s head in hers. She missed their small talk, making fun of the newest gossip, visiting Denki and Hitoshi and, having double dates.
Momo felt like if she wasn’t to see Kyouka soon enough, she’d go crazy if she already wasn’t. There was so much that she wanted to do with her. They haven’t even traveled the world yet. Soon enough, the sadness and the weariness of the day dragged Momo to sleep. In her sleep, Momo hugged Kyouka’s usual pillow, wishing to feel the ghost of touch of her lover again.
☪
Denki came over to her office on the fifth day that Kyouka and the others had gone missing. Denki looked equally as stressed as her, if not more. No one blames him, two of his best friends are part of the missing Heroes. Denki’s bright yellow hair shined brighter in Momo’s lit office. He had smaller bags under his eyes and his rather obnoxious stance slumped into a lazier one. Denki looked less rough than Momo, she was glad that Denki took breaks, unlike her. Momo almost felt ashamed of her sullen exterior, Denki was far more known for taking things like these badly (Though she supposes that Shinsou had a lot of influence regarding this. Maybe he even brainwashed Denki to rest.)
“Heyo, Creati!”
Denki waved his hand in big motions, feigning blissfulness. Momo knew otherwise, Denki’s eyes formed a duller, more desaturated, yellow than his usual. In return to his attempt, she curled her lips into a smile and waved back.
“Hello, Chargebolt.”
She motioned to the seat before her, lifting a hand in a business manner. “And, please, call me by my name. Unless this “meeting” is considered a formal discussion and not small talk.” Momo quoted “meeting” with one hand, the other neatly tucked in her lap.
“Well, you know these times,” Denki dismissed a hand, sitting down on the comfy cushion of Momo’s office chairs, “Can’t call each other by our names anymore. Always need to refer to each other as our Hero names”, Denki laughed solemnly.
Denki adjusted in his seat, body fully facing Momo. His hand leaned on the seat’s arm, “I suppose that you know what I’m here to talk about, Momo”. He rested his face in his hand. Denki’s eyes closed, his hair swayed. He almost looked peaceful, as if they were back in high school talking about mundane topics instead of their friend ー in Momo’s case, Girlfriend ー life. Momo averted her gaze, feeling Denki’s gaze upon her despite his eyes being closed.
“It’s not really a surprise”
Momo leaned on her chair, eyes locked on a small, golden, rose in her desk.
“How have you been holding up?”
Momo let out a breathy laugh, “What do you think?”, pointing to her body.
“I’d say you look magnificent, even when you’re stressed you still look like a goddess. I doubt a regular citizen would even take notice of your stress.”
“That’s the copious amount of make-up I use, Den”
“Nah uh”
“Mhm, you’ll need a better argument than ‘nuh, uh’ to convince me”
“That’s what Kyouka would say”
Momo faltered. She felt heat rise from her neck to her cheeks. Inside, she felt a swarm of emotions. Warmth flooded her like the heavy waves of the sea on a rough night. The waves crashing her and overwhelming her with the cold seawater. Giving warmth and loneliness alike. Momo felt tears spill from her eyes. She vaguely heard Denki shuffle over to her as she buried her face in her hands. A few seconds later, she felt Denki’s hand on her back and shoulders. He gripped her shoulders, offering support while his other hand tailed circles on her back.
Denki stayed quiet, he must’ve known that Momo needed wordless comfort at the moment. Momo needed not to hear more pitying sentences or empty optimism. She quickly despised the words “Earphone Jack’s strong, she’ll make it”. Of course, Momo knew that the words “giving up” meant nothing for Kyouka and that made her feel worse. Kyouka was too selfless at times and Momo feared that instead of her girlfriend's warm embrace, she’d get a cold, corpse back. As much as Momo admired Kyouka’s will as a Hero, she despised it as a lover. If that wasn’t enough, anger boiled beneath her when she heard people whisper, “And even if she doesn’t make it, she fought a good fight and lived a happy life”. Momo wanted to argue that no, they were only 22. They just graduated four years ago, they haven’t lived a good life, yet. They had memories, plenty of them, happy and sad, but she knew Kyouka wanted more. Momo wanted more. Fought a good fight? Are they implying that Kyouka was weak? Sure, she wasn’t at the Deku or Shouto, even Bakugou’s level but she was a hella good fighter. Kyouka was probably one of the most versatile Heroes Japan has to offer. Perfect for rescue and search missions, and amazing at scouting areas. Her wits, quick thinking, and risk-taking behavior made her fit as a Sidekick or a leader. Her quirk works well in the dark, often teaming up with underground Heroes. She’s easy to work with, trustworthy, and kind. Kyouka also had a good quirk for defense and offense, she’d improve a lot with controlling it. So no, Momo says that Kyouka is far from weak. Kyouka has so much ahead of her, so much she wanted to achieve. And Momo makes sure she’s at her side when she does.
Another part that takes over her is the worry. All those thunder must’ve injured Kyouka’s sensitive ears. And that’s one other thing Momo finds hatred in. Momo wants to be there with Kyouka. She wants to physically see Kyouka’s condition and wants to fight with her. They were partners, as Heroes, friends, allies, lovers, anything. Momo doesn’t want to be separated from Kyouka, ever. Especially at times like these.
Momo sobbed quietly, wanting to let all her frustrations and melancholy out, even if she’d done that multiple times these past five days. Denki was there the whole time, shifting from holding her to hugging her from behind as he also cried silently, not leaving her side until she stopped shaking. Once she does calm down, Denki offers her his handkerchief to which Momo chuckled bitterly.
“I can just make one, you know…”
“Gentleman rules, besides wouldn’t want you to waste important energy”
Momo laughed, taking her time to wipe her face and hands carefully. She was glad that she followed her instincts and wore waterproofed make-up today.
“I guess that was a good argument, huh?”
Momo glared at Denki. The latter just laughed quietly as he wiped his tears. Momo rolled her eyes playfully.
“Too good, actually. You should try debate”
“Hear that folks? I’d be damn good at debating! Momo Yaoyorozu, the Hero Creati herself said so”, Denki raised his arms, talking to a fake audience, copying a showman. Denki shook his head and rested his hands on his hips, “Tsk, tsk, should’ve been a lawyer instead”
Momo laughed, her real one after a while. She sniffed, before finally taking care of the remnants of her tears.
“For the record, the public doesn’t notice my distress. Like you said”
“S’That a good thing or a bad thing?”
“Both. I’m glad to spread positivity and still smile during these times”, it was true, Momo was glad that the public still saw her smile, there were only a few Heroes that did that these days. Only her and Deku. Mina too sometimes, but the paparazzi caught her sobbing with Kirishima the other day, and Momo knew that it was hard for them too.
“I’m sensing a ‘but’ in there”, Denki intervened.
“But there are people who think that I don’t care, or at least that, I don’t care enough. Saying I’m spreading fake positivity and I’m just faking my relationship with Kyouka. ‘Creati’s not that bothered because that’s one less competition for her’ or ‘Creati doesn’t care because her and Earphone Jack’s relationship was fake. She just did it for clout from the LGBTQ community’, they say stuff like that and it’s just ー just pure bullshit ”
A scowl presented its way to Momo’s face.
“You know better that we should just ignore them. All people know that you’ve been working hard, I would argue the hardest”
“Don’t sell yourself short, Denki. You’ve been working hard too”
Denki avoided her gaze, “Nah, I’ve been, I’ve been cowering from it. Always staying home and shit”
“We all have different ways to cope-”
“It’s not enough, Momo! I.. They could..! They could still be out there and what am I doing? Crying? Because I think there’s no hope? There would be no hope if I 一 if I just stop sulking around, I, I…”
Denki’s hand cluttered his chest, he took deep breaths as his tears fell on Momo’s floor.
“Denki. You’re not being useless, you’re just taking your time. We...We take different approaches to this kind of stuff. You’re not just crying and sulking, no, you’ve been talking with Bakugou and Deku about strategies to get to the island. You’ve tried contacting them in every way possible. You even offered to give Mei infinite electricity so you could test all her ‘babies’ to help reach them. At least you’re making progress and taking breaks. You’ve been handling this better than I am”
Momo’s tone left no argumentation. It’s the same she used when she was still Vice Class Representative when her Class A couldn’t agree to terms and resorted to silly fights.
Denki looked up at her, guilt evident in his tearful eyes. He chewed on his bottom lip nervously, his shoulders shaking. Momo passed him his handkerchief back which Denki accepted after a scolding look on Momo’s face.
“You- you know that applies to you too, right, Momo?”
“I...I do, but-”
“No buts, you’ve been doing lots too, you know. I wasn’t kidding when I said you’ve been doing the most. It applies to you too, Momo”
Momo smiled gratefully at him.
“...I know”
☪
Two days after Denki came over, Momo finds herself sitting on a boat. The floor vibrates against her feet as the boat sails at full speed. It’s been seven days since the four Pro Heroes went missing. A week since Momo last saw Kyouka. A week after they finally produced a proper strategy to rescue the Heroes. Momo was in the rescuing department. They were to find other citizens, casualties, and most importantly, the other Heroes. Deku, Bakugou, Mina, Kirishima, and the others were to engage in a fight with the villains on the island. Should the missing Heroes be in a fight with said villains, they were to intervene and help. The final department depended on Inasa and Shoto and other elemental quirk users.
The strategy was simple but requires precise movements. Inasa and Shoto’s department were to redirect the wind in another direction by attracting it with a man-made disaster. Once an opening is present, the other departments are to enter the perimeter. Denki would be their lightning pole, attracting the island’s lightning and using one of Mei’s inventions, redirect it to their enemies. While the attacking department would clear their path, the rescue department would search. Of course, battle would always be present and Momo is part of the small section of Heroes that would engage in fights when something threatened their rescue.
Momo felt a wet hand on her own. She looked over to see Tsuyu giving her an encouraging look. She smiled back, holding Tsuyu's hand like it’s her lifeline. Momo had lost track of time, it felt like hours but also minutes. The roaring engine of the boat and Tsuyu’s hand became her connection to reality, not wanting anxiety to take over her. The buzzing of her ear-comms dumped her in cold water.
“We have reached the designated spot. Shoto and Gale Force’s unit please depart!”
“Yes sir!”
“Roger”
“Shoto and Gale Force have successfully departed. Everyone, hold on to your seats!”
Momo held her breath. Based on their estimated calculations, it would take 7-10 minutes before it would be safe enough to enter Miyagi’s perimeter. Then another 10 minutes to reach the island. Momo’s heart beats against her ribcage. She can hear its overwhelming bass pounding on her ears and the blood rushing to her head. She can vaguely hear Inasa’s ferocious wind batting against the boat's metal. Momo held onto Tsuyu’s hands harder.
The heavy implications of this mission crashed onto Momo. Slumping her shoulders and cutting her air supply. Momo’s head felt light as a feather; she felt as if she’d be thrown by Inasa’s winds to the sea, where she’d be left to drown. Her feet stayed rooted on the heavy metal floor, dragging her further down. Momo felt her hand being placed on someone’s chest. She can hear a voice, probably Tsuyu’s. But Momo couldn’t hear anything, she knitted her brows in confusion.
“...Breathe wi.. me”
Breathe? Momo couldn’t understand but she trusted Tsuyu, so she breathed. With quick and short breaths, Momo panted. She clutched her chest, wanting to breathe slowly but couldn’t.
“Slower...Follow my lead”
Tsuyu’s voice boomed in her head. It was much clearer than it was before. The comfort of hearing clearer gave Momo motivation and awareness. Momo counted in her head, an improvised breathing exercise she came up with on the spot. With her palm on Tsuyu’s chest, she tried to follow the other girl’s heartbeat. Slow and steady. She was glad that Tsuyu was there, she had a lot of experiences with the ocean. Tsuyu was far calmer than any of them when it comes to the heavy crashing waves and the nauseating rocking of the boat. With combined coordination, Momo matched Tsuyu’s heartbeat . It wasn’t a perfect match, hers was a bit more offbeat, beating a millisecond earlier than Tsuyu’s but she took control of herself after that. Momo’s breaths calmed down, no longer panting, Momo went over the plan in her head, again and again.
Momo liked knowing. Knowledge was her greatest power. She needed to know an object’s molecular structure for her quirk. She needed her wits for Hero work, whether for strategizing or on-the-spot thinking. When her thoughts slip away during a moment of panic, she goes over the things she remembers and scans her environment. Then she goes over her task at hand until it becomes normal and familiar to her dazed brain. After that, she goes over the next step until she remembers her mission and she goes and remembers the molecular structure of the items she needed to create. And that’s what Momo was doing, sitting next to Tsuyu holding her. She thinks of all the things she needed to create, thinks of the different plans she can do when she encounters the villains. She goes over and over the villain’s quirks and thinks of counterattacks. She thinks of all the medical items she can make and calculates every lipid she needs to use. Momo already ate enough, she already had her pills and shots, even protein bars in her pockets. She had enough resources, she just needed to make each creation worth it.
There was a big tug on the boat.
“Heroes! Get ready and go to your stations! We have entered Miyagi’s perimeter!”
Momo stood up. She walked quietly in the otherwise noisy boat as reinforcements made their way to their stations. Momo felt Tsuyu on her side, her hand not leaving hers. She focused on thinking and tuned out the commanding shouts, the marching footsteps, the clothes rustling, and the boat moving.
The next time Momo looked up, she was looking at the looming windows of the boat. She can barely see Miyagi’s outline in the mixture of fog and rain spattered on the tinted window. Momo looked around and saw Tsuyu a few feet away from her, wearing an enhanced version of her Hero Costume. Momo had made it in her station. Tsuyu met her eye and gave a thoughtful nod, a “Ribbit” on her tongue. Momo nodded back, brows knitted in concentration. She fixed her posture to appear more dominant and clenched her fists. Once Miyagi’s shore had come to view, Momo heard her commander again.
“Two minutes before docking! Get ready!”
Momo checked her Hero gear one last time. Feeling her pockets and noting each one.
“One minute!”
Momo stretched. She healed her sore muscles, and let her uptight muscles loose. She jogged in place. She heard Tsuyu do the same.
“10 seconds!”
As the commander counted down, the doors opened slowly. Momo felt the harsh wind on her skin every time the doors revealed the outside.
“Go!”
Momo launched forwards, stepping on the wet sand. Green lightning and explosions buzzed past her. Through her peripheral vision, she sees Denki catching lightning, Kirishima leading troops, and Mina sliding on her acid. She can see her shadows from the strength of Shouto’s fire, can hear Tsuyu and her department dive in the water to scout. Momo herself was running at full speed, Shoji by her side. Through the battle cry of the Heroes, the only thought on Momo’s mind was,
“Hang in there, Kyouka. I’m coming”
☪
The hospital reeks of different nasty scents. Blood, urine, sweat, and disinfectants. It's hardly a pleasant smell for anyone, much less Momo. She used to not fancy hospitals, it scared her. How she's in a place where people could be dying at any given second. Where there's probably a room full of blood somewhere.
Little Momo used to get nightmares in Hospitals. It did not get better when she watched horror movies in a hospital setting. She complied every time her parents brought her to one though, that's what a good daughter would do. The Yaoyorozus were wealthy, that's a given fact in every book in Japan. That's why Momo grew up going to more private hospitals, those reserved for the rich and important people (Even at a young age, she thought it was bullshit. How could your life be more important just because of your wealth? Your ability, knowledge, talent, and quirk? Sure, she could argue one's importance in life with those. But Momo thought everyone was equal regardless). Having a private hospital had its drawbacks, it smelled nicer than most and far more peaceful. Despite loving the quiet, Momo hated the eeriness of it in a hospital. She used to think it was the result of reading horror books or watching horror movies, but when she grew up, she thought otherwise.
Momo was 11 when she first stepped into a public hospital. Her parents had gotten into a minor car accident but needed immediate treatment, so they brought them to the closest hospital possible. Amidst her adrenaline and worry, Momo hadn't noticed how different it was. When she sat down on the waiting benches outside her parents' room, playing with the hem of her dress, then did she realize the difference. The first thing to note was the noise. It was far more hectic, not full chaos, Momo notes. But more of organized chaos. Different doctors, nurses, and surgeons all going to different places for the same purposes: to save. The next thing she noted was the stench. It smelled nasty. She hasn't thought about all the scents of a human being submerged into one. It wasn't all that bad though, there was the smell of disinfectant that roamed the halls. Later she finds out that the rooms smell far better than the halls. The last thing Momo realizes was the doctors.
Momo had grown fascinated by doctors. Unlike quirks, doctors have been around forever. She was amazed by the will to heal people, even without quirks or their current technology. She might be ignorant, but Momo really couldn't imagine a world without quirks. At the age of 11, Momo wanted to be a doctor. She was pretty set on it for a while, she even learned pre-quirk history in the medical field. Her parents, knowing Momo's career path, went to public hospitals ever since. They thought it would be best to get used to a busier hospital's atmosphere than a quiet one. This, of course, changed. Momo's choice to become a hero was influenced by her being saved by a hero and saving another person herself. She had experienced a different kind of adrenaline, not far from doctors and surgeons rushing in and out of rooms. It was the adrenaline that allowed her to go beyond her limit, force her to use her brain and quirk. It was so similar to medicine but so different at the same time. It was a simple interest at first, then she found herself at 15, being recommended to UA. She still took medicine courses once a while, wanting to help in all departments of heroism.
As Momo trained and trained to be a hero and successfully being one herself, she grew to trust doctors more. For her, the hospital had turned from a scary place to somewhat comforting. It was still scary for her, especially when it's her friends who are in the hospital beds. But she finds comfort in the possibility of survival. Momo still found the stench nasty, but she got used to it.
Now with Momo walking towards Kyouka's room, flowers in hand, she finally knew why she was so scared of private hospitals. It was quiet, too quiet. No sense of life nor death, it spiked her anxiety and haunted her every movement. Standing in the chaos of a hospital made her feel alive. Though she feels death with the gloom on some patient's faces, she finds life in another. It gives her a sense of pain and pleasure, happiness and sadness. As messed up it is, she feels more alive.
Momo knocked on the wooden door of Kyouka's room, half expecting an answer.
"Come in"
Momo's heart leaped to her throat. Kyouka's small voice reverberated through the door. Momo threw open the door. She opened it with such force that it fluttered the curtains. But Momo couldn't care less, once she met Kyouka's onyx eyes, she practically melted in relief. Momo let out a breathy sigh of relief, proceeding to close the door gently. She walked slowly towards Kyouka, not wanting to overwhelm her. Kyouka's eyes followed her intently, every spot her eyes fell onto set Momo's body aflame. She stopped, near the edge of her girlfriend's hospital bed. Kyouka’s lips formed a small smile.
"Hi"
"Hey, I, I brought flowers"
Momo lifted the flowers, showing it to Kyouka's point of view. She placed them gently on the bedside table, eyes not leaving Kyouka's frame.
"Momo", Kyouka opened her arms and whispered, "Come here"
Momo wasted no time, she tackled Kyouka into a bear hug. She buried her face to the crook of Kyouka's neck, letting herself drown in the warmth she was deprived of for so long. They stayed in that position for as long as they wanted, there was no rush. Kyouka's chin rested above Momo's head, her grip tightening on Momo. She combed through her hair, letting herself be at peace after a tiring week.
"You're such an idiot", Momo lifted her head, only to lean her forehead against Kyouka's forehead, "I was so worried". Momo pecked Kyouka's lips repeatedly, some kisses deeper than the others. Kyouka held her face, caressing her cheeks gently. "I know, I'm sorry love", a kiss, "I'll be more careful next time", a kiss. Momo huffed, "You better be"
Kyouka leaned against Momo, her head resting on Momo's chest. Momo combed her fingers through Kyouka's hair. "I missed you", Kyouka murmured into Momo's chest, leaving heat against her skin.
"Mhm, you're banned from missions"
"Yeah? How long?"
"A week or two. You need a break"
"I'll take it if you take a break too"
Momo's brow furrowed, before she could argue, Kyouka pointed a finger against her forehead.
"I bet you've been hard on yourself"
"Am not"
"Mhm?", Kyouka raised a brow, a smirk on her lips.
"...Maybe"
Kyouka narrowed her eyes, leaning slightly towards Momo.
"Fine", Momo whined, playfully rolling her eyes.
"So you're taking a break, right?", Kyouka asked, elongating the "o" in "so", a huge grin plastered on her face.
"If it's with you", Momo whispered. Kyouka leaned in for a kiss, "I love you"
"Mhm, I love you too"
Kyouka pulled away and leaned on the wall behind the bed, she patted her lap, beckoning Momo to come over.
"Now, c'mere, I missed you and I want to cuddle with my beautiful girlfriend"
☪ END ☪