Work Text:
"THIS IS STUPID!"
"Dude dude!-"
"Shuddup and give it to me!"
Muffled talking and scratchy noises were heard for a moment till it was silent.
"Hi..shit what do I even say for this. Well. Okayokayokay lemme start over. Hey 'Zu. I know they maybe we weren't always at peace ya know and for a long time I'm pretty sure my stupid emotional brain couldn't handle feelings and life and you.."
A deep breath.
"I know I already said sorry and I've worked my ass off the past couple of months, even before that, to try to show you that too. I was stupid I know but I am trying. That's a stupid way to put it. Look I hate admitting some of this stuff okay, just bear with me. I am learning more about the feelings stuff and crap constantly, who knew half nd half knew so much about this crap and never showed it?"
Quiet shuffling.
"Look I don't hang onto morbid shit you know that. I know we'll win this. This is a nice way to figure out what to say? I dunno, Kiri said it would help. Look I.. You're amazing. I know, it's weird for me to say it instead of hearing it, but it's so so true. You're amazing. You were in a small body and yet your spirit couldn't fit in it, shit it still can't. You tried to help when no one would even if you were the smallest. You worked your ass off to do something most people in your place would have given up on. You pushed yourself through some of the most terrifying situations and put yourself on the line for other people. It took me a long time to see it."
A sigh and gentle laughter.
"It took me a long time to realize how much I would hate it if you weren't there. I can't imagine any world I would be in without you. It'd be weird to not see your stupid green hair and freckles. Or your annoyingly brought red shoes. To not hear your muttering or you talk about heroes or see your bright ass smile. It would be weird to run into a fight without you right there to do it with me. I can't imagine being without you."
Heavier laughter.
"I like you a lot, even if it's weird to say. Yeah I like you as the kid you grew up with, but I like you like the person I want you to think of years from now. I want to be the one you plan on seeing everyday. Not just work or stupid parties, I wanna be the one there when you come home at 4 in the fucking morning. I wanna see your face when I get up and go to bed. It's fucking cheesy and sappy, some shit you'd say probably, but it's true."
Another light sigh.
"I know we'll do amazing out there and when we get back we can talk all about how stupidly nervous I was about this. I love you."
Loud shuffling and talking.
"WHAT THE HELL GO AWAY I WAS-"
The audio recording cut. Now in the silence of Izuku's room the only thing that could be heard was the loud, wet, heavy breathing and gasps in for air.
God he wished Kirishima hadn't sent him that recording, he wished he wasn't sitting at his stupidly uncomfortable desk listening to this, he wished he hadn't come back to UA, he wished Kacchan wouldn't have gone to that battle, he wished he had gotten rid of Shigaraki sooner. He wished he hadn't heard that cursed recording. He wished he could breathe.
Even over all of this he was so, so happy to hear it. He was happy Kacchan spent time saying this. He was happy for Kirishima making Kacchan record this. He was happy for it being sent to him. God he was happy for this.
Even as he wiped at the tears dripping off his face, more continued to drop. He pushed himself way too fast to stand from that uncomfortable chair, only for his knees to buckle and for him to fall to his knees on the hard floor.
He had tried so hard to stay quiet, out of respect for his classmates who were probably trying to sleep at this point, but now all he could do was focus on trying to suck in air as sobs wrung his body dry.
He was gripping onto himself, one hand on each opposing shoulder, in what could only be described as a sad, crude single person hug. He dug fingers into the meat there in hopes of grounding himself as he leaned forward, to press his head to the cool floor.
He couldn't taste anything but the horrible copper in his mouth. He couldn't feel anything but the pain for where his fingers dug into his skin through his shirt. He couldn't hear anything but the loud noise of his hearts' fast beating in his ears.
He could barely tell when gentle hands touched his back before grabbing at his hands and dipping thumbs between his hands and shoulders and pulling his hands away.
He couldn't hear the 'I'm sorry's being chanted to him or the quiet calming words being spoken to him.
Another person was there too, pushing hands into his back and pulling him to sit up more as he tried his hardest to fight back against the movements. His hands were pushed against someone's chest, right against a heartbeat. His back was held steady by the other person who slowly rubbed small circles into his shoulders.
His fight was weak and by this point his sobs were painful and absolutely tiring. The heartbeat beneath his fingertips was amazing to feel and only now did he feel an absolute monster of a migraine building.
His breathing was still tight and taking a while to control but his loud sobs were gone and replaced with harsh sucks in for air.
Only now could he hear anything.
"Midoriya. Hey. It's okay, here."
One of his hands was moved down lower and pushed against a different spot when he could feel the movements from the person, Kiri, breathing. The breaths were deep and calming and helped to slow down his stupidly ragged breathing.
His chest ached and his head hurt. His face felt gross and wet. His face hurt even from his mouth being open too long and his brows being furrowed. His shoulders stung and he was most definitely sweating. He never bothered to open his eyes. He didn't want to.
When he did though he was faced with Kirishima's face, drawn with such a calming yet absolutely broken face. God, was it broken.
"You there?"
All he could muster was a tiny nod, barely seeable in the darkness of his room.
"We got you okay? Are you tired?"
The only response Izuku could give was slumping back into the person behind him, who he could only recognize as Aizawa Sensei.
He tried to keep his eyes focused but the pain in his head was unbearable and horrible. His throat ached and his chest felt tight. God all he wanted to do was sleep.
"Sensei.."
His voice was hoarse and wet and it was hard to ignore the horrible crack in trying to say the single word.
The man nodded before gesturing Kirishima off to grab some medicine before he wrapped arms around Izuku and pulled him up to stand. He gestured for the boy to move and sit down on the bed.
It felt like barely any time passed before a cup and medicine was ushered into his hand and he was taking it. He gladly drank the whole cup after.
Aizawa quickly scribbled out some writing on a piece of paper before setting it on Izuku's desk and walking out. Kirishima turned to grab a bag he had brought from by the door and pulled out a shirt.
He shuffled over to Izuku quickly and handed the shirt over. There was barely enough light in the room to make out the faded skull printed on the front he could only recognize as one of his favorite shirts belonging to Kacchan. It'd been one his parents custom made him as a kid and then when he started UA they had made a new one as a joke.
It was Izuku's favorite and he couldn't help himself but to push his face into the soft material. He wanted to cry but he couldn't, all he could muster was a smile.
"Thank you. I know I'm a crybaby and everyone is grieving, especially you."
Kirishima stepped closer till he was sitting next to Izuku.
"We may all miss him but we all know you'll go through this the hardest. You knew everything about him, more than his mom really."
Izuku pulled the shirt away from his face and stared at it for a bit before tugging his shirt off and tossing it to the floor before replacing it with the new one. He played with the bottom hem of it as he stared at the print.
"I miss him a lot. It's just frustrating because once time passes I'll have to remember him longer than I've known him. You shouldn't ever be gone young enough for that."
He turned his gaze to Kirishima for a moment before urging himself closer and wrapping tight arms around the boy.
"Do you want to stay? I would enjoy someone being here."
He didn't move back or attempt to let go at all as Kirishima wrapped arms around in response.
"Yeah. I think that'd be nice."