Chapter Text
Several months had passed since Oboro’s first awakening, after almost 2 weeks in a coma. From then on, the evolution never stopped, in either direction.
1 month after Oboro’s awakening, the doctors had to do what they would have preferred to avoid: amputate the teenager’s left arm. They had done all they could, performed several surgeries, but the arm was far too damaged, and, despite all their efforts, the limb was not progressing well. And the pain was unbearable for Oboro. Despite all the painkillers he had, his left arm hurt so bad that it was almost him who had ask the doctors to remove it. And although it hadn’t been their first choice, it was unfortunately a possibility they’d considerate from the start. So, in the end, they did it.
It had been very strange for Oboro to wake up without his left arm. But at least the constant pain in his arm had disappeared.
And after the amputation, everyone realized that his arm was also what slowed Oboro down in certain areas. In particular, he improved his breathing after the amputation. Of course, with one lung missing, several broken ribs and his sternum now artificial, his breathing was still not autonomous, but it was getting better.
In the end, Oboro spent 4 whole months in hospital. He had undergone a huge number of surgeries, for his left stump, to try to get his left eye back (which had failed, by the way), for his legs, for his pelvis, and so on.
But all that was behind him, because now, 6 months after his accident, Oboro was in full rehabilitation. The critical period and the period of quiet recovery had come to an end, and it was now time to push a little harder. He had recovered sufficient breathing and was now allowed to exert himself a little more.
He had rehab every day with different professionals at the rehab center he was in. And he was making good progress.
With Natsumi, his physiotherapist, he had already regained better breathing capacity and was regaining muscle and stamina. After all, after several months bedridden, he’d lost the vast majority of his muscles, even parts of his body that hadn’t been broken during the accident.
Something he hadn’t yet tried, however, was standing up and walking.
His legs had really suffered in the accident, as had his pelvis, which had been completely crushed. His pelvis and hips had been so badly damaged that the doctors had had no choice but to replace the bones with prostheses, completely. It had been long and painful, but Oboro was now at a stage where he could sit at almost 90° for several hours without too much pain.
And even though it was complicated, long and painful, the teenager never gave up. He had a great team of rehabilitators who where at the top of their game for him, great caregivers who knew how to cheer him up when things weren’t going too well, and an absolutely brilliant doctor, Kira-san, who knew how to say things directly without being tactless.
And, of course, he had his nearest and dearest. Shota and Hizashi, his boyfriends, came to see him every day, without fail, for several hours at a time. Tensei and Nemuri, two other close friends, also came frequently, at least once a week.
A slightly more negative point was his parents. Even before his accident, his parents had never been around much for him, living abroad on business. Oboro had been living on his own since he was 11, his parents paying for all his needs without even looking, but not caring more about him than that. And sadly, that hadn’t really changed after his accident. Of course, his parents had paid for his hospitalization and were paying for his stay in rehab, enabling him to have the best possible care, but they had never returned to Japan to see him. The meetings they had with the doctors had always been by video or telephone, and in the space of several months, they had only spoke to their son once or twice, and that have been Oboro calling them, not the other way around.
But despite everything, Oboro was used to it. He couldn’t say it made him happy to see that his parents didn’t care about him, but he was used to it. And luckily, he had other adults to support him.
Hizashi’s mothers and Shota’s father cared more about the blue-haired teen than his own parents, but he didn’t complain. Since he was in high school, these 3 adults had been more present than his parents ever had been in his whole life.
He was incredibly grateful and was still looking for a way to thank them. When he had mentioned this to Kimiko, Hizashi’s mum, her response had been truly touching.
“You don’t need to thank us, Oboro.” The brunette assured him, placing a hand on the uninjured young man’s right hand.
“Of course I do. You… With Sarah-san and Akio-san, you’ve done more for me since I’ve known you than my own parents have in 16 years. And since my accident, the three of you have always been there for me. This… coming to my appointments with the doctors isn’t something you should be doing… I’m sorry to bother you with this.”
“Oboro, we do it because we want to. You’re not bothering anyone.”
“Still… you’ve already got Hizashi and Haruna-chan to deal with… and Akio-san has enough on his plate too.”
There was a short silence in the room before Kimiko resumed. “I’m not going to speak for Akio, even thought I think he’s on the same wavelength as us on this point, but you don’t owe us anything Oboro. The three of us care about you enormously, and it’s normal for us to look after you when your parents don’t.” She said gently.
“Still…” Oboro sighed.
“If you really want to thank us, there is one thing you could do for us.”
“What? Tell me, I promise I’ll do everything I can.”
“Take good care of Hizashi. Love him, cherish him, stay with him and make him happy. It’s what you could do that would make Sarah and me the happiest. And I think it’s the same for Akio and Shota. Knowing that our child is loved by another is the best possible reward. So love them, as much as they love you.”
To say that Oboro was surprised was un understatement. Never, when asking what he could do to thank them, had he expected this kind of response. But it was something he could do. “I promise. As long as Hizashi and Shota want me, I promise to love them with all my heart.” He promised, very serious but smiling all the same.
This discussion had taken place over two months ago, and Oboro was determined to keep his promise every day.
And, thinking about it, he let a silly little smile take place on his lips.
“What’s on your mind, Oboro-kun?” Asked Fuyuka, one of his referent nurses who was currently accompanying him to physiotherapy.
“Hizashi and Shota.” Oboro simply smiled.
And that was explanation enough. Everybody in the ward where Oboro was hospitalized knew the two high-school students, since they’d been coming to visit their boyfriend every day, without fault, for the 3 month the blue-haired boy had been here.
“I see. Are they coming today?”
“Same as every day. But they’re coming a little later than usual, they’re going on a class outing.”
“I see. As long as they don’t arrive after 7pm, everything will be fine.” Fuyuka assured him.
“They’ll be here before 7pm, even if it’s not by much.” Oboro promised.
The nurse didn’t answer, as they just arrived at the physiotherapy room.
“Hey, look who it is, it’s Strong Cloud!” Exclaimed Jousuke, one of the tan-skinned, pink-haired physios, as he ruffled the newcomer’s light-blue hair.
“I’ve told you 100 times, it’s Loud Cloud.” Oboro retorted, smiling and pushing the older man’s hand away.
“Jousuke.” Said a new person, behind the one called.
The latter stiffened before turning around and flashing the new person a bright, if strained, smile. “Hey, Natsumi-chan! What’s up?” He asked.
“I’ve already told you to stop harassing my patients!” Exclaimed the brunette, hitting him on the head.
“Ouch, ouch, ouch, help me Loud Cloud, my hero!”
“The hero is on leave.” Oboro simply replied with a wry smile. “Besides, you started it.”
“Meanie!” Jousuke exclaimed, before being hit again by Natsumi.
“Go back to work, Gouenji-kun is waiting for you!”
“Coming, coming!”
The pink-haired one then scurried off, leaving Natsumi with a reproachful look on her face and her fists on her hips. But when she turned to greet Oboro, all trace of disapproval had vanished. “How are you feeling today, Shirakumo-kun?”
“Ready to move mountains!” Exclaimed Oboro, giving her a thumb-up.
“Good, because I’ve got a lot of things planned for you today.” Announced the physiotherapist.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. How about trying to stand up today?” Suggested the brunette with a gentle smile.
This was definitely not what Oboro had expected. And you could tell by the incredulous look on his face. “Stand up like… stand up on my own two feet? Standing up and everything?” He asked, not sure he really believed it.
“That’s the idea.” Natsumi confirmed. “Kira-san has given permission and I think we could try it today. But it’s up to you. If you don’t feel ready to try today, it’s no problem. We’re in no hurry.”
Oboro didn’t answer right away, thinking for a while. But in the end, he knew his mind was made up, even if fear tried to pull him back.
“I want to try. Please, Natsumi-san?”
“So let’s give it a try. We’ll start doing a few exercises with your legs to wake them up and then we’ll try standing up, okay?”
“Ok.” Oboro agreed with an air of determination.
Natsumi nodded and the two of them set to work. They began with a leg mobility exercise they’d done before. For this, Oboro remained seated in his wheelchair, but without the footrests, so that his feet were on the floor. And then he had to kick gently in the ball Natsumi sent him. He’d done this before and was doing pretty well. He couldn’t get everything right, and sometimes he went a bit hard, and it hurt, but overall he was pretty good.
They did this for a while, then changed exercises. Finally, after about 15 minutes, it was time to try and get up. For this, Natsumi moved Oboro to the front of the step bars and put the brakes on his chair.
“Ready to go?”
Oboro didn’t answer verbally but nodded. He was ready, but afraid all the same. Standing up, after months of lying and sitting, was a big step forward. And it was terrifying. His legs still ached regularly and he wondered if they would really be strong enough to hold him upright.
Seeing his concern, Natsumi was quick to reassure him. “It’s okay if you don’t make it today, Shirakumo-kun. We’re just trying. If you can’t do it, or it hurts too much, we’ll stop, all right?”
“O-Okay.”
“Would you like me to ask Jousuke to come with us, so that there are two of us to look after you and catch you if need be?”
Oboro nodded again, and Natsumi called to her colleague, who quickly joined them and quickly positioned himself to Oboro’s left, opposite to Natsumi.
“Okay, you’re going to put your right hand on the bar to hold on, and that’s also going to help you stand up. And Jousuke and I are going to help you stand up. If anything goes wrong, you let us know, okay?”
“Ok.”
“Ready to go, champ?” Jousuke asked gently with an encouraging smile.
Oboro nodded again and the two physiotherapists exchanged glances.
“On three.” Natsumi warned. “1…2…3!”
At 3, Oboro gripped the bar firmly and pulled on his arm at the same time as he pushed on his legs, while the two physios, each with an arm behind his back, helped him up.
Oboro was halfway to his feet when a sharp pain exploded in his hips, causing him to stifle a cry of pain. The pain was so big that what little strength he had managed to musted in his legs vanished and they gave way.
Immediately, the two adults helped him back to his seat and Oboro dropped back into his wheelchair, breathing a little too fast.
“Okay, it’s okay. It’s okay Shirakumo-kun. Deep breath.” Natsumi said gently.
“Are you okay sitting down, or do you want to lie down for a while to get over the pain?” Jousuke suggested.
“It’s… it’s fine, just… one minute.” Oboro asked.
“Take all the time you need, we’re in no hurry.” Natsumi assured him.
Oboro took a few minutes to calm down, breathing deeply, before nodding with determination. “Let’s start again.”
“Are you sure? We can try again tomorrow if you like.” Natsumi said.
“Let’s try again.” Assured Oboro. “Please. I want to try again.”
The two physiotherapists exchanged glances before nodding on turn. “As you wish, we’ll do it again. On the count of three?” Natsumi said.
The three of them tried several more times before finally, on the 4th attempt, Oboro managed to finish the entire movement, finding himself standing between the step bars, his right hand gripping the bar firmly to hold on. And of course, Natsumi and Jousuke hadn’t let go.
Jousuke smiled broadly “There you go!”
Oboro was smiling too. He turned his head to Natsumi and smiled. “Actually, you’re not that tall.” He teased, noticing that he was a good few centimeters taller than her.
“I’ll let you go if you don’t stop.” The physio falsely threatened, since she obviously had no intention of letting him go, no matter what he said.
Oboro didn’t respond immediately and seemed to assess himself before continuing to smile. “You can let go.” He said.
“Are you sure?” Natsumi insisted, raising an eyebrow.
“I’m sure.” Oboro replied, sounding confident.
So Natsumi began to let go of him slowly, ready to grab him again should he need. But he didn’t, and soon she wasn’t holding him at all.
“Do you want me to try and let you go too?” Jousuke proposed, still holding the younger boy.
“You can let go.” Oboro replied.
The other physio gradually let go of him too, and within seconds Oboro was standing, with no one to hold him, between the steps bars. He didn’t try to let go of his right hand but loosened his grip a little.
“Let’s hear it for Strong Cloud standing on his own two feet!” Jousuke exclaimed, eliciting some applause from the others in the room.
Oboro didn’t know everyone, and not everyone knew him, but he appreciated the gesture. There had been times when he’d found himself on the other side, another physio asking to applaud the exploits of another child. When it happened when he was there, Oboro couldn’t clap with one hand, of course, but he whistled loudly, expressing his encouragement and support as best as he could. To find himself on the other side, receiving all this attention and support, felt really strange.
And rather than concentrate on that, Oboro turned to Jousuke. “If I have the right to use my quirk, I’d have rained on you.”
“And I’d have sent your rain right back at you, smart-ass.” Replied Jousuke, whose quirk indeed allowed him to control water.
Oboro opened his mouth to reply but his legs began to tremble at this point and without the swift action of the two adults, he would probably have ended up on the floor.
“Okay, that’s enough for today.” Natsumi said, helping him sit down properly.
“Thank you, Natsumi-san.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Shirakumo-kun, you did all the work. And I think we’ve done enough work for today. I’ll call Fuyuka and ask her to take you back to your room.”
Oboro was about to nod, but another thought occurred to him.
“Oh, you’ve had an idea.” Natsumi said, recognizing that face.
“Could I, hypothetically, stay here a few minutes longer and then stand up again?”
“What’s on your mind?”
“I’d like to surprise Shota and Hizashi. If I call them now, they can be here in just under 30 minutes max I think. And I’d really like to show them that I can stand on my own two feet.” Oboro explained.
Natsumi hesitated only a few minutes before nodding and smiling. “Okay. Call them and ask them to come. I’ll call Fuyuka to let her know that Aizawa-kun and Yamada-kun will be arriving soon.”
“Thank you so much, Natsumi-san!” Exclaimed the young blue-haired one.
“You’re welcome. Do you have your phone with you?”
“It’s in my bag.” Oboro asserted, half-turning in his wheelchair to grab the bag hanging from the handles.
“Great, should I put you on the side, next to the window?”
“That would be great, thanks Natsumi-san!”
The physiotherapist simply smiled at him and led him to the side of the room, placing him facing the window and she then go back to work.
As for Oboro, he took a moment to smile before opening his phone. He wasted no time in making the call to Shota. Given the black-haired boy had, by his rather introverted nature, far fewer notifications, calls and the like on his phone, he was more likely to think that a call like that in the middle of the was important than Hizashi.
And Oboro was right, because not even two rings later, Shota picked up the phone.
“Oboro? Is everything all right?” He asked hastily, his concern clear in his tone.
“I’m fine.” Oboro replied evasively, still smiling. “Could you and Hizashi come earlier today?”
“How soon?”
“Like, now?”
“Is everything all right, Oboro?” Shota asked again, increasingly worried.
“Yes, I just want you to come now?”
“We’re on our way, just give us 15 minutes and we’ll be there, love.”
“Okay, see you. I’m in the physio room.”
“We’re on our way.” Shota repeated, before quickly hanging up.
Oboro then put his phone on his lap and looked out of the window with a small smile on his face. He couldn’t wait for his boyfriends to arrive so he could show them what he’d managed to do today!