the day it stopped raining | midoriya izuku

39 | sacred wind

TOKYO
3°C
WINDY

Reunions are truly a beautiful thing, and Masuyo learned that the hard way.

To be able to reconnect with someone—with the world—after a long journey of changing and mending feels like a blessing reward from the heavens. Perhaps this is the first time Masuyo experience this: reuniting with someone she knows of, someone she misses, and someone she finds comfort in. For as long as she remembers, there's not a single person who has managed to linger long enough for her to seek for them. Sure, she had friends throughout her school life, but they're not...understanding enough. There wasn't anyone back in her youth that could reel her from harsh realities, so Masuyo had to be independent and find her own getaway. Be it sneaking out at 3AM to run to the field and look at the stars or drop by the nearest 24HR convenient store to chug down bittersweet coffees.

The bit of her being a coffee lover never changed of course, Masuyo softly smiles. If she didn't start saving up or fine-tune her artistic skills then she'd never had to move out of an unhappy place. But she's here now: in Tokyo. It's the middle of winter, the coldest time of the year, but also the best time of the year, for everyone else at least. If she didn't attend that quirk program then Tokyo would be as cold as a dead body. Her quirk control is never one hundred per cent stable, but it's enough to let the world breathe.

She's just there, in Midoriya's arms as they gently swayed to the slow music playing in the living room. It's almost 2AM, yet they're spending time like there's no tomorrow.

"When's your last therapy session?" Midoriya asks, his mellow voice in her ears.

"In two months," Masuyo replies, eyes closed as they danced.

"Anything interesting you talked about?"

"Mhm...they asked what's my favourite weather...though it's a little funny since it was raining a lot back then," she chuckles lightly. "Told them I like it when it's windy. Not too hot and not too cold—just free."

Midoriya chuckles in her ear. "What if I tell you there's someone I know that can manipulate the wind?"

"I wonder," Masuyo smiles. "I'd pay for them to be my personal fan for the summer. No pun intended."

"Hey!" Midoriya leans back to look at her. "What if he does something pervertic to you?"

"Pervetic? Is that even a word?" She laughs.

"You know what I mean!" He whines.

"Sure," Masuyo pulls him back in, resting her head on his chest.

"...anything else? What about those plants and flowers? Surely it's something that has to do with one of your sessions." She feels him nodding his head in the direction of the balcony.

"Ah. That's...a long story. It is a suggestion from them but...it took me a few months until I commit to being a green thumb," Masuyo sighs, recalling back to the times she failed to grow a plant despite how basic the task is. "Any normal person would water it and feed it with sunlight. But for me...I was still lethargic as hell every day. Medication helps, but it's never enough."

"Hey," Midoriya says. "It's progress. Don't knock yourself over it."

"Yeah but still...I went to the nearest gardening store or a florist shop to get started. Geez there was even a time I got frustrated that I accidentally kicked one of the new pots—"

She feels him tense up.

"...but I managed to um, grow them into edible herbs or look like an actual flower." Masuyo chortles a little to ease the tension in his arms, though it seems the young man was still stiff. So she had to pull away to look at him.

"Izuku?" She almost lifts her hand towards his cheek until he snaps out of it.

"O-Oh, um, sorry. I just..." Midoriya runs a hand down his face. He looks...distressed. "Just remembered some bad memories..."

Oh.

"I...didn't know it affected you that bad," Masuyo looks down. "I'm sorry."

"What? No, no—it's not your fault, Masu-chan." He grabs both of her hands, making her look at him. "It's just one of our bad days. It was out of your control. What happened is all in the past. Sure, it does hurt to remember, but you're here now—alive, healing, making progress...and I'm so so happy to see that. It genuinely makes me happy to see you smile—see you laugh. You look...Y-You look happier. Brighter. You have no idea, Masu-chan. I'm just so glad there are people out there helping you too."

"Well," Masuyo smiles. "Maybe I should thank the person who made a huge impact in my life. If it weren't for him, I would've still hog on those ramens and coffees."

"Yeah? I wonder," he smiles fondly.

"...thank you, Izuku."

Midoriya brings her into an embrace.

"Also, I've been thinking..."

"Hm?"

"I still haven't brought you to the sea aquarium. But due to um, certain circumstances, that didn't happen—but I still want to bring you there."

Masuyo blinks in surprise. He still remembers? The last she heard him brought it up was when she was still stuck in a rut. Not even halfway to life-changing happenings. She remembers them sitting on the roof above them as they chatted under the once gloomy night sky. But it's comforting and sweet that Midoriya still...held on.

"I do remember," Masuyo says. "When do you want to go?"

"Tomorrow? Or is it too early since it's late now—"

"Okay."

Midoriya looks surprised. And excited.

"R-Really? Then I'll um, take my leave then. I'll see you to—"

"You don't have to go back to...wherever you're residing in." Masuyo looks up at him, holding his hand. "You know how it is."

However, he starts blushing.

"O-Oh! Y-Yeah I know...but still! It's um, we've been apart for so long so I don't know if you're comfortable with me sleeping on the bed as you—"

"Izuku." Masuyo sighs.

"Y-Yes?" He almost explodes.

"There's a guestroom in case you've forgotten."

Midoriya paused for a long moment until the colour on his face comes back.

"Ah! Right!" Masuyo rose an eyebrow in amusement at his antics. "Then, goodnight?"

Masuyo chuckles.

"Goodnight."

_____________

:)