Viridian

Chapter 22: Hosu

A/N: WELCOME BACK!! It's been about half a year since the last update, and I'm sorry about that. This chapter has been giving me a very hard time, but I've finally come out with something semi-acceptable. Still a little unsure of the last scene, but after about six rewrites, this is about how it's going. The story is starting to reach towards the end (oh my!). We've still got the training camp to get through though, so don't panic just yet! *cackles* I'm not attaching any fanart to this chapter because I really don't want to spend another hour setting it up. ^^; On the other paw, please enjoy this special Christmas Update!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS (and Kwanzaa, which is tomorrow for those of you who celebrate it)!! Here's your gift! A new Viridian Chapter!

Reminder that Fanart can be sent to aizawa@email.com

Also, Anime Expo 2022 will be held in LA, CA this coming year (for the first time since Covid)! Tickets go on sale Jan, from what I hear. Anyone going? I'm planning to get my tickets! >:3

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Snipe was just making himself some tea. The Sharpshooter was fast asleep on the couch—enough so that he could drape a soft blanket over the kid and not wake him up. He thought that it was a tad unusual, what with how jumpy and guarded Midoriya always was, but perhaps he was simply that tired. He hardly seemed to rest, after all, and Yuka and Sugaku had told him that the kid often had nightmares. The rest of the staff had taken to making sure someone was up and downstairs during the night just in case he had one, so he wouldn't be alone (not that most of them weren't insomniacs anyways, though not to the extent of Aizawa).

A quiet thump drew his attention to the kid, who'd rolled right off the couch, and was now staring at the carpet in detached confusion. There was something off to the expression on the kid's face, and Snipe quietly set down his cup. "Midoriya?"

The kid's head whipped up, and Snipe felt his breath catch in his throat. He'd seen the look on Midoriya's face when he was stuck in that mild flashback back at the hot springs. He'd always had a jaded and bitter look in his eye that came with seeing too much and losing too many.

But never had he seen his eyes so unguarded. They were raw with loss and hardened by pain. Like chips of icy jade that sharply analyzed everything around him. Every muscle was tensed and Snipe was certain that he could attack at the drop of a coin. In that moment, for the first time, Snipe didn't see Viridian the Hero or even Midoriya the Student—he saw Izuku the Survivor.

The man who'd lost far too much.

Then Midoriya blinked and gave a shuddering sigh. Snipe watched in a sort of morbid fascination as the emotional barriers went up around the kid's eyes. "Again." The bitterness in his voice as he whispered the word to himself startled Snipe.

"Midoriya?" He tried again, taking a cautious step forward. He tried to ignore the small instinct inside of him that was mildly afraid of the hero before him, because this was Midoriya. But some part of himself still recognized the kid as dangerous.

"Sorry if I startled you... just give me a minute to orientate myself." He climbed to his feet and sat back on the couch, running a hand over... had that injury been there before? Snipe certainly didn't remember it being there.

"Are you okay?" It was a pointless question—they both knew he wasn't—but he couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Not really." He gave a breathy laugh. "Damnit... my notes are back at UA."

"Should we head back?" Snipe frowned lightly. He may not have understood what Midoriya was talking about, but if the kid thought these notes were important, then he'd trust him at his word.