You Were Worth it

Chapter 6

"How are you feeling?" Midoriya asked as he sat an omelet in front of his friend.

"I'm okay," Kaminari frowned. "Where's Sero?"

"He just laid down for a nap. He said to wake him up around lunchtime." The trio arrived last night, and Sero forced himself to stay awake until they were both up for the morning since he wasn't sure he trusted either of them in the middle of the night. He wasn't as worried about Midoriya. He was terrified Kaminari would wake up and hurt himself.

"Are you feeling any better today?" Midoriya asked. He hasn't seen any new cuts in the last couple of days, but he has seen Kaminari press on them from time to time.

"Not really," the blond sighed. "I feel like I'm avoiding the inevitable by being here. We both know I'm going to go home to Hitoshi on Monday, and we're going to fight."

"You don't have to go home to him, you know? I know you love him, Kaminari, but you must put yourself first. Nothing is worth you taking your own life," Midoriya sighed.

"I didn't want to take my own life. I just wanted something to remind me that I'm okay. That I'm still alive. I didn't plan to go as far as I did. As soon as I thought about it, I called you. I want to keep living." Kaminari pushed his plate away from him. Any appetite he had left was gone.

"I know how hard it is to reach out when you need help. I'm so proud of you for reaching out, and I am so thankful that you're still here." Midoriya reached across the table and grabbed his hand.

Kaminari squeezed his hand with a frown. "What should I do about Hitoshi?"

"Is his addiction worth your life? That's the question you need to be asking yourself. If you love and want to be with him, he has to put in the effort."

"What if he doesn't want to put in the effort?" Kaminari asked. That's what he was the most afraid of. The love of his life not loving him enough to get help for his addiction. He was scared he wasn't enough for Shinso.

"Then you have a decision to make. Nobody can make that decision other than you," Midoriya frowned. He could not even give him the right advice because there was no right one. How could love hurt so much? "I think we should look into therapy for you. You need it, and I can't provide it. One, I shouldn't be counseling the people in my life like this. I'm always happy to help when I can, but I can't help you as much since I'm biased. Two, someone with a degree will be more helpful than I am."

Kaminari shook his head. "They're just going to tell me to leave Hitoshi."

"Kaminari, therapy isn't that simple. They're not going to give you an answer to whatever question you ask. They're going to teach you how to remember your self-worth and think about all your decisions and options. They're also going to help you with your self-harm."

Kaminari knew he had no good reason to say no. Not when he could have taken his own life so easily a few days ago. He needed help, even if he didn't want it.

"When we get home, I'll look into it." Kaminari pulled his hand away from Midoriya and slid his plate toward him again. He still wasn't hungry, but he knew he had to try.

"What are you planning on doing when you get home?" Kaminari asked, shifting the focus off himself. They were there for both of them, after all.

Midoriya shrugged. "I will ask my boss to drop me down another day. One of these days, I'm scared he will let me go. I only work three days now. I don't know how happy he'll be if I drop to two."

"If he's not happy with it, then find another boss who is. You can't lecture me about my mental health and ignore yours," Kaminari warned. He wasn't trying to be mean, but he knew Midoriya. He knew he wouldn't care for his mental health unless someone made him.