Ch. 19- You're Not A Burden

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A/N- might have cheated on some dialogue again, but what it gave me was way too repetitive so I added some flair to hopefully keep it interesting.
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The hospital room was filled with a mixture of relief and tension as the doctor announced that Midoriya was stable enough to be discharged. Aizawa stood by Midoriya's side, offering silent support, while Todoroki, Bakugou, and Mic hovered close by.

"Thank you for taking such good care of me," Midoriya said to the doctor with a grateful smile.

The doctor nodded, "You're welcome, Midoriya. Just make sure to follow all the instructions I gave you, and don't hesitate to come back if anything feels off, okay?"

Midoriya nodded earnestly, promising to take care of himself. As the doctor left the room, Aizawa stepped forward, placing a reassuring hand on Midoriya's shoulder. "You ready to go home?"

Midoriya looked around at his friends and then back at Aizawa, a glimmer of uncertainty in his eyes. "Um, where is 'home'? I mean, am I going back to the dorms or...?"

Aizawa exchanged a meaningful glance with Todoroki, Bakugou, and Mic before answering, "Actually, you're coming to my place. We'll figure out the dorm situation later, but for now, I think it's best if you stay with me."

Midoriya's eyes widened in surprise, and he nodded slowly. "Okay, thank you, Aizawa-sensei."

As they made their way out of the hospital, Todoroki, Bakugou, and Mic approached them. Todoroki wore a small, sad smile, while Bakugou seemed to be holding back a torrent of emotions. Mic, ever the optimist, placed a comforting hand on Bakugou's shoulder.

"Bakugou, Todoroki, you both did well. But I think it's best if Midoriya gets some rest now. You can visit him later, okay?" Mic suggested gently.

Bakugou looked like he wanted to protest, but he reluctantly nodded. "Fine, but I'm not letting him out of my sight for long."

Todoroki nodded in agreement, "I'll visit as well. Let me know if you need anything, Midoriya."

Midoriya smiled at his friends, grateful for their support. "Thank you, both of you. I'll see you soon."

As Aizawa led Midoriya to his car, the others watched them go with a mix of emotions. Mic turned to Bakugou and Todoroki, a twinkle in his eye. "So, how about we get some ice cream to celebrate our friend's recovery?"

Bakugou shot Mic a half-hearted glare, but he didn't protest. "Whatever, as long as we get to see the nerd later."

Todoroki nodded in agreement, "Sounds good. And thanks, Mic."

With that, they all headed off to enjoy some well-deserved ice cream, leaving Midoriya in the capable hands of Aizawa, who had become much more than just a teacher to him. The road ahead might be uncertain, but for now, Midoriya felt a sense of comfort knowing he had people who cared for him deeply by his side.

As they drove through the dimly lit streets, a heavy silence hung in the air. Midoriya's mind was a whirlwind of emotions, and he struggled to find the right words to express his feelings. Aizawa glanced at him from the corner of his eye, sensing the turmoil within his student.

"Midoriya," Aizawa finally spoke, his voice serious and gentle. "You don't have to hold everything in. I can see how much pain you've been carrying on your own, and it's okay to talk about it."

Midoriya swallowed hard, trying to find the courage to open up. "I... I don't even know where to start, Aizawa-sensei. It's been so hard... keeping everything to myself."

Aizawa nodded, understanding the weight of Midoriya's burden. "To start, you can drop the sensei, now that Im your legal guardian don't worry about any of the formalities. Think of me more as your friend. I certainly see you as one. You're tough kid, making it through all of this alone, but you don't have do it alone anymore, Midoriya. We're here for you, your friends, Mic, and myself. It's better for all of us to know what you're going through so we can be there when you need us."

"Th-thank you Aizawa. You can call me by my first name too if you'd like. It seems only fair. I can never express how grateful I am for you taking me in like this...I'm sorry I'm such a mess right now, I can't even thank you properly."

"Izuku, look at me. You don't have to thank me. I'm doing this 1. Because it's what any decent human being would do, 2. Because I am your teacher and your safety is my responsibility, and 3. Because I genuinely care about you and can't stand the thought of you going through this all by yourself."

Midoriya stays silent hesitant to speak and unsure of what to say.

"Are you still ok to talk about it, Izuku?"
Aizawa asks with a softened tone.
Midoriya doesn't speak, but gives a hesitant nod instead.
"I can't even imagine how hard things have been, so let's start small. Talk me through how you're feeling right now, in the moment."

Midoriya's eyes glistened with unshed tears, his emotions threatening to overflow. "Im... Im confused. I'm relieved I don't have to hide it from everyone now. But I... I feel so guilty for putting this on you and everyone else. I didn't want to burden anyone with my problems."

Aizawa's expression softened with empathy. "You're not burdening anyone, kid. We care about you, and we want to help. Keeping everything to yourself hurts not just you but the people who care about you, too. You're not alone in this."

Midoriya blinked back tears, struggling to process Aizawa's words. "But I... I caused so much trouble, didn't I? I didn't want anyone to worry about me, and now they do, and it's all my fault."

Aizawa's grip on the steering wheel tightened as he spoke with unwavering determination. "You didn't cause trouble. You've been dealing with so much on your own, and you didn't know how to reach out. Now that we know, we can support you properly, and it's so much better this way. You're not a burden, Izuku. You're my favorite problem child, our brightest student, and an amazing friend, and we all care about you deeply."

Midoriya's voice trembled as he tried to hold back his tears. "I... I'm just so scared, Aizawa. I don't know what to do now that everything is out in the open. I'm glad I'm not alone, but I feel so guilty for causing all this pain."

Aizawa's tone softened with reassurance. "You don't have to be scared, kid. We're here for you, and there's nothing to be ashamed of. We care about you, and we want to help you through this. Keeping everything to yourself only makes things harder in the long run, but now we know we can work through it together."

As they pulled into the driveway, Aizawa parked the car and turned to Midoriya. Tears streamed down Midoriya's cheeks, and Aizawa reached out to pull him into a comforting hug. "It's okay to cry, kid. Let it out. You're not alone in this anymore."

Midoriya sobbed into Aizawa's shoulder, feeling the weight of his emotions finally being released. Aizawa held him tightly, offering a sense of security and understanding. "You're not alone, Izuku. We're here for you, and we'll get through this together."

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