Swan Dive

Chapter 13: Family

Merry Christmas everyone!! A special update for you all (I know!! Two days in a row?! What is this??) I hope you enjoy this much lighter chapter in favor of the Holiday Season~!

Today is Christmas. Hanukkah started two days ago, and Kwanzaa starts tomorrow. So Happy Holidays to those who celebrate the holidays this year, and Happy Random Gift Giving Day for those who celebrate none. :)

Random fact about me: My favorite Christmas songs are Carol of the Bells and Greensleeves.

Chapter 13: Family

Izuku groaned lightly as he rolled out of bed. It'd been three weeks since they'd been rescued, and today was the day Shouta was finally going back to teaching. Izuku was nervous, to be honest, but Nana Chiyo would be there with Shouta, and he trusted her to help keep an eye on him. And Papa Zashi would stay home with him, today.

He felt bad, keeping him from his own classes, but he really didn't want to be alone. It was a very deep fear for him right now. Hizashi seemed to understand that, and when Izuku had hesitantly tugged on his sleeve two days prior and asked him in a small, nervous voice to stay with him while Shouta went off to school, the blond had smiled and gently pulled Izuku into hug, saying he'd already asked for the first three days off. And Nemuri had the rest of the week off.

Next week, Izuku would return to school, himself. He was nervous, but he felt a lot more confident in himself now. He'd withstood actual torture, after all. He could handle a few bullies, and Kacchan's explosions had nothing on the Serum.

Izuku was finally able to sleep alone, now. Shouta had stayed by his side constantly for the first week. They only really left one other to shower and use the restroom. They knew it bothered Zashi, Nem, and Chiyo, but nobody said anything. They were grateful—they just needed to reassure one another that they were alive and safe.

During the second week, the two started testing themselves, seeing how far one could go from the other before that familiar tightness in their chest started up, indicating a panic attack. That first day, they couldn't even make it halfway across the living room.

But by the end of that week, the two could be on the other side of the house from one another without freaking out. It was massive progress. Izuku felt very proud of himself for keeping it together enough that just five days ago, he could sleep on his own without Shouta's heartbeat to lull him into the realm of dreams.

Though he still had nightmares. Constantly. But so did Shouta, according to Papa. Usually, they could handle the nightmares themselves, without needing to disturb anyone. Izuku would snuggle with Yuki (who was a ginormous help with these nightmares) and Shouta would snuggle with Hizashi.

Sometimes, though, these nightmares were bad. Really, really bad. The first time it happened, Izuku had watched his mother be tortured to death, before the monster had come for him. And while he'd been under the influence of that horrid Serum (and he'd felt that pain in his dream), he'd cried and watched as the monster murdered Shouta, painfully.

He'd woken up in such a terrible state, jaw clenched as the phantom pains (which didn't feel all too phantom at the time) put him in a flashback. His mantra, don't scream repeated in his mind.

Yuki, apparently, had gone and woken Shouta, who was out the door instantly with Hizashi on his heels.

The moment Shou had seen his clenched jaw and rigid form, he knew exactly what kind of flashback Izuku was in, and had quickly wrapped one hand around his left wrist, reminding him that the shackle wasn't there.