Seeking Comfort ( Izuku X Uraraka)

Chapter 5

It took Izuku three seconds to react. One second to realize what Uraraka had just told him, another to notice her sobbing hysterically and a third to figure out that he was supposed to console her when she was crying on his shoulder. Slowly, his brain started functioning again and he tentatively put his arms around her and pulled her closer so she wasn't hanging on him. Given their position, she was halfway sitting on his lap with her head buried in his chest as sobs wracked through her body.

Other than his mom, Izuku had never comforted another crying person before. In the Midoriya household, crying was used to express feelings both good and bad, and he and his mother often cried together. This situation was so different from anything he had experienced before, so the poor boy was at a loss for what he could do to comfort Uraraka. For now, he could only hold her as she cried. Hesitating slightly, Izuku gently rubbed circles on her back to soothe her. He remembered his mother doing the same for him when he was a child, and she would even speak words of comfort in a soothing voice, so naturally, he tried to do the same thing.

Ochaco had lost all control of herself and she had to let out all her pent out frustrations. She felt powerless. She had been robbed of her quirk and she had never felt so vulnerable before. Recalling the events from earlier that day did nothing to calm her down, it just made her cry harder onto Deku's chest. She faintly registered that she was getting tears and snot all over his shirt, but she didn't care about that right now. She wanted to scream until her lungs burst and she wanted to be stronger and not feel so goddamn miserable. She wanted to be able to stand proud and show everyone that she was strong and capable, but it was impossible when she was so weak.

How could she become a hero and help others when she couldn't help herself? Her quirk had been taken away from her and she could do nothing. A part of her was missing and she could only cry. She felt so empty, like a shell of herself. So she cried. She cried and cried until there were no more tears left in her. Ochaco didn't know how long she spent crying, she only knew that Deku stayed with her through it all. It could have been an hour or it could have been ten minutes, she just knew he was there, holding her close and not letting go. Not once did he stop rubbing her back and he didn't stop muttering comforting words either, unless she spoke.

All of the horrible thoughts and feelings she had been suppressing came rushing out of her and she poured her heart out to him, telling him about her doubts and fears. She admitted feeling lost and not knowing if she was strong enough to continue. Her heart ached so much from all her negative feelings, but she was finally letting them all out and Midoriya just sat there and listened, his hold on her tightening once in a while.

"I'm s-sorry! I'm sorry!" She hiccupped against his soaked chest. She felt horrible for ruining his shirt, but crying had released so much of her tension and she was finally able to breathe again. Her eyes burned and her face felt wet.

"Don't worry. It's not your fault." She didn't know if he meant soaking his shirt in her bodily fluids or the whole mess they were in. It didn't matter anyway, Ochaco just wanted to hear those words. That it wasn't her fault and that it was okay to be afraid.

"I was so scared." She whispered hoarsely. Fear had been one of the feelings she had been overwhelmed by ever since waking up at the hospital. When she woke up among the beeping machines and nurses bustling around her, a terrible fear gripped at her heart and she instantly knew that something was wrong.

"Yeah." Midoriya breathed next to her ear and made her lift her head. She looked up at him somewhat fearfully. His hand came to a rest on her back, but his eyes were alert.

"Deku-kun, what if I've l-lost my quirk?" Ochaco stammered, letting fear engulf her once more. The question had burned in the back of her mind for hours, but she had refused to acknowledge it. Now, she couldn't stop herself.