𝑳𝑬𝑺 𝑭𝑹𝑨𝑮𝑰𝑳𝑬𝑺 •𝒃𝒙𝒃•

Awkward ~ 26

AN: I apologise for not updating for a while, I've been busy with some things!

_

They told him he would be left with a scar even after they've fully healed the injury on his chest. There was no way for them to fully make it disappear, they said it would get better over time, but it would never disappear.

So, he stood, facing the body-sized mirror before him, and just stared. He trailed his eyes over the jagged line across his chest, and held back the grimace that threatened to twist his features.

The skin felt rough beneath his fingertips.

He flinched back in surprise when the door of the hospital room slid open. Hurriedly, he pulled a shirt over his head and stepped away from the mirror, prepared to greet whoever came.

Well, he honestly didn't expect his visitor to be Midoriya, "Oh..." He dumbly exclaimed as their eyes made across the room.

"Hi..." Midoriya awkwardly greeted him, shifting on his crutches, "I was hoping you were awake..." he trailed off, averting his eyes, "I wanted to talk to you."

Yuma could only guess what he wished to speak about. Note the sarcasm, "I see, well, you can take a seat on the bed." He gestured to the side, at the bed.

Midoriya nodded, shuffling towards it. He settled his crutches on the side and plopped down atop the covers, "As you're probably suspecting, I'm here to uh... thank you, I... I guess," the boy lightly stuttered as he gripped the covers beneath his fingers, bunching them up, "You did something... really risky, and I feel bad about thanking you for it..."

Oh... So he was feeling bad about it? About Yuma helping them all? There really was no need for him to feel like that, he had no influence on Yuma's decision—none at all, "Don't feel bad, my actions were not influenced by you, nor by anyone else. You had nothing to do with it." He laid his words bare, not planning on holding anything back.

Somehow, it seemed that what he said was the wrong thing, because the moment he finished talking, Midoriya's eyes snapped to him, "I had everything to do with it! As did the rest of us!" It was unexpected of the boy to raise his voice like that, and that caused Yuma to go silent, his arguments dying before they could even be born, "You risked your life for us! You could have been killed!" Midoriya intently stared at him, before his eyes slid down to Yuma's chest, "I'm sorry, but I saw it," He meant the... scar? "If he aimed a little to the right, you probably wouldn't have been here now and... that would've been our fault." His shoulders were quivering, either from his repressed anger or the possibility of Yuma's death.

"That would've been a good way to go out—saving others, that is." Yuma lightly quirked his lips up, although it was a clearly forced smile.

Midoriya didn't agree with his words, yet again, "Why? Why do you think like that? You're... young, and you were ready to give it all up for us—Why? You told me, that day at the beach, you said that you didn't come here to make friends—Why did you do so, then? Why did you risk yourself for us?" The boy rambled, spewing questions left and right.

But, his words confused Yuma, "Why? Isn't that obvious? Don't heroes risk their lives for people they don't even know? Don't they do so every day? Why can't I do the same? Do I need to have a reason for wanting to save someone's life?"

Somehow, it seemed to dawn on Midoriya, and he bit his lip as he looked down, as if ashamed of himself. Yuma felt a spark of guilt flash through his chest, and he stepped even closer.

"I apologise if my words were too harsh, I don't seem to have a filter when it comes to things I'm serious about." He clenched his fists at his sides, afraid that he seriously hurt the boy's feelings. It wasn't his intention to do so.