"Forever"

"I overdosed on pain medication."

Aizawa's POV

"It's harder than you think."

It was currently Saturday morning, exactly a week since the villains attacked. I was sitting in Midoriya's hospital room, listening intently to what the distressed teenager was saying, and feeling guiltier by the second as he continued to tell me about so many things that make him feel the way he does.

"Sometimes," the greenette continued, wringing his hands together. "Sometimes I don't feel like myself."

I nodded, wanting him to continue.

"It's like . . . it's like I'm not here, like emotionally," Midoriya sighed, leaning further back into the pillows. "I can't enjoy simple things anymore, and when I do have fun and manage to relax, something bad always happens."

"Like the league's attack on the beach." I confirmed, receiving a nod from the teen.

"And so I think . . . I think a part of my brain just shuts off feeling emotions in fear that I'll just be hurt again," Midoriya rubbed his eyes, wiping away his tears. "That's why I overdose, because some part of me believes that it'll help me feel more – that it'll make me better."

I pressed my lips together, a sick feeling erupting in my stomach.

I could've stopped this, I thought, looking down at my hands. If I'd just payed more attention, I could've helped him.

Sighing, I stood from the plastic chair and shifted onto the bed, sliding to sit next to my student.

"You know," I began, my voice gruff as I lifted my left arm, allowing the younger male to lean into my side, knowing more than anyone that the teen needed comfort. "I used to do the same."

Midoriya looked up, his red cheeks tear-streaked. "Really?"

"Mhm," I nodded, lowering my arm behind his shoulders. "I wasn't going through the best time when I was your age, maybe even a little older."

We were both silent for a few seconds before the young hero spoke up.

"How did you get better?"

I smiled, looking down at my lap. "It's kind of a funny story, actually," I replied. "You know Present Mic?"

Midoriya met his eyes with mine, nodding. "He's my English teacher, as you should know."

I huffed. "Yes, of course. Well, we both went to hero school together, and were pretty close friends," I lifted my gaze, looking out the window. "He was always so optimistic and extroverted, the complete opposite of me, but I guess that's how we became friends."

There was a yawn from my left, and I looked down to see a very tired Midoriya leaning on my shoulder.

"What –," he yawned again, tears sprouting from his green eyes. "What happened next?"

I smiled softly, looking to the ceiling. "Well, one day the pressure just got too much, and I, well . . . I overdosed on pain medication."

There was a shift beside me and I turned my head to see Midoriya watching me silently, his face void of any emotion.

I sighed, and continued. "Mic found me an hour later. I was in a coma for three weeks, and when I woke up, I was told that he saved me. Mic wouldn't leave me alone after that. It was kind of annoying."

Midoriya smiled. "I'm glad that you survived, Sensei."

I nodded, turning so I was facing the teen. "Thank you, Midoriya. I'm grateful that I lived too. And if I could survive that, then I'm sure you could too."

The student sighed, nodding. "That's why you're not letting me take my medication anymore, right?"

I clicked my tongue, tapping my hands on my knees. "Yes. It's for your own safety, but I want you to know that even though I'm your teacher, you can talk to me about anything. I'll understand."

Midoriya nodded, resting his head back on my shoulder. "Thank you, Sensei."

I nodded, raising my hand and patting his head. "Don't mention it, kid."

The room was filled with silence again, the mood content.

I didn't move when Midoriya fell asleep, knowing that he needed as much rest as possible, and that if I moved, he might wake up.I felt sorrow as I silently watched his chest rise and fall, his fluffy hair falling over his eyes and casting his face in shadow.

I'll help you through this, I said in my head, inhaling. Withdrawal will be a hard process for you to go through, but I promise that I'll be there.

It was an hour later when the silence was interrupted by the door opening, and I came face to face with Mic. His hair was pulled back into a messy bun and he was in casual clothes that were made up by bright pink converses, pale blue ripped jeans and a black sweater.

"Hey, Shouta," he greeted, his voice low as to not wake up the sleeping student. "How'd it go?"

I sighed, leaning back into the pillows. "Better than I thought."

Mic nodded, biting his bottom lip as he sat down in the chair, watching me quietly.

"Did you tell him?" he asked after a while.

I slowly nodded my head, blinking and looking out the window again. "You were right, Mic. Empathy is important when it comes to cases like these."

The blonde looked down, sighing and reaching his hand over so it rested on my right shoulder.

"It's okay, Shouta," the blonde spoke, confident. "Midoriya's going to be fine, you need to relax."

I shook my head, already feeling frustrated at the blonde. "How am I supposed to relax when one of my students is currently in critical condition, while another one is an emotional train wreck?"

Mic sighed, looking upwards before eyeing Midoriya. "I don't know, man. But I do know that if you seem stressed around your students, especially at a time like this, they will feel stressed and unsettled as well."

I pressed my lips together, nodding, because I knew that no matter what I'd say, he'd always be right.

"I'm sorry, Mic," I apologised, looking up to meet his eyes. "It's just hard to see them going through so much trauma. They're only 15."

Mic cleared his throat. "I know that it's hard, Shouta, and that's why we're going to try to give them as much support possible."

I gave him a small smile, freezing when Midoriya shifted closer to me unconsciously.

"You want iced coffee?" Mic asked, and my grin widened, because I should be used to Mic being able to read my mind by now since we've been best friends for years.

I nodded, warmth spreading through my chest. "Thanks, Mic. That would be great."

Sorry that this chapter was a little late. I relapsed a few days ago after being 'better' for half a year and needed to rest up a bit. I hope you guys understand.

Anime recommendation: Bungou Stray Dogs, which is really funny and entertaining. It's based in a world where there are a few people who are born with special supernatural abilities, and while some use it for good, others use it for bad. The characters are really good (not to mention Dazai, who is kind of a mirror image of me) and it's not exactly gay, but there is a lot of content in it that makes it easy to ship a lot of characters together. It's a must-watch.

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