Mental Health Help

 It wasn't quite dark yet, but it was far after school hours and the teachers at U.A. were mostly winding down for the night.

Hizashi Yamada was not.

He dashed down the dormitory hall, necklaces bouncing on his chest as he scrambled to find the school counselor, his scheduled partner in crime.

"Hey hey! M'almost ready to leave for the bar, where you at, <i>where you at</i>?" He opened her door but stopped cold as he realized the room was dark. "Ches?"

She was curled up on her bed in a tight ball with her striped tail wrapped around her. As his eyes adjusted to the lack of light he saw her shoulders shaking and he stepped forward catiously.

"Hey..?"

"Sorry." Elly very obviously struggled to control her crying so she could speak. He could see this was a massive effort, akin to someone lifting a huge amount of physical weight. She got under it, and, with a heavy grunt of determination rolled her shoulders back. Hizashi watched her eyes come back into focus with relief. "Oh. The bar."

"Yeah, are you okay?"

"No."

"Oh." He blinked, startled. It was strange dealing with someone other than Aizawa that spoke so bluntly, but he liked that about them both. "Are you sick? D'ya need Chiyo..?"

"No... it's my illness. My brain is sort of fixating on bad memories and ideas," she explained. "I can't stop it."

"I knew you had bad days, like, moods an' stuff. It's more, though, yeah?"

"Yeah. It's just..." Elly sighed deeply and rubbed at her eyes with her thumb and forefinger. "It's hard, sometimes, not having anyone special to make things better."

"I thought we were tight, yo." Hizashi's face grew sad, his expressive eyes fixed on hers. "You can come to <i>me</i> if yer upset."

"I know." Her cheeks grew a darker red color all at once and she broke eye contact to stare at her hands fidgeting in her lap. "I know, but - well, but you're such an outgoing guy. You shouldn't have to stay in because I don't want to go. Have fun."

"Uh... you sure?"

"Yes. I want you to go. I'll be fine."

Hizashi ran his hand across the top of his head, patting the messy bun at the back. The door closed behind him and he sighed, pausing to think about what happened.

"Yamada." He was deep in thought and jumped to one side, arms flailing, when someone stepped out of the shadowed hallway beside him. 

Wheezing, he clutched his chest and stared balefully at the tall man standing near. "Holy <i>shit</i>, All Might, for such a big dude you can be crazy quiet."

Yagi smiled at him, but pointed at the door. "Is Miss Elly not coming out? I thought I heard a disturbance."

"Doesn't feel like it. She said she'll be okay, though."

"Hmm." Yagi stared for a moment at her closed door. "I think she wants you to stay," he said at last.

"But she said -"

"She may not want to force the issue." The tall man placed a hand on Hizashi's shoulder. "You've heard about her past?"

"A little." He frowned. "We're close friends, we've had some long talks, you know, aside from the mandatory therapy stuff."

"Yes." The tall man nodded, tilting his head to one side as he thought.

"You've talked with her too, yeah? You've been to America. Even though she never really seems homesick she likes being around people that speak English now an' then."

"It's not just that, though. I can't tell you things we've spoken of in confidence, of course. But I <i>can</i> suggest that if she's upset she would want comfort."

"She said that," he admitted. "But then told me to leave. Why don't <i>you</i> go?"

"Because she sees you in a different way than just a friend."

"<i>Close</i> friend," he chirped brightly.

"That's why it has to be <i>you</i>, Yamada," he asserted quietly.

Hizashi frowned at her closed door, worry beginning to work its way into his tightly pinched brow again. "I don't want to upset her."

"I don't think you can." Yagi placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed once in encouragement. The other man sighed and walked over, knocking before opening the door a crack.

"Ches? I'm still here."

"Hizashi?" She sniffled. "I <i>hurt</i>, and it's <i>bad</i>, and I can't stop it."

"Do you want a hug?" Hizashi sat on the bed and stretched his arms wide. She looked him over very carefully, noting his lower voice and smaller, more serious, but still light-hearted smile. 

"Ohhhh... ummm, you don't have to if you don't want." She nervously crossed her arms, her ears laid low. "I know you want to go to the -"

"Nah, babygirl." Hizashi decided that he was going to have to step up his game. "What I <i>want</i> is to hold you." He raised an eyebrow and reached slowly out. "Is that okay?"

Elly locked up at <i>babygirl</i>, in such disbelief at the nickname she didn't protest. He carefully wrapped his arms around her and sat still while she adjusted to the unexpected affection. His hold was loose at first so she could pull away if she wanted, but after a minute she drew in a huge, shuddering breath and clung tightly to him.

"Ahhhhh." Her hands gripped his t-shirt, her body shaking. "There we go. Let that shit out."

"I'm so afraid!"

Hizashi rubbed her upper back gently in small circles. "Of what?"

"I - I can't..!"

"S'okay, babe." He hugged her close. "I won't let anything hurt you."

"You won't like me if you see me like this!"

"But -" 

<i>I'm</i> already <i>seeing you like this</i>.

Hizashi's heart nearly broke with sympathy. He <i>knew</i> what this felt like, had his whole life. He was loud and over-the-top almost all the time, having suppressed Yamada Hizashi in favor of Present Mic. Many people judged him because they only saw that persona. They deemed him stupid, not worth listening to and his colleages talked over him in important meetings. Even his friends often shoved him away when he tried to offer help.

Ches <i>never did, though. She won't reject me... right</i>?

"Okay." He took a steady, deep breath. "You like me, yeah?"

"Y - yes!" The reply was vehement enough that her body jerked in his arms.

Hizashi coughed uncomfortably. "Even though I'm really fuckin' annoying? I'm loud, make lots of bad jokes and uh, I'm in people's personal space too much."

"You're not annoying! You radiate positive vibes and - and, and... ohhh."

"Yup." He smiled at her as she pulled back to stare at him, wiping her teary eyes with light touches of his fingertips. "I see you better than <i>you</i> see you. And it's good. Even the messy stuff."

Her lower lip trembled and she reached out blindly towards him. He held his hands up and they clasped together. 

Later both would say it seemed like it was hours, but they sat for a couple of minutes breathlessly staring into each other's eyes until he broke the spell by tugging her hands up to his lips. He pressed a small kiss on each wrist before letting them go.

"D'ya trust me, babe?"

She shook her head but he was relieved to see she was only trying to focus. Elly rubbed her eyes and nodded. "Yes."

"Okay then! We're gonna have a stay-in date. Meet me on the couch whenever you're ready." He rushed out in excitement, throwing her a finger gun and a wink before the door closed.

Elly sat there, bemused, until she realized he said <i>date</i> and hurried to freshen up. When she walked cautiously out into the common area she got another surprise.

Hizashi grinned over at her from the smaller of the two couches, remote in hand. "Look, I got, what's it called, Disney Plus or whatever on this thing. We can watch <i>Alice in Wonderland</i>!"

Her eyes widened and she caught her breath, her face feeling quite warm all of a sudden.

Yagi was sitting in his room getting ready to head to the bar when he heard a familiar voice swear in surprise outside.

When he came out to see what Aizawa was exclaiming at, he found the two snuggled up on the couch. Hizashi had his arm around her and she was talking animatedly about the scene unfolding onscreen. The blond-haired man's expression was very soft as he paid close attention.

"Ah, ha. So he did it."

"I didn't think he had the balls," the grumpy man admitted. "They've been pining over each other for months."

"He realized she needed him." He paused, then smiled broadly. "Yamada would have never confessed for himself, but he became very protective when he saw her hurting."

"Huh." Aizawa side-eyed him until Yagi started to cough.

"I only helped a <i>little</i>!"

"Sure."