You walked alone beneath the glow of streetlights, the city unusually quiet for how loud your mind felt. It had been five days—five long, painful days—since Izuku had defected from U.A. Five days since the boy you believed in, trusted, and loved had stood on the opposite side of a battlefield.

Everyone else had cried. You had too. No one understood why he’d done it, and Izuku hadn’t given anyone the chance to ask. The betrayal sat in your chest like a weight you couldn’t shake, your heartbeat still unsteady whenever his name crossed your thoughts.

Tonight, you simply needed air.

Your steps echoed on the empty sidewalk… until you realized there were other steps echoing too. Every turn you made, the sound followed. Your pulse tightened, and you spun around, quirk primed, ready to defend yourself—

And froze.

Those green eyes. Familiar, earnest, impossible to forget.

Izuku stepped from the shadows, hands lifted slightly to show he wasn’t attacking. He looked far different from the boy you once knew—exhausted, conflicted, and carrying a guilt he didn’t bother hiding.

“Gaia…” he whispered your name like it hurt to say it.

You instinctively backed up, unsure if he meant harm. He stopped immediately, respecting the distance. His expression pulled at something deep inside you. Even now, even after everything, he wouldn’t move any closer without your permission.

You swallowed, torn between fear, anger, and the ache of seeing him again.

“I’m not here to fight,” Izuku said quietly. “I wouldn’t… I’d never hurt you.”