Shoutout to Raven. I got stuck on the plot of this story for-- a long time. But I know where it's going now.

Third person pov

Harper did have to drag Sero into the hallway, hug him, and console him as though he were an infant. He devolved into a panic attack, as anyone as emotionally unstable as him might. Harper just had to grit her teeth and bear with it. Just as she'd thought, it was way too soon for him to be coming back. 

The environment was less than ideal at the moment. Everyone was still struggling to find their footing, and throwing Sero into the mix just threw everything even more off balance. Even Harper was having trouble, and she can generally gather enough information from her surroundings to keep steady. Sucks to fucking suck, she guesses. This is ass.

"They don't want me here. This isn't going to work out. I'll get sent back. I don't fit in." Sero's thoughts were a never ending loop of... well, this. Some sort of nervous inferiority complex borne from his trauma, or whatever. Harper was too tired to deal with it. Which yeah, she said that all the time and that was great and all, but this time she really meant it. 

She was run fucking ragged. So exhausted she could hardly keep herself upright. The stress was weighing on her, the rage at herself, the worry, the anxiety. She and everyone else in 1-A needed some rest, but apparently that word wasn't in Nezu's dictionary. Stupid fucking rat. Harper was going to commit homicide one day and guess who her victim would be?

"Here's the plan, Sero. Are you listening to the plan?" Harper asked, trying to keep her voice from being too tense. Sero sniffled a little, nodding in a manner damn near meek in contrast to his previous aggression. The shit she dealt with on a day-to-day basis. Ugh. "Great. So what we're going to do is walk in. And then we're going to walk back to our seats, where we will then proceed to sit down. If anyone tries to talk to us, I will stare at them until they shut up. If you try to talk to anyone, I will stare at you until you shut up. Do you follow?"

"What about me? Where do I fit into the plan?" Kurogiri all but whimpered, eyes wide and terrified. He looked about three shades paler than he probably should've been and was shivering like a crusty poodle left out in the freezing rain. "I cannot let Harper Rye out of my sight! But if I'm not going to go sit with them, then what do I do? I must be right next to her at all times!"

Harper took a deep breath in through her nose, holding it for a moment alongside all the irritation that was threatening to flood out at any moment. She should just call Hound Dog and have him handle this. Would that be the easy way out? Kirishima said to trust other people, and she was getting real damn close to trusting Kurogiri off to someone else. 

Sero's nose scrunched up, and he and Harper shared a look. Finally, they were on the same page about something. Even if that something was Kurogiri's overall neurotic-ness. His separation anxiety had been bad before, but now it was simply unmatched. Funnily enough... Harper almost didn't mind. 

Because even if Kirishima was here, he wouldn't be able to fix this either. It would be like this whether he was here or not. Kurogiri's annoyingness was a constant-- something that would've been no matter what. Harper almost took a sense of comfort in it. It was odd to admit, but all too true. Harper had stopped trying to understand herself a long time ago.

"Kurogiri, you have the most important job of all." Harper said, tone grim. Sero's brows shot up as she clapped a hand down on the warp-gate user's forearm, gazing up into his eyes with startling intensity. Kurogiri went stock still, eyes wide and earnest. Sero looked disgusted, as though he hadn't just burst into a fit of sobbing in front of the entirety of 1-A and then forced Harper to comfort him for a full fifteen minutes in the hallway. Pot meet kettle. "I need you to follow me everywhere. No matter what."

She'd only said it because he was going to do it one way or the other no matter what. Her giving him explicit permission was going to make him feel like he was doing a good job though, and he definitely needed that after feeling like he'd failed her by not getting to her and Kirishima in time. That wasn't the case in the least. 

Harper didn't blame him-- she didn't blame anyone but the villain's who'd kidnapped her, Kota, and Bakugo to begin with. Kurogiri had done his best and that's all she could've asked for in that situation. Though a part of her wished no one had come to get her, she understood. She'd been in their shoes before. When Eric had gone missing, nothing was going to stop her from going after him once she'd gotten an inkling of where he was.

"Yes, Harper Rye!" Kurogiri straightened, saluting her like he was a soldier and this was a war. Might as well have been. Harper gave a hefty sigh, patting his arm. "This I can do quite well! Following Harper Rye everywhere-- I do that anyway!" 

Harper sighed. At least he was self aware.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ew. You touched me." Sero hissed out under his breath when Harper's elbow bumped against him. That statement alone pretty much summarized exactly how well their time together going forward was going to go. "Gross. Cooties. Am I going to grow bags under my eyes just like hers now?"

"Shut the fuck up, you ugly muppet." Harper hissed right back. For Sero's information, he already had bags under his eyes that were just as bad as hers were, so he could put a goddamn sock in it and keep his thoughts to himself. They'd gotten back into class and nobody had said a word. Harper had dragged Sero back to her desk and they'd plopped themselves right on down, Kurogiri hot on Harper's heels just as he always was. Iida had notably looked away when they approached, jaw clenched with stress. Harper felt guilty just glancing in his direction. "I'm the one doing all the writing. It's not my fault you're in my bubble."

Tenya's thoughts were a swirling maelstrom of stress, anxiety, and self-deprecation. Harper was going to have to tackle it. He'd... He'd gotten a lot better since the incident. His improvement had been steady, and as to not interfere, Harper had distanced herself. He was reminded of what he'd tried to do anytime he looked at her. 

Images of his sobbing parents and distraught brother always flashed in his mind anytime they talked, so for the sake of his mental health, she'd taken a small step back so he could gather himself back up and have some form of a fresh start. Looks like they were past that and back into dangerous territory. She felt like a piece of shit. It was all her fault-- she should've been frank with him from the start, but the risk of triggering him had been so threatening at the time. Some friend she was, huh?

"Your bubble? I broke my arm and hand for you, you bitch." Sero scoffed, earning a nervous look from Sato, who had notably scooted as far away as he could get. Harper wished she could do the same. Kurogiri was looming awkwardly behind her chair and Sero's chair was pretty much touching hers at this point. He couldn't write, apparently, so now she was having to do his worksheet too. Aizawa thought it was cute, but Harper was going to unapologetically John Wick someone with her pencil soon. As far as schoolwork went, it was just a form asking questions about their mental health, so it could've been worse. "Hey! On a scale from one to ten for nerves, I'm only an eight!"

"No, Sero. You just had a mental breakdown. You're a ten." Harper gave him a dry look, glancing over to where Bakugo was glaring at them and squinting at him. He somehow managed to look mad anyway. What was he going to do, walk over here? He only had one foot. "I'm going to add a category right here at the bottom. On a scale from one to ten, how fucking stupid are you? Adding an eleven just for you, since you clearly break the standard scale."

"I've never met anyone more petty than you." Sero muttered out under his breath. As though he could talk. Hypocritical wench. "You're so annoying. Us sharing a room is a horrible idea. Why did I agree to that? And why does Blasty Boom Boom Bitch keep looking at you? And Shroomy? And Glasses? And ghost girl? And Pinky? And literally everyo--- Oh... Oh wait, they're looking at me, because I'm better looking, smarter, and better than you in every conceivable way! I'm so glad I figured it out."

"You're better looking than me? You'd be lucky to pull a scarecrow." Harper scoffed. Someone snickered. Harper isn't sure who, but she appreciates the support, she guesses. Better than them crying. Which Kaminari has been doing for the past fifteen minutes. Harper wishes she could go give him a hug without it being weird. Yeah, her, willingly giving someone a hug. It's that bad. "You think I want to share a room with you? I bet you don't know how to use a hamper and snore. And I'm adding a twelve on the idiocy scale for calling Todoroki a fucking Mushroom, you piece of shit."

"It wasn't an insult, he's literally red and white! Like a mushroom! His hair even looks like one! What did you want me to do, call him an American? That's way more derogatory." Sero said way, way too loudly. Todoroki blinked at them, nonplussed. Pretty much everyone turned around to stare at Sero as Harper drove her elbow straight into his ribs, hoping to god it bruised. He made a choking noise, so she's going to assume it worked out. "Why would you do that?!"

Sero was terrifying to most people in the room. Thoughts about him pinged around anxiously, highlighting what a horrible idea his early re-entry was. She hoped Nezu was watching this and gaining enlightenment. Bah. As though he was ever going to admit to his mistakes. Either way, Sero needed to tread lightly and try to be nicer. That meant not calling people fungus.

"Why wouldn't I do that? Don't call people fungus. He's too nice to call you names back, which makes him off limits." Harper cocked a brow as Shoto patted at his hair questioningly. Shoto also had a trauma pass, but she didn't want to tell Sero that and give him more ammo to work with. Fuck, she wanted to strangle him. Not Todoroki, but Sero. She just might by the end of the day at this rate. Would anyone blame her? Raise a hand if you have any objections. 

Nobody looked like they had any idea what to do about this conversation. Harper just rolled her eyes as Sero rubbed at his side where she'd attacked him, sending her a stink-eye that had her scoffing haughtily. It was nice to get her mind off everything with pointless banter, but that didn't mean she wasn't still going to get ramped up. Whatever. 

On a scale from 'my mental health is in the shitter' to 'I'm doing great', she's a solid 'I sort of want to fucking die and I hate everything and have the emotional stability of house made out of popsicle sticks'. She had a sneaking suspicion (i.e. not a sneaking suspicion, she's a mind reader, this is a fact) that everyone is in about the same boat as she is. 

The bell rang before anyone could say anything about their fun little argument, cutting through the tension like a hot knife and causing everyone to jump slightly. Harper looked up and made eye-contact with Aizawa, who was gazing at her tumultuously. He seemed worried, but Harper just shook her head. 

It was Sero they were talking about. Her and him fighting like a couple of cats trapped in a bag was normal. He's damn lucky he's out of that precinct, and that Harper doesn't send him back for his shit attitude. The only reason she hasn't is because her personality is about ten times worse than his is at base level, thus making him technically tolerable.

"Turn in your sheets and head back to the dorms. I'm sure you all still have lots of unpacking to do. Hound Dog is available to talk to you at any time, so don't hesitate to contact him or I if you need anything." Aizawa's voice was stoic as usual. There was a bit of hesitation, but eventually people began to stand up, muttering to one another and glancing back at Sero. The tape-user settled back into his seat a bit, scowling at them. Harper sighed, giving apologetic looks towards anyone who had the misfortune of meeting Sero's eyes. "Harper, Harper, Harper! You two bantering is so cute! But also, I think Kaminari wants to talk to you! And Bakugo!" 

Harper blinked, taking a moment to locate Denki. It took a little longer to spot him now that his music was gone. Harper wondered if it would ever come back. Thinking about it too hard made her sad. She met his eyes, which were rimmed red, and frowned. Not because she's upset, but because it's not her Kaminari wants to talk to. It's Sero, and she's... not sure how well that's going to go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bakugo tried to intercept her and Sero, but a sharp look stopped him in his tracks. Something like begrudging understanding flitted through the explosive teen, and he gave a brief but sharp nod, scowling like this was the greatest inconvenience of his life. Harper wasn't in the mood to deal with much of anything right now, let alone the screaming match he and Sero would inevitably have if she dared let them in vicinity of one another this early on in the game. 

He could harass them later. Kaminari was clearly struggling a lot more than many other members of 1-A and Harper needed to be the net that caught him. Because if not, he was going to keep falling. It wouldn't be pretty when he landed, either. Fuck, this wasn't going to go well.

"Hey, Kaminari." Harper put a hand on his shoulder, voice uncharacteristically soft. Kurogiri and Sero had the sense to hover back. Not far back, but farther than she'd expected. Good for them. Maybe Sero really is only an eleven on the 'fucking idiot' scale she'd added to his page. Does he get the benefit of her doubt? Harper still isn't sure, but Kaminari looks like he's about to burst into a waterfall of tears, which is far more pressing an issue. She's pretty sure he's not supposed to be shaking like this either. "Can you come help me unpack a little in my dorm room? Kurogiri makes really good tea and brought his favorite electric kettle."

"I brought two microwaves and a toaster too. And popcorn." Kurogiri piped up quietly from behind her, his voice mimicking her softer tone. Finally! Finally, he was able to sense the atmosphere! How long had they been trying to get him to pick up on the mood for? Man, that meant Kaminari wasn't just in bad shape. He was in bad bad shape if Kurogiri was noticing, since he has the emotional intelligence of a peanut. "He is shaking as though he is about to explode. Will he? Is that a thing he can do? This is potentially dangerous. Perhaps I should... no, no, Harper Rye would be upset if I interfered! I will simply have to warp her away if danger occurs!" 

"He looks like total shit." Sero's thoughts were awkward and stilted as he looked at his sort-of-but-sort-of-not old friend. It was a complicated feeling. On one hand, he had betrayed Kaminari greatly. On the other, Denki was one of the people he'd come to somewhat care for during his ruse and whom he'd grown to miss in their time apart. It was just... harder for him to say, because they knew a Sero that never truly existed to begin with, and it was hard to salvage a relationship that had collapsed on a foundation of lies. "Can Harper like... fix him? Or whatever? She made me stop crying."

Kaminari sniffled a bit. Mina hesitated in leaving, but Harper forced herself to give the girl a small smile, which seemed to be enough. Harper was infinitely glad her classmates didn't hold her deceit against them. They seemed to know that she would've told them if she thought she could, and they appreciated what she'd done. 

On some level, Harper almost wished they did blame her. Maybe that would make her feel less guilty about hiding the nature of her quirk for so long. It was a little too late to be getting caught up on things like that now, though. Harper didn't have that time to waste. Maybe they'd ruminate over all she'd told them and breed some spite. She didn't know. They'd find out, she supposed!

"Y-Yeah, okay. I-I can totally h-help you out. N-No big deal." Kaminari sniffled out, voice small. Harper put an arm around him with an understanding nod as his tears began to spill over, gently steering him away from his desk and towards the door. Kurogiri and Sero scrambled after her. She would've used one of Kurogiri's warp gates to get them there faster, but somehow she doubted that was going to help Kaminari very much at the moment. Call it a hunch. "Keep it together, Denki. You're okay. You're fine. Why're you even freaking out? It's been a while since you've seen Sero anyway. And he's trying to be better, and he helped Harper, and Kirishima was totally rooting for him. It's all alright. You can do this. You're fine! You're fine, you're fine, you're fine!"

The walk back to the dorms felt impossibly long, and it was spent in silence. Harper was glad Sero didn't say anything for once in his petty little life. Stupid bitch. Okay, that was a little harsh, but he's the one that likes to speak up at inappropriate times. This is one of those inappropriate times that he could easily ruin. Was this proof he still had some form of a heart in there? Or was Harper's thinking too wishful? Probably the latter. Sero was just as jaded as she was when it came to life in general.

The room Harper was going to be sharing with Kurogiri and Sero was much larger than the rest of the dorms, with dividers between the spaces to give the illusion of privacy. Boxes were strewn all over the place. There really hadn't been time to unpack since she'd been here. So focused on her classmates, on Bakugo, on Kurogiri, on Sero-- there just hadn't been a good chance, you know? Harper obviously had no intention of having Kaminari help her pop boxes open. It was an excuse for him to justify coming with her, so that he didn't feel like he was intruding. 

Kaminari wiped at his face as he entered, not even bothering to look around. Harper dragged him over to her bed, which was positioned in the corner of the room furthest from the door. The foot of it was practically touching the foot of Kurogiri's. 

He wanted to be as close as possible to her, so putting their bed length's along the same wall had been his greatest plot of the century. Harper was just glad she wasn't going to have to face him whilst sleeping. Sero was probably pretty happy about it too. Not that Kurogiri was ugly or anything, but opening your eyes to see him staring at you wasn't something anyone would enjoy.

"It's alright, Kaminari. Take some deep breaths for me." Harper eased as the boy's breathing began to stutter. He was shaking all over, and Harper's heart wrenched hard. Kurogiri and Sero watched from the middle of the room, hovering anxiously, seeming worried about what was happening as Harper patted Kaminari's shoulders and gave them a comforting squeeze. The electric-quirk user reached out and grasped her upper arms, slouching forward with a sputter. "Hey, hey. Calm down. It's okay, Kaminari, I promise it's all going to be okay."

Kaminari shook his head. His thoughts were a nonsensical babble, and Harper felt herself begin to panic just a little when he failed to entirely respond. Panic attack? No, it didn't feel the same as one. This was a genuine mental breakdown, here in the flesh, Kaminari deluxe-trauma edition. How did she pull him out of it? 

She'd hardly had any interaction with him in class, let alone outside of it. As close as he'd been to Kirishima, Harper wasn't really... she hadn't been much more than another classmate in the background of his life. She wasn't qualified for this. Maybe she should've let Bakugo come over. Could he really handle it, though? He was so brusque and, in Kaminari's eyes, terrifying. He didn't need harshness right now. He needed... Harper didn't know! Comfort and love? Was she capable of such things?

Harper squatted down so she could look up at Kaminari's face. Try to make eye contact and get him to focus on her, you know? Funny joke, because he had his eyes clenched shut and looked like he was about to pass out. His face was blotchy and red, and it was wet all over from tears. How splendid. 

God, Harper should've dragged him off to Hound Dog. It was great that she had this sense of responsibility for him because he was Kirishima's bff and whatnot, but she isn't a therapist or even a close friend. Which is what he needs right now if she's going to be totally honest.

Sero and Kurogiri watched Harper snap her fingers in front of Kaminari's face a few times. Sero's good hand clenched and unclenched itself nervously as Harper gently pushed Kaminari back upright and out of his hunched over position, rubbing circles on his back. He looked so upset, his eyes prying themselves open as though it hurt to do so, all so that he could look at Harper.

 The brunette was saying something-- reassurances? They didn't seem to be working all that well. Kaminari's chest was still heaving, and he looked... terrified, to be honest. Sero knew that fear. He'd felt it before, when the box was mentioned, and when he thought they were going to take him away. It was all-encompassing. 

He glanced at Kurogiri, who nervously twiddled his thumbs, before looking back to the pair on the bed. He knew Kaminari, didn't he? He... He did. He swore he did. He could help, couldn't he? He knew he and Denki weren't really friends right now, but they had been on some level. Even if he was there to... to hurt 1-A and leak information, they'd still hung out. That couldn't all be obsolete. Harper had told him herself that it wasn't. That his experiences as their classmate weren't all dashed just because he'd been there with ulterior motives. 

"H...Hey." Sero piped out hesitantly. Harper's eyes flew to him, panicked by his entrance into the situation. Wow. So much faith in him. Kaminari looked over too, eyes overflowing with tears. He looked like total shit right now, wow. What a wreck. "Do you remember that one time-- that weekend, with the teacher workday-- when Kirishima invited us over to play video games at his place?"

His voice came out awkward, tense, and more than a little stressed. But it worked. It actually, genuinely worked. Denki stopped for a moment, staring at him, his breathing stopping. Sero could practically see the cogs begin to turn behind his eyes. 

Their friendship hadn't been... it hadn't been completely fake. It hadn't! Sero had still hung out with Denki, and gotten to know his tics, how his thoughts processed, and such of that like. Chilling with them after school hadn't been something he'd had to do as a traitor. He'd done it because he wanted to. 

Harper looked between Kaminari and Sero, taking a breath. Okay. Okay, Kaminari was breathing and steadier than he had been a moment ago. Like he'd been snapped back into reality, his thoughts going in a straight line now instead of stuttering in panicked fragments. Maybe Sero wasn't completely useless. This was alright. Kaminari would totally be okay. It was all perfectly fine.

"O-One of his moms made u-us meatloaf and burned it.... I-It set off the fire alarm." Kaminari's voice came out a shaky croak, his voice raw from crying. He cleared it a little, wiping at his face and nose. "We still agreed to eat it anyway too."

"It was so fucking nasty." Sero sounded something bordering on nostalgic, the undertone of a laugh in his voice. Harper scooted over as the tape-user hesitantly shuffled closer. Kaminari was looking at him fully now, seeming less apprehensive than he had a moment ago. Like it had just occurred to him that he perhaps knew Sero better than he'd thought. As though he'd forgotten all these things they'd done together and shared, even if the betrayal was present. "He doesn't look mad. Shit. Okay. He's not really crying anymore. Is he mad? Harper, hold up two fingers if he's mad."

"I-It was. But we ate it and told her how good it was anyway." Kaminari laughed just a little through his hiccups. Harper scooted back, very slowly standing. Sero met her eyes, and she jerked her head with emphasis. He jolted, but obeyed, approaching and carefully to take her spot on the bed. The old switcheroo. Harper was getting out of this one alive. Kaminari didn't seem upset that Sero was sitting next to him, staring at his hands, lost in thought. "I think Kirishima genuinely liked it. Even though it was practically coal."

"I think his other mom knew we were lying. She looked like she was about to puke." Sero scoffed, and Kaminari gave another weak laugh, looking up at the dark-haired teen next to him with a hesitant sort of hope. Sero tensed a little, averting his eyes and clenching his jaw. Harper scooted herself back towards Kurogiri until she was next to him, watching the exchange closely. Sero swallowed hard, adam's apple bobbing. "You... uh, you and I went and got ice cream at the first place we could find after to wash the taste away, but it was that weird vegan stuff."

"It was so gross." Kaminari groaned out in a voice that sounded a bit more like himself, bringing his hands up to his face. Sero snorted in agreement. Harper let out a breath of air as his dark eyes flitted towards her, relief shining in them. He was happy. Harper was glad. Mostly because she didn't have to try and stop anyone from crying, but you know. Crisis successfully averted? She was just glad Kaminari was alright.

Maybe Sero and Kaminari could patch it up. This was a good thing. Things would be alright, right? Sero was a piece of shit, but not that big of a piece of shit. He still liked many of his classmates, contrary to his douche-bag worthy behavior. His personality was different than the one he'd previously presented outwardly, but she was beginning to think maybe that wasn't going to be as big a deal as she thought it was. She glanced up at Kurogiri, doing a double-take when she saw the tears in his eyes. Really? What a weepy sap. That was so on brand for him.

Her phone gave a buzz in her pocket as Sero and Kaminari continued to somewhat-awkwardly recall the times that they still considered good. Harper fished it out of her pocket, sniffing a bit when she saw it was an unknown caller. Wasn't her area code, but that honestly didn't mean much these days. 

She gave a glance at the pair on the bed. There was a solid three feet of distance between the two, but Kaminari was looking incredibly responsive despite Sero's tension. The brunette let out a small breath of air, nudging Kurogiri.

"Hey, I'm going to take this real quick. You'll be able to see me through the door." Harper jerked her head at said door. Kurogiri looked ready to object, but she was already striding the short distance over to the entrance to their room, accepting to call and bringing the device up to her ear. She didn't want to risk interrupting to roll Sero and Denki were on. This was a way better reunion than she ever could've hoped for. It made her feel like all this chaos would genuinely work itself out. Eventually. She took a deep breath. "Harper Rye speaking."

There was a moment of silence that made her consider hanging up, but she didn't. She sounded like shit and sometimes that gave people pause, even in real life. The girl threw a look back at Kurogiri. He was right where she'd left him, staring intensely at her and looking like he was on the verge of a heart attack. 

All the work she'd put into getting him used to being away from her, dashed. Harper wondered if Dabi was ever going to be up to bodyguard duty again. Once training started, she may have to find someone else to be on Kurogiri duty if he couldn't handle it. If he couldn't, that was okay. He could take all the time he needed and then some. If anyone deserved some rest, it was Dabi.

"H-Hello!" A flustered voice bellowed, almost blowing out her eardrum with its intensity. Normally she would've slammed her finger down on the hang up button, but the voice and tone were painstakingly familiar. She could never forget. She paused, heart skipping a few beats in her chest. An unwilling warmth and hope burst forth, emotion filling her too fast for her to track. "M-My mom got your number from your mom. It's... It's Inasa, Harper. I saw the news and had to call."

Harper felt the cork in her bottle pop out in an instant. K.O. This was the nail in the coffin. She inhaled deeply, tears welling in her eyes and throat tightening up at the sound of her old friend's voice. She and Inasa didn't talk these days. Harper hadn't chatted with him in years now-- not since her time in the hospital, when she'd tried to... yeah, that was the last phone call she'd shared with him. She'd been the one to call that time, having felt an overwhelming need to talk to him. That one had been just as tearful as this one was shaping up to be. Harper couldn't be upset about it.

Outside of yearly birthday and Christmas cards, there was almost no contact whatsoever, but that didn't mean she and Inasa weren't still friends. Both of them were on the same page about this and she knew it. 

No matter how much time passed, Inasa was the one friend she would have for the rest of her life, no matter what. She should've expected this call. Of course he'd call. It just... it was hitting really hard today, you know? It was everything at once, but Harper felt like she was finally breathing for the first time since she'd been taken.

"Harper, are you okay?" Inasa's voice was heavy with worry. It was deeper and stronger now, but still the same. Harper choked a little, bringing a hand up to her face and shaking her head, more at herself than anything else. She heard Kurogiri make a panicked noise behind her, his footsteps briskly approaching. "You know I'm here for you. Y-You can tell me anything! I don't care how long it's been! Just-- are you okay? I-I just got back from my summer camp, and when I saw the news-- I didn't even know you were going to UA and... I-I almost--"

"I-Inasa." She squeaked out. God, she squeaked. What has her life become. Here she is, crying all over again despite telling herself she was done with tears. Harper heard Kurogiri faintly call her name, but her mind was too muddled to process anything but the phone call. She was shaking like a leaf in the wind. If anything was going to finally pry her open, this was it. Right here in the UA dormitory halls. She was about to lose her shit. But it was Inasa asking, and she'd never stonewall him. "I...I-I lost someone again. I-I lost them, and I couldn't... I couldn't..."

She trailed off, clenching her eyes shut. It didn't do anything to stop the tears, or to stop Kurogiri's arms from encasing her. Inasa was quiet for a moment, his own breaths shuddering over the phone. It should've been awkward, but it just wasn't. It couldn't be. 

She and Inasa had almost died. They'd both been young, but he was the one person she could share the experience with. Who knew Eric's sacrifice and who had seen it firsthand. Who had struggled with her in the months after before he'd moved away. They'd been little, but they'd been at their worst. Seeing someone like that and letting them see you like that, no matter the age... 

They'd been trapped in that cage, huddled together with her brother with nothing but each other. They'd been best friends before that and best friends after. They'd teamed up to go find Eric together. Inasa had lost him too. Not in the same way, but he'd gone there with hopes of saving him and he'd failed, just like her. He'd seen her quirk evolve, helped her adjust to it after it woke itself up. Knew how it worked, how it hurt. Her parents had held out their hands to her in hopes of helping and she hadn't taken theirs, she'd taken his, because he knew. Inasa always knew.

"I'm... Harper, I'm sorry. I-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I-I didn't come. If I'd known, I-I would've. I would've come for you." Inasa's voice sounded ghostly distant and so quiet she had to struggle to hear it, strained and teary. He sounded terrified. Would she ever not cry hearing from him? Maybe only having contact with him in the aftermath of traumatizing events had something to do with it. "I-It's going to be okay. You know it wasn't your fault, right? I know you, and there's no way it was your fault. I know you had to have done everything you possibly could to save him. You... You can't blame yourself like before. Talk to someone. T-To me, or anyone, just-- don't bottle it up like before a-and blame yourself."

Harper could almost see him saying it. God, maybe it was stupid of her, or maybe it was a normal, emotional response anyone in her shoes would have. She knew he wasn't eight anymore and she wasn't either, but his face still flashed in her mind's eye anyway. Cheeks sunken in from so much time without food, eyes sharp and braver than hers were, hair cropped short, hands shaking so hard it would be a surprise if he could pick anything up with them. Harper felt like a kid all over again. 

Fragile, allowed to cry, allowed to not be okay. Allowed to smile, to laugh, to get mad and be a bit of a narcissist, because aren't all kids to an extent? Talking to Inasa had that effect. She knew it was the same for him. He wasn't here for her to read his mind, but her gut feelings were seldom ever wrong. It had been years, but Harper knew him at his core. 

Harper, against her better judgement and overall will... well, she burst into a fit of absolute tears, just like the ones she'd shed at the hospital. Over the phone, she heard Inasa do the same. Absolutely fucking bawling their eyes out, the both of them. Harper heard Kaminari and Sero both let out shouts of her name as her legs pretty much gave out on her. Kurogiri caught her with a small shriek, but Harper was too busy crying and wiping at her cheeks in intervals to acknowledge it. 

It was different this time, though. It didn't hurt like the last time she'd cried. This time, she thought crying might finally bring her some kind of relief-- release the pressure that had been building and building since the hospital. And that... well, that was the greatest thing she could've asked for right now.

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"That is incorrect. Kirishima-- he experienced a wound to his torso, but his face was largely unharmed. Harper Rye was able to speak to him in his final moments." Kurogiri reported with unusual formalness when Harper failed to say anything. "I do not like this. This isn't right. This isn't right at all."