RSM - Fluff - Recovery/Love Confession/etc - Mikan & Makoto

[naughty_nurse]

For someone who was supposedly Super High School Level Lucky, a sprained ankle seemed to be a huge wallop of bad luck. Even worse, it was such a big bad lump that he wasn't even able to attend school for a few days. While this string of misfortune made Makoto Naegi a joke at Hope's Peak Academy, not every student was finding humor in his misery.

Mikan Tsumiki had devoted herself to the health and welfare to all the students of the academy, even if they currently weren't at the academy. Because of this, she'd gone to his home several times to help aid his ankle and bring all of his schoolwork. She never complained because she enjoyed being useful - and enjoyed being useful to this one person in particular. Only here could she have alone time with the nicest boy in the whole school. He was sweet, encouraging, gentle...the list went on for ages.

So why was she heading towards his home with a sad frown on her face? Because as is the nature of sprains, his was healing, and in a day or two he'd return to school and forget all about her. She was very forgetful, after all. With a deep sigh, she knocked on his bedroom door.

"Naegi-kun?" She wasn't even confident enough to use his first name, despite the many hours they'd spent together. "It's Tsumiki."

Comments

[naughty_nurse]

"But... I'm happy when you're happy!" This was getting needlessly complicated - or ridiculously silly. Probably the latter. "So... to help you, I have to keep myself happy too?"

[dontlosehope]

"Well... you've already helped me. But I want you to be happy too, because... you deserve to be happy. You deserve for people to care about you, to have friends who care."

Ridiculously silly, but maybe he can help with this issue.

[naughty_nurse]

"I deserve it?" She repeated, confused again. "But... I don't do anything special. I'm not good at having conversations...I just let people do whatever they want with me. I just want to please people. I'm... not special at all."

[dontlosehope]

"But that's not true, Tsumiki-san. You are special. You have a gift, like all of us - you have something that makes you... well, you. You have a skill that saves lives. And you're kind. You're determined when you know you have someone who needs your help. You don't have to let people do what they want with you." He pauses for a moment, and considers what to say next.

"If you want to please people... you've already done so with keeping them alive. You don't have to let people do things to you to make them happy. That just makes them use you, and that's not okay."

[naughty_nurse]

All of that encompassed her talent - but what was she without her talent? She'd only become a Super High School Level Nurse because she originally tended to her own injuries over and over and over...

... But... Makoto had no talent to speak of. Yet he was a remarkable human being. Did his existence alone validate hers? That even if she wasn't an amazing nurse, she was worthy of people?

Ever so quietly, she tugged on the sleeve of his shirt. "Would you... like me... even if I wasn't the Super High School Level Nurse...?"

[dontlosehope]

There was the slightest of pauses, before Makoto just smiled.

"Of course. I like you... not because you're the Super High School Level Nurse... but because you're Tsumiki Mikan. A kind, compassionate and selfless girl who wants others to be happy."

[naughty_nurse]

Thankfully, instead of an endless spiral of compliments and denial, Mikan lowered her head a little, her fingers still weakly holding onto him.

"Thank you... Thank you, Naegi-san... Even if no one else thinks so... I-I don't care. I care what you think. More than anyone, I care what you think."

[dontlosehope]

"You're welcome, Tsumiki-san."

For a little bit, he stood there with her, unsure on what to say... or rather, do. This had definitely turned into a situation he hadn't expected it to, but he was happy that she believed in his words. Her holding onto his sleeve wasn't bothering him, but it was making him blush just a little from being unsure why.

Eventually, he motioned over to a bench.

"You wanna sit down for a bit?"

[naughty_nurse]

"O-Okay!"

Things were finally moving at a normal pace, maybe. Once Mikan sat down and smoothed down her uniform, she glanced at Makoto's legs just in case.

"...How does your ankle feel?"

[dontlosehope]

"It feels alright." He stretched out his leg and foot ever so slightly. "Still hurts a little, but I'll be good to go tomorrow."

It feels like he's said this way too many times, but... "Thanks for everything you've done, Tsumiki-san. I don't think my ankle would've healed nearly as well without your help." And, of course, the chance to get to know her a bit more.

[naughty_nurse]

"I-I'm just glad you're feeling better." A hint of a smile. "When I started nursing, it was mostly just to make myself feel better." In more ways than one. "But, eventually...I really got to like the happy faces on my patients when they felt better. So your happy face is the best kind of present."

[dontlosehope]

He couldn't help chuckling a little. Of course, he was still smiling, and seeing her smile just a little made it all the better. "It's always heartwarming to see others smile, isn't it?"

He settled on the bench and put his hand to his side, and flinched ever so slightly when he realized he just put his hand on top of Mikan's. It took him a second to finally shift his hand a little over... but one small part of his hand was still touching hers.

"A-Ah... sorry about that... I didn't realize..." Nope, he was blushing a bit again. Dammit. He was embarrassing himself over an accident.

[naughty_nurse]

Funny, Mikan touched his skin every time she came to his house - after all, she had to check his ankle. So why was this any different?

... She couldn't say. Instead, her entire face reddened - even the tips of her ears. Yet she also made no effort to pull her hand away, her eyes staying down.

"I-It's okay." A little whisper. "I don't mind."

[dontlosehope]

His pinkie was still resting on her hand, and he hesitated - even after hearing her say it was okay - to question if it really was. He couldn't really answer himself on why his blush was there - was it really out of embarrassment, or... was there something he wasn't considering? About his feelings for Mikan?

Slowly, wordlessly, he rested his hand back on top of Mikan's. It... felt nice. He'd never really done this before. Not that he could remember. Holding a girl's hand... was there something he wasn't telling her? Probably. But he wasn't entirely sure, himself. He was fine with this, though. He was blushing, but... he was smiling a bit, too.

Finally, he moved his hand again and gently took hold of hers.

[naughty_nurse]

Something was happening. Mikan was many things - paranoid, anxious, shaky - but she wasn't naive. When a boy put his hand on top of a girl's hand, that could only mean one thing.

"N-N-Naegi-san...!"

She swallowed down the urge to ask him a million questions - was he sure, why her, since when - but that would ruin things and she didn't want to chance it. With a hard gulp, she moved her fingers as best she could so they'd entwine with his, just a bit.

[dontlosehope]

Feeling their fingers entwine a bit managed to startle him a bit - but he didn't let go. All it did was raise more questions, and he found himself unable to answer them somehow. He wasn't... entirely naive, but this was still something completely new to him. Sure, he'd had a crush before and knew it, but the one he'd had now... he'd been unaware of until now.

"T-Tsumiki-san...?"

He seemed to be getting the hint, now, though. That they... very likely felt the same way about each other. Maybe. He looked up at her as he'd said her name, with a slightly curious expression on his face.

[naughty_nurse]

Mikan could feel Makoto's eyes bore into her, and she timidly lifted her face. Her smile was shaky, but it stayed on. What was she supposed to say? What could she say? She was afraid of ruining things by saying the wrong thing.

But if nothing was said...nothing would happen.

"Um...I...I...Is it okay...if we're... not just friends?"

[dontlosehope]

"If we're... not just friends?"

Okay, he might be slightly naive about things like this... but he knew what that meant. And though it took a little bit, he finally spoke up again.

"Y...yeah... I think that's okay." No, that wasn't enough. He took another few breaths, thinking to himself if this was what he wanted. And if it was what she wanted.

"It's definitely okay... if you're okay with it too."

...Yeah, that'd probably do it.

[naughty_nurse]

"I'm really, really, really okay with it!" It may have been the most okay she was with about anything in her entire life.

"You make me feel really good about myself... And I like being with you, even if we don't say anything. I... I was afraid to say anything. But I didn't want to risk losing my friend. I was so scared..."

[dontlosehope]

After she finished talking, he entwined his fingers with hers just a bit more so he could give her hand a reassuring squeeze. Granted, he wasn't really... the one to initiate anything like this. But he wanted to comfort Mikan and this was the best way he could think of to do so.

"I like being with you too. I'm... not very good at things like this, I guess. But, it's okay. You won't lose me. You don't have to be afraid to say something, either. If there's anything you want to say... I'll listen. I promise."

[naughty_nurse]

"...I think it's okay that neither of us are good at this."

She slowly lifted her head to meet his face, hints of confidence appearing. "Because... that way, we'll learn how to do this together. We don't have any expectations. We can be...normal. Like always."

[dontlosehope]

"Yeah... you're right. This is... kind of like a journey for us." This... feels kind of normal? Other than the hand holding. But that's... just kind of a bonus?

It was clear he was slowly relaxing too, feeling more and more comfortable like this with Mikan. It almost seemed strange, what all transpired today... but it still seemed to go at a pace that befit both of them.

"I never really expected something like this to happen... but I'm glad it did. I... guess my bad luck with my ankle really led to something good after all, huh?"

What a strange thing, luck...

[naughty_nurse]

As a result of his little quip, a very rare sound came out of Mikan's mouth - laughter. Genuine, honest, real laughter. It started out as quiet giggling, but the hilarity of all that happened and years of repressing herself made it into a loud, joyful sound. It felt good to laugh. It felt good that only he could make her laugh.

"N-Naegi-san...!" It was all she could get out of the moment between breathes. "You really are... Super High School Level Lucky! And n-now I feel Super High School Level Lucky too!"

[dontlosehope]

He wasn't sure initially whether he'd said the right thing, but hearing her start to laugh made him relax. It was... really nice to hear her laugh. It was the first time that he'd ever heard her do so.

"I guess we're both lucky then, aren't we?" His luck might be questionable, but it usually ended well... and this time it seemed to affect both of them.

"Tsumiki-san... I think that's the first time I've ever heard you laugh." He couldn't be smiling more if he tried right now. Her laugh was... cute? It was kind of cute.

[naughty_nurse]

Maybe she didn't even realize it self. Mikan slowly touched her lips in shock.

"Oh... Wow. I can't even remember the last time I laughed." She replied in surprise. "You really... help me out in ways I didn't even think of! Is this what it feels like to be lucky?"